Light headed all the time. Worried it's a brain tumour??!!

[scott1993]

hi! i'm a 21 year old male.

Ever since I started at college in 2010, I've been constantly worrying if I have a brain tumour or if it's anxiety.
It started off with me physically being sick every Wednesday because on Wednesday's we'd always have a more stricter lecturer. Before I left the house, I was always sick... heaving, but basically just water coming out. Later in the year, this turned to me feeling light headed all the time and the sick thing went.

But over the past 5 years, it's gotten worse. I'm really really worried I've now got a brain tumour and it's got bigger or something. But then i'm worrying maybe it's just my anxiety getting worse? Would I still be alive after 5 years if it was a tumour?

I currently work in retail. We've got a stricter store manager at the moment. I want to go into photography or journalism, but for now i've got this job. I find whenever I am on a till, it gets worse. Sometimes my breathing goes all funny, I get really hot, my heart feels like it's racing, and on one occassion, I went even dizzier and my hands and legs went shaky. I think I was worrying that people were judging me when I was on the till, or if I'd do something wrong. I was chatting to someone once and seen a manager come down the aisle and I suddenly felt very faint. I'm a good worker, but it seems like they take everything out on me, and I constantly worry. We have to date check the food items. I always worry I've done it wrong and I'll get told off. It's now my weekend off, and i'm worrying I've done something wrong.

Because the light headedness has got worse, I'm really worried it's actually a brain tumour... or because I get those things like I did on the till, is it actually anxiety?

Some mornings when I have to be up at 4:45am, I feel a bit light headed but okay and happy. When I go to leave the house, suddenly I feel more light headed. I love cycling and it really relaxes me. I go out into the countryside and even though I feel light headed still, I feel the least light headed possible. Like sometimes it gets bad and I can't even think right.

It's my day off today, and i'm  panicking. It's only 08:40am. It's because i'm going out for a meal. I feel terrified. For some reason I always feel like people are judging me when I'm eating, or watching me. I recently went out for a meal with my Nan, and for some reason, I felt like my heart was racing, my chest was a bit weird, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. When I got home, I felt a bit better.

The light headedness improves on my mood. If everything at work is going fine, it gets better, but doesn't go completely. If everyone is upbeat, I feel happy and better. For some reason, if the weather is sunny with blue skies everywhere, I feel better compared to if it's cloudy. If I get a good night's sleep, it's often better.

But it's always there. I keep worrying it's a brain tumour? Or is it just anxiety?

[LRon]

The fact that your symptoms are triggered by certain situations, and alleviated to some degree by others (bicycling), clearly shows you're struggling with anxiety and not a brain tumor. And as you may now, dizziness/lightheadedness and anxiety go hand-in-hand.

CRSeaside is right, you should grab the bull by the horns and seek the help of a psychologist or other mental health professional. Anxiety is very treatable. Best wishes!

[CRSeaside]

Dear Scott. IMO you are experiencing anxiety. My brother in law recently had a brain tumor and his symptoms were none you mentioned.
  A good psychologist can train you to calm yourself down. There are also benefits in yoga mindfulness and meditation.
A good book to read is Ekhart Tolle The Power of Now. It really teaches you to stay in the present moment and keeps you from worrying.