Thanks for all your replies, everyone. Funnily enough, I started to feel calmer by the time I'd finished writing, so maybe it was a bit therapeutic!

Missbelle - I think my dx is depression also. I know that the GP's most recent notes say "E. depressed" which is no doubt due to a recent 'episode' in the summer, but over the years they have mentioned anxiety, "lack of self-respect" (hate that one) and a few other things.

Apart from the inevitable weekend-related anxiety, it could also be because of a situation with a work colleague who has been an on/off friend for two years. It's been a difficult relationship and I started this academic year (last week) by making the decision not to talk to him (other than for work-related reasons) because my head was spinning enough from general instability without that issue adding to it. He persisted in e-mailing me asking what was going on so in the end I told him to wait until Friday (eg yesterday) and come and find me then. By Friday I was thinking "I'm not actually ready, I don't even know what I'm going to say" - but he never came to find me. So it was a bit of an anti-climax and I was left with the anxiety about having a conversation with him, and the annoyance that I'd had that anxiety for nothing.

But I think the main thing is that I plucked up the courage to see a doctor for the first time about everything in my head, which was an incredibly difficult thing for me to do. He referred me to Health in Mind, which made me feel quite positive (mixed with trepidation!) about maybe getting a proper diagnosis at last, followed by some proper help. It's been three weeks and I've heard nothing. I feel so frustrated by this - it took so much just to go to a doctor in the first place, and everyone goes on about how important that "first step" is in asking for help, and now I'm left waiting, not knowing when that help is going to come! Hopefully I don't sound like a petulant child