Hi people

[ah567]

Hi, I used the site very briefly a few years ago but thought I'd register whilst I randomly remembered it. I'm 18 and just seem to be anxious about things in everyday life. It's been almost a year since I finished A levels and with no permanent work or social life I'm feeling down again. Hopefully there's plenty of advice here :)

[nomorepanic]

Hi ah567

A huge warm welcome to nmp.

You'll get loads of advice and support here and make some lovely friends along the way.

Best wishes

[alias_kev]

Hi ah567. Welcome. It could be you're just a more sensitive soul than many are, or it may be that you have a bit of GAD (generalised anxiety disorder).

You might have a read off the left hand menu, of pages like this one (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/anxiety/). Which is quite informative. Another useful step is the GAD-7 test from the NHS (http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Generalised-Anxiety-Disorder-Assessment-%28GAD-7%29.htm). I used to score between 20/21 and 17/21 on that! You sound like your score would be lower, which is a good time to deal with it.

Some of us get depressed because we are anxious, some anxious out of depression. Its sometimes useful to see where your feelings/experiences start. Eg. I was treated for stress and then depression but had to uncover and ID my GAD myself. Many symptoms overlap between the conditions so in some ways its all a big spectrum of things.

At this stage if the feelings aren't stopping you doing things then some kind of therapy or self help may be adequate to break the pattern.

Take Care