AZState2012

I am not a professional or anything remotely close, but: You may be showing signs of OCD as well, that is, in addition to your father. You're obsessive with making sure everything is perfect, and then when you can't quite get it you start digging your nails into your skin. Does the pain feel good and serve as a distraction? You did state that it is not satisfying to you to dig your nails into the counter, which tells me digging at your own body satisfies something. Why won't your father take you to get checked out? This sounds pretty serious. How long has this been going on? Has it gradually gotten worse over time or did it come out of the blue?

Have you ever read about depersonalization? If you suffered from derealization it's almost inevitable to also read information about depersonalization. I have felt the way you described, and is precisely what caused a panic attack. This led to a doctor diagnosing me with GAD, and prescribing me Effexor which I took for six years. I would see a professional if you have not. If you are worried, this shows you are still processing emotions. You aren't going crazy. The mere fact that you are concerned about "going crazy" shows you aren't crazy. Your thought processes at this time seem to be normal, and your intellectual functioning seems fine. Do you know your name? Who you are and where you are? Do any of your family members (parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, children) have schizophrenia? Like you said, distraction is key. Practicing and performing music helped me tremendously. My symptoms eventually went away, once I stopped caring. That is, once I stopped this obsessive checking of whether or not I felt "normal." This persistent checking is what is keeping us from enjoying life and feeling that normalcy. You will be ok and you will not be lost forever. This is temporary. - Matt

I didn't check my pulse but I've woken up with my heart racing on several occasions. Were you dreaming or did you go to bed with something stressful on your mind?

What are your symptoms? And no you can't. You have to be officially diagnosed by a professional. Even though your symptoms may be spot on to something you've read, you can't and should not self-diagnose.

I have seen two psychologists in the last seven years, and each time they helped me significantly. If you haven't seen one recently, Suny, I would definitely do it. You don't have much to lose except for cash if you don't have insurance. Conversations should flow naturally once you're comfortable with your atmosphere. Remember, everything is confidential. Tell them all that comes to your mind. The more you don't want to say something, the more I would urge you to say it. You'll feel better after discussing deep and personal thoughts with someone that you can trust, who isn't your husband. Nothing wrong with your husband, I'm just saying! More than likely the therapist will be able to introduce you to techniques you can use to manage your anxiety and stress. Like I said, my demons get at me from time to time and the therapists have always helped tremendously. I also took an SSRI, Effexor XR, for generalized anxiety and depression for about six years. It did take away a lot of the anxiety and depression but it also takes away your emotions from the other end of the spectrum. You can't achieve the highest highs. At my worst, Effexor saved me. Once it settles in, though, you'll miss the highest highs. I'm telling you about my experience with Effexor because I feel like talking with professionals, combined with exercise, helped me with anxiety just as much, if not more, than Effexor. Crsasmith, I'm an undergrad in my senior year for a psych degree. I don't think it matters if you're going into a psychology field or not. If you're dealing with something and want/need to talk about it, I'd say see a therapist! Seeing someone isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be. I feel like every living person needs to talk 100% candidly to someone they can trust with confidentiality every once in a while. It's good for all of us. I hope everyone is doing ok. - Matt

It should definitely come back. Have you successfully weaned off? Remember, things don't always happen overnight. I took Effexor 150 mg for about three years followed by 225 mg for another three years. Weaning off was a six month process. I'd suggest exercising if you aren't already.

Hello amazing people. How are you all? I'm a student at ASU and although I've dealt with anxiety issues for the majority of my life, I've found it increasingly difficult to concentrate while studying. The anxiety I feel when a test is coming up is like a trigger that snowballs all of the minor issues I have going on, and when it's time to focus the hardest, everything comes crashing in! Hopefully somebody can relate. Also, I've noticed as I've gotten older that serious panic takes over my mind and body at even just the thought of presenting in front of other students. I used to love the attention, but clearly things have changed. Besides all of this, just saying hello. - Matt

I'm new here, too! Hello