Light headed all the time. Anxiety or brain tumour?

Mental health
1

hi! i'm a 21 year old male. 

Ever since I started at college in 2010, I've been constantly worrying if I have a brain tumour or if it's anxiety. 

It started off with me physically being sick every Wednesday because on Wednesday's we'd always have a more stricter lecturer. Before I left the house, I was always sick... heaving, but basically just water coming out. Later in the year, this turned to me feeling light headed all the time and the sick thing went. 

But over the past 5 years, it's gotten worse. I'm really really worried I've now got a brain tumour and it's got bigger or something. But then i'm worrying maybe it's just my anxiety getting worse? 

I currently work in retail. We've got a stricter store manager at the moment. I want to go into photography or journalism, but for now i've got this job. I find whenever I am on a till, it gets worse. Sometimes my breathing goes all funny, I get really hot, my heart feels like it's racing, and on one occassion, I went even dizzier and my hands and legs went shaky. I think I was worrying that people were judging me when I was on the till, or if I'd do something wrong. I was chatting to someone once and seen a manager come down the aisle and I suddenly felt very faint. I'm a good worker, but it seems like they take everything out on me, and I constantly worry. We have to date check the food items. I always worry I've done it wrong and I'll get told off. It's now my weekend off, and i'm worrying I've done something wrong. 

Because the light headedness has got worse, I'm really worried it's actually a brain tumour... or because I get those things like I did on the till, is it actually anxiety?

Some mornings when I have to be up at 4:45am, I feel a bit light headed but okay and happy. When I go to leave the house, suddenly I feel more light headed. I love cycling and it really relaxes me. I go out into the countryside and even though I feel light headed still, I feel the least light headed possible. Like sometimes it gets bad and I can't even think right. 

It's my day off today, and i'm  panicking. It's only 08:40am. It's because i'm going out for a meal. I feel terrified. For some reason I always feel like people are judging me when I'm eating, or watching me. I recently went out for a meal with my Nan, and for some reason, I felt like my heart was racing, my chest was a bit weird, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. When I got home, I felt a bit better. 

The light headedness improves on my mood. If everything at work is going fine, it gets better, but doesn't go completely. If everyone is upbeat, I feel happy and better. For some reason, if the weather is sunny with blue skies everywhere, I feel better compared to if it's cloudy. If I get a good night's sleep, it's often better. 

But it's always there. I keep worrying it's a brain tumour? Or is it just anxiety?

2

Hi Scott, sorry to hear that you feel unwell.

Your initial self-diagnosis may not be far off the mark, as worrying that you may have a brain tumour may well be causing you great anxiery which in itself has similar symptoms to what you have described.

If for no other reason other than to stop yourself worrying I strongly suggest that you get yourself down to your doctor for tests to be carried-out.

If as I suspect your tests come back negative you can stop worrying and get on with your life by having fun and living it to the full, which is precisely what you should be doing ay your age.

Good luck.

3

Do you think it is a tumour?! 

4

No Scott I do not think that you are suffering with a brain tumour, but I do think that you are allowing your imagination to run riot to the extent that this is causing you serious anxiety.

The only way I can think of that you will put your concerns to rest once and for all, is for you to get yourself down to your GP for a check-up.

I do not understand why we humans always think of the worst possible scenarios in our lives as a reality, when they are only fears that we have not even taken the time and trouble to have professionally investigated. They are just fears - in all probabilty our imagination playing tricks on us.

Scott do yourself a favour and do make an appointment to see your doctor.

Maybe when he or she confirms that you are suffering from stress brought-on by irrational worry will you finally get some peace.

I give you this advice from my heart Scott, as my eldest son went through the very same problem that you are complaining about. I had the devils-own job to get him to see his doctor, because to put in in his words 'I was frightened to hear the result'.

I put the argument to him as I am to you, that when you know what the problem is, it can be dealt with.

However if one does nothing then all one is left with is the continued worry, anxiety and stress over something that in all probability is not a even a reality.

Go to the doctor Scott.