Do I have anxiety disorder?

[TER79]

Help! I feel like my life is falling apart! I think it might just be regular quarter-life crisis jitters, but I'm afraid it's something worse.

About 2.5 years ago, I started getting really bad chest pains and heart palpitations. I was about to start a new job in Alaska, and I guess I was justifiably anxious. It was my 1st job out of college and I was leaving all my friends and family, but I was excited to go on a new adventure. Before I left, I was incredibly worried that I was pregnant (even though it was highly unlikely), then when I got to Alaska, I lived in fear that I had contracted some horrible disease (AIDS, cancer, you name it, also highly unlikely). I was so afraid that I would die, that I got married to a person I hardly knew and moved to Los Angeles to be with him. He's the most amazing man and has supported me through everything, but I'm afraid I made the wrong decision. I left him and then feared I wouldn't be able to live without him. I'm so afraid of authority and work situations that I can't work. I'm also so worried about what my friends think. When I go to coffee shops or other public places, i worry that the reason the guy behind the counter is taking such a long time is because he doesn't like me. I've been sitting on the fence in terms of my marriage. I always have a bag packed at the door. Really, I do. My husband is amazing and is helping me get help. But I'm not so sure I'm not just going through regular jitters people often go through.

Any insight would be appreciated.

[Caitlyn89]

Well your anxiety is affecting your life so therefore i wouldnt say it is your normal jitters. I would talk to your doctor about because this sounds more then "normal" anxiety.

[Caz Fab Pants]

Tez,
Its always so hard when you try to sum up your whole life as quickly as possible without leaving any crucial parts out.

Firstly I would say 'yes' you are definitely suffering from anxiety which could be made easier if you were to talk to someone or go on medication. Try contacting a councillor and set up a few appointments to see how you get on and if you dont feel you're getting anywhere go and see your doctor.

It sounds like alot has happened in your life over a short period of time. I think its great that you have the support of your husband and I'm sure with the right help you will be able to get back on top of things.

From what you've said it sounds as though you are lacking in self confidence and doubt your own abilities to deal things like work etc. Believe me when I say you're not alone and it is possible to overcome these feelings.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Caroline
x

[april tones]

hi, the things you have desribed do sound like anxiety and deppression. I too thought i had every disease going untill i got help and beleve me it almost gone, you need to think about things and try not too rush into things as it will only make you worse and worry, take care, love april x

apriltones

[Meg]

Hi, Welcome to the site.

Much of what you're reporting probably started off reasonable but you just escalated it all up out of proportion. (Your job won't help with that - lol )

You'll probably find you are one or more of the following.

> Errors of thought or cognition (understanding) occur in people who are
> depressed and / or anxious - this is widely accepted. When we are
> depressed or anxious our interpretations of what we think can be
> biased and this bias is almost always negative. So, what are these
> errors of thought?
>
> 1. OVER GENERALISING An example of this is thinking that because an
> unpleasant thing has happened to you once, it will always happen and
> therefore you will always feel upset or anxious about it.
>
> For example - a young man who felt lonely, unwanted and rejected
> thought that he would never be bale to have a girlfriend as girls did
> not find him attractive. He made this assumption on the basis of
> asking one girl out in his office who turned him down - and that of
> course just isn't reality.
>
> Many people make the mistake of gibing themselves a label, or forming
> an opinion about something simply based on ONE experience of 'failure'
> and in doing so over generalise.
>
> 2. PERSONALISING This is explained by thinking that you are soley
> responsible for a negative or unpleasant event, when often there is
> little basis for this conclusion.
>
> For example, thinking that the reason a person who has just passed you
> in the street frowning is doing so because of you, when in fact they
> could just have been having a bad day - and their frowning has nothing
> to do with you!
>
> Personalising gives you an unrealistic sense of responsibility and
> therefore makes you carry unnecessary guilt. You cary the weight for
> everything that goes wrong; everything is related to some deficiency
> or inadequacy in yourself. You overlook the part that others may have
> played and you confuse the possibility that you may have contributed
> to what has happened with the possibility that it is ALL your fault.
>
> 3. BLACK AND WHITE THINKING This is also referred to as all or nothing
> thinking. For example, you are either a success or a failure - there
> is no grey area; no room for being anything in between.
>
> Black and white thinking does not allow for degrees of anything. This
> way of thinning is unrealistic because people or situations are rarely
> totally one thing or another. It can also lead to perfectionism and
> the likelihood of never quite meeting the stringent demands that you
> make upon yourself, so you get caught in a 'no win' situation.
>
> 4. CATATROPHISING For example - saying to yourself "I've made a
> dreadful mistake", or "this is terrible". People suffering with panic
> attacks are very good usually at thinking catastrophic thoughts and
> this only serves to add more panic to panic.
>
> In catastrophising you are likely to be blowing a small mistake or
> fault out of proportion while devaluing the positive aspects of your
> behaviour or of the situation. You also magnify your faults and
> minimise your qualities. This biased view and pattern of thought leads
> to low self-esteem and confidence.
>
> 5. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS This is when you jump to a negative
> conclusion when there is insufficient evidence to do so, even when
> there is no evidence at all.
>
> An example of jumping to conclusion would be thinking that someone you
> know doesn't like you because they failed to say hello to you in the
> street. In fact they might not have seen you or their eyesight may be
> bad!
>
> People who are depressed and anxious often jump to unrealistic,
> negative conclusions about the future, as if they have a crystal ball
> in which they see only