do i have anxiety??

[bethanycaitlin17]

the only 2 people that i have told about this both said i was just panicking and that i dont have anxiety or anthing but i just dont feel like im quite right...
i get sudden rushes of immense fear. on a scale of 1 to 10 its definitely 10. i feel like something is watching me all the time, like downstairs we have a christmas tree up and theres an angel on top of it, and it feels like her eyes move to follow me. its so weird. also, wherever i am, im constantly looking around and checking my surrounding because i get so freaked out that somethings going to be hiding in my wardrobe or that somethings going to be hiding under my bed and its going to jump out at me. im sorry for how young and immature this all sounds but im seriously freaking out and idk why. i also see faces in things, like it could be the creases in a shirt or in a puddle, i can always see a face, and sometimes iheard random noises like a moan or a quiet bang or stuff like that, but thats very rare. and also, rarely and i mean rarely, i get this feeling like somethings touching my arm or leg, not like a proper grab, just ike a very slight poke, but really i think thats just my body, as i get a lot of pains aches and twitches so thats probably just some medical stuff. either way, i still get extremely freaked to the point where for the past couple of years i havent been able to sleep properly as im always opening my eyes to check nothings there... silly i know, but now i only fall asleep when my body cannot take it anymore, so im usually awake until 2/3 am or further, which is causing quite a detriment to my grades... i really need some help on what it could be, or how i can deal with it. thanks :) -also apologies if anybody has already seen this is the depression discussion, i accidentaly posted it there and idk how to delete it-

[NixonRulz]

the only 2 people that i have told about this both said i was just panicking and that i dont have anxiety or anthing but i just dont feel like im quite right...
i get sudden rushes of immense fear. on a scale of 1 to 10 its definitely 10. i feel like something is watching me all the time, like downstairs we have a christmas tree up and theres an angel on top of it, and it feels like her eyes move to follow me. its so weird. also, wherever i am, im constantly looking around and checking my surrounding because i get so freaked out that somethings going to be hiding in my wardrobe or that somethings going to be hiding under my bed and its going to jump out at me. im sorry for how young and immature this all sounds but im seriously freaking out and idk why. i also see faces in things, like it could be the creases in a shirt or in a puddle, i can always see a face, and sometimes iheard random noises like a moan or a quiet bang or stuff like that, but thats very rare. and also, rarely and i mean rarely, i get this feeling like somethings touching my arm or leg, not like a proper grab, just ike a very slight poke, but really i think thats just my body, as i get a lot of pains aches and twitches so thats probably just some medical stuff. either way, i still get extremely freaked to the point where for the past couple of years i havent been able to sleep properly as im always opening my eyes to check nothings there... silly i know, but now i only fall asleep when my body cannot take it anymore, so im usually awake until 2/3 am or further, which is causing quite a detriment to my grades... i really need some help on what it could be, or how i can deal with it. thanks :) -also apologies if anybody has already seen this is the depression discussion, i accidentaly posted it there and idk how to delete it-

Hi, Bethany and welcome here

Anxiety has so many symptoms that nothing surprises me. There is a great thread on here with people listing their symptoms. It's quite long.

Intrusive thoughts are a very real sign of an anxiety disorder. These thoughts often scare people into believing that they are losing their mind, but quite the contrary is actually happening

Anxious people are so aware of their thoughts that they worry they are going mad. People that are going mad never believe anything is wrong

If you have trained your mind to seeing things in ordinary objects, chances are you and your mind have developed some type of game to play only you aren't having so much fun playing

And if you develop a fear of seeing those things, anxiety will certainly ratchet up those images for you

I hope this helps a bit

Be well

[danielhermanson]

Hello and welcome! Anxiety symptoms in many cases are general (they apply to many people) but sometimes they are very specific to different people. In your case, you have specific anxiety symptoms but also there might be a combination of other issues you may have. I suggest going to talk to a specialist about this because you need help. From what you are saying this is affecting your life a lot and staying like this will only make things worse.

See a doctor, establish what the problem is and get the right treatment. The most effective and used treatments today are therapy and medication and sometimes a combination of them.

Remember, the power to change your thoughts is only inside your mind, only you can change your state of mind but first you need guidance to learn how to do that.

Take care and be safe!

[aml0017]

The constant repetitive thoughts do indeed point to anxiety. However, you have to constantly remind yourself, they are just thoughts and thoughts CANNOT harm you. I know it is not quite as easy as that, but it is true and even those of us who have dealt with anxiety for years have to remind ourselves of it. Just think of anxiety as a misfiring of your body's fight-or-flight mechanism that is your body's way of dealing with danger. If a caveman found himself in the path of a saber toothed tiger, his fight or flight would go into high gear, either he will run away or defend himself. Our brains still use this mechanism today. However in the case of anxiety, our bodies fight or flight occurs even when there is NO danger.

I mean, think about it, the rational part of your mind KNOWS that the angel on the treetop is not going to do anything to you. You stay up half the night thinking somethings gonna grab you until you pass out from exhaustion, but yet you still wake up every morning safe and sound, correct? So what is more likely-that there are actual boogymen around every corner waiting to jump out at you? Or is it that you are always subconsciously looking for these things, thus they are there? My house is old and makes sounds at night, but I never do notice them. However, if I watch a scary movie in the dark then all of a sudden my adrenaline is up and I start seeing shadows and hearing creaks that I never would have noticed before. In this way, anxiety is a vicious cycle, you are anxious because you see things and you see things because you are anxious. In this constant state of anxiety, you are subconsciously looking for these things, that is why you are seeing them. It sounds crazy, why would you look for things that scare you. That is the insidious, irrational nature of anxiety, it lurks in your brain all the time.

Next time you feel the fear coming on, take some deep breaths. Tell yourself, it is not real, there is no real danger. Face the fear, confront it. When you lie down to bed at night, tell yourself, there is nothing to fear, I will wake safe and sound in the morning same as I have every other morning before. Talk yourself through it, write it in a journal if you need. Remind yourself of all the things you worried would happen in the past that never did happen. Take some control over it. Talk to someone, a counselor or a trusted friend or doctor about it. Don't listen to the people who dismiss your anxieties as "only panic". What is anxiety if not irrational panic? Distract yourself, do something else, anything, take a walk, call a friend, read a book, whatever. Do not give in to the fear.

It may be cliche but there really is nothing to fear but fear itself. Once you can believe that it is only in your mind, it won't be nearly as scary.

[NixonRulz]

The constant repetitive thoughts do indeed point to anxiety. However, you have to constantly remind yourself, they are just thoughts and thoughts CANNOT harm you. I know it is not quite as easy as that, but it is true and even those of us who have dealt with anxiety for years have to remind ourselves of it. Just think of anxiety as a misfiring of your body's fight-or-flight mechanism that is your body's way of dealing with danger. If a caveman found himself in the path of a saber toothed tiger, his fight or flight would go into high gear, either he will run away or defend himself. Our brains still use this mechanism today. However in the case of anxiety, our bodies fight or flight occurs even when there is NO danger.

I mean, think about it, the rational part of your mind KNOWS that the angel on the treetop is not going to do anything to you. You stay up half the night thinking somethings gonna grab you until you pass out from exhaustion, but yet you still wake up every morning safe and sound, correct? So what is more likely-that there are actual boogymen around every corner waiting to jump out at you? Or is it that you are always subconsciously looking for these things, thus they are there? My house is old and makes sounds at night, but I never do notice them. However, if I watch a scary movie in the dark then all of a sudden my adrenaline is up and I start seeing shadows and hearing creaks that I never would have noticed before. In this way, anxiety is a vicious cycle, you are anxious because you see things and you see things because you are anxious. In this constant state of anxiety, you are subconsciously looking for these things, that is why you are seeing them. It sounds crazy, why would you look for things that scare you. That is the insidious, irrational nature of anxiety, it lurks in your brain all the time.

Next time you feel the fear coming on, take some deep breaths. Tell yourself, it is not real, there is no real danger. Face the fear, confront it. When you lie down to bed at night, tell yourself, there is nothing to fear, I will wake safe and sound in the morning same as I have every other morning before. Talk yourself through it, write it in a journal if you need. Remind yourself of all the things you worried would happen in the past that never did happen. Take some control over it. Talk to someone, a counselor or a trusted friend or doctor about it. Don't listen to the people who dismiss your anxieties as "only panic". What is anxiety if not irrational panic? Distract yourself, do something else, anything, take a walk, call a friend, read a book, whatever. Do not give in to the fear.

It may be cliche but there really is nothing to fear but fear itself. Once you can believe that it is only in your mind, it won't be nearly as scary.

This is very well done!