Hello everyone, new member seeking help/advice.

[Cwire28]

Hi everyone, my name is Cody. Generally I'm a happy person, but I am also a very nervous person. I find myself worrying about minor things that somebody would not normally worry about. If I don't have something to worry about, I will find something to worry about. I feel like it makes any conditions I might have worst, and I know it affects my day to day life. Some examples of what I mean is for instance health problems. I will just sit and focus on every minor detail of my health, blowing them way out of proportion like I am sicker than I really am or even sometimes fear death. I have a demanding job, so every time my phone rings I get nervous. I get nervous when I see I have a missed call from work or from a number I don't recognize. I am worried that I will get in trouble at my work for not answering. I worry about the outcomes of things that are way out of my control, and I worry about things that will almost never happen. I am looking for help or advice from anyone who also suffers from this about how they either got it under control or stopped it all together. Thanks to everyone in advance.

[Pumpkin]

Hi Cody :) I can relate to pretty much everything you have stated about yourself.. from being happy/nervous all the way to getting scared about missing a call from work and disappointing them in any way (it's only a part time job so I can only imagine my future career being worse... yikes!!)

Unfortunately, i'm still struggling with my anxiety and haven't yet been put on any medications or followed through with a mental health specialist because i'm just too scared/nervous. I need a push to go see a doctor and I can feel this forum slowly doing it for me. I find that the only thing that seriously helps me when i'm having a hectic day or week is to set aside enough time almost everyday to just chill. I go on the computer, watch shows and listen to music. I can't be sitting around doing nothing but I also can't be out of the house with friends because that only adds to my busy days. If I know I have school or work early the next day, I won't go out just because it'll be too overwhelming for me. I start to worry about things like getting home on time to shower and getting to sleep and making sure I set enough alarms so I won't miss whatever I have to do the next day... i'm afraid if I miss school or work i'll get in trouble, get fired/not have money, fail a class, etc. which then leads to me stressing about the long-term future and never finding a job because I failed school. It's like a never ending snowball effect.

Although things can get really rough, I like to believe there is always hope for everyone. First off, I recommend you see a doctor about your anxiety (which could be caused by OCD.. I think I have it). Secondly, personal time is key. Read a book, take a bath, watch TV, listen to music or exercise. You need time to simmer down and just chill.

Right now, i'm still trying to manage my anxiety so I can't really give you the best advice or my success story, but I hope this has somewhat helped you. If you want to talk, feel free to message me :) Take care!!

[Cwire28]

Thanks for the reply Pumpkin. That is generally where I have my problems because even when I take time to wind down and chill, I still worry about stupid things. My most recent thing is heart palpitations. I have seen a Dr. for my anxiety, and am actually doing a lot better than where I used to be. I guess I just don't know how to turn the brain off, if that makes sense.

[superchick22684]

Welcome to the forum Cody! I can relate to worrying about minor things that normal people don't worry about. At times I can obsessively worry about things that in the long term aren't really that important. I also have a stressful job which honestly I think makes the anxiety even worse.
I've had anxiety since '05 and back when I first developed it was on medication and in therapy. I was on meds for about a year. Since then I have basically still been anxious but tried to manage it on my own with not the greatest success. In the last year to 2 years my anxiety has just about returned to the severity that I was at back in 2005. I started going back to therapy about a month ago and am slowly starting to notice some progress.
I noticed in your reply to Pumpkin that you have seen a doctor about your anxiety which is good. I'm not the best with advice due to the fact that I'm still trying to get my anxiety under control but I do have something that may be helpful. Whenever I get anxious I try to find a way to distract myself by either talking to a friend or family member or reading, watching a movie etc. When I'm able to focus on something else that usually helps my anxiety levels go down. Not sure if it will be helpful to you but it works for me.

[Pumpkin]

Thanks for the reply Pumpkin. That is generally where I have my problems because even when I take time to wind down and chill, I still worry about stupid things. My most recent thing is heart palpitations. I have seen a Dr. for my anxiety, and am actually doing a lot better than where I used to be. I guess I just don't know how to turn the brain off, if that makes sense.

Turning the brain off is almost impossible for me too unless i'm extremely tired, lying in bed and haven't slept too much the night before. I saw what superchick said up above about talking to friends when you're feeling anxious and this is something that I totally agree with and somehow left out of my initial comment. I talk to some people that I met online in a chat room type thing and I truly consider these people some of my best friends. When i'm having my personal and down time at home, i'll usually come online and just talk to them. It's one of the only things that can help me when i'm feeling really overwhelmed or out of control. If you do have some people you can talk to when you're having an episode, that'd be one of your best options just to get your mind off of whatever's bothering you. That's what's also great about this forum.. there's plenty of people here that you can consider your online buddies to help you cope with your anxiety.