Hi everyone, i'm new to the forum! I'm Jessica and i'm 17 years old. My anxiety is extremely bad at the moment and i'm not coping well at all. It's destorying my social life and stopping me from going out and doing daily things such as going to the shops or meeting friends. Whenever I try to socialise or go out I get clammy, tight chested and feel like I cant breathe, I also get pins and needles everywhere. I also get really bad migraines from getting stressed out about it. It's making me very depressed and I wish I could just live a normal teenage life like all of my friends are having. If any of you are the same please reply would be re-assuring to hear it from other peoples point of views. Hope you're all well x
I don't think it's anxiety you have but agoraphobia which may sound stupid as it does with me but anxiety could be making it worse if indeed you do suffer from agoraphobia an as for a social life you may want to start inviting friends round and make an appointment with your Dr an he or she will let you know unless their incompetent in which case good luck because you get how I get an my social life now consists of Xbox live an Facebook because I can't leave my flat.
Well that other reply there didn't help, good luck Pegasus if that how you want to live your life.
Anyway, firstly make that first appoint in the docs, get on record what's going on with you. It's a massive step, take a family member with you as support. Maybe even try to get an appoint right at the end of the day when it isn't busy.
Little trips out, at first if you feel better just go out by your self and have the attitude if I see or come across a situation and I don't like il just go somewhere else, nothing and no one will bother me.
I spent a lot time trying to figure out why it was happening to me, but all this did was make my mind go crazy looking for an answer, just try and accept that what is happening is happening and move on. This is very hard to do.
The fear sounds like the unknown, beating a situation that makes you anxious is the best feeling. "No matter how you feel or what happens, just keep going"
Best of luck
Sounds a lot like the beginnings of some form of social anxiety.
Steps for that are usually - 1. GP, 2. Guided self-help, 3. CBT.
If it gets to CBT, here's what you'll be expected to do:
First of all, your environment - so you went out with friends.
Second of all, thoughts - what were your thoughts about the environment you were in?
Third, emotions - how did your environment and thoughts make you feel emotionally?
Fourth, your physiology - so you say that you "get clammy, tight chested and feel like [you] cant breathe, [you] also get pins and needles everywhere. [you] also get really bad migraines"
Fifth, your behaviour - what do these thoughts, emotions and feelings make you do? How do you react?
Second stage is writing a diary every hour from when you wake up to when you go to sleep. You are asked to limit an event to a brief summary (even if it's a mundane thing - taking dog for walk, having breakfast and so on) and then underneath, write M (mood) = 0 to 10, P (Pleasure) = 0 to 10, A (Achievement) = 0 to 10.
From both of these things, if you look at them, you'll start noticing the things that give you the most pleasure and things that don't. What then happens is you'll be asked why, for example, watching a film alone gives you more pleasure than, say, watching a film in a cinema with friends. So say "being with friends stresses me out but I want to be with them!"
A Cognitive Behavioural Therapist will then try and find ways of either a) reducing stress when you are with friends (ie. something you want to enjoy but can't explain why you aren't enjoying it) or b) help you understand that what you feel isn't maybe a disorder or any kind of mental illness but really just your psychology changing from being an extrovert to an introvert; maybe you are maturing, maybe the environment your friends place themselves in isn't an environment you like any more.
Personally, if I were you, I'd do what I did and take yourself away from the environment for a little bit and find comfort looking inwards and analysing yourself to try and work out who you actually are, and in the process you'll work out who your friends are too. Eliminating social media is the first step.