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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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Rain_Girl Social Phobias
  • replies: 2

Hey guys Just wondering what social phobias some of you might have. one of mine is when I'm buying food... I often have to get my partner to do it for me because I feel really backed up in a corner for some reason. On the other hand, sometimes I'm pe... View more

Hey guys Just wondering what social phobias some of you might have. one of mine is when I'm buying food... I often have to get my partner to do it for me because I feel really backed up in a corner for some reason. On the other hand, sometimes I'm perfectly confident but as my partner knows of it he might bring it up and I get upset and back out. It's really embarrassing and seems silly, but it is a real problem. Another one is phone calls. I think its a judgment or embarrassment thing. I'm not too sure. All i know is from an early age i would rely on my younger sister when it came to us going into shops. Hope to hear from you all xoxo

shells dermatillamania
  • replies: 4

i had never heard of this before but just wondering does anyone else suffer from it? its very embarrassing. interested to know how others deal with it.

i had never heard of this before but just wondering does anyone else suffer from it? its very embarrassing. interested to know how others deal with it.

avalon2 Hi - Weird Thoughts - Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Ok, hi everyone I am new and nice to meet all of you, I am a 13 year old girl and I am still not sure whether I have anxiety or not but I thought I would come on here to chat and find people like me. Now onto the question, I have been having weird th... View more

Ok, hi everyone I am new and nice to meet all of you, I am a 13 year old girl and I am still not sure whether I have anxiety or not but I thought I would come on here to chat and find people like me. Now onto the question, I have been having weird thoughts which have been causing me discomfort. The thought is: "what if I swapped bodies with someone?", when I am watching someone perform or someone do something in front of a big crowd I start wondering what would happen if I became them, I start thinking of a plan of what I would do if it happened (if I was suddenly on stage as that person) and I find myself looking away from the person in fear of me becoming them. My heart starts beating fast and I repeat my 'plan' over and over again. It really freaks me out. Does this happen to anyone? Thanks, Avalon

bella1 Is this anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, This is the first time I have ever written something on an online forum. I am struggling with some newly diagnosed anxiety because how do I know it's anxiety? To give you a history I had an episode while I was driving 6 months ago where ... View more

Hi everyone, This is the first time I have ever written something on an online forum. I am struggling with some newly diagnosed anxiety because how do I know it's anxiety? To give you a history I had an episode while I was driving 6 months ago where I felt very strange, lightheaded and like my arms weren't working properly even though they were. At the time it was very frightening because I had my 3 children in the car and was taken to ED in an ambulance. I was told I was having a panic attack which I vehemently denied as I'd never suffered any kind of anxiety or panic. They eventually told me that it wasn't a panic attack but was rather caused by low haemoglobin which was so low I required a transfusion. For the next 6 months I felt completely fine until early April the exact same thing happened again requiring another visit to ED. This time it was attributed to a severe ear infection. Since that ear infection I have felt dizzy on and off and completely strange. It's a weird feeling that I find difficult to describe but I either become a bit dizzy or feel a bit strange all over and then I feel completely panicked like I might die. I have managed to convince myself that I have a brain tumor and have presented to the GP twice very distressed. She has diagnosed me with anxiety because all my bloods were fine. My question is, how do I know it's not something more serious. I had 2 nights last week where I kept waking feeling completely panicked even though I was happily asleep prior. A night where I was too scared to go to bed in case it happened again and quite a few mornings where I wake up feeling very odd. One day I was too scared to get out of bed until the feeling passed. While this is happening I feel very panicked but once it's passed I feel almost normal and wonder what I was worrying about. Today I woke up feeling great, had a very busy morning but when I finally got home I all of a sudden had a weird pressure behind my eyes and nose, then felt a bit off balance and a bit not quite right. Eventually the feeling mostly passed but while I was chatting to a friend picking my daughter up from school I had a strange feeling come over me like my arm was weak even though it wasn't and then a rush came over me, my legs felt like they might give way but they didn't. I've also developed a bit of a headache which I don't normally suffer from over the last week. I'm really worried and am thinking about requesting a brain scan, mostly because these symptoms just appear all of a sudden. It's not like I'm worrying over anything when they happen. I have a real fear that I'm going to faint and my children will be frightened. How do I really know that this is anxiety? Can anyone else relate to these symptoms?

Amali Relationship Anxiety
  • replies: 1

I'm currently in a relationship with a partner who I dated previously. We were together for 3 years and broke up not long after his mothers death, which caused stress in the relationship. He hurt me badly (didn't deal with his grief and took it out o... View more

I'm currently in a relationship with a partner who I dated previously. We were together for 3 years and broke up not long after his mothers death, which caused stress in the relationship. He hurt me badly (didn't deal with his grief and took it out on me) but after time apart and some counselling he wanted to fix things. We have been trying to start fresh but things have been up and down. We are going on 6 months back together. I have this overwhelming fear of getting hurt again. I have break downs when he says he's going out with friends and he gets angry with me when I'm upset for no real reason, he says I should leave what happened in the past and just trust him. He has planned a 6 week holiday overseas. He wants to do it by himself even though I would like to travel with him. I understand that he wants to do this before we settle down (we've talked about marriage) but I fear that this is a sign that he is not committed to me and wishes to live a single life. I feel like i've turned into this insecure, clingy girlfriend who over analyses everything and I know this kind of behaviour will only push him away. I just wish things could go back to how they were before we broke up, I was a lot more carefree then. I also suffer from some social anxiety and get very overwhelmed in large groups of people I don't know well, my partner is the complete opposite, he is very outgoing and makes friends easily. Any advice on this situation would be greatly appreciated. TD

jacques cbt not working
  • replies: 2

I have been told by a psycologist two years ago that i need to get out of the house and follow cbt, i have tried over the past year but i am finding the anxiety getting worse. I cannot sleep, i am having panic attacks all of the time, day and night. ... View more

I have been told by a psycologist two years ago that i need to get out of the house and follow cbt, i have tried over the past year but i am finding the anxiety getting worse. I cannot sleep, i am having panic attacks all of the time, day and night. All of the books i have read and councillers i have spoken to have said that cbt is suppost to lower anxiety. It frightens that i will be like this for the rest of my life.

Miss_Understood My Life Is In A Holding Pattern
  • replies: 1

Hi, I've been feeling like my life is in a holding pattern for the past three years. I have bounced from numerous jobs not because I wanted to leave but due to either being on contract or the place of employ are downsizing. A couple of jobs I've been... View more

Hi, I've been feeling like my life is in a holding pattern for the past three years. I have bounced from numerous jobs not because I wanted to leave but due to either being on contract or the place of employ are downsizing. A couple of jobs I've been let go from the explanation was not suitable for the role, what does that mean really! I have a real self-confidence issue thinking that no matter how hard I try in a position it will never been good enough. I am currently out of work from my most recent position which was casual with the owner saying that she over-extended financially and she would manage by herself. Lets not forget that she got someone else to work for her and is paying them cash-in-hand. I would have accepted the same terms too if asked. Deep down I think she wasn't honest with me about the work I was performing. I thought I was doing a great job, always turning up promptly for my shifts and doing the tasks that were asked of me. I am also studying a Diploma of Business Admin which I am anxious about because some of the modules I am finding hard and I'm starting to doubt my capacity to be able to complete the assignments required. I want to get it finished and not wanting it hanging over my head. In doing so I am always anxious thinking I won't get this finished in the allotted time which I have got for this course. I also not enjoying administration work anymore finding it too difficult to perform certain aspects in the roles like finance or payroll which involves money and maths. I can't handle stress or being accountable for anyone else besides myself. My last role which I was casual which I talked about previously was working with animals at a pet boarding centre. I would like to work with animals but these days you have to have certificates or diplomas to get a position. Once again this ties back to the title of this post, my life is in a holding pattern. I feel like I can't move towards happiness and my dream job of working with animals until I finish the Diploma of Business Admin which is causing me great anguish. I need to be doing a certificate in animal studies and even then that doesn't guarantee me a job. I would like to work doing something that I love, which my husband and other friends of mine are doing. I have been unhappy for so long and would like to have something nice for once for me. I sit at home now trying to work on finishing my diploma modules and worrying about how I am going to pay my bills with me being out of work yet again and feeling like a complete failure. My husband has just called to say that he has won an award again at his workplace which I am happy for him but it also feels like rubbing salt into my wound. <>

Wobbles A prisoner within myself
  • replies: 2

I don't know if anyone here can help me, i just really need to talk. I've had severe anxiety for longer than i can remember and depression for just as long as a result of the anxiety and my excessively low self-esteem and confidence. I'm 34, i have a... View more

I don't know if anyone here can help me, i just really need to talk. I've had severe anxiety for longer than i can remember and depression for just as long as a result of the anxiety and my excessively low self-esteem and confidence. I'm 34, i have a 6 year old son and a 3 year old son whom are my reasons for living and breathing. They go to school and kindy during the week and i spend every day locked inside my house, by myself, no friends or family, no mental stimulation, bored and lonely. My anxiety means i cannot bring myself to go out and meet new people, I have difficulties connecting with others and social situations scare the crap out of me. I have an essential tremor which gets worse when the anxiety hightens and so i'm self conscious about it. I feel completely inferior to the rest of the population, and don't feel like i belong any where. My anxiety stops me doing everything in life i might enjoy. I have no hobbies and do not allow myself to indulge in activities that i might possibly enjoy out of fear, fear of failure. I have no dreams or hopes and live day by day just getting through and trying to make my boys happy. I am in a relationship with a man that struggles with communication, as much as he loves me dearly, he just isn't the emotionally supportive type. I've tried connecting with the other mums at my sons school, but they're all very clique, judgmental and snobby and i get ignored. My opinion of myself is so low that i don't take care of myself and my health properly. I have severe chronic anaemia that is currently being investigated. I have an auto immune disease that affects my back and joints and i'm in pain every day. I'm an intelligent woman, have a good sense of humour, and i'm sure i may have other positive attributes, but i just can't see any of them, and none of them are helping me. I'm a shell of a person, i pretend to be normal and fit in, but i'm far from it. I feel like i'm dying inside. Counselling hasn't helped, self talk doesn't work, medication doesn't help and i genuinely feel like a prisoner inside myself. Trapped, chained up and it's a life sentence. I'm too scared to be myself, whoever that is. I'm too scared to allow myself to let go and just be. I want to be happy, i need to be happy and healthy to be a good mum, i just don't know how. My core beliefs and feelings about myself are so deep seated that i don't know if i'll ever be able to reach them and change them. I don't know what to do. Thanks for reading.

Shelley84 over anxiety
  • replies: 1

Just wondering if any of you suffer from this feeling sick in throat only? What helps ne is sucking on butter menthol cough lollies which helps the feeling sick I start to get heavy breathing and feeling like something is gonna happen to me also I ha... View more

Just wondering if any of you suffer from this feeling sick in throat only? What helps ne is sucking on butter menthol cough lollies which helps the feeling sick I start to get heavy breathing and feeling like something is gonna happen to me also I have a phobia of vomiting thats why I cant stand the feeling please help me

Sabrina89 GAD - Generalised Anxiety Disorder
  • replies: 4

Hello to anyone who reads this.I have been diagnosed with GAD (generalised anxiety disorder)I constantly worry about pretty much everything and at this point I cannot drive a car from fear that I am going to have an accident or run over a pedestrian.... View more

Hello to anyone who reads this.I have been diagnosed with GAD (generalised anxiety disorder)I constantly worry about pretty much everything and at this point I cannot drive a car from fear that I am going to have an accident or run over a pedestrian. I even get anxious about leaving my apartment or going to the shops to buy groceries ( which my parents do for me at the moment)I have recently started an anti depressant (SSRI) - it is meant to be helpful with anxiety but im into my second week and nothing has changed. I was wondering if anyone knew of anything to help with anxiety because it is taking away my life - i barely do anything i don;t like to leave the house.