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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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Skittles92 Adhd Diagnosis
  • replies: 1

Hi all, I've been in therapy for a bit but lately my depression has gotten alot worse. They have mentioned that it's caused by my untreated adhd but I haven't the first clue on where to start with getting diagnosed. Can anyone help me out? View more

Hi all, I've been in therapy for a bit but lately my depression has gotten alot worse. They have mentioned that it's caused by my untreated adhd but I haven't the first clue on where to start with getting diagnosed. Can anyone help me out?

TunnelVision Motivation strategies
  • replies: 3

Hello All. I've been an occasional visitor here over the past few years and thought I'd check in with you all on what you are doing to build your motivation again when you are on the path to recovery from anxiety. I recently started taking medication... View more

Hello All. I've been an occasional visitor here over the past few years and thought I'd check in with you all on what you are doing to build your motivation again when you are on the path to recovery from anxiety. I recently started taking medication to help deal as it had become a major problem and in the past year or so had spiralled down to the point I have lost all interest in doing anything much outside of the day to day. However I have other physical health issues I need to deal with and am struggling to keep motivated to do that. I know I am able to get stuff done. I work full time, have 3 kids and take care of a whole house by myself. But I need to start making my health a priority in there somewhere and I really struggle with keeping that going. I am still in the settling in phase of taking the meds and I know that once I've reached a more 'even' state I will be able start addressing other issues a bit better, but I guess my fear is that any motivation I'm able to build will just dwindle like it always does. So I'm looking for some strategies that will help me with that and would love to hear what works for you.

MHY Severe anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hey members I am new I am wanting to know some tips and tricks with out medication for dealing with severe anxiety I have a two year old and a 5 month old I am at home with they are amazing kids But during the day and evenings I am getting a tight th... View more

Hey members I am new I am wanting to know some tips and tricks with out medication for dealing with severe anxiety I have a two year old and a 5 month old I am at home with they are amazing kids But during the day and evenings I am getting a tight throat, chest pain, feel like my lungs/chest are heavy ,body is lethargic all the time I am getting face tingles and feel like there is so much pressure in my forehead it’s going to explode sometimes what has anyone done about this if they have suffered it ?

James2018 Feeling light headed & woozy could this be due to TIGHT NECK MUSCLES?
  • replies: 12

I have recently gone through a lot of tests for other symptoms but these tests were numerous and all over body tests. Recently following an osteopath visit I am extremely dizzy/light headed/woozy and at the same time and am experiencing very tight ne... View more

I have recently gone through a lot of tests for other symptoms but these tests were numerous and all over body tests. Recently following an osteopath visit I am extremely dizzy/light headed/woozy and at the same time and am experiencing very tight neck muscles not painful) and shoulders. Can tight neck muscles cause light headed/wooziness?

kippytalk I’m okay with my Trichotillomania
  • replies: 2

I have severe anxiety/stress challenges while also living with bi-polar disorder and Trichotillomania. My Trichotillomania started with plucking my eyebrows then eyelashes - and only over plucked one of my eyebrows and thankfully stopped my plucking ... View more

I have severe anxiety/stress challenges while also living with bi-polar disorder and Trichotillomania. My Trichotillomania started with plucking my eyebrows then eyelashes - and only over plucked one of my eyebrows and thankfully stopped my plucking my eyelashes soon after beginning. But now I’ve turned to a ‘safer’ option of plucking a patch of hair on my leg. I find this area safer as theres less room for error, people wont notice it, and i can shave my legs and any strange leg hair patterns go with it. I’m aware that this is not a good habit, and the logical part of my brain tells me not to do it. But the sense of relief I get from doing it does seem helpful, and it provides somewhat a level of comfort and anxiety relief that allows me to go back to what i was doing. But I have at times been consumed for hours by this which doesn’t feel good. Part of me thinks ‘This isn’t so bad of a habit.’ because of the ‘reward’ ie sense of relief… but the other part of me knows this could potentially get worse or spiral out of control. I need some good advice based on experience and facts that will help me before its possibly too late. Will this get worse or am I feeding my addiction ‘safely’?

BrumBrum Health Anxiety Sucks!
  • replies: 3

I've been pretty level headed, but since my son was born a lot of my self-care time disappeared, combined with my professional life getting very busy, I've been finding stress beginning to add up in a way it never had before. 2022 took this up a whol... View more

I've been pretty level headed, but since my son was born a lot of my self-care time disappeared, combined with my professional life getting very busy, I've been finding stress beginning to add up in a way it never had before. 2022 took this up a whole other notch, I started with gallbladder removal, then mid year I went blind in one eye thanks to optic neuritis, which is perhaps the most stressful experience of my life. After all that I ended up having my appendix out in October. Long story short all the ingredients were there, but having a doctor tell me last week my vision loss was permanent. No recovery, plus not knowing why it even happened in the first place, and doctors thinking it's likely to re-occur, and potentially in both eyes... it just hit me really hard. Since Christmas Eve I have been experiencing panic attacks for the first time in my life. Up to several times a day. I've booked my GP ASAP but I'm just finding it really difficult. I KNOW my brain is doing excessive fight or flight, but it's incredibly difficult to try and calm myself or distract myself when the reminder of my anxiety is right there every second that I open my eyes. I think I'm at the point now where medication is likely to do a world of good because I am finding it challenging to function at work and for my family I am just constantly tired and irritable. I fall asleep and stay asleep OK, but wake up feeling like I haven't slept at all. I just can't believe how quickly this degenerated from being pretty manageable, to bowling me over. Logically I know it's not the end of the world. Logically I know so many people have such bigger problems and my life is pretty good overall. Logically I know I have one good eye and otherwise healthy and lots to appreciate in life, but my stupid brain just won't let me relax. Even when I'm not fixating on my eye, I find myself anticipating the next health crisis or bad thing that's going to happen. Even just reading back what I wrote, I feel like I am whining. After 12 months of endless health problems, setbacks and stress... I just want to feel normal again. I wish I'd known that 2021 was the last time I'd ever be "me" again. I suppose I should end with a question;Tips for tackling anxiety triggered by what is right in front of your eyes in every waking moment?

Jodielianne Rolling waves of anxiety
  • replies: 2

I’ve had a chronic health condition which caused pain since 2019. I have seen some one specialist but each day it’s a complex issue so I have no real diagnosis Judy a lot of pain. This sort of pain set of panic attacks in me. They don’t go away I whi... View more

I’ve had a chronic health condition which caused pain since 2019. I have seen some one specialist but each day it’s a complex issue so I have no real diagnosis Judy a lot of pain. This sort of pain set of panic attacks in me. They don’t go away I white knuckle life until I resort to anti anxiety meds. Doing physiotherapy. Practicing DARE, in line to see a psychiatrist. Then the anxiety drops and im left with a depression in actually hurts. I know the anxiety is caused by chronic anxiety pain. Apparently if you suffer chronic pain for longer than three months it changes the way your mind thinks . Anyway no meaning to this story just my life changing s horrible.!

River_15 No longer friends but still hurt and angry
  • replies: 1

Two of my close friends got into a fight a couple of months ago and the one that got angry about the particular situation vented to me about it and bought up everything from the past that the other friend supposedly did to wrong her. She refused to t... View more

Two of my close friends got into a fight a couple of months ago and the one that got angry about the particular situation vented to me about it and bought up everything from the past that the other friend supposedly did to wrong her. She refused to talk to the other party or even tell the other party why she was angry even though the other party tried multiple times to reach out and apologise. Because of this I became wary of that friend. I felt like I couldn't trust her character if she can't even be an adult and instead played childish games like ignoring the other girl and walking away when she would try to talk to her. I felt like it was a matter of time before something I did would also anger her and she would decided not to talk to me anymore. We all do competitive sports and in a recent meeting, someone was being treated very unfairly. After the meeting the club president called and was investigating. I was honest about the situation and how I was not comfortable with someone getting yelled at and treated so badly. My friend tried not to answer because I think she felt that person deserved what was happening to her. I suspect (although I'll never know) that she might have thought I thew her and everyone else in that meeting under the bus. Ever since that day 2 weeks ago, she just stopped messaging me and when I messaged her, she'd just give curt one word replies. When i see her in person she just walks right past me. Although I am hurt, I realised that she's not the kind of person I want in my life. So I am relieved that we are no longer friends but I can't help but also feel so angry that she wouldn't even find out my side of the story before deciding not to talk to me and side with the people at the meeting. People who are not as much of a friend to her as I was! And I can't help but to resent that I have done so much for her as a friend and over one situation she decides to no longer talk to me. I'm also feeling so awkward because I pretty much still have to see her every weekend at club events. I feel self conscious like I have done something wrong! When I haven't and I don't know why. I still want to go to the club events and I refuse forgo something I love and enjoy just because she's going to be there. But I can't help but feel a bit of anxiety every time think I might see her again. Is this something that I will just overcome with time?

Jaybird77 Professional help
  • replies: 6

I don’t know where else to seek help from so I have come here. After many years of living in my own hell inside my own head I finally went to my gp to seek help to see a psychiatrist. He gave me a referral and wrote down what he thinks is wrong with ... View more

I don’t know where else to seek help from so I have come here. After many years of living in my own hell inside my own head I finally went to my gp to seek help to see a psychiatrist. He gave me a referral and wrote down what he thinks is wrong with me. But when I started looking into finding one I never in my life realised it’s not so easy to get one. I need to have one that will do only video calls or phone calls as I don’t leave the house and have agoraphobia. How on earth do people afford to get help with the cost of these psychiatrists? I may not be able to get help now and that was my last hope of staying on this earth. $250 to $300 for a hour is not the kind of money I have. So I may have to for go seeking help and I know I’m getting to the point of no return been on this earth and ide rather just leave. I have Medicare but even with that it’s still more then i can afford. I am at such a loss now and feel so alone in this and am starting to feel there is no other way out but to just leave . How do people on very low incomes afford to get help to keep them living ?

Servent Gut health ruined due to stress
  • replies: 3

My stress and anxiety causes a lot of digestive problems and discomfort.The worst part is I am getting sharp crampy pains around my stomach and bowels.It's like a gas trap...I do a lot of burps trying to relax but still sometimes get these disturbing... View more

My stress and anxiety causes a lot of digestive problems and discomfort.The worst part is I am getting sharp crampy pains around my stomach and bowels.It's like a gas trap...I do a lot of burps trying to relax but still sometimes get these disturbing intense pains.