Is it anxiety?

Posted , 4 users are following.

I'm 16 and been going through this stuff for the last 7 months or so. Low mood, anxiety, obsessive thoughts etc etc. My counsellors I've had in the past have agreed I have anxiety but could it be more or less?

I've tried to research the symptons of my social anxiety and been unable find results; I do struggle to breathe, yes, and also get heated, however, the main symptons are my complete loss of control of my hands. I completely lose it. Hit myself on the arm, smack my hand on the table, fidget with useless stuff etc. It's a state of hyperactivity; I also kick, laugh and look around incase anyone's seeing.

I started college a few weeks ago and it's been a problem. People sitting next to me constantly give me weird looks and today I had to go out the class for a break. Today was worse, however. I was looked at by a person on my table as if I'm absolutely insane and I know looked back at them a few times and even laughed. All day it's been like this. No comfort. Constantly afraid of staying still. It's a problem socially as it almost seems to scare people and it also creates problems when I'm trying write stuff down. What exactly is it and could anyone link me to stuff about it?

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi,

    Sorry you are dealing with some much.

    Would a stress ball help? To squeeze whenever you feel stressed out.

    Also medication can help with the fidgeting etc. I would shake a lot before and was hard to get a good grip on stuff until I started treatment with therapy and prescribed pills.

    • Posted

      I take 'anxiety spray' when i feel bad in public but it was useless today. I also used to take medication but i stopped a while back because I didn't see it as working. I could try again with it, though. And yes, some kind of thing to rely on when I'm stressed could help out. I'll have a look into it.

    • Posted

      Forgot to add....if you think you may have ocd make and appointment with your gp and they will need to make a referral to a mental health team for cbt etc. It is very much treatable, take care Xx
    • Posted

      Ah I see. I stopped medication once also and reverted back to prior issues.

      Definitely stick with it. Sometimes changing meds helps since we all react differently.

  • Posted

    Hey Kyle you said you're afraid of staying still what do you think will happen if you do stay still?

    You said you have obsessive thoughts also are these about any particular things or are they random?

    The reason why I ask is because OCD is an anxiety disorder and you can have intrusive thoughts where you think something bad may happen unless you do something to counteract that thought. I would look up OCD and see if things sound familiar to you, there is heaps if info on ocduk. I have OCD and anxiety and that is just my thought. Others may have other advice. Xx

    • Posted

      A GP diagnosed me with OCPD, however, the obsession comes from hygiene. And on staying still; I find it impossibly to just sit still. I have to mess with something. If not then I'll just be aching to mess with something.

    • Posted

      Oh okay, are you on any meds to help your pd? I'm not sure about the treatment in terms of ocpd but for I'm currently using exposure therapy which I can manage myself and find really helpful. So I may get a thought that I feel contaminated and need to wash my hands so Instead of washing my hands I need to expose myself to the anxiety. What goes up must come down as they say. You will peak and your anxiety will sky rocket but it can only come down from there as time passes. The more you practise these exposures the quicker you will find your anxiety will come down. You can do it at your own pace. Sorry if that's not relevant to you at all. XX

    • Posted

      Don't worry, it's fine. I should do similar things when my obsession is at its worst but no, I don't take medicine. I've had 10 weeks of counselling and I'm now waiting for more which will deal with anxiety/OCPD. I do have medication, however, I don't take it rolleyes

    • Posted

      I would advice taking your meds they are pretty helpful when you take them. I understand meds are not for everyone but in my eyes are they never a ling term thing I look at them as something that can help me to cope in the now and get on with my life more. If there is a reason you don't take ur meds like side effects of these ones etc maybe talk to your dr. =)

  • Posted

    Sorry just saw you said that you thought the neds were not working. I clearly need to go to bed! Remember that meds can take up to 6 months to take full effect and as erika said trying something else is always a possibility x
  • Posted

    Hello, Kyle. Sorry to hear that you've been feeling this way. It sounds to me like you have a case of Social Anxiety -- which, it may be comforting for you to know, many of us on this Forum also have. For me, being in social situations (as a college student) makes my palms sweat, my concentration goes to the birds, and sometimes I even have difficulty swallowing. For instance, if the dining hall is crowded during lunch and there are people sitting around me, I sometimes can't even bring myself to swallow my food -- it feels like I'll choke on it. The solution to this kind of anxiety is to try your best to stay calm, spend lots of time alone or in a meditative state, drink tea (decaf), and just breathe slowly...if you can. These feelings won't hurt you, but they're uncomfortable. Maybe consider talking to a therapist if you can? It may help also. 

    Post here as often as you need to for reassurance and help. This site has helped me a lot since I first found it. 

    Much love & wellness, 

    Nicholas 

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