New to this and need advice

[hurley21]

I am 25 years old and yet again, I find myself ruining a relationship with my anxiety issues. I am a full time college student also.

I am guessing that I have general anxiety disorder... I have had an array of physical issues that can only stem from stressing out too much and needless worrying.

I find myself over-analyzing things and worrying about the future. I worry over rejection (from college admissions lately).

I have vivid worry dreams that leave me feeling as if I actually experienced whatever I dreamed about and feeling not rested.

I have started to workout in an attempt to exhaust myself and quiet my thoughts and worries some. Even that takes extreme effort on my part because I feel overloaded and exhausted often. But, I am forcing myself for my health and sanity.

I just want to feel normal (whatever that actually is). I find myself ruining another relationship because of my irritability and constant criticizing over the things around me. Everything I have read points to GAD. My boyfriend believes that I should have a conscious control over my thoughts and dreams and general behavior. I keep trying to tell him that I don't consciously see what I am doing. It just feels like an ingrained part of me.

Any thoughts? Advice? Same type of story? Just want to know that I am not off my rocker. Thanks.

[mamascrazy1985]

My bf/fian claims that I can control my own mind ect. But aome people live the simple life and others don't and I believe others that hv gad knows just how powerful ur mind is!!!!! U can't think and and then u feel something does it make sense?

[hesson81]

Yea, here's a thought, don't listen to your boyfriend. I know exactly what your talking about. Unfortunetly In my younger years I might of preiched what your bf is talkin about. I'm living what your talking about at times now.

The thoughts for me have subsided, so I'm happy about that, but a couple of weeks ago, during bouts of insomnia, i thought i was going to have to put myself into a mental health clinic or something. I was so wrong, just irratioanal.

There's nothing wrong with you, GAD maybe who knows. From what I understand it's common to feel like that going through college. I never went. You'll grow out of it.

I would just change some habbits. Somethings that make you want to critisize, try and change it so that when you see those things you just want to smile and laugh. Allow them to bounce off you. Sometimes it's hard to find an incentive for this, because I say it all to easily. One good incentive for me was my insanity.

The other way I broke it down for msyelf when I ever I felt frustration, like when you feel like critisizing. Was to realize who really had the problem. One thing that would make me critical, or frustrated was walking out of a store, being in a hurry, and someone just walks out in front of you walking as a snails pace, the people that don't know whats going on behind them That used to (three months ago) drive me up the wall. I realized though that they are fat dumb and happy, the only one with the real problem was me. Those kinda things would bother me on a day to day basis. I don't know what fuels your critisizm, if it's other people realize that your the one that doesn't feel good. The people that you critisize are probably happy as all hell.

If I hit the nail on the head, then try ways of removing the frustrations out of your life. Realize that not everything out there you can control. With people like you and I, the above is not everything that makes us feel the way we do, but it's just part of the pie. There is a lot of things that have to change.

[Dave_1960]

"I would just change some habits. Somethings that make you want to criticize, try and change it so that when you see those things you just want to smile and laugh. Allow them to bounce off you. Sometimes it's hard to find an incentive for this, because I say it all to easily. One good incentive for me was my insanity. "

Great post, thanks. Not just what I quoted, all of it. I have just recently discovered how effective having a 'better' response at the ready is. My problem now is remembering to think first, before reacting. I was heading into a meeting full of egos, mine being one of the easily bruised, not too too big, just touchy. As I was walking into the meeting, for some reason it was on my mind...'no ego' 'no ego'. I went in there and had a wonderful, calm meeting. I did not react as I normally would. I am going to try to use this. You comment about being prepared to laugh is great. I have a problem with what I perceive to be bumbling incompetence. ( I admit it's my perception, my rules, my problem). If I can just laugh and help, rather than be sarcastic and critical, I will be happier, and the poor soul I am dealing with will be happier. I may even be better liked.

Thanks again for getting me thinking with that great post.

Dave.

[lindsayarmstrong1]

Hi, My name is lindsay and I am a 21 year old university student. I have been diagnosed with GAD by my doctor. I took 75 mg of Effexor for about two years and got off of it about a year ago. When i got off of it i was fine and ready to take on the world again but recently i find my anxiety is getting back to the level it was at when i started the pills. I worry about everything way too much. If i get a pain in my chest, i think im going to have a heart attack, if i get a canker sore, its obviously mouth cancer to me. I am fortunate that i have the rationality to let these thoughts go and not act on them (although sometimes it takes a couple of hours). Lately i am finding myself not being able to sleep till the middle of the night. When i wake up i am peaceful for about one second then i remember that i have anxiety and it starts all over again. This has been going on really badly for three days/nights now. The thing is, i am not sure what braught it on (if anything). I am a 4th year student of sociology/labour studies so i am constantly learning depressing things about the world and what people are going through on a daily basis, not to mention the economic crisis. Is it rediculous that i get so worked up about that? I think about people in the phillipines who work 80 hours a week for their families and still dont have enough money to have a decent home or food, and it makes me want to cry. I have not really been thinking about any of these things outside of school, but i think it sticks with me and i do not realize it. I got such a bad bout of anxiety yesterday that i had to pull over in my car and just cry for a good half hour. I have so much ambition and drive to have a successful career and family life one day soon and i am fearful that my anxiety might hinder my future. I have had such intense physical symptoms the last couple of days, but today is the worst. I feel like im going to fall over every time i stand up, i have nausea, diahreah, racing heartbeat, sweating, nervouseness and i could cry on the drop of a dime. I just quit smoking about three weeks ago. Could this have something to do with my sudden massive physical symptoms? All of my friends and my boyfriend love me and care about me but they just say "lin, why bother worrying" or "just dont think about it". If it were only that easy.

Can anyone relate? I feel so alone