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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. Remeber, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anixiety 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 you 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 worthile 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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shellshell social anxiety
  • replies: 5

Ive always thought that I was complete outcast and the worlds playing an evil trick on me. I was looking up about and watching people talk about social anxiety and it was then I realised how extremely debilitating it can get and I thought that's me!.... View more

Ive always thought that I was complete outcast and the worlds playing an evil trick on me. I was looking up about and watching people talk about social anxiety and it was then I realised how extremely debilitating it can get and I thought that's me!....My doctor told me I had severe anxiety some years back that was over a centrelink thing and never really went into any detail about my anxieties. Ive realised Ive suffered for most of my life never really knew what was wrong with me just always believed Im pathetic and a social retard. I was severely bullied at school Abandoned bye my mother at 8 she left in the middle of the night ran away with another man my father was very controlling, even as a child I remember thinking that my mother never loved or cared for me, I always had the feeling she never liked doing things for me. I was watching some things on the internet people talking about social anxiety and one thing that stuck was this guy who said social anxiety comes from a time in your past where you felt shame, well that works because I really did feel shame when my mother left us, I tried to hide it in school at the time because I didn't know how to explain it I could see everyone elses mother loved them so so much and they would never leave that made me ashamed of myself. I don't talk much people have always said that, I have no friends. Son and daughter that's all, there grown up now I raised them on my own. Im getting chest pains a lot now because Im really stressed about some things going on. I get really bad chest pains when I feel panicky and it feels like my body is toxic poisonous inside, my palms sweat and I cant think straight. I don't know if this is some kind of panic attack. I am working now, jobs in the past never lasted for long. Im having issues with work but don't want to get into it. Ive had men in my past but that always turns out bad. Theres a lot of things ive left out..sorry for the rant everyone.

JJ1509 Anxiety Help.
  • replies: 1

Well Hi, Don’t really know how to start this off as I have never been one to open up, but some how this so much easier being behind a computer screen where I can't fumble up my words and feel like I am just whining. I don't know where to start my sto... View more

Well Hi, Don’t really know how to start this off as I have never been one to open up, but some how this so much easier being behind a computer screen where I can't fumble up my words and feel like I am just whining. I don't know where to start my story so ill just start at the beginning. My first years of life I grew up in a single parent household my father didn't want much to do with me as he preferred the company of a bottle. When I was four my mother fell in love with a farmer and soon after that they were married. We moved to live with him on the farm. I grew up thinking this man was my father. From the first time I can remembered I hated this man. The way he always treated my mother like the hired help, The way he treated me the same because I did not live up to what his idea of what a boy should be. Years went by and so did the years of abuse to put it bluntly the more people he could make miserable the happy he would be. My mother being the wonderful women she is she put up with it, always trying to see the best in everyone. My Mother had two more beautiful children with him a girl first then a boy. My sister also coped some torment from him as being a girl was so much less of a person then being a boy. He used to have such a great way of making a person feel so low and so worthless that you used to start to think that what he was actually saying was true. When I was around thirteen I started to question my sexuality as I was starting to become attracted to the same sex. I remember saying to myself all those years ago “See he was right”. Growing up in a rural town and going to a rural school and being different the bulling used be quite nasty. The used to tease me for being gay even though I had not breathed a word of It to anyone, as my step father had already crushed what I had of my self esteem I only again believed that we these children were saying about me was true, that I wasn’t good enough. When I was fourteen I found a folder hidden in my step dads office about that I he was not my father and the court case my mum had to go through after she had found bruises on me and wanted to cut all access my father had to me. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of joy I felt knowing that that man was not my father unfortanly this didn’t not relive the feeling of worthlessness he had put on me. My mother woke up and found the strength in her one day to leave him, and we got out. A lot of time has past since then and the feelings and abuse that happened have never left me. That worthlessness that I felt then I still feel now. Since I was a teenager I have used alcohol as a crutch. Masking my anxiety with it. But the past years have been the worst for me. The only time I feel safe and stop the anxiety is with a drink in my hand. I am scared to answer the phone talk to anyone new (especially Straight males). I would rather walk a kilometer around a place then go past a group of men standing in a group and one I have to (Ie.when I am at work) my body goes into a state of shock, starting to sweat and my chest goes tight and I fumble all my words. I have tried to seek help before. Once I even forced myself to overcome it a little and made it to a doctor. I don’t think I have ever fumbled so much in my life and it all become so over whelming I just had to get out. I’m so scared within my self it has affected so many parts of my life and I’m scared that if I don’t try and reach out it can only get worse. I can’t sleep with out drinking I will stay up for most of the night tossing and turning worrying about things. Look I really don’t know if anything I have said has made any sense because I’m sitting here looking at it thinking god what will these people think. The words he is having a big whine and people have it worse out there. I am just at a loss of what to do and hoping I don’t seem as crazy as I feel. Anyway thanks for reading this probably makes no sense but I’m still glad I can finally tell someone even if it was behind a computer screen.

Jayamalah Hi :)
  • replies: 2

Hi I'm just wondering if anyone else has similar symptoms to me with anxiety. I don't have a certain trigger, most of the time I just wake up with it. Feeling nervous, hot flushes, diarrhoea and not been able to eat! Thanks

Hi I'm just wondering if anyone else has similar symptoms to me with anxiety. I don't have a certain trigger, most of the time I just wake up with it. Feeling nervous, hot flushes, diarrhoea and not been able to eat! Thanks

Oden new person seeking advice
  • replies: 1

Hi, I am in my early thirties and have had anxiety for as long as I can remember. I also have a speech impediment (which is linked to my anxiety). While my speech is now under control thanks to twenty years of speech therapy and plenty of support, I ... View more

Hi, I am in my early thirties and have had anxiety for as long as I can remember. I also have a speech impediment (which is linked to my anxiety). While my speech is now under control thanks to twenty years of speech therapy and plenty of support, I now find my anxiety - which I'd previously ignored - is cropping up. I really started to feel it back in September. I had a few personal incidents which made my anxiety worse and made me realise I needed to do something about it. I have talked to my local GP and started taking stress and omega multi-vitamins, started taking sleeping tablets (always been a restless sleeper) as well as eating more tuna. I find my anxiety increases when I'm tired or stressed, so if I don't get a good night's sleep, I feel anxious the next day. The problem I have is I worry about things beyond my control and worry about relatively minor things. If it was something I could control, then I could understand, but when I can't control it I get frustrated and run myself around in circles. The sleeping tablets have been helping (I'm no longer such a restless sleeper) but I still have nights where I can't get to sleep and struggle the next day. At times I feel like I'm just going from day-to-day and on weekends I try to keep myself busy. I also have a bit of OCD (mainly counting things, checking things are closed/locked multiple times and having irrational thoughts), which also flares up when tired or stressed. I've also been doing this great CBT course for stutterers which is helping. However, I've been feeling this way for about two months. I have my calm, happy days but I also have days when I get anxious about silly things which I can't control and I tend to immerse myself in the problems of friends and family and I can feel guility if I'm in a good mood and they're not. Silly I know but there you go. I was wondering what the next step could be: I haven't really looked at anti-depressants or anxiety drugs, but I'm open to this in future. What I'd love to do is find an anxiety support group where I could talk about my anxiety in a safe environment, not only to get it off my chest but also to support others. A big part of my recovery as a stutterer has been the support of my fellow stuttering friends, both in formalised speech therapy/support groups and in a social setting. I feel if I can find a similar thing for my anxiety, it would be a massive help.

Casey4 Needing Advice.
  • replies: 2

Hi, This is my first post on this site, but i am so glad i found it. Im 21 years old and have major anxiety when leaving my house or being alone sometimes even all the time! i have dizzy spells, chest pain, cant breathe and constantly feeling sick. I... View more

Hi, This is my first post on this site, but i am so glad i found it. Im 21 years old and have major anxiety when leaving my house or being alone sometimes even all the time! i have dizzy spells, chest pain, cant breathe and constantly feeling sick. I was wondering if anyone else around my age or anyone in that matter that would have some advice on dealing with the attacks? any advice is wanted, as it is getting so out of control and starting to control my life! Thanks in advance

Andy_panic_attack Feeling others are week that can not hide what I have
  • replies: 2

Why is it that when some talk about things it all about drugs they are on or bad time of bogan type things . Can we just be unique and as we all meant to be? I suffer daily . I take pills . I am a good man a bad one and have panic Attacks .

Why is it that when some talk about things it all about drugs they are on or bad time of bogan type things . Can we just be unique and as we all meant to be? I suffer daily . I take pills . I am a good man a bad one and have panic Attacks .

Lenie_code New
  • replies: 3

Hi feeling anxious, want to vomit or pass out. Hiding in my car at work while writing this. Any advice?

Hi feeling anxious, want to vomit or pass out. Hiding in my car at work while writing this. Any advice?

Chonty Should I tell my mum I have OCD?
  • replies: 3

About six months ago I was diagnosed with OCD, and I've only told my partner and a close friend. I would like to tell my mum, but it started when I was 12 and I really don't want her to feel like she let me down by not noticing what was going on. I d... View more

About six months ago I was diagnosed with OCD, and I've only told my partner and a close friend. I would like to tell my mum, but it started when I was 12 and I really don't want her to feel like she let me down by not noticing what was going on. I don't blame her at all, because I don't have overt compulsions- they're mostly mental, so it's not like it's noticeable. And I did everything I could to make sure no one would notice. So I guess what I'm asking is if you're a parent, would you want to know? Or would you rather not? I really don't want to cause her any stress, but on the other hand I want to be open. Thanks

Lenie_code Performance anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi I'm freaking out. I'm normally tense ( I think it's the only thing holding together). But panicking, gonna vomit or pass out because I am standing in front of a large assembly (job requires it, normally work one on one with people but exceptions l... View more

Hi I'm freaking out. I'm normally tense ( I think it's the only thing holding together). But panicking, gonna vomit or pass out because I am standing in front of a large assembly (job requires it, normally work one on one with people but exceptions like this arise) any advice on how to get through this with some grace?

MeganRN Hello- I need someone to listen..
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone- My name is Megan. I'm 35 years old and have struggled with anxiety/depression and bipolar disorder since I was about 20 years old. I thought I had concurred my demons - but apparently I was wrong. I went all through nursing school (even ... View more

Hi everyone- My name is Megan. I'm 35 years old and have struggled with anxiety/depression and bipolar disorder since I was about 20 years old. I thought I had concurred my demons - but apparently I was wrong. I went all through nursing school (even graduated with an invitation to join a prestigious nursing honor society) with minimal anxiety. Up until the end of school I was only taking my regular medications.... but everything changed and has not gone back. I am currently dealing with an 18 year old son who is having a difficult time with life. I just transitioned into a new job - which I love and I am so scared I will lose if they find any of this out. I have panic attacks DAILY.. sometimes HOURLY.... I get through the day with medication.. sometimes that doesn't even help. I have had my heart checked and although I do have benign PVC's and some mitral valve regurgitation - there is nothing wrong with my heart.... I feel like once I figure out that I am not going to die from my symptoms- my body attempts to fool me with new symptoms.... Now I feel like my head has pressure and sometimes I feel as if I'm going to pass out.... often I feel this way.... My palms get sweaty, I feel sick.. I know this is anxiety because it only happens when I leave my house and if I take medication I feel better.. .if it was really something with my brain or heart- this medication would not help it.... My husband tries to be supportive but he get sick of it , I'm sure... I would too... I'm just looking for a friend or someone to talk to.. I feel so alone and hopeless.. I signed up for an intensive outpatient program through Rogers Memorial which is a leading hospital when it comes to Anxiety.. but they have me on a waitlist.. so who knows how long it will take before I can get in.. Thanks for listening..