worries about the future

[AnxiousPansa]

Hi all
I am 17 years old and have had anxiety since I started college in august/September. Im pretty certain fear of college and life beyond may have triggered my anxiety but now my fear mainly revolves around my health constantly thinking somethings wrong or of all the bad things that could happen to me. But I also find that when I cannot find anything to be anxious about or im trying to accept my health anxities I have this sort of well what now thing. I look forward and part of me sees only anxiety which of course terrifies me but the other part of me thinks how can I ever possibly be normal again and I find it hard to imagine life without anxiety because my life keeps changing soi dramatically with college and now everyones going on about university and what do you want to do with your life?! and all i see is anxitey and I just find everything so confusing and I wish it would all stop! I just feel so afraid of everything I just dont know what to do anymore. I wish I was a normal 17 year old enjoying college while I can and looking forward to the rest of their lives. And yet here I am worrying about my health constantly and seeing no end to anxiety. I just feel so lost.

[LunaLiuna]

Firstly, stop beating yourself up over it! your going to be fine, and I'm sure in a couple of years time you'll be in uni thinking wow, how silly I was back then :)

Your doing something which is the most important thing, try not to worry about the future. after all there's no such thing, there's only now. Your already doing better than quite a few people, after all your going to college which is more than a start :)

You've been checked over by a doctor, unfortunately as many people here will tell you, it doesn't help. it only compounds our fears, or as I found out, it causes you to change to a whole new set of symptoms.

And I understand how you feel regarding not knowing what to do, I feel the same. almost like Anxiety's my home now. but it's not, it's a temporary part of my life that I'll learn as much as I can from :)

You'll be fine, good luck with college and keep at it!

[AnxietySufferer]

It's wierd how much this sounds like me! We are the same age and although I have finally come to accept that there is nothing physically wrong a t the moment, I'm now terrified of becoming unwell in the future! It's a viscous circle but we can get better :) I deffo think it's she related too!

[jcd_gad]

Hi,

I can relate to this, I was really stressed out in college.

I had very little confidence in my abilities, plus people saying behind my back they were my friends as they felt sorry for me.

I was the same trying to decide what I wanted, I was under immense pressure from my dad to pick the right course and to go to uni.

Looking back on it (hindsight is a wonderful thing), I would suggest some form of meditation.... Do you exercise? I know this doesn't address your fears directly, as weird as it sounds it will help you focus on whats important.

Also have you spoken to your college tutors or a career adviser about your concerns??

[pinkofire]

Hey i've just turned 19

I have been suffering with anxiety for over 5 years. I am always constantly worrying about being sick where ever I go or catching some sort of stomach bug. I used to go to college but I dropped out which was one of the worst decisions I've ever made :( It just made the anxiety 100x worse so stick with college and don't worry about the future until you get there! You don't want to pile up tons of things to worry about just focus on the present and think things can only get better :)

[jcd_gad]

Pink,

Def focus on here and now! I've found meditation to be great for this....

[Rennie1989]

I was the same recently. I worried that, as a 24 year old, I have wasted a lot of my life because of the anxiety and depression. My 22 year old sister-in-law has a degree, a masters and a fantastic job in London whilst I have none of those. So I decided to set myself targets and projects. I will be going to college to train to become a counsellor and my writing has really taken off.

So set yourself targets that you can work towards, set goals.