I need help with anxiety. It seems to have gotten a lot worse very fast.

[Baileigh]

I am 17 now but I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember. Only recently though, have I realised that all those feelings were actually anxiety. I also suffer from hypochondria so I tend to blow things out of proportion and so I am not really sure if by doing that I am making my anxiety worse. In this past year I have felt that my anxiety has gotten a lot worse, and that I have developed a sort of mild depression. I mean that it is there, however the thing that gets to me the most is my anxiety. 

I can remember a few years ago going to friend’s houses and going to the movies and parties and now I can hardly leave the house. I have always been prone to getting homesick when sleeping at friend’s houses, however now I can’t even go over there just for the day. I get extremely overwhelmed at parties and now have completely stopped going. I went to one around this time last year. I was very anxious to go but because it was for one of my best friend’s birthdays I went. While I was there I just broke down crying and had to go home. I now find it hard to leave the house for anything other than school and work, though during this year I look off a lot of days because I couldn’t bring myself to go. 

 I have, what seems like an endless list of symptoms, physical, mental and emotional and I find it hard most of the time to deal with them. I know mental illness doesn’t make you less of a person, but sometimes, when my anxiety is at a high peak it can be hard to believe. 

 The worsening of my symptoms is extremely affecting my social life. I spend a lot of time in my room, I can’t have friends over, if people are over at my house, (people other than my family) I feel very overwhelmed and I feel like I am suffocating. I can’t talk to teachers at school and so I am not doing as well as I can at school and this is worrying me a lot as I am in year 12 next year and I want to do well. 

 In addition to my anxiety making me feel crap about myself it is worsened because my friends don’t really understand that I can’t help the feelings I have, and so when I have a panic attack and have to cancel plans at the last minute they get upset which makes me feel worse about myself. 

 I am on anti-depressants now and have been on them for about 5-6 months, though I don’t know if they are working that well. I want to try and overcome my anxiety, especially my social anxiety because it is the one that is affecting me the most, though I find it hard to because 95% of my anxiety and panic attacks have totally know cause and so it is hard to try and calm  myself down. I have mum there to help me, and it is good because she knows how hard it can be as she suffers from anxiety and depression herself, however I find it very hard to talk to her sometimes. 

 I am starting counselling at school next year though I am extremely nervous to do this because I can’t talk to people. 

 What I really want to know is if there is anyone who knows and good tricks or things for me to do in order to calm down my nerves, especially when there is absolutely no reason for my panic attacks.

Thank you,

Baileigh.

[MichaelB]

hi Baileigh

I wish i had more useful information to help you but im not sure that im a good person to take advice from as i still struggle with severe mental illness myself.

a few tips though that may help

1- be sure to see your doc every few months to make sure the medication you are on and the amount you are taking is right for you.

2- If you feel a panic attack coming on ( yes i know they hit hard but you get used to when they are coming ) go for a short walk ( even if its just around your backyard and while you do so think about what your plans are for the day/week to take your mind in a different direction. Either that or do some pushups, situps etc, i find it helps a little to take your mind off thigns. Or a shower is good too as it relaxes you.

I'm like you, my panic attacks are about nothing at all and thats what makes it hard, it makes you withdraw from everything in fear of panic attacks happening in bad places. 

I hope some of this info helps you

Mick

[Kathx0o]

Hi Baileigh I used to suffer mild anxiety while I was at school too, although I didnt know it was anxiety at the time. I know that exercise is very powerful, especially if you push yourself. Because it puts you out of your comfort zone, so you start to feel more relaxed and the edorphins make you feel good. I am now addicted to exercise because of this.

Good health and foods that clear your mind of toxins like raw fruits and vegetables and exercise works.

So don't be discouraged. There is always a way, i know saying this i still suffer from mild anxiety myself but mines more worrying about the future. I really just wanted to post this because i know it has helped me and hope it will help you too.  Also i've experienced that the only way of overcoming your fears is facing them.  God bless you 

[Chris_B]

Hi Baileigh,

If you haven't already, check out the beyondblue booklet 'A Guide To What Works For Anxiety' at this link here: http://bit.ly/IuSeK1

It lists a wide ranges of treatments from medical, psychological, and complementary/lifestyle.  It also looks at the evidence available for how effective each type of treatment has been shown to be and gives each a rating.  

Hope this helps.

[Mbuna]

Baileigh,

I was the same as you. I had my anxiety as a teenager and did not know what it was. I am 42 now so back then there was not a lot of information about the illness. I found that as I got older, I became more confident and was able to cope better. You are lucky in the fact that you have at least identified the problem early in your life. It does not make it any easier to deal with but at least there is some support for you.

I agree with all of Michael's comments. Exercise is very helpful. I find that when I sit alone I worry more. The key is to keep your mind and body active. The exercise helps. I find walking and swimming helps. I also recently took up boxercise. Most of my class are girls. 

Medication does not work for everyone and if you can do it without the medication, then it is a lot better. Counseling is something I did not have until much later in life and I wish I had access to it much earlier.

I have read your post and you write very well. You explain your situation very clearly and you seem to have a good understanding of your illness. If you put the illness to one side it appears from your post that you are quite a bright young girl. It seems that you may be developing a phobia of social situations. The trouble with anxiety is that we worry way too much about things that are not even worth worrying about.

I am sure you worry about going to friends places and then worry about how you are going to react when you get there. In essence you worry about worrying. A counselor should be able to help you with some mental techniques to help you approach difficult situations such as this. What we have is a mental condition and it normally requires a mental approach. The key is not to give up hope. You have a mum who understands your illness and you are getting help at an early age. This is a treatable condition and although you may not think so at the moment, you are in fact one of the lucky ones. A lot of people are not diagnosed till later in life. Keep you chin up because there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[scorch]

Hi Baileigh, I'm sorry you're going through all this.  While my story isn't the same as yours, I have similar feelings of anxiety. Let me share something that works for me.

One thing that I do when I start to panic/get overwhelmed in a social situation is focus on a single object in the room with me (or at the park, yard or wherever I am.)  It doesn't matter what it is, I look at it and focus only on it.  I look at the object as if I'm memorizing what it looks like, I drink in the colour, size, texture and shape.  Is it making a sound?  Is it moving or still? 

It sounds weird, but it takes my mind off my panic and channels the energy and confusion into something else, something solid.  If I manage to catch it early enough, I might avoid my panic attack entirely, if not it at least diverts the anxiety long enough so that I can find a place that feels safe and I can calm down.

It might not work for everyone, but it does for me.  I hope it might work for you too.  xox