Anxiety ruining my life

[blue101]

Hey guys,

 I suffer from anxiety and depression. Im not sure what to say so ill just get straight into it. I have been battling these issues for approximately a year now. As soon as I wake up I have negative thoughts in my head about the day. Every time i try something new or do something that I fear i feel extremely sick in my stomach and cannot control my bowels. I first experienced this feeling a few years ago when I was 15. Due to my soccer coach before every training session I was so nervous I made myself sick and I couldn't talk so now i feel the same way in certain situations which puts me under a large amount of stress. I cannot control my thoughts and I am constantly telling myself negatives about situations that aren't even considered major problems. On somedays I feel hopeless and when I speak to others about they say its no big deal and to just get over it which I find extremely difficult. I am an fortunate person and I have everything I need in my life at the moment. I used to be confident but now others can just push me around and I do not respond because i fear the consequences of me getting in trouble. I find it difficult to make decisions by my self because I always think about the outcome and overthink everything. I just want to be a normal teenager and do teenager things without fearing the consequences and enjoy myself.

Any advice will be much appreciated.

[Chicken_Wings]

Hey Blue,

If you're seeing a GP, it might be a good idea to talk to them about your options in terms of medication. You don't have to take anything if you don't want, but it would be a good idea to have the discussion.

Are you able to talk to your parents? How are they at helping you?

I can tell you that you are not alone in how you feel. So many people on here can tell you they feel the same things. Anxiety makes you feel sick in your stomach sometimes and thats where the negative thoughts come from.
One good thing to do is lean some exercises to do first thing in the morning. I'm at my worst in the morning as well and what I try and do is get up out of bed, go and sit on the couch and do some breathing exercises. It helps to redirect your thoughts away from the bad things you're thinking about and also helps you relax.

Don't forget that fear is normal. Everyone experiences it to some degree. Sometimes that fear is good because it keeps you safe. When it's not good is when it stops you going to the beach, or the movies or a friends house.

One thing I wish I hadn't made a habit of in my life is avoiding things. When you are scared and you completely avoid what you are scared of, your mind learns that running away makes the fear subside. Then its only scarier the next time.
The times when I have planned for and faced my fear, it hasn't been nearly as scary as I thought it would be and over time I've been able to do more and more things.

If there is something you want to do, make a plan. Decide what time you will do it, learn how to help yourself redirect your thoughts, decide on when you will come home again. When we have a plan things are much less scary. Then next time, you wont need such a strict plan because you've done it before.

[blue101]

Thank you very much! very valuable information 

[PatT]

Hi Blue,

Anxiety and depression suck but they're even harder to manage when you're a teen. I can empathise - my emotional state went pretty downhill from the age of 12-13 onwards. The best thing you can do though is to come up with strategies to address the problem now, rather than letting it get too far out of hand as you get older. I definitely waited too long and it blew up in my face (drugs and rehab). Have you considered speaking to a GP about it? They could recommend a good therapist and put you on a mental health plan which gives you cheap sessions with a psychologist. 

Psychologists are incredibly helpful - they help you identify you fears, work through them with you and gain greater insight into why you actually fear certain things. They teach you ways to squash your fears and reclaim confidence. Don't feel ashamed in admitting you need help. Reaching out is so much braver than sitting idly by and suffering all the negatives. Also try not to avoid social situations or you risk developing a pattern of avoidance and this makes isolation seem like a good idea, which it rarely is. Sure, time to yourself is great in moderation but we're social creatures and we need social interaction to feel good about ourselves. And keep up the exercise.

All the best, Pat.