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

All discussions

Simona But life IS scary for me
  • replies: 53

Being alive is like being inside a pinball machine and now and then someone comes along and try to give it a good tilt. Like the new car sitting in the driveway that I'm too scared to drive. Partner and his parents don't understand. They keep checkin... View more

Being alive is like being inside a pinball machine and now and then someone comes along and try to give it a good tilt. Like the new car sitting in the driveway that I'm too scared to drive. Partner and his parents don't understand. They keep checking in on me like I'm mentally disabled "So have you gone for a drive yet"? they ask gently NO. I want the old car back because it was a machine not a computer. Except I'm trapped here in the desert and need to drive into nearest town for supplies. For anything. This is a rant now. Living in the country is not what I imagined it would be. If I had a horse to ride I'd be happier somewhat but..i'm bored with the scenery & lack of things to do. I'm bored of collecting insects/arachnids now and lost interest in photography. And all the locals (men mostly )congregate at the pub and drink beer and talk about crops/their health issues or small town gossip. I went in there and spied so I know. Or the very old people rake leaves seemingly.....till early evening. Just depresses me. You grow old. Rake leaves. Or make Jam. Not me!!! I don't belong here : / I want to go places - Brazil in particular. I want to visit Mt Corcovado and just stand in the shadow of Christ The Redeemer wearing my arait's and a nice summery white cotton dress. I'm not meant for here but partner says we are not moving because his business is here and 'chugging along nicely'. *Further more and yet on another topic* I can't believe I am unable to continue writing my so called novel. It's like 4 years in the making now and I pulled out the manifesto yesterday and thought: who the hell wrote all this? And how am I supposed to finish it? what drugs do I need to be on? Where is this person? Which brings me to worry that I don't know who I am and maybe I have another personality I left somewhere...like a missing sock.

AnxiousOCD Struggling with worry, fear and negative thoughts
  • replies: 2

Hello everyone! I feel so down right now I can't eat and I can barely move. I know why I feel this way but it's almost too hard to move from this negative head space to a positive one. My boyfriend went away for work about a week ago and he will be a... View more

Hello everyone! I feel so down right now I can't eat and I can barely move. I know why I feel this way but it's almost too hard to move from this negative head space to a positive one. My boyfriend went away for work about a week ago and he will be away for 2 months. Each time he goes away I fall into a pattern of worry, I think about the past and all the mistakes I've made and I try to find a problem to solve it, I know I do this to distract myself from missing him. I know that by worrying about things it clouds your headspace and only makes things worse. I worry about what I'm going to do for New Years because I don't want to do anything for fear of making a mistake. All my fears are around cheating on my boyfriend and stem from the fact that I did cheat on him in the beginning of our relationship years ago. Now when I feel anxious I assume it's because I've done something wrong or I'll do something wrong and I'm terrified, my thoughts go around in circles and make me feel sick. The good thing is I can tell my boyfriend anything and he is so understanding and supportive but I can't really communicate with him at the moment as he has limited reception and Internet. When I am happy I can look at all these thoughts that make me anxious and realise they are silly, I want to get to that place but I don't know how! I need support and I just don't know what to do. Does anybody else have similar issues?

Guest_1055 Facing fear again
  • replies: 23

I am sitting on my chair in my bedroom. Hiding from my kitchen, I know that sounds stupid. But I have just returned from there, I desperately need to prepare dinner for other people, but I am having trouble going back in there. Because when I went in... View more

I am sitting on my chair in my bedroom. Hiding from my kitchen, I know that sounds stupid. But I have just returned from there, I desperately need to prepare dinner for other people, but I am having trouble going back in there. Because when I went in there last time, and went to grab the saucepan, all I heard was mouse mouse mouse he is going to get you, get you, get you, immediately I felt fear and I could feel my heart beating in my head. I can't grab the saucepan now. I am thinking about this logically now, knowing that they can't hurt you and they are more frightened of people, then you are of it. But I am still here hesitating to leave my safe little chair in the corner. I have experienced panic attacks before and have had victory over them. But this one is a new one, a little different. Anyone have any thoughts? I have to make dinner. Thanks

Bluey_moon Calling my name
  • replies: 26

Has anyone else experienced thinking they hear someone calling their name just before falling asleep? Or hearing thinking they hear someone talking to them?

Has anyone else experienced thinking they hear someone calling their name just before falling asleep? Or hearing thinking they hear someone talking to them?

ci How do you get the strength to keep doing this??
  • replies: 7

Not sure what to do I'm feeling lost so thought I'd post and get some stuff out! Been really up and down had horrible day about 3 days ago ended up on the bathroom floor with my head spinning sounds dramatic but I've never experienced such bad panic ... View more

Not sure what to do I'm feeling lost so thought I'd post and get some stuff out! Been really up and down had horrible day about 3 days ago ended up on the bathroom floor with my head spinning sounds dramatic but I've never experienced such bad panic attacks as what I've had this month. Woke up fine the next day well not fine but functioning and close to normal as I get then bang today another panic attack and physically sick! How do you plan a day when halfway through without warning im having a panic attack. I realized during this that I think this is it this is my life I will never be normal it was an awful realization I have 3 kids depending on me how can this happen why has this happened. I feeling lost and hopeless I know not helpful to feel sorry for myself but today after that I do. I always so worried about how this is effecting my husband and kids and everyone else but right now I just feel sad for myself this is a horrible way to exist you can't call is living. How do you get past this how do you accept it!

Bluey_moon What am I doing
  • replies: 6

I feel like I'm tearing my family apart, my husband says he is very unhappy and he doesn't know how much longer he can do it! My daughter is starting to show signs of my anxiety and Ocd tendencies, and I'm scared my youngest will too. What am I doing... View more

I feel like I'm tearing my family apart, my husband says he is very unhappy and he doesn't know how much longer he can do it! My daughter is starting to show signs of my anxiety and Ocd tendencies, and I'm scared my youngest will too. What am I doing? If I can't get better soon?

green_s Can't fall asleep next to boyfriend
  • replies: 2

Hi all, This might seem like a bit of a silly post but it's really upsetting me so was just wondering if anyone had any advice. I've been with my boyfriend for a year and a half now and have never had troubles sleeping in the same bed as him but rece... View more

Hi all, This might seem like a bit of a silly post but it's really upsetting me so was just wondering if anyone had any advice. I've been with my boyfriend for a year and a half now and have never had troubles sleeping in the same bed as him but recently I just can't. We don't live together so our routine is pretty all over the place which I know doesn't help. Now that its happened a few times I just work myself up so much about not being able to sleep next to him that I end up lying there awake all night which usually ends in tears. It's such a stupid thing to get so upset over but I think I've convinced myself that it means something much bigger like that I don't love him enough or that I'll never get over this phase. We're going on a 3 week trip soon and I'm scared I'll hardly sleep and be terrible to travel with! Sorry for my ramblings! Thank you for reading!

meka alcohol and anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hi I am struggling with alcohol and anxiety I have got to the point whereby even a small amount of alcohol makes me feel terrible the next day and I wake in the early hours with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, heart pounding, panic and out of contr... View more

Hi I am struggling with alcohol and anxiety I have got to the point whereby even a small amount of alcohol makes me feel terrible the next day and I wake in the early hours with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, heart pounding, panic and out of control negative thoughts which last well into the morning. Is the only answer to give up drinking all together? Is it because I am also menopausal? Do other people experience this?

Chicken_Wings I was doing so well!
  • replies: 3

I came home from work. It was a pretty good day and then I cried. I told my partner I didn't feel safe. I meant that I didn't feel protected. Sometimes you just want someone to hold you and not tell you whether what you are feeling is right or wrong ... View more

I came home from work. It was a pretty good day and then I cried. I told my partner I didn't feel safe. I meant that I didn't feel protected. Sometimes you just want someone to hold you and not tell you whether what you are feeling is right or wrong you just need to be held and made to feel like they are there to protect you and right in that second it doesn't matter what you are thinking they are there and you can cry. He tried, he gave me a hug but said he wasn't sure what to do. I started feeling a bit better but then his mother rang. To tell us that she wasn't sure about some chicken we bought last night. So he asked me if I thought it looked safe. Keeping in mind I'm already weird about food. I said it just looked like chicken to me. We only bought it yesterday from a good butcher. I don't know. Then I came back into the kitchen and he asked again if we should cook it. I said I don't know, now you're making me paranoid. He said, what if we cook it and then it doesn't look right? I snapped. I said "I don't know. I'm not even hungry, can't you just make a decision!?" I felt like there was just all this talking talking talking and I was under pressure to be the grown up and be the one with the answer. I basically ran out of the room. I feel terrible. It's just chicken! Now I don't know whether I want to cry or or to sleep or just try and distract myself. Now I want to lay down and just curl up.

Ellie05 Fearful of night time
  • replies: 14

Hello, I've been posting a lot here lately, mainly because it gives me a few minutes relief from the anxiety that currently consumes me. I fear getting through each part of the day - the period before I have to leave for work, travelling to work, get... View more

Hello, I've been posting a lot here lately, mainly because it gives me a few minutes relief from the anxiety that currently consumes me. I fear getting through each part of the day - the period before I have to leave for work, travelling to work, getting through the day and then getting through the evening. But the most scary time for me is night time. I've been talking to my mum about it and she said, 'it must be horrible to be all alone in the dark, feeling horrible'. She really hit the nail on the head. Night time is when my anxiety really runs wild as I'm too tired to have any control over my thoughts and there's little stimulus to distract me. I get little sleep and spend most of the time pacing around the apartment trying to ease the anxiety, going back to bed, having the anxiety flare up again and so forth. It really sucks. That's all I have to say.