Sorry for the slow reply, here.

I'd say that the fact that it just takes a huge amount of effort could certainly explain why I'm left with no energy or mental capacity for anything else really. I'm mostly only sleeping when I'm so physically exhausted that I just switch off - I've fallen asleep with my glasses on and the lights still on on so many occasions over the last few weeks.

I've been referred to a service here for anxiety, but also depression, but resources are limited and I'm just about holding myself together so for now I'm just going to a stress control group.

I've been trying to learn meditation but I've found mindfulness not exceptionally useful - my anxiety just endlessly butts in and I find it even harder to function then.

My Uni's aware of everything that's going on but if I'm quite honest, my work is basically what's keeping me going right now. I love what I'm studying and part of my frustration is when all this stops me working - but right now, it's a new semester and I'm throwing myself into it as much as I can and it seems to be doing good - reminding me that there are things I can enjoy and that the anxiety doesn't have to rule me life. I'm adjusting to having gained a bunch more lectures this semester but again, it's keeping me busy and that's good. I'm out of exam season, which is always a good thing!

I also struggle with walking around with headphones - I worry and get nervous about what I can't then hear, and this is partly, I suspect, the fact that I grew up in the middle of nowhere (by british standards at least) and am now in a city and that's a very different environment which I'm still adjusting too.

My sleep is abysmal but it's also semi-regular, as it's forced to be by my timetable, so I think as I work to try and get the anxiety in check I'll hopefully be able to sort it out a bit more.

Edit: Also, as I managed to forget, I'm not on any meds right now and am trying to avoid them as far as possible. I know what my body does when it gets annoyed at me and it really, really isn't very pleasant, and even the risk of anything that gets close to that is enough to make me want to battle it without that first.