Anxious of anxiety itself, afraid that I might be worrying too much..

[fluxx345]

Hi medhelp, I recently posted something in the same community 2 days ago, but I figured I want to be more specific about what I'm experiencing right now.

Basically, I'm worried and scared that I might have an anxiety disorder because of this excessive worry. I don't usually have spells of anxiety, and the last one that I had was over a year ago when my health wasn't going too well, and most of my anxiety were from my health problems, that somehow turned me hypochondriac.

During the past few days, I worried a little bit about my knee, since I felt some discomfort after working out, but that quickly went away. I worried about this more than I should, which then led me to believe that I might actually be a sufferer of an anxiety disorder.

I don't know what I'm exactly I'm experiencing right now, but I'll try to be as specific as I can be.

Basically, I'm afraid of anxiety itself. I'm scared of having an anxiety disorder, and I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing would actually qualify as an anxiety disorder. It's probably because I don't want to have a repeat of the anxiety that I experienced last year. The only difference is that I actually don't have anything to worry about right now, which upsets me even more since it makes me believe that all this is just useless worrying.

I'm also quite upset that while I can still function normally, I'm not doing the things that I usually enjoy doing since I want to wait until this is over to avoid association of those things to this mood.

I'm worried that I might be worrying too much.

I'm still doing fine though, it's just that there are times during the day when I remember all my worries and then feel very worried, which lasts for about a few minutes to an hour maybe until I somehow return to a "good" and much less worried mood.

I'm not sure if I'm a sufferer of anxiety or just having a bad time in general, lol. I'm actually looking forward to the end of winter break, which is in about 3 days, since I get to see my friends again in school and I will be very busy then, and most likely forget about this completely, until I get so much free time in my hands again lol.

Based on what I wrote, do you guys think that what I have is something to be worried about, or should I just drop it and carry on?

I'm just worried that I might be worrying too much.

Thanks!

[Lizziesj27]

This sounds like my anxiety issues, I get extremely anxious about having an anxiety attack or insomnia or any symptom that comes with anxiety. My whole life I've been a worrier. I'm also a hypochondriac which makes life challenging at times. Try coping strategies when you begin to worry about something insignificant. Tell yourself that it is anxiety, and that anxiety will not hurt you, you are in control and anxiety is going to happen from time to time and that's okay. Embrace these feelings instead of running away from them, almost like standing up to your fear and worries. This has helped me immensely for the most part. I still suffer from anxiety attacks from time to time, but I talk myself out of it and than I am fine. If doing this still does nothing for you, perhaps it might be time to see a therapist. Hope this helps!

[flubber123]

hey i have anxiety really bad
to me you sound like me before anxiety got bad you fear anxiety we all fear anxiety it must have effects on health and causes lot of stress so we worry weare stressing but worrying where stressing is causing stress !
a circle is what we are doing and worrying about something is completly normal its something everybody does but when a worry becomes a worry then we cant brake that cycle at the minute you sound you have mild anxiety which is good and getting help now is the best thing you could do !
i am way past that point i cant leave my house i cant enjoy life i dont go out im 22 i should be partying but instead im sat in and making excuses up this time last year i was having fun and looking forward to everything now i feel nothing accept worry you can brake it you can get help im here if you need to talk and sorry if it does not make sence what i put but its the only way i can belive its anxiety myself so i tried explaining it in a way i understand :)

[LRon]

One criteria for an anxiety disorder diagnosis would be if anxiety prevents you from going about your daily activities or basically enjoying life. It seems like you might be there. But for whatever it's worth, I wouldn't worry about whether or not you have an anxiety disorder. You clearly have an abnormal level of worry and anxiety weighing heavily on you, so you'll want to grab that bull by the horns and address it. Don't let worry interfere with you living your life any longer. It's been too long already.

My suggestion is to arrange for counseling so you can begin cognitive behavioral therapy. Depending on your wishes, you might also be prescribed something to help put your mind at ease which may also help make the CBT more effective.

In the meantime, remember that worrying accomplishes nothing. Zero. Nada. It is a fruitless activity. So instead go after what's causing the worry, because that CAN make a difference. Easier said than done, I realize. But try taking that advice to heart.

God bless you!

[fluxx345]

I'm 20 years old by the way, if that helps.