Do I need help? New to anxiety

[Gords315]

Hello, I just joined the beyondblue community 10 mins ago and I'm seeking advise after I had what I think was an anxiety/panic attack today.

I was shopping with my boyfriend and all of a sudden when I was waiting in line to pay for my shopping I went really hot, dizzy and my head felt pressured, it was like I was zoning out. I had to take my jacket off and tried to control my briefing. My boyfriend noticed and asked if I was ok, my eyes watering. I said no I don't feel right. I tried to pull myself together but in the next shop I was texting my friend about what I just experienced then it was happening again and I started to panic, I was shaking and cried quietly so non of the other customers could see. My boyfriend urged for us to leave and go home. As he was driving I burst into tears, I was trembling, hiding away from him. I kept thinking I bet he thinks I'm mental, he pulled over and hugged me, asked why I was crying and I couldn't explain. I said I didn't know. It was like this while feeling of dread was hanging over me. I cried more because I was scaring my self thinking there is something wrong with me. I just wanted to lock myself in my room so no one could see me.

I have been very worried about a lot recently. Money being a huge factor. I'm on a working holiday visa so my future is uncertain and feel like it has unsettled me, I am my late 20's and feel I should have some sort of base. I worry about ridiculous things like needing to find the right partner because I want kids in the next 5/6 years. I worry that I'm not good enough in work and that my boss thinks I'm stupid, I just moved career paths and also to a different type of company, where I'm trying to learn new things. I worry about my looks. I've avoided friends I've met here. I've found everything a struggle lately and then I tell myself I am being ungrateful because I'm living the dream near the beach and I shouldn't be like this. But I can't help it.

When today happened, I thought there might be something wrong and took action to seek advice.

is there something wrong with me? And do I need help? Id like to think I can handle it and move past the worry but if I'm honest to myself I don't know if I can.

Thank you in advance to anyone who reaches out

[Unbeliever]

First I'll address the obvious.

If you came to this forum looking for "help", then it is likely that you need some help.

From now on, try to trust your instincts. It's your subconscious trying to help you.

From what you wrote it appears that you are currently under a great deal of stress and worry. This certainly could have led to some kind of anxiety attack.

However, despite this. It also could be something like high or low blood pressure or something else. So, before we start jumping to any conclusions I would definitely recommend that you go to see a doctor, explain what happened a get a basic checkup to make sure that nothing else is going on.

If the doc gives you the all clear physically, then it is definitely worth looking into possible anxiety issues and ways to deal with them.

Whatever it is though, there is nothing "wrong" with you (as in, you are not a weirdo or anything). But it is obvious that you do not feel like you are in a safe and comfortable place in your life at the moment. And I can tell you, you and about 51% of the population on Earth feels that way these days... that is about as "normal" as you can get.

As for the other things you wrote about...

A new job, surrounded by new people, learning to do new things you have no past experience in... that is kind of meant to be stressful. Interestingly, that is actually how the brain learns quickly.

When you are doing something that you have done so often that you could do it blindfolded, the brain goes into "automatic". This is even true for experienced surgeons doing complicated procedures. But when doing something new, the brain has to be constantly switched on and fully conscious at all times. This feels stressful but in reality it is your brain cramming all the information it can each second. It is mentally draining, like having you laptop on full energy settings with the brightness turned all the way up.

But as you learn more and the things to learn become less and less each day, the brain's "automatic" gets activated more frequently giving your brain breaks... which translates consciously into you feeling more relaxed. This is your inevitably your future.

In general you seem overwhelmed by many things all at once. So as weird as it sounds, try to focus your attention on the most important and urgent "stresses" and leave the others until you have those sorted out.

Prioritise them and try to deal with each in order of necessity. Dealing with 1 at a times is easier than all at once.