Hello all,

I am new to this forum but I honestly don't know where else to turn. I am a 19 year old male college student and anxiety has taken over my life over the course of the past year or so. It has gotten to the point that I can rarely leave my house to go to class because just the idea of being away from my house can send me into a panic. I have not sought any professional help up to this point because quite honestly I'm embarrassed to even tell my parents let alone a stranger. I have tried exercising, meditating, and every breathing exercise in the book but nothing seems to help. Since the anxiety started I have been having awful stomach pains which have consequently been the main reason for much of my overthinking and anxiety. Please allow me to explain, the stomach pains have often resulted in diarrhea and because of this I have a fear that if i leave my house I will be in a situation where I won't be able to find a bathroom in time and I will have an "accident." As you can imagine this thought is EXTREMELY embarrassing which is why I'm hesitant to speak with anyone about my issues. As you can see the majority my anxiety comes as a result of overthinking every possible bad outcome that can happen if I leave the comfort of my home and if I let this fear manifest itself deeper in my psyche I'm afraid it will ruin my life even more so than it already has. According to most of the adults I speak with I am in the "prime of my life" and I'd really rather not waste it sitting in my room because I'm afraid of leaving my home PLEASE HELP ME.

Thank you for listening!