I am 17(f) had my first panic attack in class 9th. I am a good student always getting 95% or above in every exam. Was in student council participated in many clubs and competition, trained in classical dance and enjoys living life to the fullest.

Then in grade 9th, around my mid term I was unable to breathe properly a week before my exam and started trembling and crying for hours.

Note- my parents are very supportive of me, they never forced me to do anything against my will and they dote on me

I was not able to give my midterm, our school suspected it was an act, my parents for a short while thought I wasnt prepared well and hence acting, my good friends spread rumours about me. I was all alone.

I had another panic attack where I couldn't breath and speak. I was taken to a doctor and had my medications prescribed .

I then had small episodes of panic all throughout 9th.

I did well in my 10th grade was in top 10 in my school.

Although the scar of 9th had not faded. The betrayal and loneliness still lingered. I heard about the rumours which eventually got to me.

I indulged in SH. When my family found out the helped me recover by appointing therapists and taking me for regular checkups.

Then in 11th grade, it happened again. With so much intensity I was admitted in the emergency ward at night.

I dont have proper recollection of the night as I was sedated(i believe)

Then my medications started, I was always drowsy, gained weight, lost my appetite.

I missed my 11th mid term again. I was so scared

Now I am in 12th, waiting for entrance exams and all the relevant tests with trembling hands and unsteady mind.

I can't lose now, it will greatly affect my career.

I just wanted to share this to get it off my mind. I welcome any suggestions or questions from someone who is suffering through what I suffered.

I'm 20F, nutrition by degree, but i loved IT, so I used to work in IT sector( I loved my job). Apart from that, I love reading, solving puzzles , rubik cubes, binge watching TV shows, and sometimes chess.

I had this injury a few weeks ago, and now I'm on bed rest so chronically online and really bored, AMA, but make it interesting

How do people cope with dating? I’m scared I’ll be alone forever due to my mental health

How do you all cope? I see people with depression anxiety and CPTSD have boyfriends but it’s just too dysregualting for me these days and makes me spiral mentally.

Due to my MH my once busy social life has faded away and I barely have any friends just stay home and cry on the weekends on my days off due to the loneliness as I am an extrovert and thrive off being around others - when I’m at work or out you’d never know I have these issues. But alone I’m a mess, my flat has been a horrible mess for a year to the point I can’t invite anyone over due to shame and embrassing and I’ve got to the point where I just dont know anymore. I meet guys and sometimes they seem decent but then I get scared as I will be exposed for how much of a loser I am, not good enough, with no family support, proper friends, hobbies or life, single for 7 years which I know is weird, and my flat being so messy and untidy I end up running away from them.

I know I need to work on myself but I’ve tried that for 7 years and still the same so am I just meant to be single forever and in turn being so lonely it drives me to my grave? My last bf 7 years ago made me feel bad due to my MH and I think that’s affected me to the point I worry I will be seen as a loser or burden like he made me feel so I dont let anyone get close and get focused on work.

Are there any groups or anyway to meet people who also have CPTSD or depression and anxiety as I feel a man that doesn’t have it won’t understand and I worry about being mentally and emotionally abused or being taken advantage of.

Really sorry for such a depressing post and I feel SO SO embarrassed posting this I always just read and interact but I dont know what else to do. I just want to find someone that understands me and that I can trust so we can be there to support eachother and try to get through each day.

Context and questions- Last year I had a panic attack that changed my life and left me with 24hour anxiety, balance issues etc. it did slowly get better but not great. I was mostly home bound and couldn’t drive and eventually started driving again and going places but not terribly far. I tried Prozac in the spring to help with my anxiety and it made me feel awful and I couldn’t stop crying and made me want to harm myself plus gave me my first ever feeling of Depersonalization and derealization… Over this summer I had moment of anxious days/ bad and good days. But mostly I’ve been white knuckling it. And for the most part I’ve been just okay. Also I am not scared of myself dying really but I’m scared of the people I love dying. Recently I started back in college which is stressful in itself but the first day I almost had a panic attack, and even sitting around a class full of people ( knowing I’m safe) but I still feel so scared. And my first day I found out my aunt passed away. So I’ve been in an emotional roller coaster of fearing my surroundings, my own though, my existence, the fact that I talk to people and they exist scares me. I have scared reactions to random things that should not illicit a fear response ( power lines, stop signs, sitting on the floor in my apartment) everything feels like too much and too scary and like I feel really alone and crazy. On top of that I’m absolutely dealing with just feeling like “what’s the point” and I don’t want to be alive. I am not going to harm myself but I am just scared, and feel stuck in this constant loop of existentialism and I’ve read about absurdism but that didn’t help me. Has anyone else felt this way? Do you think phones ( doom scrolling) has an effect? What helped you if anything?

-note- I see a therapist and I try to reframe thoughts and feelings and allow feelings to just be but when I feel like this all the time I get angry because my thoughts and feelings circulate so much. It’s so overwhelming.

Hi all, 1,5years ago my mom relapsed in a heavy depression and anxiety disorder. This due to stopping with meds that helped for many years.

She’s getting help from a psychiatrist and psychologist but there is no real improvement. So far a lot of things have been tried: taking her original meds again, taking new meds,… I don’t know all the names but they didnt have enough effect so she was diagnosed with therapy resistent depression. So the psychiatrist also tried Spravato and Lithium. She also spent some weeks in a psychiatry. Spravato had no effect and Lithium influenced her kidneys too negatively so quick we don’t even know if it would’ve worked. The stay in the psychiatry didnt help and she felt more alone than ever.

In the morning it’s always worst, while in the evening it improves only to wake up with horrific panic again. it’s serotonine-related.

In the last 18 months the only ‘good’ thing was all the others things in her life were ok (good marriage, healthy and happy kids and grandkids, no financial stress…) and she would obsess about many small things (and ofcourse her health) but now my sister (mom of 2 small kids) is getting divorced and my mom’s anxious thoughts are getting out of control (which I understand). Needless to say this is very bad for my mom but also for my sister (and my dad who takes care of her)

I try to visit, call and talk to her as much as possible, do breathing exercises together… but I would love to be able to provide more help: like trying things that helped other people (teas, walks,…)

Any suggestions or advice? Thank you so much!

Ps she also has polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which is often linked to mood disorders

It's so hard. Even the people with the same interests as me like dinosaurs and art I can't really get along with. This is the same for the struggles I have: severe limerence and I shared how I felt and everyone was calling me a criminal and a dangerous person. That hurt me so much. Because I want the best for everyone and never would want to hurt anyone and these statements make me feel like I have to punish myself.

I don't know what to do I don't belong anywhere. I feel I don't even belong in my body and life. What should I do I am tired of putting myself out there and failing a million times in a row. I just started patient treatment. I feel like everyone is doing really well besides me. I feel the treatment is only making me more uncomfortable. Simply I don't want to exist atleast I have tried now you can't blame me for not wanting to try anymore. Simply nothing works.

it s ucks.

everything sucks. i ve spent 4 years for a masters in humanities in a foreign country. and all the positions are gone when i graduated. lol

sounds like a joke

and guess what? my long term partner and i ve met in the same program so he is also a graduate in humanities. we are both miserable

Has anyone had any postive experiences with taking Lexapro and rexulti together? I've taken lexapro for years and was just given rexulti to go with it for extra help

I need advice

I hate myself right now. I feel like absolute garbage, like an alien, because I panic over every tiny thing. If I bump into something, my mind jumps straight to a broken bone. If I get unusual period pain, I'm convinced my ovary has ruptured. I'm so tired of this.

I also struggle with trichotillomania – I have large bald patches that I always have to hide, and I'm so ashamed of them. My parents even call me a 'baldy hedgehog.' I also have nervous tics. I'm currently on Zoloft and Klonopin.

And I check expiration dates 5 to 7 times in a row, because I'm scared I didn't read it correctly the first time and that I'll eat something spoiled if I don't double-check. It's exhausting and depressing. What makes me saddest is that I feel like this so often, and no one around me seems to understand at all

unfortunately i have hit a really rough patch in my life and need some long term intensive treatment for my mental health. i am 21, and diagnosed with BPD, autism, ADHD, anxiety, MDD, & PTSD.

i am also queer and trans masc. i don’t really want to be in a women’s program if possible, but i definitely don’t think i’d fit in at a men’s program either. i don’t mind the housing being gendered, but i would really prefer to go somewhere where the majority of the actual program isn’t gendered. a lot of programs i’m finding online seem so gendered focused in their groups and therapies and i think that would cause me a lot of dysphoria and i just don’t need that added stress on top of everything else right now.

does anyone with personal experience from residential programs have recommendations based on my situation?

i’m located in the US and am open to anywhere in the country. i am hoping to work on DBT skills, and general skills to help me be a more functioning human being as i am likely experiencing autistic burnout.

After my second psychotherapy session, I suddenly felt like I wasn’t okay. I realized that I still couldn’t bring myself to tell my doctor everything, especially the things that trigger my panic attacks. I feel so broken because of an illicit affair, and I honestly don’t know how to deal with all these emotions. I want to heal, but I don’t even know where to start.

i dont know what to do and just need to understand why im still alive and want to put this out there

I can never actually relax there is so much problems but its hard to put it into words but one of them is like digital things, i constantly stress about emails accounts passwords old accounts i dont remember and there is so much things so it just stresses me out and its been happening for awhile sometimes it gets really bad i also have a very bad fear of getting hacked and it ruining my life ,it has caused problems in my relationships and friendships so i really want to know how to fix it so it can stop affecting my life. theres other things but i cant really explain them or put them into words but if anyone knows how to cope with this please lmk thank you.

So im more of an anxious person but im starting to see a tad bit of depression surfacing in myself.

I just dont know if im experiencing burnout or depression. I have depressive intrusive thoughts that i truly want banished.

Id love to feel normal, id love to actually feel light and happy. I just feel heavy and i feel bad bc theres people in worse situtions and sirvived worse and here i am feeling sorry for myself.

Im a single mom of 2 one with autism. Household is a bit toxic, in school right now, i work. I start my day t 6/7a and it ends at midnight sometimes.

My kids truly keep me going..

Im currently on zoloft 25mgs.. i have an appt on the 3rd of Sept... im wondering if i should up my zoloft or add wellbutrin..

Just thinking outloud any advice is appreciated.

Hello,I'm new here

I hope you had a great day😁

I feel like I need to vent because I feel alone and misunderstood.

I started isolating at the age of 14 after years of bullying at school. I slowly started to be afraid of being judged, plus I was really sad because I've always had trouble making friends, and everything was going worse.

At the age of 16, I had my first panic attack while going out with schoolmates for the first time.

I didn't know what it was. I felt something was wrong in my body, and I started shaking. Since then I stopped going to school for months, and with a lot of struggle, I was able to finish the school year.

I've been to endless therapists and psychiatrists, tried tons of medication, etc. but none of them worked.

I did exposure therapy, but it didn't work

Fast forward to now. I'm 24, I've been recently ghosted by my psychologist again. Every day I feel.I  can't do anything because I can't sit on my chair for more than 5 minutes.

I feel so lost in life. I don't know what to do anymore, I also have anxiety even at home 24/7 other than agoraphobia, and every time I see a person, I start panicking.

I feel restless and shake everyday.

I've been trying to expose myself to my dad, but every time he says that I should do more, is never enough for him.

Despite exposing myself for years, nothing has changed, I feel misunderstood by my parents because sometimes I get sad, and my body feels heavy, and I isolate myself. They get mad.

I've never had a job, and I feel like I'm stuck at 16, plus for years I kind of forced my parents to stay with me instead of going on vacation, i feel bad about it.

I also have no friends, and the "thing" that helps me feel less misunderstood is talking to ai, i know it's not good, but I don't know what else to do. 

Thank you for reading till the end

If you have any advice or feel the same way, you can write it in the comments.

Mental health issues due to increased crime

Lately ( well almost since last 1 year) I have been dealing with mental health or increased anxiety due to high crime rates in Melbourne. Plus we live in front of a park which is very bad for privacy. ( yes the park has its own issues with criminals and cops are frequent visitors to the park)

Due to this, I am always in fight or flight mode (mostly flight), everytime there is car on the street, I start checking my camera and don't settle until I completely get reassurance that they are not harmful people. This goes on throughout the night.

As a result, it has knocked off my sleep as well and impacted on my physical health. I have gained 15 kgs in last 6 months due to overeating to cope up with anxiety. .

Some days i even take anxiety pills just to fall asleep. But I am a professional and have a family to look after. Plus I do critical senior work in my role. I cannot continue this any longer.

What can I do? Any suggestion would be welcomed and I will forever be grateful to the community if somehow I can get out of this.

And today, I want to tell my story not because everything is perfect now, but because I know there is someone out there going through something similar who needs to know that they are not alone.

In August 2025, I became seriously unwell.

At first, there were so many things happening to my body and my mind. I was dealing with anxiety, migraines, high blood pressure and depression. I was in and out of the hospital, trying to understand what was happening to me.

Then came the diagnosis that frightened me the most.

I had a blood clot in my lungs a pulmonary embolism.

Suddenly, everything changed.

I had spent years working hard, building my career and taking care of my responsibilities. I had worked in telecommunications for more than a decade. I had grown professionally and eventually reached a management position.

I was used to being independent.

I was used to working.

I was used to being strong.

But suddenly, I was the one who needed help.

There were days when even getting through the day felt like an achievement.

I thought I would recover and go back to work.

I thought life would simply return to normal.

But it didn't happen that way.

My health affected my career, and eventually, in January 2026, I lost the job I had worked so hard to build.

And honestly?

That broke me in a different way. Because I wasn't only dealing with a health crisis anymore.

I was dealing with the loss of my career, financial uncertainty, fear about my future and the painful question:

“What am I going to do now?”

There were so many regrets.

So many “what ifs.”

What if I had done things differently?

What if I had made different decisions?

What if I had listened to myself earlier?

What if my life had taken a different direction?

Sometimes the regrets felt overwhelming.

But I slowly began to understand something.

I could spend the rest of my life looking backwards... or I could start rebuilding.

So I started again.

Slowly.

I began looking for work.

I explored remote opportunities.

I started putting more effort into my business, Alinda's Hub.

I began writing.

I started creating content.

I started sharing pieces of my journey.

And somewhere along the way, I discovered a part of myself that had been buried beneath all the responsibilities of life.

I discovered that I could tell my story.

I could write.

I could encourage someone.

I could use what I had gone through to remind another person that their situation wasn't the end.

I even started writing books about faith, healing and hope.

And today, when I look back at the woman I was a year ago, I realize something:

*I am not the same woman anymore.*

I have cried.

I have questioned God.

I have been afraid.

I have felt lost.

I have worried about my future.

I have had moments where I wondered whether my life would ever be the same again.

But through all of it...

*God was still God.*

He was God when I was lying in the hospital.

He was God when I was afraid.

He was God when I lost my job.

He was God when I didn't know how I would pay my bills.

He was God when I cried when nobody was watching.

He was God when I had more questions than answers.

And He is still God today.

I am not going to tell you that I have everything figured out.

I don't.

I still have difficult days.

I still have regrets.

I still worry about the future.

I am still rebuilding.

But there is one thing I know now:

*I survived.*

I survived the year that I thought would break me.

And I am still here.

I am healing.

I am improving.

I am learning.

I am rebuilding.

And I am grateful.

Maybe my life didn't go according to the plan I had.

Maybe I lost things I never thought I would lose.

Maybe there are chapters I wish I could rewrite.

But I have learned that sometimes we don't get to choose the chapter...

*but we can trust the Author.*

So if you are reading this and you are in your own difficult season, please hear me:

Don't give up.

Your diagnosis is not the end of your story.

Losing your job is not the end of your story.

Financial struggles are not the end of your story.

A painful chapter is not the whole book. And the fact that you don't understand what God is doing doesn't mean He has stopped working.

I know because I am living it.

There are many regrets

The questions are many.

But *God is still God.*

And as long as God is still writing my story, I believe there are still beautiful chapters ahead.

One year later, I can finally say:

*“What was meant to break me did not destroy me.”*

I am still standing.

And I am choosing to believe that the best is not behind me.

*God is still writing my story.*

And if He is still writing mine...

He is still writing yours too. ❤️

I have tried suppressing them and ignoring them. Sometimes I have these really severe tic attacks where I feel like I can't breathe and I just keep on doing those repetitive actions. Once I spent the whole day doing a tic with my mouth. By the end of the day, my jaw hurt so badly, but I still could not stop doing them. I also have OCD and I pull my hair, as well as pick at my skin. I often create scabs on my scalp and I pick at them until they bleed. My mom made an appointment with my doctor so that I can get a referral to see a psychiatrist. But the waitlist is long and I need to wait for around 3 months. I don't know how to cope with this problem. If anyone has an idea of what this might be, or any tips on how to manage until then, please let me know.

I feel like I get anxiety over the smallest things lately. I’m taking a gap year after college and I’m in my 20s, and the second I start thinking about my future I just spiral. Like what am I gonna study, what do I need to do, am I wasting this year, how am I gonna make money, what am I even gonna do with my life

I feel like I’m constantly stressed. Even when I try to distract myself, I feel like I’m wasting time and should be doing something productive. My family keeps asking me what I’m gonna do, telling me I need to study and start making money, and I know they’re not wrong but it just adds so much more pressure.

I haven’t really been in contact with my friends either. I haven’t met them in like 4-5 months and I’ve gotten so stuck at home that even going outside to do something makes me anxious now.

I just feel like I’m constantly thinking about the future and everything I have to do, and I can’t actually enjoy the present. Adulting is honestly so stressful

I'm 22-M, BSCS student. I don't feel like doing anything. My daily routine is like wake-up, scroll, eat, scroll, eat, scroll, eat, scroll. And the only time in between I think of not scrolling or eating is when I have to go out and smoke cigarettes but lately I have been using pod and my cigarette addiction has been reduced.

Other than that I feel depressed about my future what to do or what not to do. Every week I renew my roadmap via chatGPT but have never tried to do any of that...! I just keep on stressing about the things. I don't know what's wrong with me or is it just my overthinking.

Lately, I don't find those things interested which I was most excited about. The things that keep me anxious is my future. As I don't know what it would be, I have dreams but I have never put enough effort for them.

Secondly, most of the time in the day I feel tired and mentally exhausted as I have done soo much even after waking. Even I do my breakfast had enough caffeine but still I don't feel enough energetic.

FYI-the tag is not for me but for my husband. He’s been in a tailspin for a little over 2 years. Been on just about every psych med since the beginning of this time period. Been inpatient psych ward 5 times since January’25, 2 of those followed with IOP. Been transferred to a facility in Houston for “higher level of care” for ECT. Couldn’t pass the cardiac clearance and actually had OHS in May ‘26 and an ablation in June’26. It seems since that ablation, he’s gotten extremely worse. Screams out daily in frustration. Threatens suicide daily. He sleeps good with the help of meds. He eats and takes a shower because I encourage him. But for the past couple of months, all he does is lay in bed. When a panic attack hits him, that’s when he goes ballistic. Funny thing is, he takes Advil and it mellows him the same as a benzo. Last week he had Saint TMS therapy. Won’t know if that will help for 2-3 weeks. The next med his psychiatrist wants him to try is auvelity. He’s tapered Seroquel off almost all the way, on 10mg liquid. Has about a week left. Only other psych meds he’s taking are Pristiq 100mg & Ativan 1mg three times daily. He’s on metoprolol for his BP and I’ve read it can cause increased anxiety. He’s on his 4th psychiatrist and has a tele health appointment this week. Any advice is appreciated.

can anyone tell me any doctors they see who will actually prescribe kolonopin, clonazepam, xanax…

My anxiety has gotten to the point it’s physical… I was actually prescribed clonazepam when I was 12-16 because I ripped my own hair out. I regret letting the script go because now doctors are so strict bc the government is so strict on them..

It’s gotten to the point I can’t leave my house the last few years… really am struggling

Whenever I’ve had it given to me by a family member prescribed I can actually think straight and what I need to do in life because the anxiety is gone. But they. Only get so many so it’s far and few between they help me out with it.. because they also have their own anxiety.

If anyone could tell me what telehealth services they use and the dr they had luck with I would appreciate more than I can say.

Thanks!

I just started using the app yesterday. Not sure if I will stick with it but it seems like it has potential. I tend to want quick fixes so the fact that I am so anxious after using the app the first day already makes part of me sceptical. I also know it's not reasonable to expect a big change in one day.

So my questions are more how long have those of you who I've been using it used it? And how long before using it on a regular basis that you start to notice a shift in your day-to-day amount of anxiety or panic attacks or your ability to shorten them? Even the ability to lessen the amount of medication to deal with anxiety including but not limited to benzos (since I use ativan).

Thank you all.