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Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

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BeyondBlue Hi! Check out this post if you're not sure how to start
  • replies: 0

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are... View more

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are really interested in what you might want to add to these conversations. We get it, having anxiety makes it hard to share in a public place. Remember, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anxiety in some form in their lives. This might be in social settings, at work, or just in the day to day. You don’t need a diagnosis to post here. If it feels like the right spot for your post, go right ahead! We know that feeling anxious can make it hard to reach out so we want you to know that getting this far is amazing and a great start. A few tips for getting the most out of this section: Get involved when you can! Posting and replying is the heartbeat of this community and you DO have something worthwhile to share (when you’re ready ) Every experience is different. There is no competition here. We know how challenging anxiety can be and how it comes in all shapes and sizes. What you are experiencing will be respected and supported here. Trust yourself! You are the expert in your experience. This community works because people like you share what has worked for you. Thank you for getting involved and taking a look. We can’t wait to hear from you! Beyond Blue

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Polka_Dots Social anxiety: a barrier to learning?
  • replies: 3

I have social anxiety (depression and regular anxiety as well) and it affects my ability to learn things, both academic and recreational. Recreational activities are worst because the teachers are not trained to deal with it because their training wo... View more

I have social anxiety (depression and regular anxiety as well) and it affects my ability to learn things, both academic and recreational. Recreational activities are worst because the teachers are not trained to deal with it because their training would be short. Even if you tell them you have anxiety they don’t recognise it and just teach how they know. “Don’t panic” is their useless advice. I don’t blame them because they are not taught. But I get mad that if there’s a physical injury in class the teachers are so vigilant but no one even notices if I’m panicking let alone does anything to help. I sign up for something active and fun. I am not a natural athlete and am a slow hesitant learner. I also feel like I must succeed to handle my illness and to not look dumb=pressure. Then, I start to feel everyone is watching me so I get embarrassed that I’m not learning as fast as my classmates. Then everyone gets ahead, even if it’s my 10th session and they’ve been doing it for 5 minutes- I’m still where I was before Lesson 1 and they’re great. I get more scared to try in front of others- it's a positive feedback cycle that escalates my anxiety. Then I panic. Paralysed so much by fear I can't learn. Everytime it worsens because I feel I should be further along and I also remember how anxious I was last time. I run out of classes, making 0 progress, as much as I want to learn the skill, I’m too embarrassed to go back because others only need 1 session to master Step 1, not 2 terms. The teachers talk about how great other students did, the students praise each other and I feel stupid and isolated. Everyone seems to be a natural and talented but me. I feel useless and unteachable because I am the only one who can’t. I cry for hours after and have a bad depressive episode for a week after, which gets worse each time. Then I hate myself that I’m depressed over a tiny thing. It compounds my depression because I see these all as yet more failed attempts to learn things and change my illness. I quit to avoid the frustration and embarrassment and because I’m a waste to teach- but am devastated because I want to do it badly. The cycle is unhealthy. Does anyone else have similar experiences or perhaps suggestions on how to approach learning things? I’m out of appointments on my MHP and am keen to hear people’s advice should I want to try more things or get courage to go do these things again and also for my degree, where I can’t even show my teacher my work. Thanks

Neenie87 What do you do to help bring you down while having a panic attack?
  • replies: 4

Hi All, Curious to find out how people manage their panic attacks? I struggle to settle myself down and really want to be able to control them. Has anyone mastered settling a panic attack?

Hi All, Curious to find out how people manage their panic attacks? I struggle to settle myself down and really want to be able to control them. Has anyone mastered settling a panic attack?

Angela_Faye My other emotions have disappeared
  • replies: 8

I'm on the recovery end of anxiety (12year journey) and I have just realised that I don't really have any emotions. I know how to feel nervous, anxious, scared, frightened, worried, sad - but I don't know how to feel all the other emotions passion, j... View more

I'm on the recovery end of anxiety (12year journey) and I have just realised that I don't really have any emotions. I know how to feel nervous, anxious, scared, frightened, worried, sad - but I don't know how to feel all the other emotions passion, joy, excitement, fulfilled, excellent. It seems as if I've spent too long down one end of the scale that I have forgotten all the other emotions. I graduated university; nothing, I got married; nothing, I built a house; nothing...all these moments are supposed to filled with emotions but I didn't seem to have any. I am on a mission to refill my life with meaning and this involves the full spectrum of emotions. Does anyone have this problem or have any tips on this?

Karellen Sought out help and now I feel even worse. What next steps are there?
  • replies: 2

Hello, I had a rant on this forum about 6 months ago about the history of my depression, anxiety lack of confidence and self-esteem. Had a few people reply with some good advice with the strong recommendation that I go back to my GP and arrange to se... View more

Hello, I had a rant on this forum about 6 months ago about the history of my depression, anxiety lack of confidence and self-esteem. Had a few people reply with some good advice with the strong recommendation that I go back to my GP and arrange to see another psychologist/psychiatrist. So it took some time but I finally went to see a new psych and immediately took a strong disliking to her. Found someone else about 6 weeks later who I got on better with. I was also put on a few different medications by a psychiatrist that I started seeing at the start of the year. He said I most likely had both dysthymia and generalized anxiety disorder. At the moment I have started another combination of medications and will have a review of how those are working in a fortnight. I have only one full session left with my psych that is covered by mental health plan so she wants me to wait a bit before seeing her again. So during the last few months I have been feeling absolutely terrible. I didn't know I could feel this miserable and my psych was particularly worried enough to consider hospitalization. During this whole time I have still had to go to my anxiety provoking job so I can afford these treatments. I would not mind having to spend thousands of dollars If it made life a little bit more bearable. My psychiatrist said the next step would be group therapy but that can also be expensive and probably will have to take more time off work. No guarantees with that either. My wits are frayed, cognition has hit rock bottom, medication has scrambled my brain, anxiety? depression? anger? frustration? I can't even explain to myself how I am feeling most of the time. I am not too sure what steps I should take next except for yelling at my psychiatrist/psychologist/gp that I'm losing my mind. Any suggestion would be appreciated?

Littlerevheads It's taken over again😭😭😭
  • replies: 1

Have had anxiety for 2 and half yrs now, it went way and has come back since December when my hubby went way for a weekend. It worst then before and itself to be taking over my life at night time , can't sleep and panic attacks like no tomorrow . Jus... View more

Have had anxiety for 2 and half yrs now, it went way and has come back since December when my hubby went way for a weekend. It worst then before and itself to be taking over my life at night time , can't sleep and panic attacks like no tomorrow . Just over feeling like this all the time.

Tine Health Anxiety out of control, unable to function
  • replies: 2

Please help, I have history of depression and anxiety, specially about my health. Had to have some checks last week and it threw up a couple of issues, Doctor doing tests, ultrasounds tomorrow and Friday, absolutely paralyzed with fear, unable to fun... View more

Please help, I have history of depression and anxiety, specially about my health. Had to have some checks last week and it threw up a couple of issues, Doctor doing tests, ultrasounds tomorrow and Friday, absolutely paralyzed with fear, unable to function and feel so sick, already had a week of this, just dont know how many more days I can live like this. Coping help desperately needed

R_one Help with a few problems.
  • replies: 3

Hey guys, Since the start of the year, my mind seems to of changed and things just don't seem right anymore. Let me explain: I was waking up during the night a few weeks ago, maybe it happened 2-3 times, i felt like i was trapped and i woke up and i ... View more

Hey guys, Since the start of the year, my mind seems to of changed and things just don't seem right anymore. Let me explain: I was waking up during the night a few weeks ago, maybe it happened 2-3 times, i felt like i was trapped and i woke up and i was panicking and to me i was stuck and couldn't get out, then, i'd come to my senses and realize i'm in my room. After this i started thinking about dying, and then it escalated from there and i was having constant thoughts that one day i will be dead and it'll be darkness and nothing will exist anymore, i wont be myself anymore etc etc. Obviously, these thoughts are honestly just silly, everyone dies, you can't do anything about it. But, i was staying awake at night and panicking terribly. Eventually a few weeks ago i was getting headaches and for some reason i lost it and had to go to the hospital, i did MRI scans and all, obviously everything was fine. That made me feel a little better but i still cant shake the thoughts of dying out of my head, everytime i watch a movie or something on tv, ill google an actor in the movie and see how old he is and think 'whoa he might die soon' and things like that. The worse part is that i know exactly how stupid this sounds. I'm only 27 years old and i keep thinking i don't have long left. I'm currently paying off my house with my fiance, i get married in 2 months, have a full time job, go to the gym, play football. But for some reason i feel like i cant do anything, as in, i can't do the things i enjoy, i dont know why. Sitting at home only makes things worse, but i cant seem to get myself up to do anything. I also seem to read things about people who get cancer at young ages and i keep panicking that if it can happen to them, it can happen to me and i seriously worry about this. I quit smoking probably about 2 years ago which is obviously a good thing, i've also stopped drinking coffee because for some reason that makes me feel worse and panicky. I think one of the next things i need to do is get my diet in order, i've probably put on a good 6 kilos in the last year and seem to always turn to junk food to make myself feel better. I'm actually not sure on why im posting here or what i think im going to solve from it, but i guess i feel better talking about it? I dont know.

soulsolaris Rough day :(
  • replies: 8

This flare up is so bad. Im so weak i can barely hold my body up. The brain fog is so severe. And my body is just doing weird things which is making the anxiety run high. Im really really trying to keep the mindset that i am experiencing a flare up a... View more

This flare up is so bad. Im so weak i can barely hold my body up. The brain fog is so severe. And my body is just doing weird things which is making the anxiety run high. Im really really trying to keep the mindset that i am experiencing a flare up and to keep calm but its so hard and i wish people could feel what i ak for a few seconds to see how scary it is. Like i feel abnormally weak and exhausted.

Jusanxiety Finding it hard to cope with my Anxiety
  • replies: 7

I have suffered with anxiety once or twice a year for about 12 years now and have been on perminant medication for it which has been great. Normally the triggers are when I get sick or if something traumatic happens to me and it normally only last a ... View more

I have suffered with anxiety once or twice a year for about 12 years now and have been on perminant medication for it which has been great. Normally the triggers are when I get sick or if something traumatic happens to me and it normally only last a week and then I am back to normal again. This time I'm not exactly sure what the trigger was but it has been 3 weeks and I am beyond exhausted by it and losing hope. From the second I open my eyes in the morning I am hit with anxiety. I walk for an hour trying to clear my mind and breathing before I have to get myself ready to go to work. I am struggeling at work as the pysical effects of the anxiety are so powerful. Afterwork I take my dog to the park and interact with other people but it takes every bit of my energy to do it. I haven't been able to eat for 3 weeks and all I can do is chew on pieces of vegetable and drink Sustagen so I can get something into me. I have tried to eat but I just can't. I try so hard not to let the anxiety rule me by forcing myself into everyday life but I just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I went to a pshchologist last week and whilst it was good to talk I am not sure that I have walked away feeling any better. I am heading back to my GP again tonight because I just can't cope and I am hoping there is something he will be able to do. It is just so hard as I have no partner or family to help me and friends don't understand because everyone seems to think that anxiety and depression are the same thing. They aren't... They are both very diferent issues.

Velados Newbie with a few questions
  • replies: 2

Hello everyone, a quick brief on myself... mid 20s male, suffered with anxiety for 6-7 years and possible bouts of depression. I have been on a long journey and tried a lot of different medications but I have found not a lot has worked so far so I am... View more

Hello everyone, a quick brief on myself... mid 20s male, suffered with anxiety for 6-7 years and possible bouts of depression. I have been on a long journey and tried a lot of different medications but I have found not a lot has worked so far so I am venturing into non pharmaceutical treatment options. I would just like to know what I am allowed to discuss on here as I have never used any type of fourm before to discuss my mental health... I have had previous prescription drug problems with anti-anxiety medications and pain management medications from a work injury falling from a ladder. I was lucky enough to have a fantastic GP who I am completely honest with who has helped me tremendously with previous said issues. In short I would like to also know if discussing any of this can be self incriminating and get me in legal problems?? I would love to discuss and have other people's support and opinions in relation to my anxiety as I feel very alone and isolated a lot of the time. I have a very supportive family which helps tremendously but only my partner knows about the prescription medication problems. I also work full time in a well paid Job as a Electricial supervisor on larger construction jobs. My employer knows about previous anxiety issues but nothing else. He is also very understanding, Unfortunately the same cannot be said for other work colleagues. I look forward to hearing from other members here and hopefully from past experiences I can be of help to other members. I find even the idea of an online community for like minded people with similar problems very comforting... Knowing I'm not alone and help is available is a good feeling.