Finally asking for help! Maybe...

SO! I am extremely glad that I just told my mom about wanting to go to the counseling services at my college for help because my anxiety is getting worse and worse and causing too much frustration. She agreed that if I felt I needed it then I should go.

The only problem is I am still completely freaked out about it. I don't know what to say when I call and make an appointment and I don't know what to expect when I finally go. This scares me sooooo much. Right now my heart is beating faster, my face feels all hot, my chest is tense, and my hands are kind of trembling just thinking about it.

But I feel like telling my parents about going is one step closer to actually calling.

So... what should I expect when actually going? I hate being unprepared for stuff or not knowing what is going to happen...

B&B, that's great you took the step of telling your parents. Every step beings you closer to getting help. I think most student counseling centers have you do an initial appointment where they talk to you about what's going on and why you are seeking help. After they learn how they can best help you, they assign you to a counselor who is familiar with your sort of problem, or they might recommend a support group, getting learning services or tutoring, or whatever else the college may offer that could also help you. So your first appointment may very well not be with the same person you may end up seeing as a counselor. You don't need to go into great detail about your problems at this appointment. Just give them a general idea of why you are there--feeling anxious and worried, feeling down or sad, feeling incompetent, feeling overwhelmed, feeling lonely and isolated, etc.

Good for you! Yes it can be scary to ask for help but it will be worth it in the end. Initial appointments can be nerve wracking when you don't know what to expect. But like Sunrise said, all you need to do is give a general idea of what you have been going through. They may ask about your family history, your current family situation, when you began experiencing problems and if you ever had them before.

Just try to be as honest as you can, and if you don't know they answer or feel uncomfortable, it's ok to say that too. Try to remember, they are there to help you.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

I find the best way to deal with the anxiety of calling is to call asap to get it behind you. The same goes when setting up an appt. Your anxiety may very well make you want to put it off a couple weeks to give yourself prep time, but I want to encourage you to make the appointment date asap as well. The less time between now and the appt the better.

The others are spot on about what to expect when you get there, so I won't bother repeating it

Best wishes and good luck!!!