Do I have GAD?

[Valyosa]

I am a 19 year old Female, currently in college and seperated for a prolonged period from my parents, with whom I have a close relationship, for the first time. I've also been in a relationship for almost 2 years that is sometimes very stressful. I have a history of depression and took Lexapro for about 6 months when I was younger. I don't believe I've ever had a specific panic attack, but my most common anxiety is over analysis of a situation. For example, if I would arrive late to my house, my parents' car would be gone, and they hadn't left a note or message, I would start to visualize and worry that they had been kidnapped, that they had gotten in a car accident somewhere, that they were dead, and it's extremely distressing. Also, sometimes when I have free time and I'm very bored, or I can't fall asleep at night and my thoughts wander, I have visual thoughts about my parents, friends, sister, even PETS being killed, and many times it's a fantasy situation where I have to choose to kill one of my loved one's a let another live. I can't halt these images, and I'm not sure if I have an anxiety disorder or simply an overactive imagination. Either way, I can't deal with it anymore.

[Shayla88]

I really can't tell you.

Maybe you do, I know that I focus my anxiety on my health.

I take one little thing and pick a disease that fits well, and then I'm convinced I have it until a doctor or someone I trust assures me otherwise.

Maybe you have anxiety and you focus it on the death of the people you love?

It's tough because there are so many different conditions out there. That could be a symptom of depression couldn't it?

It's so hard to deal with, but hopefully we'll both come to terms with the fact that most likely, I'm not going to randomly get Lyme disease and your family probably won't be kidnapped.

I wish it was easier though. I really don't want to take medication.

[Valyosa]

I agree, I also don't want to take medication, because I feel like it's unnatural, however, I feel like I also endure a lot of stress that I distort in unnatural ways, and no matter how many people tell me I shouldn't worry about stuff like that and how far-fetched my worries seem, I still can't fight my anxieties. I am a psychology student in HS and I think that maybe I have a chemical imbalance that is causing me to worry and overanalyze in an unnatural way. The weird thing is that I'm not sure where this anxiety could come from, because I've never had a loved one die unexpectedly, I've never endured any trauma, and I have an amazing family life. My mom was a worry wart, but just like an overprotective mother, nothing more.