[robflee23]

im a 20 year old male and get anxious about getting out of bed anymore. im in college and i want to be social but i just cant break my shell. any advice?

[lynn P.]

Hi robflee23 - are these anxious feelings new and do you know what's making you feel like this? Any problems in the past with this and have you spoke to a professional? Are you happy with what you're studying and doing well? If a student isn't happy with what they're studying, this can cause a lot of anxiety. Would you be comfortable speaking to a college counselor? Better to get help with this, instead of suffering alone. Giving into the feelings will make you more withdrawn. I hope you find what's causing this and feel better soon.

[robflee23]

ive always been an anxious person, but it just keeps getting worse. i havent talked to a professional, mainly because im too anxious for that too.

[Mustkeepjob32]

Some problems like these get worse and worse as we grow up and go from teenage years to 20s and even beyond. Do you have a counselor at school? I know you'd be anxious to see one but they are great and you deserve to feel better.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Mustkeepjob32 is completely right, and I'm speaking from years of experience. I'm 7 years older than you, and I can honestly say, that I wish I had proper help, when I was your age, but, like you, I was (and usually still am) too anxious to even get to that support.

You need to take advantage of what's right in-front of you: your computer.

Your computer gives you access to support forums, anxiety information, techniques, and more, but not only that, you can get in touch with local organisations, or even your doctor, in order to make that first real step to getting yourself sorted. It's not easy, that's for damn sure, but there's a good chance it's doable.

Make sure you exercise - even just a 20 or so minutes of light exercise a day, will likely help burn off that energy and stress, plus make you feel better for it. Every once in a while, I jump on my exercise bike, and do a few miles, and it does help, I promise you that; it's not a cure, but the help is so very welcome.

Avoid triggering things! If watching horror movies makes you anxious, stop! If playing horror games makes you anxious, stop! At the very least, ease up on them.

Watch your diet. Make sure your diet is decent, because it can make the world of difference, when it comes to anxiety - trust me on that. Again, watching your food isn't a cure, but it's a big help.

There are more tips, but like I say, just browse the World Wide Web.

Going out is a big problem for me, but on those times when it's simply not avoidable (to get food or see a doctor, for example) I make sure to try and use some techniques, such as:

1. Blinkering your eyesight - this means looking at the ground - don't worry, you don't have to look like a super-shy and insecure person doing this, just look a few steps ahead of you, and every once in a while, check what's going on around you; obviously, I don't recommend using this method for crossing roads, but in some places, this will help, by giving you less to focus on and be distracted by.

2. Blinkering your ears - this is basically a case of getting some headphones and blasting music you like, into your ears. If loud noises spike your anxiety, this technique will help a lot, but make sure you pay attention when crossing the road, naturally, or better still, mute the music during these times.

3. Work on your breathing! I personally focus on controlled abdominal breathing, in order to make sure I'm getting an adequate (but not too much!) supply of Oxygen. Shallow breathing will do you no good, and neither will hyperventilating.