Support
Support

Anxiety

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

Start a conversation

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

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

Start a conversation

Caz New member
  • replies: 2

Firstly hello to all and thankyou for the opportunity to connect I have Lupus Fibromyalgia and am finding hard times of late with pain fatigue and feeling lost unable to sit in a car without feeling anxious I guess I just am hoping that there is hope

Firstly hello to all and thankyou for the opportunity to connect I have Lupus Fibromyalgia and am finding hard times of late with pain fatigue and feeling lost unable to sit in a car without feeling anxious I guess I just am hoping that there is hope

21e Thought holidays were fun
  • replies: 5

Hi, this is my frist time doing this, im not quite sure what to do but, yeah. Anyway, I had just finished semester 2 and was on a 3 week break, the first thing i get told when i get home is that my granddads cancer is back and they won't be a ble to ... View more

Hi, this is my frist time doing this, im not quite sure what to do but, yeah. Anyway, I had just finished semester 2 and was on a 3 week break, the first thing i get told when i get home is that my granddads cancer is back and they won't be a ble to stop it this time and he has 6 months at most left, so that was a great way to start the holidays, so my mum went up to Queensland to be with him before his operation to remove parts of the cancer out of his stomach so they can put a tube in but its a very dangerous surgery but if they don't put a tube in he can't eat( he can eat but the amount of cancer in his stomach makes him full really quickly). So anyway my mums been up in Queensland since about 2 weeks ago the surgerys been pushed back many times due to complications. So now we are just waiting. These holidays I've also been to a funeral of my best friends dad and my great Nan. I havent seen my Mum for like 2 weeks and i know she'll be home soon and shes up there for a reason, so ive sorta just been stuck in like a blackhole for a bit, And i know i just dumped alot on everyone and im sorry but i havent told any of my friends bc i don't wanna seem like im trying to draw attention to myself or anything and i can't talk to my dad bc my brothers going through alot at the moment with major anxiety and i know its hard for him to, but yeah. Im happy to chat to anyone, about anything, i was just hoping to talk to someone about what i feel and not feel like a burden on anyone, but ill talk about anything with anyone. Im a Huge AFL fan and love being creative and drawing

Guest_45944236 Health anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi thanks for letting me join. I am hoping.g that by being on this forum that I might learn techniques on managing my health anxiety. I have been a suffer since I was a child. I find .most days are crippling with anxiety and the only way I Manage to ... View more

Hi thanks for letting me join. I am hoping.g that by being on this forum that I might learn techniques on managing my health anxiety. I have been a suffer since I was a child. I find .most days are crippling with anxiety and the only way I Manage to have a few hours of peace is by going to work part time in the afternoons. While I am working I have to completely focus on my client and what their needs are and this means I have no space in which to panic

Tamara Anxiety sufferer
  • replies: 6

I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety lately I’m in a constant state of fear and I have feelings of doom all of the time I can’t sleep and I’m barely hanging on everything just feels so over whelming and I feel like I have no one to talk to that understa... View more

I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety lately I’m in a constant state of fear and I have feelings of doom all of the time I can’t sleep and I’m barely hanging on everything just feels so over whelming and I feel like I have no one to talk to that understands

Guest_28495987 Anxiety intensified after accident
  • replies: 1

Hi, I’m wondering if I should go back onto an SSRI to control my rampant generalised anxiety. It’s intensified about an accident last year. I’m working hard on meditation and mindfulness, exercise and diet. I’m not sure I’m winning!

Hi, I’m wondering if I should go back onto an SSRI to control my rampant generalised anxiety. It’s intensified about an accident last year. I’m working hard on meditation and mindfulness, exercise and diet. I’m not sure I’m winning!

Anxietyridden Anxiety Ridden again
  • replies: 3

Hello Everyone. Long time no talk. I am struggling with anxiety again. I currently work 3 days a week. The pay is good but I have this feeling in me that I should be working 5 days a week as I feel bad for my husband. I know in my heart that I can't ... View more

Hello Everyone. Long time no talk. I am struggling with anxiety again. I currently work 3 days a week. The pay is good but I have this feeling in me that I should be working 5 days a week as I feel bad for my husband. I know in my heart that I can't handle 5 days a week but my mind is not helping. My middle daughter left her stable job as she wasn't happy and now cannot find another job. She has less then $100 left in her bank account and she is struggling mentally as well and I don't know how to help her. My youngest daughter who has a medical condition is not well at the moment and can't seem to get better so things are pretty tense at the moment. I had a bit of a light bulb moment the other night in regards to my mother living with us (which I am not happy with). I realised that I don't understand why I am obligated to take her in and care for her when she didn't look after me when I was younger.I just honestly feel like everyone would be better if I wasn't here with my issues but I don't know how to fix them. Sorry, I know it might not make sense I just needed to get it off my chest.

Guest_51556395 Constant anxiety and overwhelm
  • replies: 1

I have this constant feeling of overwhelm and anxiety. Currently recovering from influenza A. I just want to feel normal again

I have this constant feeling of overwhelm and anxiety. Currently recovering from influenza A. I just want to feel normal again

Jessksch I feel so overwhelmed and guilty
  • replies: 2

I have been doing so well for a couple of years on my old medication and now suddenly I am so much worse again. I feel jittery about little things, my mind is going crazy from just thinking if I have to do some housework and my mind gets overwhelmed ... View more

I have been doing so well for a couple of years on my old medication and now suddenly I am so much worse again. I feel jittery about little things, my mind is going crazy from just thinking if I have to do some housework and my mind gets overwhelmed that I get physically sick. This morning I had to call in sick again and usually I was able to push myself to just one sick day a month! I feel physically week and run down, just no energy to do anything but lie in bed, but have to push myself today to go and get my new medication... I am so angry at myself, nobody will put up with this for long and I am trying to do the right thing but feel more and more frustrated with things around me. If I leave out something in housework or to do, it all piles up and making me more and more overwhelmed

Leslie Started all over again..
  • replies: 12

So I have had experience with severe anxiety in the past, to the point where I can't eat, can't sleep and literally can't sit still. I have gotten through it in the past after basically just waiting it out and I thought I had overcome it. Something h... View more

So I have had experience with severe anxiety in the past, to the point where I can't eat, can't sleep and literally can't sit still. I have gotten through it in the past after basically just waiting it out and I thought I had overcome it. Something has triggered my anxiety again yesterday and I am struggling to pinpoint why. I feel like I can come up with lots of 'this could be why' explanations or maybe it's all of the things. My main symptoms is a sick churning feeling in my stomach. Sometimes it is constant but at the moment it is on and off. It stops when I am distracted by something but as soon as I let my mind think again it comes strait back. I can barely eat, I am force feeding myself just so my stomach doesn't hurt from lack of food but I have zero appetite. I wake up every day feeling nauseated for as long as I can remember, I honestly feel awful on waking but I'm not sure why. I am so tired and groggy from constant worry but I can hardly sleep. When I do fall asleep I wake up in the early hours worrying and heart pounding. I have a beautiful partner but they don't know how to help and it is not up to them anyway. I think I am stressing about my work but my work isn't THAT stressful so I think it's my personality mostly. I have tried all the techniques but I just feel like it's a case of riding it out again which sucks because I don't know how long it will be pure torture for. I hate myself for being this way, my life is not otherwise uncomfortable. I can't predict when this will happen which makes it more devastating when it does. Why can't I just get peace? It's my brain that's broken so why can't my brain fix it?

Lilacbeetle I don't know if I should quit my job
  • replies: 5

Work place gossip is getting on top of me right now. I'm currently struggling with a lot of things in my personal life and I've still been doing my job but I haven't been as motivated and I have had to take days off. I know taking time off can cause ... View more

Work place gossip is getting on top of me right now. I'm currently struggling with a lot of things in my personal life and I've still been doing my job but I haven't been as motivated and I have had to take days off. I know taking time off can cause coworkers to respect me less but i can't handle work when I'm having panic attacks or need to sort out appointments and my living situation. There are lots of office politics and I'm a supervisor at work and I've had another co-worker tell me things bosses have said about me that they're trying to "catch me out" and they dont want to critise me incase it effects my mental health. I also worry this co-worker is repeating things I say to the boss as well and she has bragged about being the bosses "spy" and I thought I was friends with this person. The bosses talking about me like that has lead to other issues with undermining and talking about other staff members and calling them useless. I tried to talk to my boss about it but I don't think they handled it very well and said my coworker is "getting too big for their boots" and immediately brought them into the office after, i wasnt trying to start drama i wanted to know how to handle the situation and stop any bullying of other team members. She tried to blame shift onto another manager though and she either is in the dark or pretends to be. Every aspect of my life is crumbling right now and my mental health is suffering. I don't want to quit my job if it's just paranoia. I try my best to focus on my work and avoid drama but it got the best of me and my confidence is gone. I want to talk to the boss about taking time off but I know that's going to cause more gossip. I have wanted a new job for a long time but if I leave I know they will be short staffed and pissed off. I know I'm not the type of co-worker people might want to be around because of my anxiety. They have done a lot for me but I don't feel like I can keep working like this and I don't want to be that person that is just complaining and worrying all the time. This is my first good job and I've been there 3 years with no issues like this until recently. I really struggle with social interactions and the boss said they trust me and I'm important to them but then they're possibly talking about me behind my back. Rather than talking to me they'll probably cut my shifts for a while. Has anyone else's stress and anxiety caused them to quit a job? Is this normal workplace gossip or potentionally toxic?

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map