Hello!

[Tyler]

To begin with, I'm not sure if I should be posting this here as it's my first post or if I should put it in the general discussion... so please forgive me if it's in the wrong place. The first part of the post is a background of myself. I'm hoping to have some input on the second part of my post, so if you do not want to read alot skip down towards the end.

As a background, my name is Tyler and I'm a soon to be 22 year old college student. For the first 21 years of my life I can say I have never experienced panic attacks or any type of anxiety that one with GAD would experience. However, I had a somewhat life changing experience last summer where I had to help move my family from our home growing up and have to deal with serious divorce and inner family stress. Not only was I emotionally/mentally exhausted, but also physically. Around this time I had my first panic attack ever in that I was having a brain tumor due to a headache + panic attack session. Now, following this panic attack I had constant tension headaches for 3 months straight into the beginning of the school year. Doctors told me all kinds of different responses, but it turned out they were simply tension headaches from clenching my teeth.
As the school year started I began work and an extremely rigorous course schedule after doing nothing but laying around for 3 months with headaches. During this time my generalized anxiety began. Around half-way through the school year I had my 2nd huge panic attack as I worried I was having early-alzheimers or dementia or some form of memory loss because I was having a difficult time for an exam. After this, I started having anxiety every day until christmas break about memory loss (when in reality there is nothing wrong... though I can't prove it).
After making it through finals and going back to my familys new apartment for christmas break I began having panic attacks constantly... I feared I couldn't make it through the day or even get out of bed. Since school has started again this semester I have got myself ontrack and away from constant panic attacks from a mix between talking to people, lessening my course load, trying to live healthy, and starting prescription busiperone.

Currently I continue to have constant anxiety cycling between issues of memory loss, time slipping away, anxiety that family is having anxiety, and most recently anxiety over religion in that I although I am a very open minded person and don't actually believe some things I have anxiety about, there is always a chance that my close friends/family could go to hell because they may not be "by-the-book-christians" (even though I am not one myself... it's just the thought that it COULD be possible is hard to let go...)

Does anybody have similar experiences of being separated from homes growing up? Or have similar types of anxiety?

Any help or discussion would be amazing!

-Tyler

[alankay]

Yep anxiety often stems from or is aggravated by family problems/members(even though not intended). Within a family there is so much history(good and bad) it's easy get over sensitive to things/stresses because of past issues, etc, so easy to get you wound up again...and again.
Growing up there is strains/tensions that can follow us even well after the event(s) because of how big it seemed at the time. Some never get past it and it always comes back up so one can see where family can get to you. At the same time no one will be there like family so you have to look at it that way.
Anyway if you not getting treatment do so. If your in college see if there is a counseling service covered by tuition as it's the best way to start getting better. Alankay.