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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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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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Buckley05 Health Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi there, I heard Beyond Blue advertised on the radio today and I decided to go to their website and that has led me to joining the online community. Does anyone out there have health anxiety? I have had it for as long as I can remember and to be hon... View more

Hi there, I heard Beyond Blue advertised on the radio today and I decided to go to their website and that has led me to joining the online community. Does anyone out there have health anxiety? I have had it for as long as I can remember and to be honest in it's early days I managed it very well and even now feel that my case is mild as I have learned to manage it as best as I can myself but I am always interested in other peoples ways of coping and maybe I might be able to help someone out there with how I have taught myself to manage this. To be honest, in my case I don't stress over every illness or disease that there is. My main anxiety is with cancer, mainly breast cancer. I have no explanation why, it's just something that I stress over. I don't go to the doctor every 5 minutes and have set myself strict rules on checking myself and doubting myself all the time. I have done my own research and sourced some good information over the internet on management techniques and how you can overcome negative thoughts which have helped me but regulary I keep second guessing myself, like for eg. I only check my breasts one a month and then once I've checked them I doubt myself and say "maybe I've missed something". I do refrain myself from checking them again because one thing I have learned is if you repeat this checking behaviour it helps in the short term but then you doubt yourself again and so the cycle starts over. I asked my doctor to send me off the an ultrasound to make sure nothing is wrong and he knows that I struggle with the "girls" lol. Anyway, I believe that with anxiety especially OCD related anxiety and I think health anxiety falls into that category as it's repetitive behaviour it's very important to follow the techniques to help you manage and hopefully cure the anxiety. Although I have told my husband how I get and he is understanding, I tend to keep this subject to myself and when it kicks in try and follow my manage system. Although I don't think I will ever be rid of it totally, of late I have decided that instead of fighting it and always wanting to make these thoughts totally go away and all the time I would fail at that. Lately for me it's about management with my feelings and if you can get a good balance of that things will be ok. I will say that one thing that has stuck in my mind with my findings about health anxiety, "If you can accept uncertainty, your worries will go away, as soon as you fight uncertainty your worries will stay". Everybody has uncertainty in their life its the way we handle it which can make a difference.

AnxtyAnnie Anxiety My Mental Prison
  • replies: 8

Hello I am new here, does anyone feel that Anxiety is like being in prison, a mental prison. The only difference Is there is no guards, routine is one thing I need to stick to though. I wonder what I did in a previous life to experience such Punishme... View more

Hello I am new here, does anyone feel that Anxiety is like being in prison, a mental prison. The only difference Is there is no guards, routine is one thing I need to stick to though. I wonder what I did in a previous life to experience such Punishment, Will this be my life for the next 20years, my fear is intense my heart beats fast all day, Thanks Annie.

Bulletin_Board_Archive Severe anxiety
  • replies: 23

Originally posted by: Mahtab on 5 February 2013I am a 25 year old psychology student that cannot get rid of constant negative thoughts & continuing panic attacks. I work in a bank as a teller and every day is a struggle to get up and get dressed as I... View more

Originally posted by: Mahtab on 5 February 2013I am a 25 year old psychology student that cannot get rid of constant negative thoughts & continuing panic attacks. I work in a bank as a teller and every day is a struggle to get up and get dressed as I fear what the day has in store for me. Back in 2007 my parents split and it was a messy divorce resulting in me being stuck in the middle, then in 2010, I witnessed someone get murdered and since then my anxiety has increased immensely. I constantly feel something bad is going to happen, I'm scared of big crowds, I think sooo negatively to the point where I start suffocating and almost choking. When im in public, i get this feeling that im detached from my body and my throat starts closing up. I shake to the point where my jaw feels like its going to break in half. I have a phobia of being sick which is on my mind 24/7. I never have a proper nights sleep unless the night before I stay awake until early morning and tire myself, I'm waking up every night around same time 2,3am and I start panicking for no apparent reason. I'm so sick of being sick! There is always always always something wrong with me, either headache or I'm tired or fatigued or moody, and I'm losing the ones I love because I keep snapping at them. I just want to be panic free and live a happy life but the only way I can do that is if I live on medication for the rest of my life

joey Fighting anxiety
  • replies: 2

There is something inherent in anxiety that makes you want to fight it. To refuse acceptance. That's what anxiety is - it makes you want to fight, often yourself. I have been quite accepting of my depression. I didn't like it but eventually I accepte... View more

There is something inherent in anxiety that makes you want to fight it. To refuse acceptance. That's what anxiety is - it makes you want to fight, often yourself. I have been quite accepting of my depression. I didn't like it but eventually I accepted it's presence. I admitted it to myself. But not my anxiety. I have never really accepted that I have an anxiety disorder. Any yet in the end it probably affects me equally if not more. I am no longer depressed but I am still anxious. I still occasionally have panic attacks. Maybe its because I can't accept the problem (even though I know it and can write it, deep down I can relate to it). Does anyone else find anxiety harder to accept than depression?

Everyotherday Agoraphobia about going into the shops
  • replies: 3

Hi Everyone, I’m new to the forumJ . I have anxiety and agoraphobia. I feel extremely anxious when we (myself and my partner) need to go do the weekly grocery shopping. I could never imagine doing the grocery shopping alone. I would really like to ha... View more

Hi Everyone, I’m new to the forumJ . I have anxiety and agoraphobia. I feel extremely anxious when we (myself and my partner) need to go do the weekly grocery shopping. I could never imagine doing the grocery shopping alone. I would really like to have that independence and not having to rely on him so much to do everything for me that involves talking to strangers on the phone or going to a shop. I feel that at 25 I am less of a person because I get so anxious about these things that others (who don't have anxiety) do without a second thought. Once I've been to a place about 5 times I feel more relaxed but I feel so overwhelmed walking into a shop for the first time. I buy all my clothes online or when my partner is with me at the clothing shop. The last time I went into a shop alone was for christmas presents - something I really needed to do without my partner but the entire time I was so nervous and couldn't wait to get out of the shop - afterwards I felt dizzy and weak. If there really is something I really need from the shop I will go into the shop on my own and buy it - but it's that dreading feeling I feel when in the shop. I feel very alone and was just wondering if anyone else felt like this. I don't think my partner understands at all how anxious I get.

Mystery_Belle Seeking help
  • replies: 4

Hi guys, Thanks in advance for lending your ear. I currently am in a little bit of a spiral. I havent been officially diagnosed with anxiety but have been told for the past 7 years to seek help. I have been coping really well by refocusing my stresse... View more

Hi guys, Thanks in advance for lending your ear. I currently am in a little bit of a spiral. I havent been officially diagnosed with anxiety but have been told for the past 7 years to seek help. I have been coping really well by refocusing my stresses and frustrations with exercise over time. But since i have injured myself back in january, and unable to push myself, my little quirks and struggles are starting to rear their nasty little heads. The reason I have been so reluctant to seek help is because I struggle to find a sympathetic doctor who doesn't just brush it all off to stress and i should sleep more. I know that i need more sleep, i know all this, what i need is help and i dont' need to be brushed off, because it makes me feel even worse. Does anyone have any tips, tricks of doctor recommendations in the Brisbane area? I've looked at the directory and can't seem to find someone who i feel comfortable calling. Thanks guys again.