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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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Bell87 Physical symptoms of Anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi, im not new but I haven't posted on here in awhile. im really struggling at the moment with physical symptoms of my health anxiety i dont know why im feeling this way as I haven't for quite awhile. I can breathe but feels like I'm short of breath ... View more

Hi, im not new but I haven't posted on here in awhile. im really struggling at the moment with physical symptoms of my health anxiety i dont know why im feeling this way as I haven't for quite awhile. I can breathe but feels like I'm short of breath it does come and come but it seems to be worse at night. Has anyone got any good tips to reduce this feeling? I find when I'm busy I'm fine but as soon as I stop I feel tightness. I'm scared I hate feeling this way I'm trying so hard not to go to the doctors because I'm breathing. I'm just scared and hope someone is/has experienced this before too as horrible as it is and wouldn't wish this upon anyone. I hate this feeling

Bee Still struggling with breakup months after
  • replies: 1

Hey, I know I'm not alone in struggling to accept and move on from a breakup. It's a tale as old as time and something most everyone has grappled with at some point in their life. It's been three months since my partner and I broke up. We were togeth... View more

Hey, I know I'm not alone in struggling to accept and move on from a breakup. It's a tale as old as time and something most everyone has grappled with at some point in their life. It's been three months since my partner and I broke up. We were together for five years- I believed I would marry this man. I imagined our future life-he and I often talked about it. Having children, creating a life and a home. And three months ago that came crashing down. I thought with even this small passing of time (3 months) I would be feeling better- if only marginally. I feel worse. I am able to function in my life, my job, my self care routine. But the pain of missing him, all the hopes, dreams and plans we made play out in my head. I know it's a grieving process, he wasn't just my partner, he was my best friend, my family, someone who was always in my corner. I really loved him. Still do. I am just so exhausted from this pain of not having him in my life. Of missing him. Everywhere I go, I'm reminded of five years' worth of memories- all with him. How do you learn to let go of someone you thought would be in your life forever? How do you let go of someone that you love so deeply?

Tigers2017 Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi I am a 64 year old male married for 40 years , great job for 41 years , homeowner and due to move and retire - So why am I stressed ? Have a son been in jail , a wife who went thru bowel cancer a daughter looking for love and they are pretty happy... View more

Hi I am a 64 year old male married for 40 years , great job for 41 years , homeowner and due to move and retire - So why am I stressed ? Have a son been in jail , a wife who went thru bowel cancer a daughter looking for love and they are pretty happy so why not me . Had a couple recent stints in hospital with a bad heart but nothing wrong with it? All stress on my behalf yep have some prostate issues and some old footy injuries giving me grief but life compared to some others is bloody good, So why do I think so negative when I put my head on the pillow ? Negative thoughts and not happy ones about our life together next few years first time on so love some feedback who to see and how to change

byuuy892 Constantly reliving negative social memories?
  • replies: 3

Hello. My mind will constantly pop up with negative social memories from my past, particularly from late primary school and high school. I've been having this issue since around 2018. I'm in my early 20s and haven't socialised much since, hence not m... View more

Hello. My mind will constantly pop up with negative social memories from my past, particularly from late primary school and high school. I've been having this issue since around 2018. I'm in my early 20s and haven't socialised much since, hence not many opportunities for new negative memories (but some exist). Context:I've had persistently negative social experiences for a long period (or so I perceive). I was a very shy kid. From around the age of 10 I felt I was being mistreated socially, my mental health became overall negative, and has been there ever since. The core beliefs I have developed are something along the lines of "I'm unlikeable" and that "I don't know how to socialise". I remember having severe levels of social anxiety in school (sore stomach before school, constantly keeping hands in pockets, being unable to speak properly, etc). Whilst I'm socially anxious now, it's no where near to the same extent. Although my "social performance" still feels inadequate. Types of Memories:- Times people mistreated me (bullied, excluded, mocked, etc.)- Instances where I perceive that people disliked me (telling me to shut up, giving me that "why are you here" sort of look, etc).- Embarrassing things I did (usually the things need to imply that I'm unlikeable or socially incompetent, otherwise they aren't a big deal)- Times I was bad to others (I didn't do this super often, but I feel severe guilt about it) My question:So, what can I do to assuage/stop the constant reliving of negative memories I experience? Even if I assume I am unlikeable etc., I just don't see how constantly reliving the memories serves me. It's torturing me for no benefit, every day. It feels like something unresolved that my mind has been in severe strife about for a very long time. I understand people with PTSD will relive their memories, but that's much more understandable to me, it would be very difficult to process those sorts of experiences. It's driving me insane. Is this something I just have to accept until I maybe solve my social isolation/struggles in the future? Is this some rare issue only I face? What do I do?

blues23 The difficulty of making decisions
  • replies: 2

At the moment I’m really trying to justify staying in my job the hours are so bad like approximately 9 hours per week this fluctuates every fortnight and I’m basically struggling to keep bills rent ect to survive, I’ve asked my boss for more work to ... View more

At the moment I’m really trying to justify staying in my job the hours are so bad like approximately 9 hours per week this fluctuates every fortnight and I’m basically struggling to keep bills rent ect to survive, I’ve asked my boss for more work to fill up my rosters even go work in the nursing homes or do ad hoc duties which I got no reply back from my boss , the difficulty of staying is how to justify going to work for 3 hours , 1.5 hours ect each day and travelling 45 minutes to do said job of 3 hours or 1.6 hours, the difficulty of leaving while trying to get another job which I’ve been looking for months and no success. I kinda fell I’m stuck and my savings are running out I’ve got drs, a few specialists cause I have health problems and I can’t afford to go see them cause my wage or part of it goes on rent and food even now I’ll have to extend my gas bill cause I can’t afford to pay it this week because I only have a few 100 dollars left and i have to see a specialist this week as well which is 160$ down the drain , life is really hard right now with the lack of work hours and I can’t sleep much for thinking how will i manage to keep enough in the bank til pay day there’s no relief and no easy answer im on centerlink but even that with the little pay i get off work is constantly not enough to make ends meet.

Kane We're to find friends who have social anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi my name is kane and I have suffered social anxiety as long as I can remember so i find it quite difficult to meet people and have become very isolated which leads to depression feeling low,low confidence and self worth . I would like to ask people... View more

Hi my name is kane and I have suffered social anxiety as long as I can remember so i find it quite difficult to meet people and have become very isolated which leads to depression feeling low,low confidence and self worth . I would like to ask people who have experienced this as part of there life and slowly get some of my life back with people

Guest_78401401 Post Social Event Anxiety
  • replies: 2

Over the last few years I have found myself increasingly anxious after social events. I usually feel anxious leading up to the event and often find reasons to avoid it. When Im in the situation I relax and enjoy it. Then after for days I play the con... View more

Over the last few years I have found myself increasingly anxious after social events. I usually feel anxious leading up to the event and often find reasons to avoid it. When Im in the situation I relax and enjoy it. Then after for days I play the conversations over and over, feel exposed, vulnerable and embarrassed and very anxious. Its consuming. Is this something others experience? How do you cope? I used to be so social and carefree, but even old memoroes that used to be joyful cause me distress.

RescueKitty Workplace Bullying Part 1
  • replies: 1

I've been on the receiving end of being bullied by some of my co-workers, one in particular for a while now. I'm not the only person being bullied by her, nearly everyone has been bullied by her. It started when I returned back to work in 2021 after ... View more

I've been on the receiving end of being bullied by some of my co-workers, one in particular for a while now. I'm not the only person being bullied by her, nearly everyone has been bullied by her. It started when I returned back to work in 2021 after recovering from a back injury, she was a new hire and constantly on my back about every little thing. Eventually I told her that I know exactly how to do my job, if the manager has an issue with my work she can bring it to my attention herself and that she should focus on her work instead of mine as I was feeling harassed.Since then she started reporting ME for bullying HER. For example, I was on the phone with a customer and at the same time she was speaking to me and started to raise her voice to tell me inaccurate information about what she thought I was discussing with the customer. With the call on hold I told her I was busy with a customer, I've got it thanks, but if she wanted to speak with me, she shouldn't be yelling misinformation at me while I'm with a customer. She immediately went into our managers office, I go back to my phone call, customer heard the yelling asked if everything was okay. When the call was completed I can hear her crying to the manager and when she comes out of the office and passes me she gives me the stink eye before leaving. My manager comes out a few seconds later and she told me that she saw everything that happened through the mirrored window between her office and the reception office where I work and that the co-worker had reported me for my tone and disrespect for "ignoring her" while I was on the phone. Similar instances kept happening to the point where I isolated myself from her at work because she would turn any interaction we had into me bullying her. Making me anxious about any interaction I had with her, costing my job. Other staff members came forward to support my version of events a lot. But everything still takes its toll. I remember reporting her for non-compliance with our employee code of conduct for promoting her private business to customer that would come to our workplace after I had multiple phone calls and people walking in to reception asking for her to discuss her business. The senior manager at the time said I was being PETTY and to only report serious matters. Now, I feel like I can't report her for her bullying towards me. Even though my direct manager sees whats happening, the Senior manager (who now works in the HR department) favors my bully.

Guest_64036479 I’m so overwhelmed. I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs!!!
  • replies: 3

I’ve been through a lot.but lately it’s been my youngest boys 2 surgeries and my dog having cancer removed. His tail was amputated and another mast cell cut from his leg. It hasn’t healed, so I’m taking him to the vet 3 x per week to get his dressing... View more

I’ve been through a lot.but lately it’s been my youngest boys 2 surgeries and my dog having cancer removed. His tail was amputated and another mast cell cut from his leg. It hasn’t healed, so I’m taking him to the vet 3 x per week to get his dressing’s changed and I argued the removal of his cancer with my husband. I’m the one taking care of him all the time and taking him to the vets for his dressing change! I’m so angry and upset! I’m the one who had to get my son’s leg cut off and reattached with massive surgery!!!!! I’m always the one trying to make sure everyone is okay!!!!! I’m so broken

Flowergirl97 Never finding my place
  • replies: 8

Hello,I have always been known as a shy person whereas my older sister has always been very outgoing so I felt like I grew up in her shadow. As a child I found it hard to see my positive qualities and never saw introversion as a strength because ever... View more

Hello,I have always been known as a shy person whereas my older sister has always been very outgoing so I felt like I grew up in her shadow. As a child I found it hard to see my positive qualities and never saw introversion as a strength because everyone around me criticised me for being shy and I grew up hating my shyness. Maybe because of my shyness or other reasons I always felt self conscious and rarely felt comfortable around people who weren’t my immediate family. When I was 7 years old my family moved country and I rarely saw my loving grandparents again and felt like my family consisted of only my parents and older sister. During my teenage years I struggled with disordered eating and despite doing well at school felt very self conscious in class and found everyday things overwhelming and felt like I was out of step with the other students. I found it difficult to envisage what I would do as a career but wasn’t too concerned because I still had a lot of time to decide. I decided I loved art and music and tried to force myself to do drama so that I wouldn’t be so shy. When I was 17 my parents decided to divorce. It came as a shock but sort of validated why I had felt unhappy as a teenager. Beforehand I had started to feel distant from my parents and they had been going through other things they had reason to be stressed about. My Mum had suggested I talk to someone about my disordered eating but I felt so much shame and distrust in people that I hated the idea. I also hid how I was feeling and was already known to be shy so not many people seemed to notice how unhappy I was. Now I’m in my late 20s and I’ve finally seen a psychologist for about two years. I recently moved to a new city and although I’ve completed a bachelor degree in science I’m finding it hard to get a job. A lot of the same feelings have come up that I used to feel, they’ve never really gone away. I do understand myself a lot better than I ever have in the past and now see there are strengths that introverts have. But I’m still struggling to enjoy my life, like myself and make friends… and being unemployed sucks. Sometimes it just feels like I can’t catch a break. I’ve been through so much and would love to have a healthy romantic relationship, strong friendships, a meaningful job, and enjoy my life but sometimes it feels like I’ll never get there. I am starting to blame myself for not choosing a definitive career path sooner. I committed to university only to come out the other side with more doubts and uncertainties about my career than I had when I started. I feel like I’ve missed out on so many opportunities because I am an introvert. I’ve worked so hard at my education and the most recent jobs I have had and still feel like I’m never doing the things I truly want to be doing. I’ve also struggled to accept my sexuality and have disliked my body ever since I returned to a healthier weight. So there’s been a lot for me to deal with and maybe I’ve been self sabotaging myself all along, I don’t know for sure. Today I just felt really sad and unsure of what to focus on in my life because I have a lot of interests but something always seems to go sour at some point and I stop doing something I once loved

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