dealing with anxiety

[dl1986]

Hi guys i am new to this site. I'm 23 years old but my anxiety has made me feel like i am way older. I know i should be worrying about where i'm going to go this weekend or what i'm going to wear...like most 23 year olds my age do. But, instead of worrying about those types of things, i find myself worrying about every type of disease possible, and i convince myself that i have every single one of them. I get minor aches and pains, but i also work 40 hours a week standing and bending 8 hours a day. Even though i know aches and pains are normal, i convince myself that it's something worse. I'm absolutely terrified of getting any type of cancer or any other horrible sad disease. If i read something online about someone dying, i automatically think "oh my god what if i have that". Most weeks i can keep a handle on my anxiety and calm myself down, but this past week was horrible. I was crying at work, unhappy, scared, and terrified. My friends and boyfriend think im ridiculous, and i can't blame them because i would get annoyed if someone kept saying they had something wrong with them if i didnt know what it was like to have anxiety. The thing they don't understand is that you can't just turn the switch off and not have anxiety anymore. I know it's so rare for someone my age to develop a disease like cancer, but it can happen to anyone at any age. I don't smoke or do any drugs, and i dont drink alot of alcohol either, just the occasional beer or mixed drink out at dinner, and a couple of drinks at special events. I just feel stuck. :(

[Kuma]

Hi guys i am new to this site. I'm 23 years old but my anxiety has made me feel like i am way older. I know i should be worrying about where i'm going to go this weekend or what i'm going to wear...like most 23 year olds my age do. But, instead of worrying about those types of things, i find myself worrying about every type of disease possible, and i convince myself that i have every single one of them. I get minor aches and pains, but i also work 40 hours a week standing and bending 8 hours a day. Even though i know aches and pains are normal, i convince myself that it's something worse. I'm absolutely terrified of getting any type of cancer or any other horrible sad disease. If i read something online about someone dying, i automatically think "oh my god what if i have that". Most weeks i can keep a handle on my anxiety and calm myself down, but this past week was horrible. I was crying at work, unhappy, scared, and terrified. My friends and boyfriend think im ridiculous, and i can't blame them because i would get annoyed if someone kept saying they had something wrong with them if i didnt know what it was like to have anxiety. The thing they don't understand is that you can't just turn the switch off and not have anxiety anymore. I know it's so rare for someone my age to develop a disease like cancer, but it can happen to anyone at any age. I don't smoke or do any drugs, and i dont drink alot of alcohol either, just the occasional beer or mixed drink out at dinner, and a couple of drinks at special events. I just feel stuck. :(

Hello and welcome to the forum. What have you been doing to try to address your anxiety?

[dl1986]

Hello and welcome to the forum. What have you been doing to try to address your anxiety?

I started by blocking medical websites like Web Md, because i know that is a horrible website. Although i've gone on it to look up every single ache and pain i've had, and of course they list minor, more common things and then list rare diseases. I always somehow convince myself that i have the worst possible disease out of the entire list. Then i wish i didn't search it in the first place, but once you know something, you can't un-know it unfortunately.

[Goomba]

My experience.

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?30789-My-Hypochondria-Was-The-Best-Thing-To-Ever-Happen-To-Me

[Mike Castillo]

hi dl1986. I think that one of the best things you could have done is connect with people here on this forum. However, not every person will give yo the right counsel or advice. For the most part, its mostly good and good people just wanting to help.

For the records, you are NOT going crazy. You are just experiencing SEVERE anxiety that are accompanied by all those things you have described. Its normal when you are experienceing extreme anxoety to start fearing all types of things. Its really improtatnt for you to find someone that you trust and that has been trhough this before so that you can talk with them on a daily basis.

There are many reasons why your body is firing cortisol out of balance in your body (which is why you feel the anxiety), but there are also many things you can do to start alleviating those symptoms. I have written about a few of these things on my blog (whatisanxiety.info). I promise, Im not selling you anyting on there...lol, Its just too much for me to write it all here. I would love to be of any assistance.

I went through MAJOR nervous breakdown 5 years ago at age 30 and dealt with every single thing you mentioned and more, all the while being a full time minister at a Christian church. So to say the least, I was looked down upon.

Dont expect someone that has never experience sever anxiety to understand you, its IMPOSSIBLE.

Keep in touch- God BLESS!!!!!!!

PS- THIS TOO SHALL PASS!!!! :cool: