[steelfang]

Sorry for the weird question. I have been questioning whether I have generalized anxiety order for a while. I'm not quite sure how to distinguish healthy anxiety from the disorder.

I have just been really worried about school lately since I have recently been diagnosed with bipolar 1 and have had an academic setback due to mania. I am putting the pieces of my life back together and it has been overwhelming. I have a hard time sleeping and it has been hard for me to relax in general and I feel easily overwhelmed now.

I would appreciate it if you guys would describe how anxiety disorders manifest I you so I can get a better idea. Thank you!

[manwithnofriends]

Is there something specific that you "can't" do? "Can't" being a substitute of "won't because I'm scared"

[atomicc]

For me, I am constantly worried about things. Not just school but extremely small things like, "what if I trip on that sock on the stairs in three hours". I'm always keyed up and hyper aware of everything going on around me. I repeat constant lists in my head of things I need to do, even if they aren't important.
I am easily agitated and feel tense and anxious on a regular basis. I don't sleep well because I wake up anxious over who knows what.

[FrayedEnds]

Originally Posted by atomicc

"what if I trip on that sock on the stairs in three hours"

I thought I was the only one to do that sort of thing!

[atomicc]

Originally Posted by FrayedEnds

I thought I was the only one to do that sort of thing!

Me too! I overthink everything!

[steelfang]

Thanks for the insight, it's really helpful. Because of how you described it, I think my anxiety is situational.

[neutrino]

I've got several anxiety disorders and Generalized Anxiety Disorder is one of them. GAD, to me, means that I'm constantly worried about things. All kinds of things. I overthink things and I catastrophize a lot. For example: "I don't really understand what the lecturer is saying right now. I'm so stupid. Holy crap, what if I fail the exam? What if I fail and I'll have to drop out of university?! Great, I'll never reach my goals. I suck." The anxiety then leads to it being very difficult to focus, which in turn leads to more anxiety. It's like the vicious circle from hell. My GAD not only makes me worry about my studies though, but also about other things such as being late to the bus, the bus being late, not knowing exactly what's going to happen all the time, worrying about not having enough money etc. My other anxiety disorders (social anxiety disorder and OCD) contribute with a whole lot more anxiety but often about other things.

My anxiety disorders make it very difficult for me to function "normally". Sure, I manage to study at university but my disorders really limit me and make me live in fear. Constantly. A little bit of anxiety is normal but when it's constant, excessive and it's taking over your life and thus prevents you from living the life you want to live, it's unhealthy and that's when you should probably go check it out.

There's a lot more I could say about this but I think this is enough for now. Hope it helps!

EDIT: I should add that I'm in no way an expert on these things. I'm only writing out of personal experience.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by steelfang

I would appreciate it if you guys would describe how anxiety disorders manifest !

Mine, isn't the worry type of anxiety. Mine manifests, physically. Stress, bottles up, then I get heart palpitations, knots in the stomach, shaking/trembling, shortness of breathe(like I can't get a deep breathe, or just ran up 20 flights of stairs).

Hope you find some answers for yours.

[Tonyh]

I don't know if there is a specific explanation, since it can be different for everyone. But if you take something like tripping over the sock in 3 hours, on a good day you might laugh at the idea, where on a day that you feel anxiety, you will find yourself worrying about it, to the point that it affects your mood, makes you feel depressed and worried, etc.

Mine for example starts up, then soon after I start to think I must be ill. My mind starts to over think about it and suddenly I can't cope with even the slightest stress.

Everyone worries about things in general. But if you find yourself overwhelmed by worried thoughts, then it could be anxiety.