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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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Lillybell How do I deal with rapid thoughts?
  • replies: 4

Just wondering if others on here deal with a brain that doesn't stop. No I'm not a genius! I'm talking about thoughts that don't cease. I haven't experienced anything like what has been occurring lately. My internal, stream of consciousness talk is n... View more

Just wondering if others on here deal with a brain that doesn't stop. No I'm not a genius! I'm talking about thoughts that don't cease. I haven't experienced anything like what has been occurring lately. My internal, stream of consciousness talk is non stop. It goes with me everywhere. Just a rapid procession of thoughts about everything. I'm just wanting there to be an ad break! So I can go and get a cuppa! I joke, but experiencing it isn't that funny, especially when you realise that the checkout operator has asked you the same question over and over and has that exasperated look, that says, 'Earth to Mars'! I've been studying, I've been having some heavy online conversations and I'm trying to do all the practical things that need doing. But I think I've gone into system overload. How do I stop the machine gun rapid thoughts that are crowding my head? Anyone experienced something similar?

Jeanette01 Social anxiety disorder
  • replies: 8

I have not been diagnosed but I'm betting this is one of my problems. I am scared to go see someone as I hate sharing my problems but I know it will help. Can anyone who has social anxiety disorder please help me?

I have not been diagnosed but I'm betting this is one of my problems. I am scared to go see someone as I hate sharing my problems but I know it will help. Can anyone who has social anxiety disorder please help me?

Lex Had panic disorder for 15 years
  • replies: 4

I am new to this online forum, I have had Panic Disorder for over 15 years so I thought I could help some other people out who are just going through similar things.

I am new to this online forum, I have had Panic Disorder for over 15 years so I thought I could help some other people out who are just going through similar things.

GramsGirl Health Anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hello everyone,My name is Stephanie and I am a 51 year old female living in South Australia. I have major depression, OCD and health anxiety which is related to the OCD. I am wondering if there are any others out there that have the health anxiety? I... View more

Hello everyone,My name is Stephanie and I am a 51 year old female living in South Australia. I have major depression, OCD and health anxiety which is related to the OCD. I am wondering if there are any others out there that have the health anxiety? I have just started a new medication and the going is pretty slow. I was on another antidepressant for seven years and that worked very well until recently when I started to deteriorate again. I find the health anxiety pretty hard to deal with at times.I have had OCD off and on since childhood but the health anxiety was triggered, I think, by my mother passing away from Cancer when I was a young teen. I am just looking to connect with others who have or have had health anxiety. Any advice on coping techniques would be most appreciated. Thank you

ytown I don't have the correct symptoms, but could it still be anxiety?
  • replies: 2

I don't have the sweaty palms, racing heart, etc, but I think that it's probably because I avoid any and all situations that will cause me any sort of anxiety. I have been a stay-at-home mum for 17 years and love my life, but occasionally I think I s... View more

I don't have the sweaty palms, racing heart, etc, but I think that it's probably because I avoid any and all situations that will cause me any sort of anxiety. I have been a stay-at-home mum for 17 years and love my life, but occasionally I think I should probably get a job outside of the home. The problem is that I just can't. I have even gone so far as to sign up for courses, but I can't make myself get there. I have all of these coping things in place. For example: have to do things in a certain way by a certain time, and when I treat myself to a day out shopping, I start to get panicky if I'm not home by a certain time. Actually it's the same with anything I do outside of the home. Whether it's going for coffee with friends, helping at school, whatever, i have to be home by a certain time (the time varies depending on the day) I don't sleep terribly well. By this I mean that I sleep heavily for about 5 hours but then I start to worry that I should get up...now! I suffer terribly from mouth ulcers whenever I am stressing. I also find myself grinding my teeth constantly day and night I don't feel I can talk to my husband or friends because I feel stupid. I'm a very strong person. I absolutely do not ask for help. Isuppose what I really need is some advice about vitamins or over the counter medication that any one can suggest

Amali Worrying about what everyone else thinks
  • replies: 3

I have recently started dating my ex boyfriend and things are going well between us, obviously it will take some time to build trust and get back what we had but I find I start doubting myself when i'm around my friends who witnessed how upset and de... View more

I have recently started dating my ex boyfriend and things are going well between us, obviously it will take some time to build trust and get back what we had but I find I start doubting myself when i'm around my friends who witnessed how upset and depressed I was due to how my ex treated me when we broke up. I off loaded a lot to my friends about what happened in my relationship and now I somewhat regret telling them all the bad stuff because now I feel like they will always hold that against my boyfriend and never be happy for me because they think he will hurt me again. He has really turned his life around and is very sorry for what he did. I know I over think everything! and I have to do what's best for me. I am much happier with my partner back in my life, I just wish everything could go back to how they were. I see a future with my boyfriend, and I'd like to think that people will be happy for me, not thinking "I can't believe she went back to that douche bag" Thinking about what happened in the past does make me anxious but I also want to move on with my life. I know I don't need to prove to everyone that I'm making the right decision but I just wish there was a way for them to see that he does make me happy. I feel like my friends are waiting for him to "stuff up" again and know I don't even bring him up in conversation because I know their thoughts on him. If anyone has any advice on this it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks TD

Sam_ I think I might actually have anxiety..
  • replies: 4

About 2 years ago I had to see a psychiatrist as part of a job interview and I was told that I have anxiety. I didn't really know what it was at the time but now I'm starting to think that I really do have anxiety. From year 2 in primary school to ye... View more

About 2 years ago I had to see a psychiatrist as part of a job interview and I was told that I have anxiety. I didn't really know what it was at the time but now I'm starting to think that I really do have anxiety. From year 2 in primary school to year 10 in high school, I was bullied most days and it was mainly only verbal insults and things like that but when I was in year 8 it started to get physical and the school didn't do anything even though teachers had seen some form of bullying towards me (they wouldn't say what had been seen). This strongly impacted on my confidence and self-esteem and I'm still affected by it today. During these years of bullying I had a few panic attacks which would happen only at night, either before I went to sleep or I would wake up having the attack. I don’t recall having a panic attack for a few years now. I get very nervous when doing things that I haven't done before i.e. yesterday I was pulled over by police, breath tested and he gave me some extra P plates because mine had broken off. During this my hands were shaking, my heart was racing and I was talking really fast even though I knew I had done nothing wrong. Which leads to my next problem. This year I have had two "mental" breakdowns, one at the end of January which lasted an hour or two and the other last night which wasn't as bad I don't think. I don't know what caused the first one but last night I figured it was because I've been on a massive high and the police thing shook me up a bit and I came crashing down. During these breakdowns I would tell myself that I'm not going anywhere in life, I can't achieve anything and that I'm useless and of course I begin to believe myself. I've only really spoken to one of my very good friends about it and that was last night. She has convinced me to see a psychiatrist about it but because I can't really afford it, so writing this is really my first step. Does anyone else have these problems? How do you cope with them? I think I also show some signs of depression as well? Any feedback would be great. I am intending on seeing a psychiatrist when I can afford to.

Happy_Girl1 I just can't get it together, & it's getting worse.
  • replies: 1

I hate anxiety. I really do. I feel like a shell of a person and no matter where I turn, it comes back to bite me. I'm FINALLY about to start therapy.. & I really hope it helps! ive had ODC since I was 8.. I thought it went away but I've recently rea... View more

I hate anxiety. I really do. I feel like a shell of a person and no matter where I turn, it comes back to bite me. I'm FINALLY about to start therapy.. & I really hope it helps! ive had ODC since I was 8.. I thought it went away but I've recently realised I've just replaced the compulsions with others. i was first diagnosed with depression at 18.. And it's never gone away for long. now I'm 27, married with children, and have realised I have server social anxiety too.. That I don't remember having as a child, but now I can only talk to people one-one-one (family included) when I talk to a group of people (2 or more) I lose my train of thought, get anxious & distracted. Just last night my husband had a friend over & the kids were playing in the lounge room & I just couldn't handle it, I removed myself to scrub the tiles in the bathroom 'because it really needed doing'. I've given myself a 4 hour lunch break today (I'm a small business owner) because I just had to get out of there. I'm starting to wonder if I will ever have a normal life! I have a wonderful husband, & beautiful kids, a great paying job, a beautiful house, I have NOTJING to feel so depressed and anxious about! At night I lie in bed and think about all the horrible things life has thrown me & I wonder if I will every be happy & truely appreciate my life! My eldest is 4 this year & keeps asking to invite her preschool friends over to play, which I would LOVE, I love kids. But that would mean I'd have to introduce myself to their parents, call them and possibly have them over to and I just can't bring myself to do it. I don't want my condition effecting my kids like this. I just want to be a better person. Well. There is my introduction. I'm hoping to talk to other people & maybe get some moral support from others who know what it's like to live with anxiety.

Sara7 Question about anxiety symptoms/signs
  • replies: 3

Hi there, I have a question about the symptoms and signs of anxiety. I have a feeling that I may have some sort of anxiety that is effecting my work. But I look at the symptoms and they don't really match... I don't get the racing heart, tightening o... View more

Hi there, I have a question about the symptoms and signs of anxiety. I have a feeling that I may have some sort of anxiety that is effecting my work. But I look at the symptoms and they don't really match... I don't get the racing heart, tightening of chest, hot/cold flushes etc. Unless I have to stand up in front of people and do a presentation, or introduce myself. Which I know many people experience! However, I don't feel this way generally, although there are a lot of other things that I worry about doing (especially at work) such as taking phone calls if I'm not 100% sure of the information I am imparting or speaking to customers in front of my colleagues. I seem to have a blank mind when it comes to trying to communicate. I can't recall things and even if I can, I struggle with my wording. Then I feel useless, embarrassed and ridiculous. I spent a whole 2 days at a training course contributing nothing to discussion, other than a few suggestions here and there in our group activities. But there was no way I could confidently present our findings. I haven't always been this way, but it's seemed to have gotten steadily worse for me in adulthood and now I'm in a job where it's imperative to have great communication skills and contribute. And I'd like to. In team meetings I barely say anything. If we have a group discussion about something and I do speak up, I feel that I'm being cut off. It's bizarre actually because I could always chime in after getting disrupted but I lose the confidence. I'm pretty sure that my mind is exaggerating these feelings. I get along really well with my work mates, I'm pretty easy-going at work and am always finding something to laugh about. Work is actually a very nice environment, but that sinking feeling is always close by. I avoid doing certain tasks at work because I'm worried that I'll stuff it up. I put it off until I'm alone or I absolutely cannot procrastinate any longer. I'm surprised no one has picked up on this or at least no one has mentioned anything. I want to be good at my job and it really frustrates me that I do this. Unfortunately, I've been doing it for as long as I started at this job - about a year and I haven't really seen much improvement in myself. Apparently I'm really good at avoidance. I do have snowballing worries - I am always over thinking. I'm starting to also over think in social situations. I do have moments of restlessness - I pace sometimes when I'm alone with these thoughts. I'm becoming irritable with things that wouldn't normally irritate me. It's come close to the point where I could call in sick and I feel like doing so, but I just force myself to go in. Usually it's ok. Nothing bad happens. No one outs me as a fraud. But I'm waiting for it. Even these feelings seem ridiculous because I have this great opportunity to really do something I love doing. I'm so, so lucky to have this job. I'm worried that one day I'll give it away for no good reason except for this confidence issue. I've stuck my head in the sand for so long and now it seems to have all come to a head. Now I'm angry at myself for letting it get this far. I'm not sure if this is even anxiety or just a general self-esteem issue that needs ironing out? Would very much appreciate any input or suggestions. Thank you.

Chinch Seeking support with anxiety
  • replies: 8

Hi Everyone i'm new to this and am seeking some support with anxiety. I've had panic attacks before when I was in my early 20s and am scared they're coming back.... My Mum was diagnosed with cancer in December and is undergoing treatment. It's put a ... View more

Hi Everyone i'm new to this and am seeking some support with anxiety. I've had panic attacks before when I was in my early 20s and am scared they're coming back.... My Mum was diagnosed with cancer in December and is undergoing treatment. It's put a lot of stress on me as you can imagine and i'm starting to have anxiety symptoms: heart racing, in my head a lot, crying a lot, irritable and drinking to escape. Of course I hide this from Mum which is easier now i live in another city with my partner. We travel to see her every second weekend and this is putting a strain on my relationship with my partner as well. He didn't react well at the beginning but now is being supportive and encouraging. We all have masks we show our boss, our parents, our friends etc but the truth is the person you're intimate with sees it all. I feel guilty of depending on him too much as we all have our own daily problems and i'm probably just burdening him with more. I know i've gone in head-first with this introduction and am seeking some others to discuss with tips or suggestions. My work life is going well and have a supportive manager and colleague, although somedays i really don't want to go to work and need a break from "life" to hide at home. I'm normally like that - usually I'm bubbly and embrace life and plans travels and outings with gusto. Also doesn't help that I'm in a new city (here almost 2 and half years) and my normal support network is in the city I grew up in. My partner and I are also struggling with settling and making friends outside of work. anyway - thanks to whoever read this and just a "Hi" back would be nice, Chinch

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