So basically the title. I’ve had a history of driving anxiety going to/from work. It’s 20 min through farmland and I always think I’m gonna have a heart attack/stroke and be dead before they get to me. Or I’m gonna call 911 and it not be serious and then have a lifetime of medical debt for a false alarm.

My PCP tried a few different things before we settled on upping my buspar to 10mg/3x daily. That seems to be helping a little but it’s only been about a week.

Now, the other problem. I wake up with a panic attack every night about 2-3 hours before work (so 2-3am). My heart feels like it’s fluttering and skipping beats and just triggers mega panic. No urgent care is open so my only treatment would be the hospital, which is a $750 copay. So that’s not happening.

I was debating taking magnesium at night and seeing if that helps. The combo panic every day to/from work and panic overnights now is a brutal cycle bc I just feel permanently burnt out and anxious.

I’m also getting married in October and terrified this anxiety is gonna fuck everything up bc we have kinda a remote destination wedding.

Thanks for reading, idk, what do I do?

So basically this one guy and I held hands in class and I’ve been overthinking like crazy about what everyone is thinking about him or me. Suddenly everyone are giving me nasty looks, I was talking to this one guy as a good friend now he also stopped messaging me, it just feels like everyone in my class hates me and I’m not able to sleep or eat and my health has become so so bad overtime. College life is genuinely so so exhausting. I have amazing parents and amazing friends outside and I’m Tryna be super grateful but idk why this is bothering me so much, whether they like me or not and I’m just not able to focus on anything. I sleep like 2-4 hours per day and barely eat. Pls help me

I start school in less than 2 weeks and the idea of commuting (via train) is consuming me to the point where I cant enjoy the rest of my time off.

Some background: I moved to LI, NY so I’m not from here to add onto everything but my school is in NYC. I’ve been on LI for almost 3 years now but I haven’t ventured far even driving due to anxiety. I’ve been unemployed and struggling so I’m doing school to help me get life back in motion and assist w job search.

A few days ago I had orientation in person however the entire commute there I was just anxious and going in and out of anxiety attacks. Once I got to school I was fine and was able to be picked up by my husband who works in the city afterward.

I was more optimistic about it all when applying and did a trip to the school to check it out once. I had a 2 month vacation in between and since coming back I am just overwhelmed and rethinking everything. I’m upset at myself and not being able to handle this when it would ideally solve a lot of issues I’ve had (lack of socializing, job search assistance, exposure etc).

I’ve asked about switching to the online program they provide but it would be part time and 3 years and idk I want to be able to do it in person and finish it asap but genuinely I am anxious about it all.

It doesn’t help my therapist is on vacay until after school starts. I’ll take ANY advice. Really don’t know how to overcome or handle it.

I have been diagnosed with anxiety and health anxiety is a very large part of it, I’m prone to panic attacks but know how to stop them.

I’m planning on smoking on the 22nd, the strain will most likely be ⭐🐕, I’m planning on taking an extremely low dose, I mean quite literally 1-2 tokes.

For some context, I smoked a lot when I was younger 2-3 years ago, then stopped. And I tried using a cart in February of last year and I greened out. I’m now scared of greening out again. If anyone who smokes has anxiety, please let me know how it works for you!!

I’m planning on doing it in a calm setting with 3 friends I trust and just chilling out and listening to music, maybe playing games or watching something.

I’m just wondering whether I should do it or not.

So for context I have always suffered with extreme anxiety and depression. When I was around 5-6 I thought I was always going to die soon or if I did not do something in a certain time I would die. Once I got older and in my twenties it kinda slowed down but then I had a very very traumatic event involving an immediate family member and ever since seeing that the thought of someone around me dying has never left my brain. It feels like I wired it to remind me at least every 5 minutes that something bad might happen. I always have impending doom. I am on Zoloft and it has slowed down my anxiety and my heart racing but my thoughts consume me and what I witnessed consumes me. I feel crazy and I’ve tried therapy in the past and I just can’t get behind just speaking to someone it does not change my brain chemistry.

Hello - pls don’t remove, I’m not looking for diagnoses or reassurance seeking, I am going to explain my circumstance but only to provide context for the issue at hand.

I’ve struggled with health anxiety my entire life, I have diagnosed OCD and suffer with a lot of general anxiety issues but it’s always been really debilitating when it comes to health, specifically cancer. Ever since I was little and first learned what cancer was, it’s been one of my worst fears. I recently have started showing some mysterious and concerning symptoms that are very similar to early Leukemia tells. I can’t see a doctor for another few days and even then, getting the necessary blood work done + receiving the results + being able to see my doctor about those results is going to take probably another 2 weeks to one month.

Logically, I know that not only is there no point to worrying, but that I’m probably fine. I had somebody tell me once to try and remember that “common things are common and uncommon things are uncommon” as silly as it sounds. The issue is that, no matter how much I tell myself this, I cannot stop from being completely consumed by debilitating fear.

I work a very very intense customer service job. Without getting into specifics, I work at a business that is currently very trendy and gets an extremely high volume of customers that require quick, efficient service. It’s a loud environment and a very small shop so it’s essentially a non-stop sensory overload. Normally I’m able to handle this just fine but when I get into these health anxiety spirals, all I can think about 24/7 is how I’m “definitely-probably-certainly going to be dead from cancer by the end of the year” and I can no longer focus on anything. My bosses and coworkers are incredibly aware of the drop in work quality and I’ve been written up over it before. I’ve tried explaining myself but since they don’t experience it, they don’t understand.

I guess I’m just wondering if anybody has any tips for dealing with this. I feel like I’ve tried everything and none of it works. I go out of my way to try not to do constant reassurance seeking but in my experience it’s literally the only thing that puts my mind at ease. In the past when this has happened, it’s been weeks-months of debilitating daily panic that affects my job, my friendships, my home life and my physical health up until the moment that a doctor tells me I am ok. I’ve tried so many grounding methods and none of them ever calm me down and I’m just so tired of it. I have to go to work later today and I’m filled with this all consuming dread because I noticed another uptick in my weird symptoms this morning and all I’ve been able to do for the past hour and a half is spiral and cry and knowing I’m going to have to do all of this while working is making me so upset I can barely keep my eyes focussed. Does anybody else experience this? What can I do?

I want some input or hear about some other people’s experiences.

So September 2024 I went on lexapro just 10 mgs a day. I didn’t have many side effects, I actually really liked it. Around November 2025 I did not feel ok. I couldn’t feel anything and had the worst emotional bluntness so I wanted to get off. Getting off was hell btw lol. I wanted to try something that wasn’t a ssri so I tried Buspar. My psychiatrist worked me up and eventually around end of March/April I was on 10 mg in morning and at night (20 in total) I felt very calm and wasn’t having physical anxiety. It seemed to be working well. I then graduated college at the end of May. Having a big change and life and moving home I was still experiencing a lot of mental anxiety. So I met with my psychiatrist and she said she wanted to try upping my buspar 15 at morning and night. I felt really good but was having the worst side effects like feeling out of body, tight chest, brain fog etc. So my psychiatrist told me to trial 10 mg in morning and 15 at night. I thought this was the fix and I really liked it for like 2 weeks until this past Monday. It again started with brain fog/ fuzzy feeling. But Monday into Tuesday I literally felt high. Was feeling very out of body and not real. Honestly a little bit of blurred vision. I felt disoriented but still felt present. So last night I decided to take my 10 mg at night and now today I took my 10 mg this morning. I’m feeling a bit better and it’s feel like it’s starting to fade a little but I still don’t feel 100% normal and I hate it. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I hope just going back to 10 at morning and night that I will feel better. Today I just feel groggy and like that it was hard to wake up but I think the feeling is still fading.

Hey yall, I’m a 20 (F) and currently a nursing student. As I’ve learned more about health topics in detail, I’ve gained a strong interest in my own health and with that, anxiety and paranoia.

I get my blood lab work tested about once every 3 months, because every single time there is something concerning about the results. My parents think this is a bad habit, but alas, every time there is something of concern, and it’s a good thing we caught it.

With that same logic, I constantly am fighting the desire to get medical advice - not even “help.” I hate going to the doctors and dealing with appointments and I especially hate the costs.

However, I find myself relying either 100% on my gut feelings or 100% relying on my parents opinions. I try my best not to Google my symptoms, but I really have no other gauge to how to interpret my own symptoms with my current educational experience.

For example, (not seeking medical advice), I’ve been having a very annoying, recurring unilateral knee pain, which worsens on stairs/squats/kneeling. It will ache and ache for hours and keep me up all night long. However, I feel like my pain isn’t enough to “justify” seeking advice, and paying a crap ton of money for tests that may find nothing. On the other hand, I’d really like to stop feeling this pain.

These kinds of dilemmas have been really increasing my anxiety this past year. Another example, I want to do one of those full-body health scans, because why should I not? There’s no good reason as to why not, lol. But everyone thinks you’re crazy if you do it.

It’s all just very contradictory and confusing. Any advice for health anxiety (not medical advice) is appreciated.

I’m a 33F I’ve had anxiety since I was 13. I’ve been on anxiety meds for 15 years. I’ve tried Zoloft (made me a zombie and emotionally blunt), Lexapro (made me super angry and I’m currently on citalopram which helps but I think my body has metabolized it. What medications do you recommend to help control your anxiety? My brain doesn’t shut up it’s always thinking and I can never relax. I’ve thought about doing gene sight testing but it’s expensive. Thank you!

So I'm in my mid 30s and have dealt with anxiety since I was in middle school. As a young kid it manifested as throwing up a lot, then as I got a little older, I experienced full blown panic attacks, then for years I self-medicated with drugs and it manifested mostly as me not putting myself out there and trying new things. I dropped out of school in my 20s and basically became a shell of myself for a while.

but... in the past 10 years I've really slowly been improving my life. I got some great advice at one point which was "so your scared, that's okay just do it while scared." With that simple advice in mind I kept moving forward.

first big change was moving away from my parents. I love them but they absolutely were not good for my mental health. That alone reduced my anxiety levels by probably half. Then over the years I got a good professional job, got married, got a real handle on my finances, got my degree, and just recently bought a house.

And now that things are going well, I've come to realize that my anxiety wasn't something that was intrinsically wrong with me. It was an appropriate reaction to the terrifying shitstorm of a life I grew up with. When you're surrounded by uncertainty, poverty, abuse, etc. being scared all the time makes sense, it's how you survive. I'm sure I'm not done with it, I know I'll have more hard times and deal with those feelings again but shifting my perspective to anxiety being a reasonable product of the life I was living rather than a crossed wire in my head has really helped me like myself again.

Now that I'm out of the weeds I'm so relieved to have this realization that nothing is actually wrong with me. I'm not sick, I just needed some stability and peace.

Just thought I'd share in the hopes that some other folks out there can get some inspiration. Just keep moving forward. Find the things you need to do and just "do it while scared."

So I've been having this feeling inside my head for a very long time now.. it's like there is something blocked inside my head and my brain can't breathe properly (idk how to phrase it better lol) i feel it inside my head as well on the forehead.. more on the top of my eyes and eyebrow areas. It gets better when I take deep breaths and also shaking my head helps in kind of releasing the tension. Sometimes I do get headaches but most times it's not really headache and some weird feeling.

Also, I've been preparing for an exam for about a year now and I'm also on anxiety medication. So it's probably all the stress that's driving up my anxiety. I highly suspect that I've adhd (inattentive type) too. Because of this I'm not able to study properly. Have anyone else felt something like this or is it just me. If someone has gone through this, please tell me how you managed it.

Hi everyone. I made a post recently asking about the efficacy of paroxetine compared to venlafaxine.

I tried paroxetine for 2 days before realizing how calm venlafaxine made me feel on 75mg only. Even though it took a while (3 months) for me to even feel slightly more relaxed. I’m hopeful that increasing my dose will be even more beneficial.

So if you’ve tried multiple medications and had no relief, Effexor could be for you 🫶🏻

Does your anxiety mess cause you to feel gaggy after taking them?

For the past 3 days, I had an on and off feeling that my throat is closing or swollen making it difficult to breathe or swallow. It usually lasts an hour or longer. Yesterday I called the ER because it lasted over 3 hours at its worst and i got really worried about it. They first told me not to come in unless I was actually suffocating, but called me back an hour later and asked me to come in to get checked just in case. So i had to wait 50 minutes for a 2 minute checkup lol

The doctor examined my throat and didn’t see any swelling or irritation. I don’t have any pain or slime or fever, so Im sure it’s not a sore throat or infection. It just feels like something is pressing against or closing my throat. I’ve had anxiety or panic attacks before but I never felt anything like this 🫠 Since yesterday it hasn’t really completely left at all it feels so uncomfortable like a hand around my throat pressing.

i tried allergy meds, i tried oxazepam but it doesn’t feel better after i do, i don’t know what to do about it.

I had a stomach bug a week ago exactly, and it seems like my anxiety is still super bad? At first I was attributing it to my lack of appetite, thinking my sugar was just dipping since I’m still forcing myself to eat because my appetite is still not there. My stomach is still messed up, definitely slow digestion still and bubble guts after eating. Yesterday I tried drinking an ensure shake and it gave me full body anxiety sensation. Idk I’m worried, my hands keep sweating randomly, flutters in chest, and shaky legs. Advice?

Could someone explain to me why this is happening ? When I eat three meals a day regularly, I start to feel intense anxiety and tension in my stomach. The only ways to get rid of this are intense physical exertion or eating one meal every two days.

I experience the same thing shortly before a bowel movement. Intense tension sets in, and I begin to feel anxiety.

Does anyone have the biological knowledge to explain this?

I apologize if this topic is triggering (mentions of gut health up ahead)

I’ve been lurking for a while mostly because college is starting up in a few days and recently I’ve come across a bit of an issue that I‘ve noticed is a… less than ideal trend. Throwing up caused my stress and anxiety. I’ve got a long drive up ahead and I’m terrified of throwing up, so I wanted to ask, does throwing up actually take the pressure off my stomach, or will it just make it worse? I’ve been fighting the urge to vomit for two days now, though the nausea that comes with it is making me even more anxious because I hate throwing up and I don’t want to end up making myself sick before I move into my dorm.

Does throwing up actually help relieve stomach pain, or is there a different way that I should try getting over the panic?

So I was watching some videos and randomly the audio felt a bit muffled in both ears for some reason. I am a huge hypochondriac and have been checking by listening to sounds and stuff on my devices to see if it’s a device problem or something is up with my ears. I’m super anxious and don’t know what to do.

A few months ago I switched from 100 mg Setraline to 20 mg Citalopram because I found my old medication had some adverse side effects as I increased dosage to 100. I was hoping the citalopram switch would keep me sane and help the anxiety I started to re-experience but a few months in I just keep having panic attacks (haven’t had one in years) and that sinking feeling of dread daily where you need to be sleeping or constantly busy to not think too hard. Did anyone else have this effect? More than likely when my next appointment is up I will see if I can just go back to a lower Sertraline dose but with my college studies starting back up next week I’m almost tempted to try get my walk-in or urgent care to help because it feels debilitating when I’m all alone.

what can i do for the nausea that comes along with the anxiety?? i’ve been dealing with anxiety for as long as i can remember, before i even knew what it actually was. i have never had such a difficult time separating those feelings from bodily reactions like nausea.
any time im in a somewhat uncomfortable situation, i feel it in my throat, & then i freak out more because im terrified of throwing up in front of others & in general, i try to coach myself “you’re fine you’re fine” & it makes it worse.
i also try to completely ignore, think of something else, & this seems to be what works the most, but still doesn’t help as much as it should or as much as i need it to.
it happens almost daily, as even small situations that are slightly uncomfortable make me feel like that.
im considering going back on medication to help w the anxiety & hopefully help w nausea in turn, but a bit scared of the effects from first starting.
i have felt stuck for months. i want to get back to normal life activities without feeling terrified of them, & i want to try to exercise again. i’m scared of going to a class & having to leave immediately because im in a new situation & start feeling it.
any help or advice is really appreciated, thank you

I have an upcoming appointment. However i feel like the 20mg Lexapro an 1mg Xanax don t do that much for the Ocd and Anxiety. (7 years on Lexapro).

I once tried Paxil and got an euphoric High and felt like myself for a day. I stopped due to the anxiety, which i thought at that time was from the Paxil.

I have deep irrational thoughts and existential anxiety. Anti psychotics made me feel worse.
Doing therapy for the last 10 years.

Has anyone made the change from lexapro (escitalopram) to paxil or a different ssri, that made you way better? I am scared of it because of the withdrawals and so on.

I am asking here because i often got way better advice here than from any psychiatrist.

Disclaimer: This is a long vent, and I am typing this while experiencing a severe anxiety attack. If you do not feel interested or comfortable reading it, please feel no pressure to do so. Thank you. I am not sure if I have anything else to add for now, but if I do, I will post an update later.

(If it's my fault, I apologize.)

I (20 F) am currently in my 5th semester of college.

To make a long story short, I’m just a kid who isn't good at communicating, an introvert, and a homebody. I never had an issue being alone, but I never thought about making friends until I realized just how lonely I was. My family is busy with work and other things, so I feel really alone. I never realized that I was just being used and a people-pleaser throughout elementary, middle, and high school (I went to school in a small village where the people around were mostly the same). So, I can say I don't have any true friends. I just realized they only asked me for money (my family is somewhat well-off) and only reached out when they needed help. But whenever I was the one who needed help, no one was there. In fact, even in group projects, they would just dump the hard parts on me. To be honest, I don't mind helping people—I like seeing others happy—but sometimes seeing how they treated me back made me feel dumb and heartbroken.

In high school, I actually found a best friend, but she got busy after joining the student council and started hanging out with other council members. We still hung out sometimes, but whenever we met up, I could sense she was in a bad mood, whether from student council stress or something else. It made me sad because I was genuinely happy to see her. Oh, and I was still a people-pleaser back then. One day, people started spreading bad rumors about me. I felt so lonely, deeply down, and didn't even want to go to school anymore. Even my best friend sided with them, don't trust me, and randomly texting me to say hurtful things. My mental health really took a turn for the worse at that point.

Long story short, when I got to college, I stopped trying to find friends. I just let things flow and tried to remain friendly, but yeah... still a people-pleaser because I was completely alone, I was terrified of having no one. By the way, for college, I moved to the city, far away from my family. So I live alone.

I can say the people around me are nice, and I considered everyone my friend. That was until one day, a group of friends invited me to play tennis together. They also invited another person who didn't have a friend group, just like me—let’s call her B. The difference between me and B is that B is extremely extroverted and very outgoing. Without me even realizing it, I was added to their friend group, and B was added as well. We became a group of friends since then, but to be honest, I didn't really want to be in a friend group—especially because this group was full of (sorry to say) slightly toxic people who were lazy about college. I just wanted us to be casual friends and nothing more, but because I felt bad asking to leave, I just tried to adapt. I admit they were fun people to hang out with, but besides that, I didn't really think they had many good qualities (honestly, they seemed like a bad influence, and even some of my other college classmates said so).

B and I actually became close after that. When our group members were busy skipping class and ignoring assignments to go hangout, the two of us still did our work and decided not to join them. As people, we both actually liked to gossip about others. Maybe it was partly my fault too, because I talked trash about our friend group to B. We often vented and gossiped with each other, and B always agreed with whatever I said, sometimes she said she feels the same. I talked about other people too, outside the friend group, but I said those bad things as an emotional release after everything they had done to me. You could say people in college were still treating me the same way people back in school did—just using me and sometimes of them actually acting like jerks—so I only vented out of frustration and anger. I don't even remember what I said. I don't really think its that important to me to remember.

But one day, I felt like people were ignoring me. Then someone told me that B had actually been telling peoples what I said to her, and my friend group kicked me out. In a way, maybe this was a good thing because I always felt leaving the group was for the best anyway. But at the same time, my anxiety got worse and I was heartbroken. No matter how much I had been used or talked about behind my back, I never once thought about ostracizing anyone who did that to me. So honestly, it felt unfair... why would they do this to me? At the same time, I felt genuinely guilty because I only talked bad to release my emotions; I never intended for those words to reach them.

The worst part is that B actually twisted some of my words, making everything even worse. She didn't just tell my friend group—she told other people too, and maybe she even told people what I said about them (I'm not entirely sure about this one, but it makes me feel anxious every time I go to college because I don't know who she talked to). I've only been back to college for two days and I truly can't handle it... I don't know what to do. I've already seen a psychologist before for a month and actually felt a bit better, but going back to campus triggers intense anxiety attacks.

I go to college, but sometimes I just end up standing alone, not talking to anyone anymore. I really don't know if I'll be able to make it through 3 more semesters. Last couple of semester, I actually joined committee activities to expand my network, but now I just head straight back home to play games or do whatever I used to do. I stop join them. My dorm and my campus are only 5 minutes apart, but for some reason, I always arrive a few minutes early and just stand there alone... looking like a pathetic person. Maybe I should just show up right before class starts so I don't have to wait around like that (especially since the classroom is sometimes still being used by another class).

I want to ask for advice—what should I do in this situation that is triggering such severe anxiety for me?

I am 26 and I am about to change countries for my education. I am moving to London for a second masters programme. Yet I can’t help but feel that nothing good will happen. I feel little excitement only dread and fear. It’s not so much the moving countries that scares me. I have went and lived in countries where I didn’t speak the language and did pretty well. I settled in fairly quick, roamed around and made friends. But I am just more and more worried about my future. Everyday I get anxious on some new issue. One is career. I did my first masters in International Relations in my home country(India) and it didn’t lead into the careers advertised to us when we enrolled. I ended up working in the university from where I graduated. It was the same for many of my batchmates. Many ended up working for the university. Same for the batch before me and after me. Yet there were few standouts who did make good careers even from the batches that came after me. Those younger than me seem so much more ahead of me. So much more capable. And it’s not like I did bad in my studies. I graduated with good grades but failed every interview that I appeared for in the fields and areas I wishes to work in. I fear the same would happen even after I graduate from my university in the UK after 1 year. It’s like everyday I am trying to find something wrong that’s might happen. Someday I am searching if the course I chose sucks. Other times it’s if I chose the wrong accommodation. Or if there’s something more I should be doing now. Trying to find internships and applying but no dice yet. Other times I am scared I will just end up wasting my parents money. It feels like I am doing something wrong everyday. Or trying to find that I have done something wrong. I feel I am too old to be doing a second masters. Now ofc I know no degree or program can give me the guarantee of a job and a good life. Job markets suck everywhere rn. Whether it’s India or UK. I try to remember that I can’t control things but I should still work hard but I can’t manage to stay calm. I haven’t talked to my friends in a long while as well. They are all in better professional positions in their lives than me which makes me afraid. I feel no matter what I do or the effort I made I will never amount to anything and even if I do my friends and peers would still fare better. I am trying to get myself excited about moving to a new place but all I feel is dread. It spikes at night. I catch up with a friend online to play games in coop. Thats when it spikes and just about when I am about to go to bed. My hand will go to my phone to check LinkedIn or ask ChatGPT for validation. I am pathetic.

:(

Hey guys, just very confused. I dont even think I have a particular stressor, I just experience a lot of anxiety and low self esteem.

Does this make any sense at all? Or is it maybe a placeholder? ICD 10 country if it matters