T O P I C R E V I E W
sweetcatastr0phe
Member # 36838
posted 02-02-2008 08:43 PM
In middle school I faced a lot of stress and often found myself going to the nurse or guidance counselor. They told me I was having anxiety attacks. I told my mom about it and told me that I was just looking for attention. I just sort of fluffed it off and when I got to high school they dissapeared. Now I'm in my senior year of high school. I'm worried that these "attacks" may be coming back. For the past year or two, I have obsessively worried about many things. Primarily I freak out about unplanned pregnancy. My boyfriend and I have had to stop having sex because of it-- even though when we were sexually active I was on the birth control pill which I took perfectly. Some days it's literally all I think about, other days I'm fine. Once I start thinking about it I can't stop and my whole day goes to hell. I'm in a bad mood, exhausted, peeing all the time, can't concentrate on anything, antisocial. It sucks. I have no problem falling to sleep usually but I constantly have nightmares and wake up periodically through the night. Less often, I freak out about the world ending in 2012 (I know it's stupid) or dying young by some tragic accident or disease. I get these horrible ideas of myself or my loved ones dying and they scare the crap out of me. It makes me feel like my future will be worthless and once again, once I start thinking about it I can't stop. The only person I have felt comfortable talking to this about so far is my boyfriend of 2.5 years. At this point though, I just want to relax. So I guess my questions are A: Could I possibly have some sort of Anxiety Disorder? B: Are there any calming exercises or any advice that can help me to better manage my stress and anxiety until I can consult my doctor? Thanks for any help. Sorry this was so long :|
LilBlueSmurf
Member # 1207
posted 02-02-2008 09:15 PM
Hi there! Welcome to Scarleteen It sounds like, whether or not you can classify this as a 'disorder', you do certainly seem to have trouble dealing with the anxiety you're feeling. Are you currently in therapy of any kind? On any medication? Started any new medications recently? Any big changes in your life? Any reason you can think of for your anxiety to be increased right now? Sometimes changes in one area of our lives can affect us in ALL areas of our lives in ways we would never imagine. Per your questions ... I don't know whether this is a disorder. I am not a doctor and cannot diagnose you online. You need to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The best advice i can offer you is to keep discussing this with your boyfriend. Just keep talking. Even if you think it sounds silly, it doesn't matter. Having someone elses input is important; sometimes they are the only voice of reason. You really need to sit down and pinpoint where this stress and anxiety is coming from. Once you know, you can begin to look at coping techniques. Again, keep in mind that stress in one area of your life (ie, school) can cause stress in other areas (ie, relationships, sleep, eating, etc). You need to look for the source, not just the symptoms. And last but not least, you should look into getting some sort of outside support. Having your boyfriend to talk to is wonderful, but he really can't be objective and he does not have the knowledge and experience a therapist does. You can also look for support groups in your area for those dealing with anxiety disorders.
sweetcatastr0phe
Member # 36838
posted 02-03-2008 03:52 PM
No I'm not in any therapy. I'm not entirely sure who else I can talk to about it other than my boyfriend. I just want to get a handle on this. My boyfriend and I hadn't had sex for two months and I got my period every single month but I couldn't help but take 8 pregnancy tests throughout the time period to make sure. I feel like they're wrong and inaccurate and I'm going to miss a pregnancy and not know about it until my stomach is about to pop. I feel like my periods are just implantation bleeding even though they're heavy. Like, I KNOW it's irrational but I can't get it out of my mind. We had sex once more on my birthday (Jan 28) because I thought I could handle it but I freaked out afterwards. I guess I'll be making a run for more pregnancy tests soon. Who could I talk to other than my mother or my guidance counselour at school about this?
September
Member # 25425
posted 02-04-2008 01:27 AM
Well, your guidance counselor is a very good start. You can talk to them, or you can ask your counselor to refer you out to a therapist. They should have a pretty good idea of what resources are available to you.