Does this count?

[Boo]

Hi, so I do not have a diagnosis but I think this might be the most fitting forum to talk about this in. 
I get pretty worried about inconsequential things most days and can’t really remember the last time I genuinely didn’t worry about a yogi g for more than a couple hours. 
I’m doing okay now, but frequently feel like I can’t breathe enough. It’s kinda hard to describe, as I don’t have any health issues regarding my breathing. 
As for the small worries, that’s stuff like feeling worried about missing a bus hours before it departs, or that a friend hates me if they don’t text back quickly. There’s plenty of other examples of course. 
My stress has been increasing, and I’ve been having more physical signs of this too. On the one hand, I can’t hold still, constantly need to fidget and frequently try self-soothing behavior without noticing. So I’ll absentmindedly stroke my arm with my hand over and over, make hushing noises or force myself to do breathing exercises. 
On the other hand, the physical signs also show themselves in acne outbreaks, increased hair loss, and frequent headaches that won’t go away. 
I've experienced all this before and know it’ll get a little better if I keep focusing on living healthily and just try to get through the bad moments. 
I really don’t know whether this counts as anxiety, but hope to get a professional test done within this year. 

[indigo22]

Hello,

Welcome and thank you for reaching out to us.

We are not able to make any diagnosis as we are not professionals, just volunteers who are in various stages of recovery from our own mental health issues.

Having said that, I do feel some of your symptoms may point to stress at the very least, possibly anxiety, and l always feel it is worth the peace of mind to have these things checked out. It is no different to a physical illness, you go to your GP and describe your symptoms to the best of your ability so they can make an informed diagnosis. You don't need to go to any one else at this point in time unless your GP feels it is warranted.

It is always better to know one way or the other with any illness so it can be treated as necessary.

I hope this helps,

indigo

[blondguy]

Hey Guest and welcome to the forums! You are strong by having the courage to post!  Kudos to you!

I understand your situation and it can be awful to experience for sure.

 If our symptoms begin to have a detrimental effect on our ability to function effectively on a daily basis then its time to see our GP. 

Any questions are always welcome! There are many gentle people that can be here for you too 🙂 

my kind thoughts

Paul

[sbella02]

Hey there, thank you so much for reaching out. I'm sorry to hear that you've been feeling like this, sometimes our thoughts can be really overwhelming. 

Regardless of having a diagnosis, a struggle is a struggle, and those feelings and moments of stress can still affect us. There are things that we can do to ease our minds when these arise. Firstly, it may be good to get a professional test done as you've said, or even just to hear some professional advice about how to start feeling better.

Square breathing can help if you're feeling overwhelmed - breathing in for four seconds, holding for four, exhaling for four, holding for four. Repeating this until you feel more relaxed can help. This is more useful for those moments where you start to feel stressed. If your breathing is the cause of your stress however, it may help instead to focus on five things you can see, four things you hear, three things you can feel/touch, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This is a grounding exercise that can really help you feel more present and in tune with what's going on around you and within you.

Getting into little self-care habits can also be helpful. Running a bath every now and then, journalling, face masks or having a skincare routine - these kinds of activities can ultimately help you destress from day-to-day.

I hope this helps, and I encourage you to keep chatting with us if you'd like, we're here for you.

Take care, SB