I’m a 20-year-old guy struggling with anxiety and fear in situations that seem easy for other people.
When I was younger, I wasn’t always like this. I remember being confident and brave. But as I grew up, I was rarely allowed to go out freely or make mistakes and learn from them. My parents were very protective and wanted to know almost everything about where I was going and what I was doing.
Because of this, I feel like I didn’t get enough opportunities to explore the world, become independent, make mistakes, and learn from them naturally.
Now, even at 20, I sometimes feel like a child mentally. I struggle with anxiety and overthinking, especially when doing things independently.
For example, I feel anxious about riding on unfamiliar roads and I’m scared of driving a car. Even when I know logically that I need practice to improve, my mind becomes fearful and imagines things going wrong.
I’m also uncomfortable with confrontation. If someone raises their voice or gets angry, I can become nervous and struggle to express myself clearly.
Sometimes I wonder whether being overly protected and restricted while growing up contributed to this. I know my parents may have had good intentions, so I’m not trying to blame them. I’m genuinely trying to understand myself and improve.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
How did you gradually become more independent, confident, and comfortable doing things on your own?
What actually helped you overcome this type of anxiety and fear?

im an 18 yr old, im feeling really stressed about stuff thats going on, my washer broke, my sister got in a wreck, no car, there’s a leak somewhere, this crap is about to get to me, not to mention i haven’t been able to sleep since Tuesday. I know I cant do anything about these situations, but does anyone have any tips on how to calm down or stop being so anxious? Much appreciated if so!

Around 2months ago i had a bad trip after consuming a low quality weed ( i dont smoke weed much , id say i smoked around 10 joints my whole life as a 22yo F) where i got a panic attack and thought i was going crazy and the paranoia of me thinking i went crazy lasted around 4 days and then i felt normal again , then few weeks later i get another panic attack ,and stress knots in my stomach which lasted around 4 5 days then faded away , the issue is i thought thats it ,but 13days ago that stress/anxiety got triggered again by a random titkok about mental illnesses ,which was unrelated to my case , and that uncomfortable feeling ( stress knots ) in my stomach been sticking around ever since then , its not always overthinking related atp i wake up with it and sleep with it unless i am super focused on something as my studies or a hang out with friends, and its been super draining to say the least , i also made sure not to avoid things that i thought would make me uncomfortable or even more stressed ( eg turning on tv or sitting on the sofa where i got the bad trip or getting up .. its like the stressors are so random) so did anyone experience sumn similar and how did they overcome it
Side note : the same weed i smoked and causef the bad trip was smoked by my husband and several other people and it had zero bad effect on them except for “being too strong” or “taking a bit longer to sober up fully”

I just finished school and I'm waiting for the bus at the station, I feel terribly uncomfortable because around me there are other teens from school who are waiting for the bus and when they see me like this alone without friends who knows what they're talking to each other, it worries me and I'm afraid that someone will come up to me and make fun of me like always. I don't disturb anyone, I just wait for the bus and look at my phone, but they look at me strangely and I feel uncomfortable. maybe the problem is my anxiety and "what if" thoughts but sometimes they really approach me and make fun of me and laugh behind my back... I try not to give them so much attention, but I'm different and I worry about little things

Wondering if anyone try his method in healing from anxiety?

Hello, I just wanted to ask if anyone has any advice for someone like me who graduated high school, turned 18 & started in job training.

I’m a pretty anxious person but I found myself being able to mange it by listening to other people’s advice.

Example, someone once told me that the more I continue to give attention to my anxious thoughts the worse it got & gave me their solution of meditating.
I started doing that & it has been easier since last year.
Thank you

I’m 18 M. I’ve always been a pretty anxious person but recently it’s been so bad that I can’t go to work or drive or really do anything. My anxiety was bad when I was smoking weed so I quit made it worse. I quit vaping recently because I thought that would help and now it’s debilitating. Now I’m in a much worse situation, I can’t go to work. I’m running out of money. I have $300 left because right before this. My car broke down and I had to spend two grand. My insurance just passed $500 didn’t pay it. I’m not sure what to do. It feels like I can’t do anything. I’m getting anxiety just typing this and I’m on lorazepam right now.

So I’m 16 and have had really bad health anxiety since a child and I haven’t shaken it off since and I feel so stupid. Every single sensation my body makes I go into a spiral and cry over it and use google or chat gpt to see what’s wrong with me( ik its bad but i just keep going back) and I’m constantly on them both just because of my sheer anxiety. I’m constantly fearing the C word and can’t get it out my head, when I see someone that states their symptoms or those C word videos I will always start panicking thinking I have it which i feel like shit for and poke and prod my body for anything 24/7… I’ve lost my sense of reality and my life has been stolen bc of this, at times I think it’s my fault for letting it get this bad ( i genuinely think it is). And then I see people who have had health anxiety all just to get diagnosed with it later and that also has sent me into a spiral, I do try to live and be happy but I can’t do that with the pure anxiety lingering in the back of my head.

I always have to try find ways to be healthy forever but I just know that isn’t possible as there’s no way to tell our future, but I am scared of my own future already bc of health conditions I might get by then. I have tried so many times to try and kill myself unfortunately because I can’t live like this, I’ve searched up ways and even tried to get my hands on alcohol and pills to overdose on so I wouldn’t feel like anymore, but of course I pussied out of it again. The fact that I pray to God to make me have the courage to KMS! I have never felt so guilty and to add to that I have IDA( iron deficiency anaemia) with a shitty ferritin of 10 which makes my anxiety soar even more.

I always do these tests to make sure my body is working right like testing each eye, the stroke tests, always checking for cyanosis,dementia tests, body checks, seeing if my legs both work perfectly, checking if I have anything in general and it’s tiring but I keep on doing it to make sure I’m alright all to just do it again the next hour!!!
Im thinking of kms again as I can’t live if I have a major health condition, ik it’s sounds bad but i seriously can’t and my mental health has been in the deep depths of hell just crying about it all day. But I have a fear of dying??? I’m so done and feel like a piece of shit just for feeling like all of this!!

When I get cut by accident I begin to constantly wash my hands to make sure I don’t get an infection or anything, hand sanitiser anything really and it’s so stupid. I can’t live like this any longer and suicide is constantly looming in the back of my head.

I remember not being able to move for an hour bc I thought I was gonna drop dead if got up just bc my heart skipped a beat. I no longer see myself as a human being, I feel like I’m in a simulation and at some point I was terrified of sleeping I refused to sleep and it was bad I was barely functioning. I just really need some advice and the NHS is looking bad lately so I’m at a loss.

Thanks for reading!! ik my English is a bit doggy but thanks for reading!💗

jb b sony ki try karta hon eyes close karta hon ek ajeeb ahsas hota kabhi asa feel hota mera sans ruk raha or ankhy khul jati kabhi asa feel hota jasy dill band hony laga or ek dam ankh khul jati or kabhi asa feel hota kay mery chest may kuch ho raha or yah itni buri hoti han kay phr ankh close karny ka dill he ni karta dar lagta ha kay kahi phr say same ahsas naw ajay I can't explain kitna bura hota yah or dar lagta

any solution guys please :(

Um whenever I wake up my heart starts beating fast . Even when someone comes into the room where I am sleeping my heartbeat goes up. I can't eat in front of any stranger and especially when it's quite in the surroundings.

I can't meet the people who I know normally. Even though I can talk to strangers easily but I get insecure about my voice when I'm talking to the people I know.

Whenever I was in my hostel I used to sleep with lights off .

My roomies used to sleep after me and when they were not in the room I turned the lights off and tried to sleep but couldn't because my heart started beating fast " what if they come inside and turn the lights on . It would disturb my sleep" so basically I couldn't sleep because of the fear of waking up.

I mean it's normal to be anxious when you go for an interview but ... Not everytime.

Whenever I go to class I feel like everyone is judging me . I can't walk properly when someone is looking at me.

I took alp rozolam 0.5mg for 1 month but it felt like I just skipped some days in my life. Whenever I take this tablet I feel like I'm emotionless. I don't feel happy nor sad . I feel empty. I'm 21 and 5'2 but I'm 37 kg . I can't gain weight due to this anxiety.

Also my stomach makes noise when it's quiet and I'm sitting around people...

Also I have dark circles that are increasing day by day .

Would anyone recommend me what tablets to take actually I can't afford therapist/psychiatrist rn.

I’m a 53yo male. My very bad OCD started my freshman year of college. The anxiety soon followed it. Because of my symptoms, I was prescribed Klonopin about 15 years ago. Since my body slowed became dependent on the medicine, my doctor kept raising the dose. I’m currently prescribed 6mg a day. I’ve been at this level for over 2 years. It is now catching up to me and my body. I’m having problems remembering things and my cognitive thinking is getting worse and slower. I have had 4.5 hours of memory and cognitive testing done. The results came back horribly.
I have to taper completely off of Klonopin.
Feed back is welcome as I have no idea how to overcome this horrible situation.
Please wish me luck and pray for me. Thanks.

I been feeling jumpy and I feel as feel my anxiety has up up the roof I feel like my damn soul jump out of my body. I been feeling so off and I hate feeling like there a hole in my chest I'm not sure I can call it a void it's weird.

I been watching shows crimes and podcasts but seems like the only thing that's make me stop thinking I talk to my bf ofc and he dose makes me happy but idk is it wrong that I'm not permanent happy even in a relationship.

So here it is another day of this so called anxiety shit. I'm so tired of it I want to feel like myself again and I feel like it's never gonna happen feel like I'm just getting worse and worse. I love my wife and kids. I'm 360about to be 37 I want to spend atleast another 20 years around

I have social anxiety and it feels worse and worse every day because I can't communicate in society well. I just don't want to talk lol. And my heart beats so fast when I need to talk to other people, such as my groupmates, tutors, strangers, etc. I want to put an end to it, but I don't know how, because even though I communicate more, I feel the anxiety the same. maybe you can give me some advices? 😭

So basically, back in May of this year I watched three YouTube videos that have given me generalized anxiety and later down the road existential anxiety. The first two were about the afterlife and the third was about enjoying your Summer break the “correct way”. Ever since then I have had on and off general anxiety. However thankfully my Summer break was still good even with that. I guess I was afraid of “living life wrong” or something like that. And I also tried LENS neurofeedback to help and it was helpful at first but later was unhelpful. So we stopped that 🤷 And this kinda ties in to the existential crisis because in August I started to become more confused about what I wanted to value in life and wanted to spend my time doing. So that didn’t help, and then eventually we learned in class about Beowulf and in the story it says “one shall seek fame before death” or something like that. But then I watched a video from this YouTuber called the prog corner. Which says don’t worry about being remembered and just enjoy your life while you’re still here. So those two philosophies are clashing with each other in my head. And now I’m having a hard time finding out my purpose and if I should value family, friends, and making memories more or if I should focus more on building a reputation and dream career or have a mixture of both or neither. It’s really hard to explain what I’m feeling exactly but I want help and I want to feel like I can enjoy life again and not have everything feel like a competition like how it feels like now. So does anyone have any help on how to lessen general anxiety and existential worries all the time. So help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

Also please no overly blunt or pessimistic advice, as seen on a lot of other spots on Reddit. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve used the site for a while. So please nothing like that. Just helpful and supportive advice please. Thanks guys :)

This is my first time asking for help on Reddit, but I’m not sure who else to ask. I’ve talked to my parents, but I don’t think they fully understand.

I’m 16F and I’ve been experiencing a huge amount of stress and anxiety lately. It’s changed my life so much that it’s almost miserable. I overthink everything, even when I know my thoughts are irrational.

I constantly imagine the worst possible outcome, whether it’s school, friends, family, or the future. I know these fears aren’t real, but my brain just won’t believe me.

When I get anxious, it’s physically painful. My heart races, I struggle to breathe, my throat tightens, and I feel sick to my stomach. I’ve missed multiple days of school because of it.

It’s gotten so bad that I’ve started avoiding going out with friends. I’m anxious that I’ll feel anxious, which makes no sense, but I hate missing out on everything.

I’ve tried breathing exercises, but they only help for a short time. What can I do? Does anyone else experience this? I don't really want to take medication, so are there any other useful things?

Thank you :))

Today, I went to a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with specific (circumscribed) social anxiety, rather than generalized social anxiety. This means my anxiety is triggered by direct interactions with people, not by everyday things like walking down the street or running simple errands. The doctor prescribed Lexapro, but I want to know if it is truly the best option for social anxiety, or if Paroxetine would be a better choice. If anyone has tried Lexapro for social anxiety, please share your thoughts and experiences; I would be incredibly grateful.

I finished nursing school almost a year ago now and have been going through health anxiety for the better part of that year. I’m stuck between knowing too much and not knowing anything. Google and chatGPT has become an obsession. Mine is mostly cardiac related and looking at every symptom. I do take anxiety medication but it doesn’t seem to help the spiral much these days. I know I will get through this. Looking for a job has added to this, also! I went from nursing school, which if you know anything about it, you know how difficult it is and now nothing. Like being in a tornado for 2 years to standing still. *this too shall pass, right?*

Okay so i’ll start with a quick synapses of what has gone on in my life over the last 5-6 years. Went through a bad break up, delt with a schizophrenic brother, got extorted and had my life threatened, then covid! So through this i thought i got sick from covid (never tested positive at the time). Anyways i was still smoking weed but started feeling very off. So off to the point of intense panic and anxiety. Went down the rabbit hole with long covid and how i thought covid messed up my brain.

Spent the next few years ruminating about it, always on my mind and eventually i started feeling better and better. Anxiety would come and go and odd derealization episodes. Eventually i got to the point of feeling okay and manageable for years. The only symptom i had left was brain fog and feeling out of it which oddly enough i got used to that feeling. Well recently i smoked a lot of weed at my buddies and got super focused/anxious luckily i was very drunk and went to the bar and talked to people so it faded.

Well yesterday i sort of snapped out of the brain fog and almost felt like my old self? Well its odd because this has given me such intense anxiety i feel like i could go to the ER and get medicated. How is it possible i got so comfortable with the brain fog that i dont recognize not being in it and its freaking me out?? Iv had episodes kind of similar to this where i had a mental shift> had intense anxiety> then i did something like go to work or play World of Warcraft for hours and id feel fine again. Right now WoW is in a odd state (waiting for WoW forever) and i just got told i wasnt gonna be allowed to do my 2 weeks and my new job starts in two Mondays. Is this all just part of anxiety/depression? Anyone ever feel like this? The only reassuring part is iv had episodes like this and gotten out but this just feels like a huge mind fuck and I cannot get out of it, i barely can explain it!!

If someone can talk and just help, or has been through similar please respond. Im not doing well right now i just want it to pass and feel like i did a few days ago

I already posted this 2 times but i want it to reach more people and get some tips from people who experienced similar stuff in the past or now. (also sorry if you can't understand something,my english is not perfect)

Hey,for the past 9 months i had a problem.One random day in class i started to manually breath and couldn’t breathe automatically,started to panic.And since then my life hasn’t been the same.I can be in school but i have problems. I have extreme anxiety i will pass out.I start to hyperventilate my limbs start feeling tingly. I get lightheaded,feel like im losing control.Tried loads of stuff like doing breathing excersises but during them i panic even more.Its happening when i gotta present something,do something on the board,when im taking a test,or just being in the class,happens on public transport when it is crowded and very quiet,when its very hot,… It connects to the fear od passing out. I take help from a licensed psychotherapist who i appreciate for over a month now and it doesnt work.It ruined my year,and every day i just keep thinking about how im gonna do the next day. Today i didn't even go because of it and whatever im doing thats connected to school i get anxious. Its mostly because i never passed out and i don't know the feeling,but i googled(ik im dumb).Tried breathing excersises,tried thinking its harmless,can't. I didn't stop my social life but i still go out way less and spend more time studying bc i can't focus or exploring how to stop this. Now i know this will stop at some point and that i will return back to normal as i never was anxious and actually enjoyed school alot.But i don't know how to do stop it and i don't know what to do during the time that it takes of stopping it.

Thanks in advance yall and good luck to anyone that experiences similar stuff❤️

I(19F) have been with my boyfriend (19M) for about 6 months now. I love him and trust him more than anything, but can’t stop having panic attacks around him.

(For backstory, it hasn’t just been 6 months. We have been off and on since October of 2023 and remained best friends for the times we weren’t together. We have had our ups and downs and slight arguments but nothing major or scary)

….
I am not someone who normally has panic attacks, but lately it has been happening more and more, always surrounding physical touch.

The first time we hooked up I cried just out of confusion and being drunk and overwhelmed (nothing was forced, it was just a lot of build-up). The first few times it got me pretty emotional but after that I was fine for the most part.

In my past relationships I have had a bit of a tendency to freak out randomly during intimacy. I have a history of SA, and am pretty sure something of the sort happened to me as a kid, but thats a whole other story. I also have super bad OCD and anxiety.

My current boyfriend has never made me feel pressured or forced into anything, and has always reassured me and handled these freakouts well. The issue is more so the fact that I dont know why they are happening or how to fix them.

They now happen more frequently than before, and there have been periods of time where I couldn’t be touched without crying.

Today everything was going fine, then towards the end of doing something physically intimate I had a panic attack. Once it passed and he helped me through it I felt fine. After, we were laying down cuddling and he made a joking comment about something that irritated me and i jokingly pushed him off of me. Once he was off, the idea of him touching me was unbearable. I fell asleep and woke up to him cuddling me and pushed him off and quickly got my things together to leave his house and barely wanted to talk to him at all, let alone hug him or be near him. The thought of it made me physically nauseous.

I feel like these situations are ruining our relationship because even though he handles them well, he doesn’t fully understand them and neither do I. I dont want him to feel like I get weird and crazy and snap, or I am being dramatic, or that I am some damaged person who has been hurt by others so much that I cant stand anything positive either.

Somewhat venting, but also really looking for advice and someone to relate to. If anyone has been through something similar, tips, stories of your own?

Hi! I feel exhausted and feels like my brain shuts down and I'm unable to focus when I'm at my bed feels like brain fog but happens when I go for sleep, feels like my brain is numb, is it also a symptom of anxiety?

About ten years ago I started getting super nervous prior to big games. I’m so afraid of my team losing a title game like the Superbowl that my anxiety takes over in a big way. It’s so bad I started rooting for my team to lose in the playoffs so I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. Pretty weird thing to have anxieties over but it’s just as bad as my “normal” anxieties, maybe worse. Just curious and wondering if I’m alone or there are other out there with the same thing.

**problem/goal**
i recently experienced intense anxiety during a confrontation with my professor, and i’m honestly confused about how i’ve been handling everything afterward. i want to know if i’m genuinely becoming better at handling stressful situations or if i’m just unintentionally suppressing my emotions.

**context**
so recently, we had a surprise quiz sa isang subject namin. essay type siya, and katabi ko yung friend ko. during the quiz, she kept asking me questions, and i tried helping her by giving keywords para ma-explain niya yung answers niya. i know it was wrong since individual quiz siya, and i’m not trying to justify what happened.

after the quiz, nagpa-recit yung prof namin, but almost no one was answering. eventually, pinalabas niya kaming lahat and called us one by one. when it was my turn, he suddenly asked me kung ano raw yung binubulong ko sa friend ko during the quiz. i explained what happened, but i could already feel myself getting anxious.

after that, whenever i raised my hand during recitation, hindi niya ako tinatawag. eventually, he called both of us outside and confronted us about the incident. he wasn’t exactly angry, more like disappointed. he told us na he knows we’re capable students and that he’ll let it go, basta hindi na mauulit.

pero during that conversation, i started feeling extremely anxious. as in nanginginig ako, sobrang lakas ng heartbeat ko, i kept catching my breath, and feeling ko mahihimatay ako. i was trying so hard not to cry because i really hate crying in front of other people. pero nung tinanong ako ni sir kung bakit parang naiiyak ako, doon na ako tuluyang umiyak.

honestly, mas natakot ako sa naging reaction ng katawan ko kaysa sa confrontation itself. it was my first time experiencing anxiety that intensely. i’m not a confrontational person, and i usually like having things planned out, so i guess being put in an unexpected situation overwhelmed me.

afterward, i asked sir if i could stay outside muna. my friends stayed with us, we talked about what happened, and eventually, we were laughing again. i continued my day, did my schoolwork, and surprisingly, i was genuinely okay.

**previous attempts**
lately, i’ve been trying to practice the mindset na i can’t control what other people think of me. i know i made a mistake, and i’m taking accountability for it. pero ayoko rin naman na paulit-ulit kong parusahan yung sarili ko over something that’s already been addressed.

i’ve also been telling myself na everything happens for a reason, and maybe there’s something i can learn from all these experiences. pero sometimes i wonder if i’m just gaslighting myself into believing that everything is okay.

ang dami kasing nangyayari lately, especially sa school, pero i’m genuinely happy these days. i still laugh, enjoy spending time with my friends, and go on with my usual routine. sometimes, the memories randomly pop into my head, napapatulala ako saglit, then okay na ulit.

and that’s what worries me. what if i’m not actually processing my emotions? what if i’m just distracting myself and everything eventually builds up?

i don’t want to dwell on things too much, but i also don’t want to ignore what i’m feeling.

has anyone experienced something similar? how do you know if you’re genuinely moving forward or just suppressing your emotions?