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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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Angel87 Anxiety, difficulty breathing, loss of a loved one
  • replies: 3

Hi all, Im new to Beyond Blue but am here as I am desperate to get my life back to normal. Since January I've been getting bad heart burn, indigestion & chest pains. I saw my GP, he took a blood test & found my cholestral was high. Since then I've ch... View more

Hi all, Im new to Beyond Blue but am here as I am desperate to get my life back to normal. Since January I've been getting bad heart burn, indigestion & chest pains. I saw my GP, he took a blood test & found my cholestral was high. Since then I've changed my diet & started exercising more. Around the same time I also found out my grandmother only had weeks left to live. This is when my anxiety started. The difficulty taking deep breaths, chest pains, heart racing, not sleeping, constantly on edge, fidgety etc. Now my grandma has gone it still isn't any better. I have an appointment with a cardiologist & was reading about the forum on Cardiac Anxiety & this sounds like me. I truely miss when I could actually go through a day without constantly struggling to take a deep breath. I wish there was a day that I don't think there is something seriously wrong with me I know grieving is different for everyone & the time it takes to heal varies, but it has affected my entire life. I use to love my job & now I struggle to get through a day. It is really busy at the moment which doesn't help, but I use to love going to work & now not so much. Please tell me it will get better & my life, my breathing & sleeping will feel "normal" again one day..

Inner_strength Anxiety and itching
  • replies: 4

Hey I'm new to this site and I've have anxiety on and off for several years . Recently it's really bad and I've had to change medication which hasn't been fun ! I have a new symptom with my anxiety now and was just wondering if other people have expe... View more

Hey I'm new to this site and I've have anxiety on and off for several years . Recently it's really bad and I've had to change medication which hasn't been fun ! I have a new symptom with my anxiety now and was just wondering if other people have experienced the same . I have really itchy skin , mainly my back and arms . It's driving me insane and my skin goes all red and blotchy and raised which then makes me worry more !

RB33 I want my life back
  • replies: 6

Hi Team I'm glad I have found a place where people may be able to help make sense of what's happening in my mind and body. The last 4-5 years off and on I have been living with this demon that seems to show its ugly face for no reason at all - it's l... View more

Hi Team I'm glad I have found a place where people may be able to help make sense of what's happening in my mind and body. The last 4-5 years off and on I have been living with this demon that seems to show its ugly face for no reason at all - it's like a panic attack more than anxiety but I guess panic attacks is anxiety out of control? The biggest syptom I have is my breathing, I have this horrible fear of choking and not been able to breath, other times I have gas in my stomach and it can get uncomfortable but for some reason that turns into me thinking I can't breath, than the fear of dieng and cardiac arrest takes over and it is a tough battle to regain control over my mind and body, but what I can't work out im not unhappy or worried about my life? im excited about life but this thing is destroying me These last 6 months its been on my mind so much I can not live a normal exsistence - I have never told anyone about this but I recently moved in with my girl friend so she has now seen the real me which for me is very confronting - She was very surprised the first time it happen and did not take it well but I think it was more because she was so surprised as I am a very relaxed person who most of the time is having a laugh - but now she is very understanding, she holds my hand and tells me to breath, I know she fully doesn't get why I can't over power it but she has been really good the few times its happen. I'm 32 years old I'm an entrepreneur who wants to to live life to the fullest, but recently I can't get through a full day out in a scocial or non social enviroment with out having fear of loosing breath and having this feeling of fear, My girl friend is a medical student and things she sees a pattern - she says to stop drinking caffene, wine and beer, which I have started to do but not a big drinker any way. Excercise helps but does not destroy it. Has any one ever made diet changes to help with anxiety? and it worked, could something be missing in my diet? I love life and I'm very grateful for the one I have - I don't understand why I have this problem - I need to take these chains off so I can get back to living my journey on this planet

Jay95 is this normal or am i just afraid of communication/work?
  • replies: 4

I love my job, I'm an apprentice landscaper. Most mornings you'll find me parked on the side of the road sometime around 6:45 because I've gotten too anxious and too worried about work that day. I'll be fine but then a few minutes into the drive I ju... View more

I love my job, I'm an apprentice landscaper. Most mornings you'll find me parked on the side of the road sometime around 6:45 because I've gotten too anxious and too worried about work that day. I'll be fine but then a few minutes into the drive I just feel anxious, it almost feels like I'm going to be sick, it's only 20 minutes away and I know the people really well, I don't know whats wrong with me but its not nice having to deal with it just about every morning :s

mizzy83 hi. could use some advice
  • replies: 6

Hi all. Ive been an anxious person most of my life, but it had always driven high performance with no real drawbacks. The main challenge I'd always had was in getting to sleep. I had an overactive mind that I struggled to switch off but I'd come up w... View more

Hi all. Ive been an anxious person most of my life, but it had always driven high performance with no real drawbacks. The main challenge I'd always had was in getting to sleep. I had an overactive mind that I struggled to switch off but I'd come up with a routine that worked really well, that consistently and reliably allowed me to drop off. Things got alot tougher 4 months ago. Following a health scare my anxiety kicked into overdrive. I became very anxious over my health, and my sleep routine crashed and burned. I was prescribed sleeping tablets, which helped me sleep, but made me more anxious as I feared I'd become addicted, so I stopped them a month ago. Tests showed there to be no underlying medical issue after all but still my anxiety didn't go away.I after returning to the doctor several times I did a mental health plan with GP who referred me to a psychologist noting down that I should be given CBT treatment for GAD. I've had a few sessions but not sure there had been any real breakthroughs yet. the only things I feel anxious present now are a) that I won't sleep on any given night b) slight lingering worry about my health, and, c) That I still feel physical symptoms of anxiety (occasional sore chest, tingling hands or feet, weird tingling in neck, shortness of breath, burping) And that it's not going away. Why can't it just go away?!? I've made changes to try to combat this. Exercising more, taking stress supplements, yoga, breathing exercises, etc but I'm still unable to feel normal again, and the nights of bad sleep always causes the anxiety to ramp up again which sets me back. I just want to beat this and go back to being my old self. My GPo suggested ssri's to help me, but I'm scared to take them, and that they may do more harm than good, in particular that they might further interrupt my sleep. I also hate the idea of taking anti depressants when I have no depression. The things that I struggle to understand with all this: Has something physically changed in my body that means I'll never be the same again? Is my situation bad enough that i should actually consider meds? I feel that I only have mild to moderate anxiety. Are medications more likely to help me get better than therapy alone? Will they result in me becoming a lifelong user of them? Are Ssri's more likely to help or harm my sleep? Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Blue_Nightingale Anxiety taking over
  • replies: 2

Over the last month, my major depressive disorder has morphed and is at present hugely anxiety ridden..... Something I have never had to deal with before. I am only just functioning, I feel like I am on the cusp of falling apart or imploding.I went t... View more

Over the last month, my major depressive disorder has morphed and is at present hugely anxiety ridden..... Something I have never had to deal with before. I am only just functioning, I feel like I am on the cusp of falling apart or imploding.I went to my gp, set up a new mental health care plan and she referred me to a local Psyche. Only problem is the psyche cannot fit me in till May! I am on a waiting list also, but that is no guarantee. I just don't feel like I can get through without help..... More immediate help. Is there somewhere I can go? Someone to speak to? I really want to get in with someone soon. Many ideas or advice? Thanks guys 800x600 beyondblue’s clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636. Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}

shenlee new and anxious
  • replies: 3

Hi all,this is my first post and i dont really know where to begin. Im a 49yr old female that has suffered with major depression,chronic anxiety and agorophobia for 34 years. Agoraphobia has been an on and off thing. Im on meds and seeing a psychiatr... View more

Hi all,this is my first post and i dont really know where to begin. Im a 49yr old female that has suffered with major depression,chronic anxiety and agorophobia for 34 years. Agoraphobia has been an on and off thing. Im on meds and seeing a psychiatrist and psychologist. My anxiety has been spiralling out of control lately so was put on a different antidepressant and was quite sick but it subsided.then she wanted me to increase my dose then i got blurred vision. I stuck it out and after a very long 11days my vision came good. She wants me to increase a little more but iam too scared too. Ive had a really stressful few years. Looking after my elderly parents who unfortunately got to the stage where they had to both go into a nursing home. Then last year my beloved partner of 24yrs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the oncologist was very straightforward and said he didnt know if they could save him. I was devastated beyond belief. After nearly a year of chemo and a 10 hour operation the best news......they had got all the cancer! He has to go back in another month to have a ct scan and we are told that if its come back there is nothing they can do. Iam dreading this ct scan. Anyway ive rambled on enough for now. I have a few other issues i would like to talk about , maybe next time as this was pretty scary doing my first post! Shenlee

jupiter Anxiety out of its box
  • replies: 4

Hi all.This is my first post.My anxiety is very difficult at the moment after 4 days in hospital with pneumonia. I had a couple of days of hydro cortisone and am still in a reducing dose of steroid. I take an antidepressant at night. I am avoiding al... View more

Hi all.This is my first post.My anxiety is very difficult at the moment after 4 days in hospital with pneumonia. I had a couple of days of hydro cortisone and am still in a reducing dose of steroid. I take an antidepressant at night. I am avoiding all caffeine and don't drink.All this is as my mum is slowly leaving us after I made the decision to tell her that it was ok to go if she thought it was the right time. She is just a sad figure curled up in bed being very well cared for The mother I knew was gone some time ago. Any suggestions to help much appreciated.

OhmeOhmy Feeling Like A Caged Animal
  • replies: 10

Feeling so restless and anxious, pacing around and can't escape myself. I tried reaching out and being honest about where I'm at but it seems honesty is not always the best path as people tend to judge and even your problems have to fit a certain soc... View more

Feeling so restless and anxious, pacing around and can't escape myself. I tried reaching out and being honest about where I'm at but it seems honesty is not always the best path as people tend to judge and even your problems have to fit a certain socially acceptable standard. That's why I choose to stay away from people, such hypocrites . I just want to get away from my thoughts and this crazy restless feeling. Arrrghhh!!!

Smile_and_breathe feek like I'm in a bubble of anxiety
  • replies: 4

I feel like I'm going crazy. My heart is pumping so fast, I'm all jittery. I'm frustrated, cross, annoyed. Noises are really bugging me, like any noise. More then ever before. I've had anxiety for asking as I can remember but at the moment im not cop... View more

I feel like I'm going crazy. My heart is pumping so fast, I'm all jittery. I'm frustrated, cross, annoyed. Noises are really bugging me, like any noise. More then ever before. I've had anxiety for asking as I can remember but at the moment im not coping. Nothing that usually calms me is working and I don't know what wrong with me. My moods and lack of patience is really frustrating my husband. I feel bad for him. Any tips or advice? I feel screaming!