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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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Kathy V Meditation or therapy ?
  • replies: 3

Hi there I came to Australia in 2015 because of my Australian partner. I am experiencing depression anxiety and severe anxiety since I was 11. Tried some medication but had lots of issues. I love my partner He is a good man but I am not giving him a ... View more

Hi there I came to Australia in 2015 because of my Australian partner. I am experiencing depression anxiety and severe anxiety since I was 11. Tried some medication but had lots of issues. I love my partner He is a good man but I am not giving him a good life, He sees me always angry depressed, suicidal, miserable. I found hard living in regional Australia as I was used to a busy city life in Europe. I noticed I am getting worse, I experience deep depression in winter, I can't finish anything I start like courses because I can't keep any focus on what I am doing. All my thoughts are going to situation in the past or worries, I worry about my family and past all day long, I can't find peace. Also I am feeling like I am wasting my life and my partner's time, he is a good person and doesn't deserve my swing moods and depression.He is 67 and still working hard and running his small business, I wish he could have a much better partner than me ..I am living in a sense of permanent guilt as a family member passed away without any assistance from Me and my family. I was in Australia and we left this family member alone dealing with her physical and mental illness.Not sure how to turn my life into something nice anymore .... I love Australia but my worries and my thoughts are going to my country and I am not able to enjoy life .

Edie07 I'm not sure what I'm feeling
  • replies: 4

So, mental health disorders are always something my family has struggled to be open about. Reading through everything I realise now that the heaviness, sadness, stress and anxiousness might be symptoms of anxiety. I'm a perfectionist, I push myself i... View more

So, mental health disorders are always something my family has struggled to be open about. Reading through everything I realise now that the heaviness, sadness, stress and anxiousness might be symptoms of anxiety. I'm a perfectionist, I push myself in music and sport and school and work and I know how to look after my body, but I don't know any coping strategies for my mind. My parents are incredibly unresponsive when I talk about how the sadness I've been feeling seems overwhelming and continuous, "everyone feels this way but you'll be fine tomorrow", "can we talk about this later when you're not upset". I've been feeling awful for weeks and nobody realises because I try so hard to not feel these emotions. I don't feel loved, I don't like my friends, I feel so, so alone. And things that used to excite me like parties and guys I don't have the energy or the want to keep up with. I guess my question is how do I keep from spiralling, and how can I introduce coping strategies to get past what I'm feeling. Asking anyone in a similar position or who's been through this and is okay. I don't want to be sad and I feel guilty and ashamed for feeling overwhelmed, I don't know where all the pressure is coming from and I don't know how to carry it.

Fryifler What Am I Feeling?
  • replies: 5

Let me preface this by saying I am in a happy, healthy marriage of 3 years and also have 2 children who are as happy as can be.Last year in November I developed an issue with intrusive thoughts, I'd attempt to avoid thinking them but they'd keep on c... View more

Let me preface this by saying I am in a happy, healthy marriage of 3 years and also have 2 children who are as happy as can be.Last year in November I developed an issue with intrusive thoughts, I'd attempt to avoid thinking them but they'd keep on coming. They were sexual in nature however, I made sure to tell my wife about them and once we had both understood the situation it simmered down. Everything was fine until at work this new girl started, I felt something one day that almost felt like a crush (didn't realise how common it was for even married people to develop them) and unfortunately even with that emotion I kept hanging out with her. I understand now that is emotional cheating and I regret my decision every day.When I told my wife that I was still walking with, talking to and hanging out with this girl she was rightly very hurt and upset. However, since that day I have noticed my emotions haven't been right. Constant anxiety about being guilty, anxiety attacks are a near daily occurrence, overthinking everything, more intrusive thoughts and such. One thing that has happened as of recent is feeling similar feelings to that of a crush on random people. It happens to people of all age, size, sex and ethnicity. I am very concerned as I know I don't have feelings for these people as some I have never met in my life and some I have known for years. What could be causing this and what would this even be? I keep feeling guilty for feeling these things even though they mean nothing. Please help me as I am so very lost with what I am even feeling. Thank you so much.

Lindy77 I’m struggling and scared
  • replies: 5

Hi allmy panic disorder seems to be getting worse it’s becoming constant all through out the day. My doctor is trying to help me and has started me on a beta blocker it takes the edge off for a little while but then it comes back. It’s becoming debil... View more

Hi allmy panic disorder seems to be getting worse it’s becoming constant all through out the day. My doctor is trying to help me and has started me on a beta blocker it takes the edge off for a little while but then it comes back. It’s becoming debilitating and it feels like I’m having a heart attack. I feel like I’m not breathing in enough and I’m constantly taking deep breaths in to get that feeling I’m getting oxygen in my lungs. I’m constantly checking the ECG and blood oxygen level and heart rate on my Apple Watch… I don’t know what’s happening to me I’m scared.

dean_TSO Outsider
  • replies: 4

Hi maybe some background to wear I’m at I’m 58 unemployed married wife is on a disability pension because of a severe spinal deformation. I’m reliant on the unemployment benefit to support myself. I’ve lived with depression and social anxiety as long... View more

Hi maybe some background to wear I’m at I’m 58 unemployed married wife is on a disability pension because of a severe spinal deformation. I’m reliant on the unemployment benefit to support myself. I’ve lived with depression and social anxiety as long as I can remember first suicidal attempt grade 7 drug overdose 2 weeks in hospital. I managed to avoid antidepressants until my early fifties. I’m currently taking a low dose. My problem is that I’m sick of fighting my demons just to participate in society I would prefer to isolate myself as much as possible and try and live my life in peace and quit but how can I do that if I still reliant on the outside world for my income etc.

Awhina24 Constant nightmares and sense of dread
  • replies: 5

Hi all I'm having a really tough time at the moment For the last couple of weeks I've been having nightmares almost all night, waking up drenched in sweat and shaking. The nightmares are mainly focused around war starting, nuclear bombs dropping or t... View more

Hi all I'm having a really tough time at the moment For the last couple of weeks I've been having nightmares almost all night, waking up drenched in sweat and shaking. The nightmares are mainly focused around war starting, nuclear bombs dropping or the world basically ending in various ways. The sense of dread stays with me throughout the day, I'm really struggling to hold myself together and break down in tears a lot. I've stopped reading the news (reading one article about nuclear war seemed to trigger this) but all day I just feel like I'm waiting for it to happen. I'm terrified for my son's future and extremely scared that if bombs don't destroy the world then climate change will. I spend hours trying to calm myself down, I've talked to a therapist through telehealth who mainly focused on me being homesick (I'm a Kiwi living in Aus with no family here) and gave me some breathing exercises. It helped a little to talk but now a few days later I'm a nervous wreck again. It's really effected my life and ability to function, last week my husband had to do basically everything at home and take time off work as I was a shaking mess. My doctor has suggested trying meds, I took one and it knocked me out for the whole day, having a 3 year old to look after means I cannot risk being so out of it and I cannot take any time of work to try get through the initial side effects. I really don't know what to do at this point. I'm so scared that humanity is going to destroy itself and I can't stop these horrible thoughts and nightmares.

Slippers anticipatory anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone, I hope you are well.In the past four months the RBA has increased the interest rate 4 times. While I am working I am starting to struggle making ends meet. I am stressed about what happens if or when I cannot afford my mortgage, eat and ... View more

Hi everyone, I hope you are well.In the past four months the RBA has increased the interest rate 4 times. While I am working I am starting to struggle making ends meet. I am stressed about what happens if or when I cannot afford my mortgage, eat and save some money. The indications are that the Reserve Bank with put up interest rates again next month, I am not looking for to a possible increase and a letter that my mortgage has gone up again. I am new to mortgages, I don’t know what my potential options are.I am thankful that I am able to sleep okay at night, I find weekends hard as I have free time to ruminate possible scenarios, I try and get as much sleep on the weekends simply because I am tired and two I can forget my troubles for a few hours. I have family, but it seems every time we speak I have to initiate the conversation, and I am getting sick of it. They demand I call them. Any advice or guide you can share would be good. I am okay for the moment but I look at the future and worry, they call it anticipatory anxiety

reverend Anxiety
  • replies: 2

I suffer from anxiety obsessive compulsive disorder I always feel a need to cough so o cough my lungs out every second of the day 24/7 and it’s very tiring physically I feel like I’m gonna die I realy need help

I suffer from anxiety obsessive compulsive disorder I always feel a need to cough so o cough my lungs out every second of the day 24/7 and it’s very tiring physically I feel like I’m gonna die I realy need help

Bailey98_ Tips on learning to deal with anxiety on a daily basis
  • replies: 5

Hello everyone. I just wanted to come on here, and to get peoples advice & opinion. I have bad anxiety. And I'm still learning ways & trying to change my overall thinking and how I look at things & to not stress over the littlest things. One time it ... View more

Hello everyone. I just wanted to come on here, and to get peoples advice & opinion. I have bad anxiety. And I'm still learning ways & trying to change my overall thinking and how I look at things & to not stress over the littlest things. One time it was so bad that I didn't sleep for nearly a week. But I went and seek professional help. And I'm glad I did. Steps on working on myself and taming care of my mental health. But I'm on night time tablets. I take that every night. But I don't know, it's like when it comes to bed - time, my body is tired but my mind is still overthinking. When it comes to bed time I turn white noise music, trying to teach myself good healthy ways for bed-time. And I switched my caffeine, I don't drink caffeine no more. I only drink camoile tea & caffeine free tea. Can someone gives me tips please. To somehow give my mind a break when it comes to bed time.

Wild_Westerner Quit a job I was doing well at due to anxiety. Anyone else?
  • replies: 12

Hi everyone, first time really sharing my mental health struggles here. So I've struggled with anxiety since childhood, specifically social and general anxiety plus depression as well. Over the years I've seen a number of counsellors, psychologists a... View more

Hi everyone, first time really sharing my mental health struggles here. So I've struggled with anxiety since childhood, specifically social and general anxiety plus depression as well. Over the years I've seen a number of counsellors, psychologists and psychiastrists for my condition and made progress even though it has been uneven. Unfortunately upon graduating uni and starting full time work I've struggled a lot. My first full time role was in sales which was awful. I hated picking up the phone to make sales and did not perform well. It caused a relapse of my anxiety for the first time in years. In any case I handed in my resignation and was allowed to leave without notice. I was depressed for a few months but got on antidepressants which helped me get back up again. I convinced myself that I only relapsed because the job was the 'wrong fit' and proceeded to focus more on looking for jobs related to my degree in marketing. I eventually I got a job at a marketing agency and was doing really well, I still had anxiety but it was manageable. I was at a decent company and the work load and environment was chill so I never felt like overwhelmed. I was so confident that I stopped seeing my psychologist and taking my medication. I then moved to another agency into a more client facing role, I had my anxieties but was doing well initially. This was until the workload and number of clients given to me was too much to handle and I began to doubt my abilities... I was hesitant to bring this up with my manager due to mental health stigma even though they would have been understanding. I started to worry again as all my symptoms were coming back to the point where I could hardly concentrate on work tasks. This time I knew I was screwed as I was doing well in the job but my anxiety still came back. It was so bad I had to quit with little notice. It's been more than a month since that, I've gotten a lot better but the thought of working again is terrifying as I don't want to be overwhelmed and relapse again. I'm now back on medication and seeing a new psychologist. Anyone else have a similar experience? Would love to hear your situation and how you handled it