Do I need help?

(I hope I posted this in the right place)

Hi,

I think I have a problem with my anxiety, but I'm not sure is it a real problem or not.
I'm a 19-year-old man and I've always had a slight problem with my anxiety. I always thought it was "just me being me", and didn't think much of it. But now in the past year it has gotten worse, to the point that it has started to interfere with my everyday life.
Now it feels like I'm constantly anxious and worried - like I've got a huge weight on my shoulders all the time. I feel like I haven't been able to relax for a long long time. Sometimes it even feels like anxiety is the only thing I feel because nothing really makes me happy or excited anymore.
And sometimes the anxiety gets a lot worse without any real reason, it's usually something small and meaningless. For example today I was at school and it was lunch time. I went to eat but suddenly I felt very anxious and nauseous and couldn't eat - even though I was starving.

So the question is, should I really consider getting help, or can this be normal? Can this just be me being me?

It's hard to put how I feel in writing so sorry if I don't make any sense. And thanks in advance if someone can help.

Hey chief,

This IS you 'just' being you, but it is also a problem that should be addressed. All you could do is take a trip to your local doctor and see what he/she says about it. In the past, I used to become anxious while out and about. When it happened, I generally just went straight home, even though 'home' was around 90 minutes away by bus. With experience, however, I developed the skills to feel more at ease around people and in certain situations. I do believe, however, that you should get external/professional help. There is no need for you to continue suffering from this problem - it is upsetting you a lot.

Kevin

Rust wrote:So the question is, should I really consider getting help

I think that you should. When it gets to the point of not enjoying things because of anxiety, it's time to get help. A therapist that is trained properly in anxiety disorders should be able to teach you some skills to use that may offer some relief. It feels normal to you because you've probably had anxiety for a long time, so you don't know how it feels to feel any differently. I can relate to that.

Thank you very much for the replies. I'll definitely try and get some help now. The first step is always the hard one...

Hi again,

After starting this thread my condition has gotten a lot worse. I got help and was diagnosed with panic disorder. Now I've started therapy and medication. I don't feel any better yet but it's only been a week since I started my treatment. But I'm sure it'll get better!

The reason I'm saying this is because I want to encourage people like me, who are unsure should they get help or not, to go and get help! Getting help is the first step to recovery and worrying about your problem alone isn't doing yourself any favours. And by help I don't necessarily mean a doctor, just someone to talk to can be enough.

Hi Rust - nice to see you again. You know, one week is such a short amount of time! It took me a couple of months before I started to notice an improvement in my condition (from when I first started to see my therapist). be as patient as you possibly can be, and be as open to trying new things / introducing new things into your life. Think of it like this: You simply have to change things, because doing the same [things] will just mean that your life will run aground again. it's about learning how to make your life better, to be able to get back on your own two feet.

Helping others is a good idea, such as giving advice to those who are suffering what you have done.

Kevin