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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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jacques panic attack at seeing people i know
  • replies: 561

hi there, i am trying to leave my home more regularly as part of CBT to try to overcome my arophobia as well as other anxiety related problems, yesterday i when down the street with my mother to pay some bills, while sitting in the car i saw someone ... View more

hi there, i am trying to leave my home more regularly as part of CBT to try to overcome my arophobia as well as other anxiety related problems, yesterday i when down the street with my mother to pay some bills, while sitting in the car i saw someone i knew from highschool 15 years ago and had a full panic attack, (fast breathing, full body shaking, seating, wanting to vomit, wanting to get out of the car and run to the safty of home), i don't know if this person even recognised me because it was so long ago, i am always so frightened to see anyone i know, this is partly the reason i do not leave my home, it is made even harder by the fact i live in a small town. i seem to find it harder and harder to want to go out, even just to sit in the car.

Fontenoy Best treatment for anxiety
  • replies: 1

I have had very mild anxiety for a while but it snowballed around Christmas after the Martin Place siege. Why I don't know. I panick a lot and over dramatise resulting in a panick attack affecting where I loose control. I started doing online therapy... View more

I have had very mild anxiety for a while but it snowballed around Christmas after the Martin Place siege. Why I don't know. I panick a lot and over dramatise resulting in a panick attack affecting where I loose control. I started doing online therapy for 5 weekly sessions last year but at the time felt my anxiety was not severe enought so did not benefit. That was last year. This year have experienced severe pounding heart, muscle tightness, jelly like legs, sadness and non motivation in my home or interests or interest in going out. If I do I need a reason I.e. Meeting someone or activity planned otherwise just stay in. Work is different it is a focus so am ok going. I work alone and live alone so feel loneliness has contributed. This year I started seeing a psychologist but she has not helped with tools on managing anxiety just positive thinking and family background information. I have a boyfriend and is fine when he visits but this is coming between us. I am coeliac and understand anxiety is a symptom. I am on here hoping people can help or guide me into the best way to manage my anxiety and low sad feelings. I have interest but indecision gets in the way and I end up not pursuing interest. Please help.

hiddenite Closed Doors
  • replies: 5

Hi I have been recently diagnosed with Acute Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and Depression. I am so lost, I feel like a bunch of symptoms , I don't know who I am anymore. I isolate myself I'm so scared of what is happening to me. Confused and overwhelmed. ... View more

Hi I have been recently diagnosed with Acute Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and Depression. I am so lost, I feel like a bunch of symptoms , I don't know who I am anymore. I isolate myself I'm so scared of what is happening to me. Confused and overwhelmed. Hopeless that I'm just a bunch of labels and that know one understands. People are so cruel, they judge me, tell me to get over it. Toughen up. I had one person tell me not to think about it. I am ashamed of what is happened to me, that I'm not strong enough to fight these symptoms. I am unable to go out the panic attacks are getting so bad. I feel so alone.

lookingforme What can I do?
  • replies: 20

I have my birthday party tonight and I'm having ever increasing anxiety about it. Every time I think about it, I get that awful feeling and I try to breathe through it but it's getting harder to control. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I have my birthday party tonight and I'm having ever increasing anxiety about it. Every time I think about it, I get that awful feeling and I try to breathe through it but it's getting harder to control. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Clare123 Symptoms of anxiety
  • replies: 5

I have been having bouts of vomiting and nausea for some time now, muscle tension, weakness in my legs and really bad headaches -dr has ruled out anything medical and has diagnosed me with anxiety I am finding really debilitating I now realise my fas... View more

I have been having bouts of vomiting and nausea for some time now, muscle tension, weakness in my legs and really bad headaches -dr has ruled out anything medical and has diagnosed me with anxiety I am finding really debilitating I now realise my fast heart rate in the past was all tied into anxiety -just wondering if anyone has had the same symptoms and what coping mechanisms has worked dr has suggested going on ssri and seeing physchologist -the symptoms are horrible anyone experienced the same

Janus Why do you even bother?
  • replies: 5

I have PTSD. I can't even go outside anymore during the day, and if I go out at night, it has to be dark, nowhere where there are too many people or where it's too bright, or too noisy. I have become so restricted in what I can do, it limits the hell... View more

I have PTSD. I can't even go outside anymore during the day, and if I go out at night, it has to be dark, nowhere where there are too many people or where it's too bright, or too noisy. I have become so restricted in what I can do, it limits the hell out of my options of seeking help. Pretty much online is all I can do. I haven't used a phone for a few years (leave mine off the hook cause the ringing causes me too much anxiety). So in a last ditch effort before I am homeless, I come here, and figure I can at least post and there might be someone who understands, so all my suffering is not in vain.There is literally no one (no one at ALL) IRL who I can talk to. I can't call your service, I can't even stand to look at my telephone, let alone use it!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 around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636.

dyinginsidebutnobodysawhe Health anxiety is taking over..
  • replies: 4

Just really looking for some help.. Lately I have been stressed yet work & life are perfect a few hiccups in regards to work but things I can clear off my mind and get over.. Why am I feeling this way? I am 23 and since 12/13 I have suffered severe a... View more

Just really looking for some help.. Lately I have been stressed yet work & life are perfect a few hiccups in regards to work but things I can clear off my mind and get over.. Why am I feeling this way? I am 23 and since 12/13 I have suffered severe anxiety & panic attacks. Lately I have had really bad episodes of panic and anxiety and all due to mainly how I feel about my health. For the past 3weeks I had a dull ache in my upper left abdomen which I had full screened blood test on myself overall - ultrasound on my abdomen and sides and nothing .. currently waiting to receive a breath test back for possible ulcers etc.. Yet my mind has just taken over, every now and again I get the taste of metal or blood in my mouth and when I get stressed then I spit and its a dull red saliva im putting it down to my gums yet If I look in the mirror there not bleeding ! My head is quite frankly a MESS .. I then had pains in my stomach and thought im going for a pap test (smear test) this was perfect and nothing wrong also.?! Now I have just found little lump behind my left ear on or in my neck and cant help but think cancer .. Why is this .. I exercise regularly eat so good .. never smoke or drink alcohol where the fear of both takes over so I don't even chance it! Also recently had my implanon removed from my arm as loads of forums said about this causing depression etc and anxiety I will admit I do feel slightly different (in a good way) why cant I just trust my doctor when they say everything is perfect I feel as though on the outside I look well yet feel as though im dying inside !!!! Really wanting help and find it ridiculous that here in Australia a psychologist can cost anything between $120 and higher .. thanks H

Matala Feeling like things are very bad.. Finding it hard to see a way out.
  • replies: 6

I have a history of mental illness. I get allot of anxiety from sounds. I was recently diagnoses with agoraphobia and panic disorder by a psychologist who was helping to treat my anxiety caused by sounds. Quite early on the treatment I had to move in... View more

I have a history of mental illness. I get allot of anxiety from sounds. I was recently diagnoses with agoraphobia and panic disorder by a psychologist who was helping to treat my anxiety caused by sounds. Quite early on the treatment I had to move interstate. It was quite hard to organise a new psychologist as it was the holiday season. The house I have moved to is very noisy.. After being here for about one month things kind of got so bad that I am now really bothered by noise outside the house to the point that going outside is very difficult and can easily cause a panic. Luckily I am finally moving in a few days to somewhere quiet.. I just hope that I will be able to get out of the house again like I used to. I'm really scared. I think I might organise a GP home visit once I move to the the new house... I'm just so distressed by how incapacitated I am right now. Some days leaving the house are though but manageable.. Other days it's just totally scary.

chasingme How to get back on track
  • replies: 2

Hi all, First time poster. This question really has a few facets to it so I'll try my best to break it down. I've been diagnosed with GAD and SAD and I had been on medication for about a year and had been seeing a psychologist. I'd had my symptoms fo... View more

Hi all, First time poster. This question really has a few facets to it so I'll try my best to break it down. I've been diagnosed with GAD and SAD and I had been on medication for about a year and had been seeing a psychologist. I'd had my symptoms for about two years before hand and as a result I lost contact with a lot of my friends. After treatment I had managed to get back in touch with a few good friends who I talked to and saw regularly. Just my luck however, that these people managed to get jobs away from where I live, not within a comfortable day visit. I'd also started to be comfortable in my "workplace", I was doing an honours year in a laboratory I'd been with for 2 years. It's something I really love. I applied for a phd position and was accepted into a different lab. Unfortunately, due to new university regulations instead of starting late January as I thought, I don't start until April. No one wants to hire someone for just three months so I haven't gotten a paying job. The "big boss" of the lab doesn't want to pay me to be where I did my honours. This would have been fine as my supervisor had fallen pregnant and couldn't work and I volunteered to help her out as she'd helped me a lot during scholarship applications. Except things started happening that really started making me feel like I wasn't wanted there. I got moved out of my office desk and had no where to sit during the day I was there, the big boss took me off his mailing list for meetings, I wasn't invited to the Christmas party etc. I started getting panicky thinking I wasn't wanted and stopped going during December, telling my supervisor that my anxiety (which only she knows about) was acting up and I needed to take a break. So for the last month or so I've sat at home by myself doing nothing and I'm worried I'll end up stuck. I feel like a burden when my boyfriend comes home from work because I take up all his time. I've already started feeling useless, worried I'll never account to anything in my life because I'll fail the phd etc I need advice to get out of the house or get myself feeling good about myself again. a) How do I get the courage to go back to my old lab so at least I'm doing something? What do I say when I go back? b) I would love to have some friends to visit but find one on one things hard. How do I see people? c) How do I find myself something to do other than refreshing facebook every 5 minutes? Thanks for all your help.

Rose94 Is this an anxiety attack?
  • replies: 1

Hi my name is Rose, I've been struggling with bouts of depression over the past few years. Lately I've been having what seem to be panic attacks, but when I read about the symptoms, they don't seem to match. I'm looking for help identifying what thes... View more

Hi my name is Rose, I've been struggling with bouts of depression over the past few years. Lately I've been having what seem to be panic attacks, but when I read about the symptoms, they don't seem to match. I'm looking for help identifying what these attacks might be so i can better deal with them. When a worried feeling starts to build up and I am in a situation where I feel trapped, the feeling intensifies and i feel like my body is closing up. When this happens in the company of my partner, I try to talk but become frustrated that I cant explain myself. This leads to half finished sentences until eventually i cant talk but only make sounds. I will then lose that ability and stand exactly where I am, unable to move. I start to cry and the sounds around me become very loud and agitate me further. I also scratch and rub around my face and neck repeatedly as well as pulling at my hair. I dont like to be touched and cannot be coaxed away from my position until I have calmed down enough. I do not ever feel dizzy, short of breath, feeling like I am going to faint or sweaty as are often listed as anxiety/panic attack symptoms. Any help on what this might be or how I/my partner can better deal with it would be so so greatly appreciated