I’ve been exhausting myself trying to be okay my entire life. All my efforts have led to nothing. In fact, I’m more overwhelmed than ever. My nervous system is on fire, my panic attacks are so intense that I faint, I can’t trust my perception of reality.

I’m fairly certain I’m (slowly) losing my mind, but something in my subconscious has totally given up on caring. The sense of impending doom has finally become so much to handle that I actually wish that whatever’s “going to happen” would just happen already.

So lately, without knowing it, I think I’ve been trying to speed the process along. I isolate, I don’t eat, I don’t shower, I drink, I don’t sleep, I don’t take my meds, I barely move, the list goes on. I’m aware my decisions are only making it worse, but at the same time, when I do the opposite, things don’t get better. At least if I give in, I can stop being worried about giving in.

i’ve been chronically biting my cheeks (morsicatio** *buccarum) for years now as a side effect of my GAD & phobias. i’m talking daily AND subconsciously…even when i notice & force myself to stop, i literally CANNOT help but do it again seconds later: *“let me just get this last piece…”

it’s always been debilitating, but now i’m developing cavities & oral mucoceles in my cheek. i go to therapy, i chew gum daily & i try to do muscle/jaw exercises, but clearly it’s not working enough.

for those who’ve struggled & kicked the habit, what actually worked for you?

Hi. I'm a 23 year old girl, there's a guy in my school who is shy and he sometimes stares at me. It's a guy I've never spoken to. I feel like an ass but I get so uncomfortable by him looking at me. And it makes me not want to talk to him. I'm an introvert too and now I'm in my second year at this school and I'm more focused on school work than getting to know a shy guy who stares at me. But I feel guilty sometimes over it because he keeps to himself and goes home on the weekends. It makes me feel sort of inhumane or apathetic. I've always been this way too. When I was little a boy followed me on the playground and I told a teacher "he's following me!!!" and they said maybe he wants to play. So I played with him and we became best friends. We had this thing where we had stories about a poop character that would go around and do things. But I'm an adult now and that guy's an adult. But it makes me uncomfortable to think someone has a crush on me from not knowing me!!! I don't like being observed and looked at. And it makes me not want to know him. One time a guy I know who's in his class complimented my glasses and he was also there and said a short "uhuh!" and didn't really look at me. And I'm tired of that sort of thiiiiiing!!! What I want to know is, is this okay behavior on my part and does anyone else feel the same?? I also feel disgusted I think because I had a crush on a guy I didn't know and I can see myself in the way he looks at me. So how do I normally crush on a guy I don't know, like not stare???? And how do I stop being so mean to people who stare at me but dont talk to me? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHRRRGHHH

Does the dereleazaiton depersonalization go away. My anxiety isnt as vast now being on medication but I still get these weird feelings. They're scary.

I realize I have too many issues; unfortunately the point of the post 😭

My psychiatrist put me on buspirone 20mg a few weeks ago. I was struggling with getting overstimulated easily, and being irritable.

I do have bipolar 1 and ADHD as well. We tried stopping my ADHD med for a month; the anxiety didn't improve, just became less functional. So I'm back on that one, a stimulant.

Before my bipolar med, I was outright insane. I'm on the severe side of bipolar 1; I have rapid cycles mania every few weeks for years. 7 times diagnosed psychosis. I can't go up higher on that one, because it causes me insulin resistance issues (I'm diabetic). Not an option to mess with that one, but my psychiatrist thought it was from my anxiety disorder (the irritability), not bipolar this time.

She was right. After a few weeks on the buspirone, I feel calm and relaxed all the time. I don't overstimulate easy, and I'm not irritable or snappy. I feel great.

I'm wondering if this is typically a med people stay on for years or life? If I have to medicate for the anxiety disorder always too?

I'm so grateful for meds, just sort of crazy to think about how many I'm on 😭

1 for ADHD, 1 for bipolar, 1 for anxiety, 2 for diabetes. 5 daily meds is crazy to me 😭

I know losing around ₱6,000 might not sound like the end of the world to some people, but I genuinely feel horrible right now.

Earlier I was getting a fairly large amount of cash from a local cash-out service. I counted the money, but I didn't say anything to the seller at the time I don't know why i didnt, I left and only later realized there was a problem.

When I went back several hours later, the seller kept insisting that they had given me the correct amount. They said they had written down the amount on paper. There was no CCTV, receipt, or anything else I could use to prove what happened.

At this point I know I'm probably not going to be able to do anything about it, and I've accepted that the money is probably gone.

But when I got home, I completely broke down. I couldn't eat, I was literally shaking, and at one point I felt so overwhelmed that I could barely walk. I keep thinking about how I could have prevented this just by speaking up immediately.

I know it's a mistake and I'll learn from it, but right now it hurts so much. I feel stupid and disappointed in myself, and I just need somewhere to vent.

If you've ever lost a significant amount of money because of a mistake or situation you couldn't fix afterward, how did you eventually get over it? I could really use some reassurance from people who have been through something similar.

I’m 49 and not super unhealthy but I’m now on 6 prescriptions. At 59, 69, wtf will this be.
I’m on Lexapro, ritalin, and lamotrigine. I think I’m going to stop lamotrigine. I feel like meds are consuming me and just keep me in a state where doctors control my outcome more than I do.

Hello. I am 26 years old and I have hypochondria for maybe 15 years. Even as a child I was scared that I have a terrible disease. Lately it got so so so much worse.

Last year I've been to ER regularly. When I have a small pain on my chest I am going crazy. I've been to ER at least 3 times (in few months) because I thought I have appendicitis. Everything I eat I feel like "what if it was not cooked well" I had a breast cancer fear last month because I thought I touched something hard on my breast area and I was too scared to go to doctor. I cried for days and wrote scenarios like "i will never be able to see my cats again" etc. and I finally went to doctor and there was nothing. for example I had HIV fear last week (reason was I thought a girl last year actually used my razor. and it came to my mind last week) I had a home blood test done and it was negative but I was shaking crying while waiting for the results. These are simply just 1% of my hypochondria experiences.

I am living with my boyfriend. We are together for a very long time and he is very understanding and patient. He is the one taking me to ER in the middle of the night or going to get a test when my fear starts. I am feeling so bad I am causing this much stress to him. His life is simply ruined because of me. Every day is a new trouble. I am on medication for more than 10 years. I have anxiety and bipolar disorder. I started to therapy two months ago.

I also want to say I am currently at home all the time. I have not been working or studying for a long time. I needed to have a break from university because I am not really able to do anything basically. I know I should go out or do sports or find something to do so I won't think about my anxiety thoughts but it is so difficult for me to do that I can't even describe.

I am in a state that I don't want to laugh or cry hard because I am scared it will trigger something in my heart. I am not able to live like this. I am crying as I am writing this. I don't know what to do. I am so tired.

Hi, I start to have panic attacks and social anxiety after I got bullied during high school because of my grades and losing my dad in the first day of my university made it worse. I wasn’t able go even classes, I somehow managed to finish my university and working around 6 years but still sometimes I am having a panic attack. Honestly, if I enter a room full of people I got panic attack, my stomach gets upset and I start to vomit. Sometimes while sitting I start to think stuff and get panic attack again. I am living with my mom which I love and I know that I will lose her someday, but having thought of living alone makes me upset. I am not depressed all the time, most of the time I am feeling good but is there any advice how can I overcome my fears? I always dream of living in a different country and travel around the world. I don’t have a partner and since I am working remotely it makes it harder to find someone. I am really sick of having a fear and anxiety but I don’t really know what to do..

I have like general anxiety and was medicated for it but stopped taking it about almost 2 years ago. recently i’ve been having really bad intrusive and overthinking thoughts of health anxiety. 4 days ago I was just sitting in class and it randomly started to hurt when taking a deep breath. A sharp pain on the right side of my chest. i started freaking out internally because then i felt immediately light headed and felt as if i was gonna pass out, cold sweat and the pain spreading to my arms making my body feel weak. On my way to the ER an hour or so since that happened I felt slightly better but the pain persisted and moved to the left side of my chest were my heart was at.
I got to the ER and they did all the tests and x-rays on my chest and everything came back normal. They said it could’ve been a mix of Costochondritis and a panic attack possibly? honestly the pain has been coming and going and is in the same areas as before and idk what to do.
Honestly my anxiety and specifically health anxiety has worsened because of the pain worsening sometimes and feel like i’m not actually okay.

I called back the hospital today and they said my pain would maybe also be from stress and cause a flare up so i think that plays into it… should i get back on my meds?
Any advice or insight or if u have experienced this would be appreciated.

The cortex and the amygdala. How do these tie in with serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine? Are my neural pathways wired wrong? Where's the damn neuroplasticity kicking in to rewire things and get my brain back to its normal baseline?

I've been struggling with my mental health for about two weeks after being stable for years. Anxiety, depression, the whole shebang. I've been on the same medication and dose for years, but I'm now on day 11 of slowly increasing my dose.

I'm constantly battling myself, my physical symptoms, and my thoughts, both voluntary and especially involuntary. The symptoms keep changing slightly and evolving, but the underlying discomfort is always the same. I can't tell what's the original flare-up, what's activation from the dose increase, or what's a combination of both.

I'm sick, tired, and exhausted. Moments of genuine comfort are few and far between. It's frustrating, and honestly, it makes me angry and hopeless. How much patience am I supposed to have? I feel like breaking down crying, which I already have earlier in this flare. Some days I have the willpower to push through, and other days I just can't.

Today was one of those days. Stay in bed it is. Dwell. Recuperate. Run more time off the clock. Wait for another dose of medication and more time for my brain to learn that I'm safe.

I recently picked up a book called Rewiring Your Anxious Brain. Actually, I bought a few books, although I'm not sure how the hell I'll read them. I've never been much of a reader, especially in my current state. I could barely concentrate through the first few pages, but I did learn about two things: the amygdala and the cortex.

Apparently, these are major players in anxiety. The panic, impending doom, existential dread, and that persistent feeling that something is extremely off in my head and body. This seemingly never-ending mental and physical discomfort. The stomach issues and lack of appetite, which are so damn annoying too.

Constantly sensing danger, fight-or-flight-or-freeze, breathing discomfort, feeling scatterbrained yet somehow laser-focused on myself, hypervigilance, and rumination. It's like my brain and nervous system are stuck in a perpetual state of unease.

But if the amygdala and cortex are responsible for anxiety, what about depression? How are the two so intertwined? Does being stuck in this overwhelming mental and physical anxiety somehow deplete other brain chemicals or throw everything out of balance? What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Either way, screw them both.

I have a small prescription for benzos to use "as needed." Ha. I feel like I've needed one for the entire two weeks. I've been saving them for worst-case scenarios, partly because I'm worried about dependence and tolerance, but also because I've been told that learning to live with anxiety, accepting the uncomfortable sensations rather than fighting them, is how you eventually overcome them.

That's great for the anxiety side, but what about the depression? The sadness, intrusive thoughts, apathy, and complete lack of desire to do anything or see anyone. There's little to no joy in life in this state. That's difficult enough on its own, and obviously the constant anxiety makes it even worse. Everything that should be simple feels like a chore, and everything difficult feels insurmountable.

And here's something I find strange. Sometimes, when I'm genuinely focused on something, whether it's a work task, answering emails, or finally getting absorbed in a TV show or movie, I get a brief moment of relief. For a little while, I'm no longer hyperfocused on myself or how I'm feeling. It doesn't happen often, but those few minutes are a nice break.

But the second my attention shifts back inward, the hypervigilance returns, the symptoms intensify, the rumination starts up again, and the cycle continues.

Then I'll walk down the street and see homeless people struggling with severe mental health issues. Part of me feels guilty for complaining about my own problems, but another part becomes terrified that I'm just one more downward spiral away from ending up like that myself. And that it could happen completely involuntarily, if my brain somehow decides that's what it wants to do.

Reddit can feel the same way. I come here looking for support or somewhere to vent, only to read about people in even darker places. It's scary. Mental health genuinely scares the shit out of me, and I feel like I have no choice but to navigate this storm, often feeling completely alone, with no daylight in sight. It's like a living nightmare where you're praying the scariest parts are already over and behind you, rather than still waiting to get worse.

I guess my point is that there's anxiety I can consciously recognize and try to manage, and then there's the involuntary anxiety, both physical and mental, that seems to happen regardless of what I think or do.

I desperately want to get better, but it feels like my effing brain is broken.

How do I do this? How do I keep fighting? When does that normal baseline feeling finally return? When do the constant anxiety headache, bad thoughts, chest tightness, and mental unease end? When does the joy return?

When can I lie in bed all day and actually feel completely relaxed? When can I go to work, sit in my office chair, and not feel like I'm losing my mind?

I'm not comfortable anywhere. Not at home, not at work, not even when I'm supposed to be relaxing.

I just want to feel like myself again. I want to get better. But holy shit, it's so difficult.

When does it get better?

I feel like I've been patient enough.

TLDR - When did restlessness/nervousness fade for you? I’m feeling hopeless.

I’m on day 9 of an increase from 5mg twice daily to 10mg twice daily. Since increasing I’ve had this sense of nervousness and restlessness that just has me on edge all the time. It’s exhausting. And draining. When can I expect this to fade? Anyone else deal with this? It’s making my heart race too because it’s driving my anxiety. I really struggle with health anxiety so this has been hard, and I just can’t seem to relax.

I’ve read various things about the timing of this fading and would LOVE to hear folks experience to make me feel better nd know that there’s a light.

Edit - noting that I also take latuda 40mg, trazodone for sleep. BP2.

Sorry for my last post regarding 3rd week update. It was just day 12. It just it felt like 3rd week.

My anxiety has dropped/disappeared. I am comfortable while talking to people. I rather felt odd that how comfortable I can be while talking to people, I mean my reality has been very different since my childhood.

I am also depressed. I guess anxiety going away has has unmasked the depression part. Somedays it's just very bad. My head hurts due to negative thinking. A little hopeless. I mean my expectations were a little different.

But overall I feel meds have been helpful at least my quality of life part.

Will try to keep updating.

On

Sertraline 50mg OD

Etifoxine 50mg OD

Etizolam 0.25mg ODHS (not very consistent with etizolam)

What effects?

Any advice?

I suffer from social Anxiety/General Anxiety.

Im also on 40 mg paroxetine.

Thanks

Hi, I am (24F) this is my first post ever on Reddit, so this is new for me. Basically I am going on a work trip that involves flying. I have flown before 4 times total. My first 2 trips were in 2021, and I had the normal anxiety for first time flying then I was completely fine, both flights for that trip! Last year ( 2025 ) I went with work and we had a round trip. On the way during take off my chest got really tight and I was severely nauseous. My chest hurt like the entire 2.5 hour flight. So, the way home flight obviously I was more nervous about this. On the way home I got the nausea feeling again during take off, not so much of chest tightness though. My stomach hurt so bad, and every time I got up to use the restroom it felt like my heart rate shot up and I felt dizzy. I know this is just my anxiety. I usually can calm my anxiety down, but I cannot while flying. I don't understand. My coworkers mentioned how I should go see my doctor and get prescribed Xanax for the flight, but you see I have health anxiety about taking medicine. Will the xanax prevent my heart from racing? Also will it make me feel weird to the point where I freak out internally over how it makes me feel? I know I shouldn't let this control me, these feelings of anxiety like this are new like the last 2-3 years new, it has just gotten worse. I don't want to miss out on opportunities due to this.

I don’t really know how to explain this, but I’m going to try because I’m genuinely exhausted, and I want to know if anyone else experiences something similar.
I feel like I’m constantly watching myself exist. Like I’m both the person living my life and someone standing outside of it, observing and evaluating everything I do.
When I’m socialising, I’m so hyperaware of how I’m coming across that I barely experience the interaction itself. I’m thinking about how I look, how I sound, whether I’m being interesting enough, whether people like me, whether I’ve said something embarrassing. And afterwards, I replay absolutely everything. Every conversation, every expression, every little interaction. I’ll spend hours wondering what people think of me, whether they like me, whether I’ve somehow changed their perception of me.
But the worst part is that it doesn’t stop when I’m alone.
I can be walking, reading, listening to music, or literally just sitting in my bedroom, and I still feel like I’m observing myself from the outside. Almost like there’s an imaginary audience watching me, even though I know nobody actually is. I’m constantly aware of how I might appear rather than just experiencing what I’m doing.
And lately I’ve started questioning whether anything I do is even genuine.
For example, I recently bought a pair of cute shoes and thought about getting lace shoelaces for them. Almost immediately, my brain went, “Do you actually like those, or do you just want people to think you’re cute and quirky?”
It’s ridiculous how something so small can turn into this whole existential crisis about whether I have an authentic personality.
I feel like I have to justify my own preferences to myself. And even when I do, there’s still this voice in the back of my mind telling me I’m pretending.
I’ve also realised how much I crave validation. Growing up, I don’t remember receiving much attention or praise, and now even the smallest compliment can make me ridiculously happy. I’ll replay it in my head for days. But at the same time, being perceived makes me incredibly anxious.
Even when I’m studying in the library, I sometimes catch myself being more concerned with looking productive than actually being productive. It’s like I want people to see me as intelligent or hardworking, but that awareness completely distracts me from doing the work.
And I don’t really experience much satisfaction from accomplishments either. I can achieve something I’ve worked hard for and feel almost nothing.
I feel like I’ve spent so much of my life trying to be someone worth liking that I genuinely don’t know who I am without an audience.
The most frustrating thing is that now I’m even monitoring myself to make sure I’m not monitoring myself. It’s an endless loop.
Lately, I’ve just been feeling so sad and empty. I want to enjoy things. I want to have experiences without immediately analysing what they say about me. I want to know what I genuinely like without questioning my motivations. I want to feel present in my own body and my own life.
I don’t want to spend the rest of my life watching myself live.
Does anyone else experience this? Especially the constant self-observation, feeling like you’re performing even when you’re alone, and questioning whether your personality or preferences are genuine?
If you’ve experienced this and managed to find some relief, what actually helped? Therapy? Specific techniques? Learning to stop analysing yourself?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis. I just really want to know whether other people understand what I’m describing, because it’s becoming exhausting.

I am in between old negative habits, and new healthy ones -Actually consisting of hobbies I used to love during childhood like art, playing music, sport etc.

The thing is, I have this feeling like before wanting to engage for a run for exemple, I have this new thought that tells me :

"Man it's gonna be 11 when you'll come back you'll have to go to work soon"

So it makes me hesitate and I often end uo spending time on my computer, even though time flies by ratyer quickly too and it doesn't fills me.

Have you ever had this ? And how to get rid of it because I trully know this is a cognitive bias..

Hoping someone can help me with some advice.. my wedding is coming up tomorrow and there’s no way I can do it without medication. Since I was little I have severe “stage fright” and fear of judgement and people looking at me. I get nauseous and have gagging and also get lightheaded and start seeing stars/spots when I am making presentations or when I have people watching me, like graduations. I have a prescription for propranolol but seeing as it only works for physical symptoms, I’m not sure how that will work for when I get nauseous being in front of everyone or when I feel like I’m going to faint and fear of judgement. I also have Xanax and am not sure if I should just take that instead. I don’t have much experience with either of these medications, I did a trial run with the propranolol yesterday but I felt normal because it doesn’t “kick in” until the stressful event when your adrenaline spikes. I just want whatever has a higher chance of working and getting me down the aisle and to the alter. Help please 🥲

Week 13. No anxiety going out but having waves of anxiety during the day and when I wake up panicky, sleeping good now but feel panicky occasionally, had low mood this morning but feel better afternoon after 1pm.

​I recently doubled my Sertraline (Zoloft) dose from 50mg to 100mg.

​During the first week, I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. However, now in the second week, I've been experiencing pretty bad nausea and sudden spikes of moderate anxiety.

​Has anyone else experienced a delayed onset of side effects like this after increasing their dose? How long did it take for things to settle down for you?

I was a jock in high school and college and tended to laugh off mental health problems. After having panic attacks and agoraphobia in my 20’s and 30’s, I’ve definitely become more empathetic and sensitive to others feelings and I think in that regard it’s made me a better person. Just wanted to post the one benefit anxiety has had on my life.

These past four months, I’ve been dealing with some stressful situations. My girlfriend and I just moved in together and it’s been nice, but certainly an adjustment period for the both of us. We’ve been learning how to live with one another and our routines.

But in this time:
- Both my girlfriend and I got laid off from our long-term jobs and we’ve been making ends meet from unemployment payments while looking for work.
- My 14 year old brother almost died from a heart condition.
- I have been dealing with CHRONIC death anxiety every single night since my birthday in July.
- I have been developing allergies from her dog that moved in with us as well.

So it seems like pretty much every week I’ve convinced myself that something physical is wrong with me. First it was my temples. I had bought a new headset. Luxury, meant for gaming, that I returned because it made me feel light-headed and squeezed me the wrong way. Then it was my stomach that was constantly churning back and forth but this one was the least of my worries because stomach flu happens all of the timeeeee. Then it was my ears aching and hurting. But now I’m having some sort of migraine thing I’m not sure what. I don’t think I’ve ever had a migraine. But the left side of my head throbbed. My ears popped. The worst of it is over, but I still can’t use my left eye comfortably (this is also my only fully functional eye). It feels extremely sensitive to screens and there’s a dull ache around my eyebrow. I have a constant urge to rub my eye or do something along the lines of. I look things up on google and I have to stop but it keeps me up at night. This cold feeling in my eye has been here for like 4 days.

Am i kicking the bucket or do I need a psychiatrist? Lol

The past week has been really rough. My anxiety has been incredibly high due to being a full time student, working part time, being a wife, and having other obligations with family and friends. This nausea cycle started with the horrible "lump" in my throat anxiety symptom, which leads to my inability to eat. The throat sensation causes even more anxiety which makes it worse, leading to slight nausea and the fear of throwing up if I DO eat anything. Every morning I wake up with severe anxiety and that kind of sets the mood for my entire day...

I've been pushing myself to go to my classes and go to work when I can but the cycle ISN'T STOPPING!!! I'm barely eating and feeling fatigued and weak as a result.

Sometimes later in the evening I feel better, or even NO anxiety. But I need help managing the symptoms while they're here.

Please offer any and all advice. I'm at a loss.

Note: I started taking Prozac again just 4 days ago so hopefully once that kicks in it'll help. I am also in therapy.

Been thinking about switching from Wellbutrin to Lexapro after being on Wellbutrin for about 4 years. Due to personal life circumstances the Wellbutrin doesn’t seem to be as effective now. I’m getting more racing thoughts and I have trouble remembering things because of it. I’ve heard Lexapro is more calming but who knows. Wellbutrin gives a little more “energy”.

Just seeing if anyone has ever switched between these two