[msgh4]

Let me start out by introducing myself

I'm 18, starting my freshman year of college. I went through middle school difficultly, and was placed in a Gifted Student program with a more personalized approach to education. By high school, i flourished, got along great with many people, spent almost no time worrying about my image, and graduated in 4 years.

In the summer after my senior year, I registered for courses at a college where my dad got a job. Me and my family all moved about 3 hours away from where i had lived for most of my life, and I started college as a part-time student, two classes a week, while my dad began teaching. I see him on campus often, and I live at home, which was a real comfort to me.

Even though my scenario doesnt seem to prompt it, I have been starting to develop a real brooding sense of paranoia. Somewhat out of character, i'm often worried about what people think of me intellectually. I worry alot about school. Not grades, but just going to classes. During my first semester, the worry started when i entered the new courses, and the week or two before class started, but went mostly away. As i start my second semester as a full-time student, the anxiety (still unrelated to grades) is worse than ever. I missed a class in the first week because i was so nervous i felt ill, and walked back home without going to class. I tend to shake and tremble, and I rest my head on my hand to keep it from shaking, because i dont want anyone to notice. I shift around in my seat some, almost automatically, and I can't calm myself down. I often have trouble sleeping, or falling asleep as well. Over the past two months, I've been unable to sleep at all for a whole night 3 times. I dont know what it is. I sit in class at my desk and i just get more anxious and anxious until I get out, and i dont like it.

Its starting to bother me, so i looked online for a while, and learned a little bit about General Anxiety Disorder. It looks like I have some of the symptoms, but I havent made a big deal about it to anyone and was wondering if there were some easy tricks i can use to pull myself out of the anxiety while i'm in class. I dont want anything to inhibit me from getting the most I can out of my education. I enjoy every class i take, and the anxious feelings and the panicking feelings are holding me back.

One symptom that struck me was "Easily startling" because I've had that ever-present for the last 3 or 4 years. I flinch at things without consciously thinking about it, such as someone moving in my peripherals, it's a more-than-average kind of startling.

This post is devastatingly long, and I don't know the norm for posts on a forum for mental support- i haven't done anything like this. If you have helpful ideas, they would be greatly appreciated. Information, mistakes I've made with self-diagnosing, tips and tricks for reducing anxiety- anything.

But please, just be helpful, and be light- I don't want to hear anything about medications, that doesn't appeal to me-
Thank you so much, and I look forward to reading back from whoever shows an interest in the post I really really appreciate it!

[Sannah]

Msgh, the move is probably really unsettling for you? The first of the semester is the hardest because there are new people to get used to? Were you bullied or mistreated in middle school?

[gimmeice]

Hello msgh, it's nice to meet you, welcome to psychcentral. There is a sticky post at the top of this forum that lists some anxiety resources there may be somethings there that can help. I suffer from anxiety and one of the exercises that I have found helpful is to first try to concentrate how your breath goes in and out for a few minutes and then I try to notice five things in the room that I am in and concentrate on them.
I do recommend that you consider seeking therapy, therapy can teach you some exercises that will help with this anxiety long term and you don't have to take medications to be in therapy. Also you may find posting some more here helpful.

If you have any questions feel free to private message any community liaison or moderator, here is a link to a list of forum leaders.
http://forums.psychcentral.com/showgroups.php

[reader1587]

Originally Posted by msgh4

Let me start out by introducing myself

I'm 18, starting my freshman year of college. I went through middle school difficultly, and was placed in a Gifted Student program with a more personalized approach to education. By high school, i flourished, got along great with many people, spent almost no time worrying about my image, and graduated in 4 years.

In the summer after my senior year, I registered for courses at a college where my dad got a job. Me and my family all moved about 3 hours away from where i had lived for most of my life, and I started college as a part-time student, two classes a week, while my dad began teaching. I see him on campus often, and I live at home, which was a real comfort to me.

Even though my scenario doesnt seem to prompt it, I have been starting to develop a real brooding sense of paranoia. Somewhat out of character, i'm often worried about what people think of me intellectually. I worry alot about school. Not grades, but just going to classes. During my first semester, the worry started when i entered the new courses, and the week or two before class started, but went mostly away. As i start my second semester as a full-time student, the anxiety (still unrelated to grades) is worse than ever. I missed a class in the first week because i was so nervous i felt ill, and walked back home without going to class. I tend to shake and tremble, and I rest my head on my hand to keep it from shaking, because i dont want anyone to notice. I shift around in my seat some, almost automatically, and I can't calm myself down. I often have trouble sleeping, or falling asleep as well. Over the past two months, I've been unable to sleep at all for a whole night 3 times. I dont know what it is. I sit in class at my desk and i just get more anxious and anxious until I get out, and i dont like it.

Its starting to bother me, so i looked online for a while, and learned a little bit about General Anxiety Disorder. It looks like I have some of the symptoms, but I havent made a big deal about it to anyone and was wondering if there were some easy tricks i can use to pull myself out of the anxiety while i'm in class. I dont want anything to inhibit me from getting the most I can out of my education. I enjoy every class i take, and the anxious feelings and the panicking feelings are holding me back.

One symptom that struck me was "Easily startling" because I've had that ever-present for the last 3 or 4 years. I flinch at things without consciously thinking about it, such as someone moving in my peripherals, it's a more-than-average kind of startling.

This post is devastatingly long, and I don't know the norm for posts on a forum for mental support- i haven't done anything like this. If you have helpful ideas, they would be greatly appreciated. Information, mistakes I've made with self-diagnosing, tips and tricks for reducing anxiety- anything.

But please, just be helpful, and be light- I don't want to hear anything about medications, that doesn't appeal to me-
Thank you so much, and I look forward to reading back from whoever shows an interest in the post I really really appreciate it!

Hi--just a quick response--you sound like a really bright person (and I wouldn't worry about writing a long post--I find many posts to be too short insofar I don't get a sense of the person)--you're on the right track but try not to let your smarts get in the way if you understand my meaning--sometimes smart people can come up with clever rationalizations for the fears, justifications for not getting help, etc. Ultimately a lot of things come down to how we feel, how well we're sleeping etc.--stuff that you're already cognizant of.

Have you tried counseling at your school? It's often free, which is nice.

Also remembering to breathe during class helps , and try not to push yourself too much to "get the most you can" out of every class--if you're too tired/anxious to go at all because you've pushed yourself too hard--you're getting less overall!