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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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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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Willsdog Getting worse before getting better
  • replies: 2

Hi all. I started suffering anxiety in August. I went to me GP and was put on an AD. After a few weeks I started to feel "normal". I have been on my AD (a Tricyclic) for 8 weeks now. I am starting to feel anxious again and a little depressed. My doct... View more

Hi all. I started suffering anxiety in August. I went to me GP and was put on an AD. After a few weeks I started to feel "normal". I have been on my AD (a Tricyclic) for 8 weeks now. I am starting to feel anxious again and a little depressed. My doctor says this is a sign the medication is working and that sometimes you will feel worse before you feel better. I am just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Sarah_C1 I think I have anxiety?!
  • replies: 2

Hello Umm I don't really know how to start or what exactly to say, I'm new here but I think I am struggling with some sort of anxiety and/or depression. I feel alone and lonely, I feel like no one cares, and I don't know what to do. I should apologis... View more

Hello Umm I don't really know how to start or what exactly to say, I'm new here but I think I am struggling with some sort of anxiety and/or depression. I feel alone and lonely, I feel like no one cares, and I don't know what to do. I should apologise in advance for a lengthy post as well, if anyone can help thank you! 6 months ago my boyfriend and I relocated, I started noticing a change in myself. I noticed I gradually became withdrawn and less involved with everything. We moved so I could be closer to university and he would be closer to work and we had both lived together before, and only now are we starting to have problems. Uni was and is a very stressful aspect of my life, I struggle to stay on top of assignments and homework! The hardest part is getting myself there, I love it when I am, I have a few friends and feel relatively comfortable. Leaving the house and getting the bus is so hard and I will often wag out and come up with petty excuses at the last minute. I know at the time I should be there I know I should just go, stop making excuses but for some reason I just can't motivate myself. I realised this but even despite my efforts I don't know what to do to break it. I also understand procrastination but it is something more, for a while I thought these feelings and my actions are a result of some sort of anxiety or depression but only today after I stumbled across an article about generalised anxiety disorder and the symptoms did I stop, message my boyfriend and say I think I have every single one of these?! I also have a very loving caring family who I am so lucky to be so close with but I can't really talk to them, they contribute to the stress (unintentionally I think) because of the expectation of uni and succeeding and making something of myself - they think I should be having the time of my life because I am young and have the world at my feet and I am 'so lucky' but for some reason I can't remember the last time I felt happy. There is a lot going on with them as well, a lot of worries which doesn't help I guess, Im also very isolated, all my friends for different reasons have disappeared My mum says she always had this feeling that I would be alright no matter what because I am "strong" I don't want to be anymore, I dont think I am alright or it is alright to assume strength, I want order in my mind again I want to be able to sleep at night and go back to thinking worrying is a waste of time but I just dont know how.

dougall Friday Night
  • replies: 13

My Friday nights are usually not good, it is the weekend, people are visiting relatives, have somewhere to go, have people to see. I am at home wanting company but too panic stricken to go out and mingle. It is a feeling of what is it all about, next... View more

My Friday nights are usually not good, it is the weekend, people are visiting relatives, have somewhere to go, have people to see. I am at home wanting company but too panic stricken to go out and mingle. It is a feeling of what is it all about, next Friday night will be the same if I don't get my act together and make the effort. How will anyone know I am lonely if they don't talk to me. You still can go out and be alone. It is times like this that my brain and heart have two different conversations, one wins, which one who knows. I'm not making sense so I shall go and do what I usually do on a Friday night, watch television and go to bed at 7.00pm.

mrsanxiety Its not what i expected.......
  • replies: 6

it was like any normal night. My daughter was in bed sleep i was up with my partner watch a movie. I was just falling into a deep sleep when i woke up to my partner telling me she was on the she. She was my friend. she was crying. She proceeded to te... View more

it was like any normal night. My daughter was in bed sleep i was up with my partner watch a movie. I was just falling into a deep sleep when i woke up to my partner telling me she was on the she. She was my friend. she was crying. She proceeded to tell me 'he' was dead. he had taken his own life. 'he' being my daughters biological father. I went into a state of shock. I was hyperventilating, i was standing then sitting. i was in pain then i was numb. My partner did his best to console me. Knowing that the man who just died i spent three years of my life with, i was abused mentally and physically by him, i hadn't seen him in a year. This man who had taken his life started my anxiety. I dont blame him, i dont blame her for caalling me. I blame my brain for dealing with it how it did. I had so many sleepless night. SOmetimes i still do. I turned into a bad person. Stressing about another bad phone call. Putting stress on my current partner. I broke down one day and knew it was time to get help. I seen someone and explain to them what was going on. from there i was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I had suffered from depression since i was 15 (after being hit by a hoon driver and becoming dependant on a forearm crutch for life) this was nothing knew to me. But anxiety what was that?? I spoke to people spoke to a man who was a professional. i upped my dosage of meds. I was doing well. He tried hypnosise on me... i didnt like what it done to me so i never went back. i was good i stayed on my meds for a year. that was my longest ever. Usually id last a max of 6 months. I took myself of them thinking i would be fine. and i was. but lately its come back. Its become really bad. So today i went to the doctors and asked to be put back on my meds. But he didnt help, he didnt refer me to speak to someone. Unless its covered by medicare i cant afford it. So he didnt help.How can i just control these irrational thouights without someone to talk to??? I love my partner he is my rock but i know is taking a toll on him. My daughtr shes the reason i put two feet on the floor in the morning.

TheSunsetTree I think I have social anxiety
  • replies: 7

I don't really know where to start off but I feel like I have always been super shy and just put it down to being quiet but now it is getting a bit out of control. I find it really really hard to mix with and met new people. I feel like when I talk t... View more

I don't really know where to start off but I feel like I have always been super shy and just put it down to being quiet but now it is getting a bit out of control. I find it really really hard to mix with and met new people. I feel like when I talk to someone new or especially a girl I just freeze up and unable to talk. I sometimes can say hello, but never able to get past that. This has really limited my ability to ask girls out. I sweat really bad when in social situations, my leg shakes uncontrollably, I feel nauseous and my heart beats so fast I feel like people can hear it. I find myself always worried about things and am quite anxious. I am extremely fidgety too. I haven't talked to anyone really about it, apart form jokingly saying how scared of things I am. I feel really embarrassed to talk to my family about it. Mental illness seems to run in the family so I feel extremely guilty and do not want my parents to have another problem or issue with their family to deal with. It is really starting to effect me as I am trying to find a part-time job while at university. I use to work as a waiter but found it so scary and difficult to talk to so many random people and it was so busy where I worked. I am just not very good in high pressure and busy environment. I am just not sure how to go about trying to address this issue and find a part-time job so I thought it would not be very scary to post on here.

Ajirmat46 Not sure what's up
  • replies: 9

I have had difficulties with anxiety (generalised as well as social anxiety) for many years now. I can sometimes experience depression and anxiety to a level in which I no longer feel I can cope it is normally temporary as I find that I can cope agai... View more

I have had difficulties with anxiety (generalised as well as social anxiety) for many years now. I can sometimes experience depression and anxiety to a level in which I no longer feel I can cope it is normally temporary as I find that I can cope again a few days later and might not have an experience like this for months. Over the last 2 months I have had these periods of high level anxiety 3 times. I think I have reached a point in which it is becoming unbearable. I am currently finishing the end of a semester of university and find that the social expectations generally trigger these periods of high level anxiety. I have four weeks to go but I just don't see how I will get through it. If I do manage to scrape through I will still have some deep underlying issues that I need to work through. This year has been one of the most stressful years of my life.. I have gotten to a point in which I am actually frightened to seek help. I am really trying to build up the courage to see a counsellor at uni.

Stormgrl101 Anxious and struggling
  • replies: 3

Hi alli have struggled with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember but now it's so severe I don't know what to do with myself. Does anyone have any tips or can tell me how they cope having anxiety and depression in everyday life? I stru... View more

Hi alli have struggled with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember but now it's so severe I don't know what to do with myself. Does anyone have any tips or can tell me how they cope having anxiety and depression in everyday life? I struggle with finding motivation to do tasks, daily chores, finding things to do day after day as I am home a lot. I am currently unemployed (due to anxiety) trying to find a job but struggling and don't know how I'm ever going to be able to work but I need to. I am on medication daily and see psychologist once a month. It feels like I'm constantly stuck in my own mind and so many thoughts all the time which stops me from talking and communicating with others a lot ahhh can anyone relate ?

HelenM continuing my struggle
  • replies: 3

I don't know how to explain how things have been. I did have one week in late September where I was so energised with something in my life that I felt well. I went away for a night with my husband and that afternoon and night were magical. I've had s... View more

I don't know how to explain how things have been. I did have one week in late September where I was so energised with something in my life that I felt well. I went away for a night with my husband and that afternoon and night were magical. I've had some copeable days but mostly the days have been either scary or tears. Because this depression is so very unpredictable I find it hard to trust my moods; ie today my mood isn't that bad but I'm half expecting it to dip or to go scary on me. My fear? that I'll go down to a level that's so awful, where I've been before. I have no reason to expect that. I saw my GP recently. She told me that my meds could not be altered. If I went down and she referred to me to a psychiatrist they would assess that and decide. If she was to ask advice on meds it would be unlikely they would be altered. Usually it's only anti psychotics that are changed. In other words you have to be down there before you get help. The good thing is she has referred me for a mindulness course although it's likely to be next 6 moths any way before that happens. I'm afraid I'm not able to help other people just now though I do care for everyone on here. I'm not looking for answers. There aren't any. I plod on. What else can I do? Helen x

dtak59 Does it Help to Focus on Anxiety?
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I am new to these forums and I have SA. I have noticed that every time I try to make fixing my SA a priority, it tends to make it worse. Almost all reliable sources to treating SA have all acknowledged the first step of treatment as ackn... View more

Hi everyone, I am new to these forums and I have SA. I have noticed that every time I try to make fixing my SA a priority, it tends to make it worse. Almost all reliable sources to treating SA have all acknowledged the first step of treatment as acknowledging the problem and working with it instead of trying to avoid it. However in my experience the opposite has been true. When I am given concrete specific tasks to focus on to direct my attention away from anything related to myself, I often manage to "forget" my anxiety and this leads to a temporary remission, where I can talk to almost anybody and deal with any situation with little or no anxiety. The moment there is any peace or calm in my life though, any breathing room to do any kind of thinking, the SA returns right away. Living with constant distractions can be exhilarating and freeing, but also exhausting. Basically, I have to be always living in the present and focusing on reality, otherwise the SA comes back. I feel I may be treading a dangerous and counter-productive path by not dealing with my problems directly, but at the same time, focusing on my anxiety, even if in a productive way, tends to make it worse. So, as you can see, I am pulled by two opposing paths. Does anyone have any suggestion? Thank you

adam89 Anxiety when getting sick?
  • replies: 2

Hey all, I have lived with anxiety & depression since I was 18 or so. I find it alot easier to drag myself away from negative thoughts than when I was younger (25 now). I seem to relapse whenever I notice im getting a little bit sick (cold or sore st... View more

Hey all, I have lived with anxiety & depression since I was 18 or so. I find it alot easier to drag myself away from negative thoughts than when I was younger (25 now). I seem to relapse whenever I notice im getting a little bit sick (cold or sore stomach - basic things). I'm on antibiotics for a skin infection which probably isnt helping. The one thing that often helps drag me from the constant rollercoaster that is anxiety is exercise (going for a long walk with my pooch). bt feeling a cold coming on in this weather means i cant really exercise. I really dont want to hang ot with people who don't know what I'm going through (my family is what I'm limited to) and it is made worse as I have a big get together with friends bt really don't want to drink or socialise haha. Anyone relate to this? Thanks