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Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

Alec_29Contributor17 May 2017, 8:29 pm AEST

Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

Hi,

I have always been a fairly anxious person but i never considered it that bad or a problem but people in my life say i'm extremely anxious. I cant actually tell when i'm anxious anymore its so normal but lately it has escalated and my family and my school councillor and my teachers are concerned. I don't know where to start so i'll list all my problems

1. I have an intense fear of dying most of my anxiety is related to health and dying iv always been a hypochondriac but its getting ridiculous ie. chest pain = Heart attack, Wont go in water since I found out about a rare bacteria that lives in water and eats your brain and only 4 people in the world have survived, cant drive because im to scared to get in the car in case I crash and die, plane going over the house at night = Bomb or danger, scared of the beach because I dont know whats in the water, If death is mentioned I automatically start thinking about how I will die and I cant stop it happening eventually and will start feel teary and panicky I have to get rid of the thought etc. I could go on forever.

2. I have a problem with spiders, I have a process I do every night regardless of consequences or circumstances that I do to ease anxiety and stop spiders getting into my room. I check the whole room with a torch, floor behind bed under bed behind photos i even check the celling, the window frame and behind the blind. I remove the mattress to check the bed frame for spiders then I shake out all my bedding and put it on the bed then I spray all entrances and exits to room with bug spray then i build a barrier under my door with multiple hoddies folded to make my door almost air tight so the spiders cant get in, every time I leave the room at night I will repeat this process, sometimes I do it just to check before I actually sleep. Some people think this is a bit ritualistic and becoming OCDish but I don't do it in a particular order and I only do it at mums house (at dadsI room check but dont put up the barrier. I sleep with a can of bug spray and a shoe to squish spiders

3. Not sure if its anxiety. I am academically inclined but I ask all my teacher for reassurance and will check and re check all aspects of the assignment with the teacher so I know iv done it correct and if i'm over the word count I cant cut it in case I cut something good and make it worse. I cant do the assignments by myself for fear of sucking or ruining my grade or getting it wrong

Am I too anxious whats going on? Help?

4 replies

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In response to: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

CherryBombSenior Contributor17 May 2017, 8:43 pm AEST

Re: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

Hi @Alec_29,

Anxiety is a normal part of life. In fact, without a level of anxiety, then it would be hard to get things started - anxiety helps us know when it is time to initiate tasks.

That said, anxiety can be problematic when it starts impact on a person's daily functioning. This can include interferring with work/study, impacting on relationships, having adverse affects of health and so on. From what you've written, it seem like your levels of anxiety is having an impact on some of these areas, so it might worth your while to get aformal diagnosis.

My suggestion would be to go to your GP and get an assessment. Just be sure to book into one that is trained and has interest in mental illness. Also book for a longer appointment so they can through the assessment with you. From there, if they assess that there is a mental illness, they can refer you to a mental health specialist (e.g., pscyhologist)

What are your thoughts on this? Would you go to a GP?

In response to: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

utopiaSenior Contributor17 May 2017, 9:11 pm AEST

Re: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

@Alec_29
When something starts interfering with day to day life, that's when it's time to see a professional.
Explain as you have here, some of your anxiety 'triggers' & ask your gp to refer you to a psychologist who has experience in Anxiety. With help from a professional, the aim is to reduce the severity of your anxiety to a level that is more manageable on a day to day level,or even to eliminate the anxiety.
Imagine being able to think of getting in water without any anxiety, or being able to drive or do other things without fear. It is possible.

In response to: Re: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

Alec_29Contributor19 May 2017, 6:32 pm AEST

Re: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

Hi @CherryBomb

Thanks for the reply.

I currently dont have a regular GP and am stuggling to find one and I actually have seen a psychologist before for depression (which im still dealing with) and I really hated it I found it a waste of time and money. Im also reluctent to go because I cant afford to pay for any of my sessions as Im a student and my family are struggling financelly. I had a mental health care plan so I got 10 free sessions in a 12 months period but I have trouble trusting people so that wasnt really enough sessions to help me and I think my psychologist was a bit rubbish.

In response to: Re: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

CherryBombSenior Contributor19 May 2017, 6:46 pm AEST

Re: Am I too anxious? Is it anxiety?

Hi @Alec_29,

Finding a psychologist that's a good 'fit' is really important. It's not one size fits all, so if you find that one psychologist doesn't work, please try not to feel discouraged. That said, I hear you about funding the visits. It's hard getting by as a student.

Your uni might be able to help with a free counsellor. Would you consider that? The other thing that came tom mind was an online program for depression like Mindspot. Does this look like something that might useful?

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