I'm 20 years old, in college, I have a part time job and I'm in a fraternity. I know what stress is and honestly I don't have that much but for some reason I can't stop thinking about my health. Sometimes I use tobacco products and I drink regularly on the weekends. I also seldomly smoke marijuana. Thats the background information. This all started a few months ago when the tissue under my tongue started swelling and wouldn't go down. I changed toothpastes 3 times, I started using mouthwash, flossing and even resorted to hydrogen peroxide as a mouth rinse and that did nothing. I also developed canker sores in my mouth and while these healed, they caused me more stress than anything. I saw my dentist about a month ago and he told me to floss and use mouthwash. He said my teeth were completely healthy and that just my gums were irritated. This has caused me so much distress that I started googling my symptoms and in the past 6 months I have convinced myself I've had 3 different diseases. 1. Mouth cancer 2. Gum disease 3. Mumps. I have been dipping on and off for about 2-3 years but never more than a can in 5 days. I also cut out tobacco for about 4 months. Whenever I don't have dip I usually bum cigarettes from those who have them, this is ONLY when I drink and no other time. There was a confirmed case of mumps at my university and the symptoms I read online sent me into a tizzy. I took an online quiz to see if I showed signs of being a hypochondriac and the results said there was a high chance I was and should seek treatment. To be completely honest, I feel like I'm probably overreacting and just anxious but still I'd love to hear someone else's opinion. If you'd like to know anything else please feel free to ask. I'm willing to be open about this because I just want to be able to enjoy my time with friends, concentrate better at work, and improve my overall happiness in my life.
Be very careful with mariijuam it unleashes panic attacks in many people with anxiety disorders, it has lead many people into the panic disorders. Alcohol depletes vitamins and is a depressant. So keep that in mind its not harmless.
Get a good multivitamin and a vitamin b complex. The body needs to have a healthy and nutritious base to pull ypon to deal with anxiety. And eat as balanced as you can.
Best thing is yoga. Teaches everything to self calm. They have yoga for anxiety so you learn mindful stuff and breathing all in one. Therapy is useful. Anxiety is hard to keep a handle on it just is. Its a bully and has tons of symptoms that mess with the mind. It epidemic so you are not alone. It sucks. Theres noway it doesnt suck and it alters everything you thought you knew about life.
you can be happy without drinking and smoking drugs. Yoga, reiki, exercise, mindful breathing..etc..find friends who make you laugh and feel good. Go out to dinner rather then drink a ton. Journal everything. Every thought and every symptom. Then in a in a few months you have your own personal guide to how you are in an anxious state. Very helpful and revealing. Better then google. Then with a therapist you have a guide what to deal with.
Everyone gets anxious but one out of every five people you see are going thru a disorder with it. Self calming tools and skills are vital. Cant ignore it or think it just goes away. It grows unless you learn about it and calm it. Way way easier said then done. Everyone has a different "last straw" that brought them into this.
Have you mentioned your drug habit to any doctors?