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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.

charlottemay04 I Need Help With Health Anxiety
  • replies: 0

13.11.20249:43pm I need help with health anxiety. I have been struggling with health anxiety for about 7-8 years since I was 11 I am now 18. I have a fear of being sick or feeling sick more like. I have a fear of throwing up and it is majorly impacti... View more

13.11.20249:43pm I need help with health anxiety. I have been struggling with health anxiety for about 7-8 years since I was 11 I am now 18. I have a fear of being sick or feeling sick more like. I have a fear of throwing up and it is majorly impacting my daily, everyday routine and my whole life at this point! I am reaching out on this platform to try and get some advice or some instructions to how to reach out for help. I am embarrassed, I have major panic attacks, lose lots of weight and I am constantly anxious. I have been to a therapist before she moved to a different department. I went to Headspace, I only had one session, so I didn't even get to unpack much. I haven't told anyone the real reason why I have panic attacks. Because I have found it a really embarrassing reason. I want to know how to get CBT (Cognitive Behavorial Training), I need some advice (any advice is helpful), on how to reach out for help. I have done a lot of research, and the internet tells me to book an appointment with my local GP and they can refer me to a therapist. Looking forward to hearing from someone soon!Thank you, stay safe, take care!Charlimay04

mchops Struggling to cope in a high pressure work environment
  • replies: 2

Hi guys, Has anyone here worked in a high stress environment, particularly in an office environment? I kindly ask of your advice on my experience at my new job which has been giving me stress and anxiety. Some key issues: I was not provided any hando... View more

Hi guys, Has anyone here worked in a high stress environment, particularly in an office environment? I kindly ask of your advice on my experience at my new job which has been giving me stress and anxiety. Some key issues: I was not provided any handover notes from my predecessor and am still figuring out the job, but I face multiple projects and feel like I’m sinking and constantly stressed from the pressure and high expectations right off the bat.My director is a huge micromanager and nothing is ever good enough even tho I try my best. Numerous nit picking every day, including how I organise my desk. I do accept that my work isn’t up to scratch yet as I’m still learning about what he likes. But review rounds/approvals for my work happen in 50 pieces rather than organised sessions, which I’ve spoken up about. He is very strict. Incredibly difficult to please him. This is experienced by different departments too, including getting criticised multiple times a day for things not in our control.Context: this is a small 20 person company. I only have myself and an assistant from Phillipines who isn’t that skilled and constantly have to spell out tasks to her and check for mistakes. I have had tl resort to use freelancers in my next project to produce high quality work. This company has a 1 year turn over and I’m starting to see why. Also we are always being watched through security cameras. Got in trouble today for venting to my coworker because I was so stressed out.Health impacts: I’ve been here a month and I’ve been getting IBS during weeks of peak stress, losing sleep from stress, and am angry or anxious most days. I’m under so much pressure from high expectations and lack of available resources (starting from scratch) but not given time to deal with these start up issues. I’ve never worked at a place that has an issue with everything. Feels like 10 new problems every day. My next steps: I plan to give this place a chance until end of 2024 (so end of my probation) but I cannot continue after this if things don’t change bc I feel my mental health deteriorating. Everything feels like my fault and expectations are that of a multi million dollar company so how can I ever reach that. I’m only human and basically a one man band.Thank you for reading this, sorry for long message.

aivilo45 losing my soul dog
  • replies: 3

Hi all, In march of this year, I lost my soul dog. He was my absolute world and everyday since I feel a piece of me is missing. Home does not feel like home anymore, I just feel so empty inside without him. I went through really bad depression from 2... View more

Hi all, In march of this year, I lost my soul dog. He was my absolute world and everyday since I feel a piece of me is missing. Home does not feel like home anymore, I just feel so empty inside without him. I went through really bad depression from 2016-2020 and he was my absolute everything. He just knew I was not okay and was just there for me. At the start of this year I was diagnosed with many chronic health issues and before and after the hospital, he did not leave my side. I miss going on walks with him, I miss cuddling him on the couch, I miss having him sleep by my side, I miss my best friend. I have tried talking to my parents about another dog, as I believe it would help not only me but also the three of us, as over the last few years we have experienced many losses, and I just think it would be ice to have some extra company in the house, as well as a new best friend. They don't seem to keen on the idea as they want to travel a lot more, but I would like to have one so as when they do travel I have some company at home. Life this year has just felt..... sad. I just feel like a lot in my life has fallen apart this year. Especially since my boy passed. My psych agrees another dog would be good for me, but I just can't talk to my parents about it. They keep asking me whats wrong and why im flat but i cant be bothered saying its because I feel empty since losing my boy and would like another to bring some light into my life and fill that empty void.

Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with depression.

Guest_33224827 Giving up
  • replies: 2

My life was doomed to fail. So many bad decisions. Poor guidance. No direction. Nothing seems to quell this pain. I’m lost and confused. Feeble and self sabotaging. I feel like I can’t do anything by myself even when I can. I’m so useless. I feel lik... View more

My life was doomed to fail. So many bad decisions. Poor guidance. No direction. Nothing seems to quell this pain. I’m lost and confused. Feeble and self sabotaging. I feel like I can’t do anything by myself even when I can. I’m so useless. I feel like I’ve been failed by everyone in my life but in reality I did this all to myself. That’s why it hurts so bad, because I know it’s my fault. I didn’t try hard enough. I didn’t try much at all because I didn’t have to. Then when I did try some things I ultimately ended up quitting for stupid reasons, excuses I gave myself to feel better about being a failure. It doesn’t work though. I still dwell on every single failure, beating myself up for it constantly. My entire life has been nothing but failure and giving up. The slightest adversity makes me quit. Of course this has made my life much harder than it has to be. Not that it is actually that hard mind you, I’m incredibly privileged in many ways. Yet I still hate life and love wallowing in self pity all the time. It’s what I’m doing right now. But having failed so much doesn’t help your image. Having missed out on so much only makes it that much harder to try again. The boat I missed just keeps sailing further and further away and it’s getting harder to keep swimming. The only thing I live for is daydreaming and the internet. Screens have been my main coping mechanism in life, and it has equally destroyed my life. Even now, I’m on my phone. I spend everyday on my phone, it’s practically glued to my hand. Or I’m playing video games. It’s either a phone screen, computer screen, or game console screen that I’m focused on. Every day on repeat. So much time was wasted away like this, so much time I could have been doing something to better my future, work towards a goal, be a productive member of society. But I didn’t, and I won’t. I never even considered my future. I never really wanted to do anything else but waste time. And I still don’t. I don’t feel any motivation or drive to fix anything even though I’m so depressed. The best years of my life are gone and I didn’t even enjoy them while I was there. I’m a defeatist. Nothing is ever good enough. I can never be satisfied with myself or my abilities. I’m embarrassed of myself. I hate myself. I don’t like talking about myself or saying what I like out of shame. I’m not really sure what I even like anymore. I don’t talk to anyone, not even my own family if I can help it. I am ashamed to be in their presence. I am nothing but a burden to them. I know my negativity and constant low moods brings everyone around me down but I can’t help it. I just can’t pretend and fake a good mood like everyone else can. So I try to stay hidden and out of the way as best I can. That’s all there is to say really. TLDR; I’ve given up, I always give up. I barely even tried. I never put in any effort and quit in a heartbeat. I gave up years ago. And I’m so close to just throwing in the towel entirely. I’m basically screaming into the void here as a last resort no matter how fruitless. Because no advice is going to fix the fact that I have no discipline or self control. Truly the only person who can help me is myself, but I know I’m incapable of that and I’m never going to change. Because it’s too hard and I’m weak. Maybe I’m just looking for someone who can relate to this feeling of self hatred. But I guess when you’re at rock bottom the only way is up.

ABC01 Feel like I am not an Adult
  • replies: 3

Dear All, I am dealing with grief at the moment and it has made me face mortality and what that actually means. I am still working through that,but one thing has become crystal clear. I have always felt like I have been stuck at 16. Things happened a... View more

Dear All, I am dealing with grief at the moment and it has made me face mortality and what that actually means. I am still working through that,but one thing has become crystal clear. I have always felt like I have been stuck at 16. Things happened as a teenager and I wasn’t able to be your run of the mill teenager. As an adult I have faced many mental health challenges due to this. Mainly not feeling like an adequate “adult”. I have not been able to leave home, partly due to being a carer and partly because I couldn’t afford it. I can’t hold down a job due to my illness and never found a partner in life.I feel like a burden to my family who provide the roof over my head. But they are getting on in years and I know I can’t keep pushing these thoughts and realities aside as I have been able to do in the past. Or hoping they will just resolve themselves with time. They haven’t. The years do go by too fast. I am lost. I don’t know how to be an independent adult. I don’t have learned experience. I am scared that the time will come and I still won’t be ready to be an independent person. I don’t want to be a burden on any other member of my family. And when the times comes, I can’t stay where I live. It isn’t mine to keep. It makes me feel sick to my stomach with fear. I need help or direction. I don’t want to have to keep confronting these issues. I don’t know how people “do”, being a responsible adult. Especially in today’s world where things are alot more limited than when I younger.Thank you for listening.ABC01

Esc Frozen in fear
  • replies: 1

Hello all. I’ve no doubts that I suffer from depression and anxiety. My biggest hurdle, is that I make headways at bettering myself, only to regress backwards into a frozen fearful world. At present, realisation has made me painfully aware, how littl... View more

Hello all. I’ve no doubts that I suffer from depression and anxiety. My biggest hurdle, is that I make headways at bettering myself, only to regress backwards into a frozen fearful world. At present, realisation has made me painfully aware, how little friends I have. My inept ability hinders me in making new friends, or how I don’t follow through to keep them. My self loathe and hatred, blinds me into believing that I am not worthy and inferior as I don’t work, when others do. I feel judged or scorned because I am not experiencing the struggles most others endure. I volunteer and study, but can’t shake the feeling of worthlessness. My family has grown and I am often overlooked. Discarded, only spoken to when they need something from me. I have no connections or resources to help them in today’s social and economic climate. I am useless, of no consequence or of value to others. I try so hard to move forwards in the positive, but I let myself down with a “why bother, I’d still be alone and lonely”. My hatred and self loathing is tangible and my self esteem can only be judged by how others never contact me. I am a worthless individual whose only redeeming feature, is that I am always there for others. How can I possibly find solace in knowing what a complete and utter failure I am. Loneliness is cruel and I am completely incapable of moving forward and making friends. Yes, I’ve tried counselling etc., only to find very little joy in life. So tired of being tired and isolated.

PTSD and trauma

A space for discussing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), domestic abuse, sexual abuse and other trauma. Please note some content may be distressing.

Patches63 PTSD Therapies
  • replies: 1

EMDR …. CBT. Has anyone gone through therapy for PTSD / Separation Anxiety with either of these? Seeking any thoughts, knowledge, experiences with either plus, if possible, and positives or negatives for either. My therapist keeps talking about me st... View more

EMDR …. CBT. Has anyone gone through therapy for PTSD / Separation Anxiety with either of these? Seeking any thoughts, knowledge, experiences with either plus, if possible, and positives or negatives for either. My therapist keeps talking about me starting EMDR due to years of trauma initiating with suicide of an uncle when I was 9year old. Don’t know if I want to do EMDR. Having someone in my personal space I find leaves my feel nervous and on edge some times. Wanting to talk to my therapist at next session about me being involved and having a say as to type of therapy I feel I want to try. During last few months therapist has mentioned her high success rate when using EMDR. She has explained about EMDR but not about CBT or other therapies she is trained in

Catie 08 Why do we need to label it?
  • replies: 2

I experienced abuse as a kid over many years and never spoke about it until I was in my 30's. Living most of my life without labels, it makes me cringe now when I hear people use the reference victim survivor. For me, it is unhelpful. How I feel can ... View more

I experienced abuse as a kid over many years and never spoke about it until I was in my 30's. Living most of my life without labels, it makes me cringe now when I hear people use the reference victim survivor. For me, it is unhelpful. How I feel can change from day to day. Sometimes I feel like a victim and other days I feel like a survivor but I find it more helpful to say that I experienced what I did. For me, it leaves room for me to grow, evolve and try and live my life the best I can. If I am told I'm a victim or survivor of something then that label sticks. And sure, we may well be a victim or a survivor of our past but I feel that it is so much harder to find ways to look towards a fresh chapter of life when we aren't given the chance to take our experiences with us, no matter how hurific the pain and how traumatic the experience, without the chance to choose for ourselves how we want to be seen. I don't hear of others feeling this way, and perhaps that's because the use of these labels in the media are so widely used and accepted, but I wondered what others who are being labelled feel about this?

ABC01 Lived experience:How to feel enjoyable in activities again?
  • replies: 11

Dear all, I don’t feel anything is enjoyable anymore. For example,if I play a game on the computer and then I am feeling, say uncomfortable,sad or anxious. The next time I see the game or try to play it, the same feelings I had at that time are attac... View more

Dear all, I don’t feel anything is enjoyable anymore. For example,if I play a game on the computer and then I am feeling, say uncomfortable,sad or anxious. The next time I see the game or try to play it, the same feelings I had at that time are attached to that particular activity. And I avoid it, to avoid feeling that same way again. All of the things I do are to distract myself from what I am feeling or trying not to think of ect. Does anyone have learned experience of how to make activities not like this or enjoyable again? I have avoided so many things because of these attached feelings. And I need to live my daily life again. Any advice would be much appreciated.Thank you,ABC01

Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

This space discusses suicide and self-harm. Consider limiting the time you spend here. To use the section safely, read the pinned discussion.

whimsymoonwitch I am heartbroken, angry, conflicted.
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone (im ok)TW self harm/abortion rights/family issues/estrangement I am currently struggling with some urges that I havent had for years, not since I was suicidal years ago.In the light of recent political events and my own personal medical c... View more

Hi everyone (im ok)TW self harm/abortion rights/family issues/estrangement I am currently struggling with some urges that I havent had for years, not since I was suicidal years ago.In the light of recent political events and my own personal medical circumstances, the topic of abortion being healthcare came up at family dinner. Basically, I dont ever want children. I would be an awful parent I am not healed enough mentally, prepared physically or financially and am sure I would not want to bring a child into the world we live in today. I stated that for my own mental health and the sake of preserving my own life, I would not keep a pregnancy if I fell pregnant.I go to every length to prevent pregnancy and am extremely responsible with sex and contraception, but my parents, especially my mother, would see me as a murderer for choosing this for myself and my body. It breaks my heart that my mothers love is conditional to this.If it happened, I would have to keep it a secret and go through the traumatic process alone, or be honest with her and risk becoming disowned/estranged. I am conflicted with my feelings because she is a loving and caring mum in every other way, I wouldnt be here without her support in every other aspect of life and she has saved me many times, but when your confidence in unconditional love from your mum has been shaken for something like this, it is extremely conflicting and devestating. I am angry that she thinks this way, I am guilty that I feel this anger, because shes so supportive and loving in every other way, and I am so incredibly heartbroken. These feelings are so strong I feel pain in my heart, my urges to self harm are back to use as an outlet.I want to be self destructive to ease this pain and anger. I know I have options in my mental toolbelt to de-escelate these urges and feelings.Ive been in therapy for 6 years im not asking for advice on how to talk myself down, I wont act on these urges, but they are back which makes me realise how strongly I feel about this hurt. I guess I just wanted to vent and see if anyone else is going through similar. It feels stupid to feel this extremely on a hypothetical. But you never know when that hypothetical becomes a reality and knowing that I wouldnt have the love or support, so much so that it risks estrangement, it just crushes you. I never thought there was anything I could do that would make her not love me. I never even considered that I could lose my mum in this way.

user_12345 I’m so tired
  • replies: 1

I’m just so tired. For a long time I’ve been feeling like I have this dark cloud over me and all I see and feel it’s low. To give an insight it’s like all I see is a world in black and white while everyone sees rainbows. My boyfriend of 5 years doesn... View more

I’m just so tired. For a long time I’ve been feeling like I have this dark cloud over me and all I see and feel it’s low. To give an insight it’s like all I see is a world in black and white while everyone sees rainbows. My boyfriend of 5 years doesn’t see me hurting, miserable as and broken. I try to let him in and express how I feel but he just shuts me down, tells me to go see someone and that’s it. Yet with everyone else he’s there listening to them, being a shoulder etc. His dad passed away just recently and I’ve been there for him, he pushes me away but wants everyone else to be his shoulder. His mum blamed everything on me with him doing drugs, not going to work etc. When he was drunk and saying he doesn’t want tobe here she blamed me. She said when I feel “fed up” I’m doing it for attention. I need some help as I just can’t keep going like this and feeling so down. I’m tired of putting on a happy face now

Guest_98524522 Not special
  • replies: 1

It's a pretty common story, nothing special about me and everyone I have ever come in contact with feels the same way. Childhood wasn't great but certainly could have been worse but I've never had a kind or encouraging word from anyone my whole life ... View more

It's a pretty common story, nothing special about me and everyone I have ever come in contact with feels the same way. Childhood wasn't great but certainly could have been worse but I've never had a kind or encouraging word from anyone my whole life so wouldn't have a clue what a compliment feels like. Blah so dramatic yuck!! I'm 43 now and cannot stand myself physically or mentally and the worse thing is that I know I don't have it as bad as some so suck it up princess, right, but it's not that simple, it would be better for people in my world if I 'went away' certainly would be better for me but there are some people who would be 'disadvantaged' so I stick around, you know. This sucks, I wish just one person could look me in the eye and tell I was worth something, wasn't ugly wasn't fat, had intelligence....you know as part of my work I give guidance and encouragement to others and I see the smiles on their faces, I know how important is especially when you've never had it