Anxiety??

j_dawg · ‎05-06-2015

Hi 🙂 I'm new here

So it's exam time at the moment and I've been feeling pretty stressed out. I'm that competitive person who wants to be good at everything. Anyway, I've been getting stomach aches, nausea, loss of appetite, headaches and sleeplessness for these few weeks. Is that a symptom of anxiety? Before the exams, but heart races, I'm sweating and feeling faint, too. Is there anything I can do, or anything that you can recommend to help stop these feelings? I'm not sure if it's just me, but it doesn't seem too serious to go to a doctor, compared to some other people's problems here.

Kitty_Kat · ‎06-06-2015

Hello, welcome to Beyond Blue!

It's understandable to be stressed at exam time, so don't feel alone! I can't exactly tell you if you suffer from anxiety but it sure sounds like you are having a stage of it, which everyone does in their life.

There are many ways to help you focus and stay calm. Maybe to start of the day you could try meditation or some relaxation exercises to keep yourself calm and focused during the day and your exams. I did this when I was having a bad stressful time and now I do meditation everyday and it really helps. It may sound silly, but it's worth it.

When it comes to feeling faint there is this a chocolate milk powder, like Milo, called Sustagen. I don't know what it is, but there is a chemical in it that helps you feel more awake and not like your going to faint. All you do is the same as Nesquick, put it in milk and you're good to go!

I hope you try these and they help you. Good luck with your exams and come back to these chat rooms if you need anymore help.

Love Kitty xxx

Lori · ‎07-07-2015

Hi j.dawg,

Welcome to Beyondblue forums and well done for reaching out 🙂

Exam time it's definitely a stressful and daunting time, what your experiencing is completely normal in this time of study but if you find it keeps getting worse and your worried could definitely be anxiety.

As much as you want to dominate in the exams you are putting alot of pressure on yourself to succeed, by putting pressure on yourself it will lead to these types of experiences and even anxiety.

Don't be too harsh on yourself, be proud of who you are and what you achieve stay positive and push through these nerve racking experiences. You can do this!

Good luck with your exams 🙂

-Lori

BKYTH · ‎07-07-2015

If I wanted to be good at everything I think that I would be really stressed out. What you describe is in no way less important than that posted by others. Times of anxiety are a normal part of life but we can create much of it ourselves if we set our sights only on achieving certain outcomes without attending to what is required of us to do to achieve those outcomes. As Kitty Kat mentioned relaxation tapes and meditation can be very useful. Since life, by its very nature, involves stress and anxiety it is very important to develop methods of dealing with these issues. It is far more important on focusing on being the best that we can be in a stressful situation (in this case exams) than concerning oneself with the outcome. We cannot force the outcome to be as we would wish it to be but we can do what needs to be done to be at our best in dealing with what confronts us. Do the work. Prepare well so you have a firm foundation of confidence - Don't strive to be the best but rather to be your best - If you feel stressed examine your thoughts because that is where it originates and take time to relax. Philip.

PatT · ‎08-07-2015

Hi j-dawg,

Yep sounds like anxiety to me. I just finished exams myself and I'd say I went through every one of the things you were feeling in that period. One thing to remember in times like that is that it is always going to be a temporary thing. Heaps of people experience a peak in their anxiety around exam times and it's important to spend time doing things for yourself as well as time studying.

For me this usually entails keeping in contact with friends, getting out of the house, physical exercise, getting a bit of sun everyday (even though it's bloody cold) and meditation. I'm the same as you - to me grades are extremely important. But through trial and error over the years I've realised that I do my best when I'm feeling my best. In the past I've isolated, spent all my time studying and ended up feeling like a worried slug stuck inside my own house. It's highly counterproductive.

If it doesn't pass with the end of exams I'd recommend speaking to a GP and getting a referral to speak to a counsellor/psych. They'll be able to help you manage your anxiety both during and outside of your studies. And don't worry about your problems not seeming that important - it's all relative. Some people just naturally deal better with anxiety, others like you and me have a much more difficult time.

Hope you're starting to feel better,

all the best,

Pat.

morgs29 · ‎08-07-2015

Hi J.Dawg,

Welcome to the community and well done for reaching out! It's not always an easy thing to do. It sounds like you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety due to your exams, but in terms of diagnosing you with anxiety more broadly, that is something you can speak about with your local GP.

Exams is a really stressful time for everyone and we all have different ways of managing it. What helps you when you feel this way? For me, it was taking a walk in the fresh air and helping me clear my thoughts a bit. You also say you are highly competitive, and I think that would also impact on your feelings of anxiety as you probably put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform very highly.

Try not to compare what you are experiencing to others as well. We all have issues we are dealing with and they are all important. Keep us updated on how you are going.

Best of luck to you with the rest of your exams. Remember, just do your best and don't forget to celebrate what a big achievement it is to have come this far.

Take care,

Narniakid · ‎08-07-2015

Hi j.dawg and welcome to BB! Well done on reaching out!

First of all, pressuring yourself to do well at EVERYTHING is going to cause anxiety, because, as human beings, there's always going to be things we aren't as good at as others. It's just the way it is - we physically cannot be good at everything. Don't stress yourself out over it. I'm sure you are a very good student with above average grades, and you should be very proud of how far you've come so far, because so many students won't even get to your position.

Have you been getting enough sleep and a proper diet? I'm sure it sounds silly to ask, but so many students focus on studying and cramming information, and they forget that in order to function at their best, they need to maintain their body. Don't forgot to eat well and get at least eight hours sleep every night.

Ask your school councillor or year advisor about applying for some special provisions. I'm pretty sure you'll need a medical certificate, but the provisions include extra time to complete exams, and you'll be allowed to take breaks if you start feeling nervous or anxious. Also, you'll be seated separately from the other students, which helps with the calming the nerves as well.

Definitely work on your breathing techniques - breathe in for 10 seconds, breathe out for 10 seconds, and repeat that a few times.

Have a look at the resources for anxiety here on the website.

Don't stress about trying to get the perfect score! Exam results aren't everything - I failed my HSC and I'm now attending a radio college and studying to work in radio - everything worked out!

Chin up and good luck!

Crystal

Sandyrah · ‎10-07-2015

Hi there. It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about stress. It is the body's normal physiological reaction to outside events. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your career and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you're actually in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all about taking charge: of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems. Your thoughts are more powerful than you think. What you think - you become. So when you are cramming for an exam or spending long days or nights writing an assignment... just think that you are doing the best you can. I try to break my study periods up. Sometimes I do an essay or studying for an exam in 15 minute blocks. Then after 15 minutes of concentrating on the current task at hand, I get up, walk around, or get a cup of tea or do something to relax for the next 15 minutes. It helps clear the mind and puts less of a burden on you come exam time. It is good to also have a study planner or diary where you allocate time to study or do assessments. That way if you set aside a designated amount of time each day or night to do a little bit of study, it saves you the overwhelming task and anxiety of cramming for exams or doing an assignment at the last minute - which can definitely trigger physiological reactions such as the ones you have described. Mindfulness is great when it comes to de-stressing, because it means focusing on the present moment. On your immediate surroundings, and what you are doing/focusing on at the current moment. Good luck with your studies, I am sure you are going to do great !

smoothdog · ‎10-07-2015

Hey fellow "dog-related username" poster! 🙂

Welcome to BB and good job for reaching out. I hope you find the answer you seek.

In my mind, competitiveness is a good thing. But sometimes it can take over our lives (especially during exam period) and we forget about taking care of ourselves. Many of the previous posters have already made some excellent suggestions about how one can restore the balance, which I personally engage with on a daily basis. If you're up for it, I would highly recommend looking into mindfulness - what it means and how it can help stressed people such as ourselves. Once I started mindfulness practices, I felt like I had greater control over my emotions and channelled them to my benefit.

Also given the symptoms you have been feeling, I'd say seeing your local GP is a great idea! GPs are an excellent port of call for your health woes, no matter how small we think they may be.

Good luck j.dawg and let a fellow dog know how you go! 🙂

SeanM92 · ‎11-07-2015

Hello there,

Welcome to the Forum,

Its great to have drive and a competitive streak but we also need to learn when to calm it down because the stress it causes can be a real killer. It may even sometimes stop you from being able to do your best.

Remember, when your getting stomach aches and nausea just to breath and try and relax.
I use to suffer from massive anxiety attacks in school, just because i wasnt the brightest kid in a school curriculum kinda way. One day i just couldnt take it anymore, i hated that i had to feel that way about exams and what not so i simply said to myself "im not here to impress anyone, ill do what i can do if thats not enough then tough luck". It worked beyond all mearsures, i could do speeches without any fear infront of hundreds of students, i passed classes with actual good grades, all because i had taken that stress out of it and could foucs.
I feel that you need to find what will help You take the stress out, whether its telling yourself like i had to or maybe treating yourself to special rewards when you do well, there is a trick for everyone.

you can always ask other people how they do it or just try different things yourself. You can ask family, friends , other students or even google it.

I hope i helped in some way and take care, don't be afraid to come back if you need to.