Anxiety making me feel down/upset?

[scotty_5]

hi i'm 17 years old and get anxiety - the sicky / light-headed feeling.

i've had it since around June 2010, and it's starting to make me feel a bit low.

It was a nice Sunny day today, and I would have loved to have gone cycling - there's a cycle path nearby. but because i don't have much confidence, and because i get stupid thoughts, i never went - when i love cycling, and have never (in the past) turned down an offer to go cycling.

i'd have gone on my own, because all my school mates stopped contact after secondary school. why? we were all going off in different directions, so i went to a different college where none of them were going. 2 weeks after the start of the term, they hated their new colleges and went back to the secondary school. i didn't want to, because i'd already settled in at the college, and preferred it there. so because of that, they stopped contact. i can't really go out with college mates, because they live too far away from me and it'd cost a lot on buses and that.

i've gone to the doctor about my anxiety. when i first went, it was a stand-in female doctor from another surgery, and it felt good talking about it, because it was something off of my chest. but with the usual male doctor, and i'd prefer to talk to a woman (not sure why). but, going hasn't helped, and he won't refer me to see anyone - he just said i should go out more, which i have been doing, but it hasn't really done anything.

it's starting to make me feel a bit upset. like i said, i love cycling, and love getting out. but this anxiety is stopping that. i still go out, but if i don't have to, i won't unless i really push myself.

thank you.

[Alisonj29]

It sounds like you are alittle depressed. When you stop doing things you love there is usually some depression involved. It sounds like it has been very hard on you going through everything with your friends and school. I think you need to see your doctor and have tests done and let him know everything you are feeling. They will be your best bet to get you back on the road to feeling better. You are young and should be able to enjoy yourself and activities that you love. Good Luck and I hope you get some answers

[scotty_5]

I'm from the UK. I think in the US, you call college high school. It's not University college.

Thank you for your answer. :)

[jlroesner]

Hi Scotty!
I'm so glad you were at least able to see the woman doctor and have a brief respite.  Can you seek another opinion from another doctor and make sure it is a woman?  You don't sound like your from the US so I dont know about your healthcare restrictions and so forth, but if I were you, I would try really hard to keep going to doctors until one can test you for all the physical issues which present as anxiety and then, if those come back clear, start addressing your anxiety from a mental health standpoint.  In the meantime, don't be too hard on yourself.  College (which I'm asssuming is secondary school, I'm not sure though) is a rough time of adjustment for everyone.  For me, if I'm in a situation that would cause anyone stress, I over-magnify it and it comes out as horrid panic attacks.  So, try to give yourself a break.  Being away from friends, being lonely, new pressures of a new school would give anyone anxiety.  My best advice would be to nip this cycling in the bud.  If you can, try to make yourself go even if it is scary or doesn't feel safe.  You see, in my experience, the more I gave anxiety (in the arena of stopping something I always did because it suddenly seemed scary) the more it took.  Suddenly I wasn't just afraid of the grocery store where I had a panic attack, I was scared of shopping in ANY store.  Anxiety  took my fear of that specific grocery store and turned it in to a generalized fear of shopping in general.  So, dont let this happen with your cycling.  Go, go, go.  It won't be easy, it may not be fun like it used to be, but do it.  Every battle faced with this demon is a battle won.  Again, this may not even be a concern until you have the medical tests to rule out a physical disorder causing the symptoms.  My best to you.  I wish you peace.  Jen