21 years old should I take Lexapro for this?

[neptune296]

Hi everyone :)

I'm a 21 year old guy and for my entire life I've been battling anxiety, anxiety about everything. About my health, the way I look, the way people perceive me, and what people think of me. I've had every fatal disease known to man and survived them all.

I'm a shy guy and meeting new people and doing new things has always been challenging for me but I still do them. I know everyone experiences some anxiety when meeting new people, going to the first day of class, or on a first date and I've tried to tell myself I'm just a "little" more anxious than normal and it'll fade the more I do it. However, my anxiety is so bad that it takes me over an hour to leave the house and while I'm getting ready I work myself up into an anxious mess making myself feel suddenly exhausted, out of it, and up tight. The whole time my heart is racing on and off and while I hide my anxiety well and still function it makes everything I do, even going to a small school club, a hard and unpleasant task.

When I get back, no matter what I went to do, I feel like I've ran a marathon, gone through a war zone and back. I feel like I just want to come home and collapse. I've been prescribed Lexapro but I feel bad that I've been given it. Like I have some mental illness, like I'm a basket case. I want to do so many other things in my life but the thought of doing them seems so insurmountable that I can't imagine them ever happening.

I've been trying to just pursue though the anxiety and hope that I'll get used to everything and become less anxious but it doesn't seem to be helping and a lot of things I don't even try.

Anyway that's my story, thank you for reading this. What do you think? Should I give Lexapro a try or has anyone else been in this situation and have any advice on what I should do or what you did? Thanks :)

[remar]

I agree with Paxiled. Therapy can do wonders for many people. If you do need medication don't feel bad about it. There's no reason to live this way if medication can help with your anxiety.

[Paxiled]

Through all these years have you ever done talk therapy of some kind?  To figure this out?