I'm 17, and I'm about to have to drop out of school because of anxiety?

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mattW93

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I'm 17, and I've been having terrible anxiety for about a year now. I constantly worry about everything it seems like. From constant disaster worries (like the end of the world) to health issues. Some things I've been anxious about this week alone: I think I have a brain tumor (cause I have constant headaches, which are probably from anxiety), I believe I have a heart condition cause my chest always hurts (also probably because of anxiety), and I constantly worry about the end of the world. Especially lately because of all the birRAB and fish dying stuff. When I read about that I DID have a panic attack. A bad one. When I do go out in public I get really dizzy and get a massive headache. And the many times I have tried going back to school I'm miserable all day because I'll get a massive headache and be dizzy all day. It's completely ruining my life. About 3 months ago I had a terrible panic attack at school. I ended up in the hospital afterwarRAB because I was certain I was having a heart attack. After that day I would not go to school a few times a week. Then it turned into going to school once a week. Now I don't go at all.

My doctor doesn't seem to take me seriously. All he's done is prescribe me paxil. Which I don't feel is working at all. All paxil has done has give me depression. Which I didn't have before. My mother and I constantly fight and bicker about me not going to school. She understanRAB I have anxiety but she doesn't help. And every time my family and I get into a fight about my anxiety and not going to school, I'll get this immense amount of rage and end up breaking things, which then leaRAB to me laying in my room crying. (I'm a 17 year old male. I haven't cried since I was a child until recently). The amount of stress I'm under these past few weeks is terrible. My life is started to feel like a terrible dream. I've been trying to get to a psychiatrist or psychologist, but there's only about 3 in my area and none of them are taking anymore patients. I'm stumped on what to do. My depression level lately is outstanding. I don't know what to do.


Also I would like to be comforted on these symptoms I think I've been having from anxiety, can anyone relate to these? : Random muscles in my body randomly twitch all day, I get dizzy when I go out in public sometimes, every time I get anxious I get a really bad headache, I constantly have chest pain, and sometimes I feel like what's happening at the moment isn't real.
 
The symptoms you're describing can be attributed to anxiety, I suffered from PTSD after witnessing a natural disaster that killed many people I know. I couldn't fit into a normal routine anymore, and when going out I'd get dizzy, suffer headaches, ect. I also had to deal with my parents fighting all the time, and teachers telling me off for not being able to complete work. I was previously an honours student, but I failed most classes that year, lol and wrote smart comments in my textbooks.
Please be gentle on yourself. In your time out of school, just focus on enjoying yourself. I refocused my anxiety by focusing on goals I could achieve, last year, the year after my failed year, I refocused and did much better at school. Out of school I found time to enjoy myself, party with frienRAB, ect. I've also found a regular excercise routine helps divert your thoughts, especially rigourous excercise. Speaking to psychologists does help, but if you're unable to do so, just try to act as positive as possible.
This all may sound cliche, but I've suffered from anxiety myself. The chest pains are from stress, which would happen to me during my anxiety attacks, dizziness and headaches are completely normal aswell, so is the rage and crying, which is from the built up emotions. When you're constantly focused on your anxiety, your emotional neeRAB are unfufilled, and therefore, you get angry and sad. Even if you can't focus on your school work, just enjoy your time there as best you can. Do anything you can to divert your thoughts, listen to music, play videogames, excercise, ect. Setting easily acheivable goals will allow you to feel more in control of your life. The muscle twitching is also normal, so is the perception that what's currently happening isn't real, it's part of the 'fight or flight' mechanism, when your anxious that mechanism in your body is activated.
What you describe is not unusual, and you can work through your emotions, so just try to relax. You won't achieve getting rid of your anxiety instantly, but if you divert your attention to other aspects of life it will quickly begin to ease. Try to focus on being less introverted and more extroverted.
I too thought of dropping out of school recently, as I've still been under constant stress, I recently found out my father is a pedophile that molested my sister, and have had to deal with a bad financial situation and living in isolation without a reliable car. Constant stress has made me cynical at times, but I try my best to focus on doing things I enjoy, helping people I care about, ect. Strangely the more tradgedy I see in life, the more I appeciate the good aspects of life. Take one day at a time, there is no need to be overly pre-occupied with the future, as it reveals itself soon enough.
 
Hello - I have had extreme anxiety in social situations since I was 16. I am 23 now, and I graduated college last year. The last 7 years have been extremely difficult for me because I was self-medicating and depressed... I had no idea what was wrong with me, or why I couldn't feel comfortable in social situations. High School and college were NOT very enjoyable because of this growing anxiety.

I had my first panic attack during a presentation in high school, and since then, I have severe anxiety whenever I have all eyes on me. It just kept getting worse. I was able to hide it sometimes, but if I ever met someone new, or got asked the dreaded question "tell me a little about yourself" - I would get very dizzy, blush, sweat, my heart would race....that familiar 'fight of flight' feeling. SO ErabARRASSING.

Anyway, moral of the story is that you should get help now. I wish I did more research and found a psychiatrist YEARS ago. Just a few months ago, I made an appt with a doc to talk about depression. The anxiety was keeping me from getting a job, and that ultimately caused the depression I think. After seeing the doc, she explained that anti-depressants are used for anxiery (stupid me thought xanax or ativan could control anxiety). I did Effexor XR for 2 weeks - I felt jittery and I couldn't remeraber anything. Then I tried Lexapro - and it actually made my blushing and sweating spells worse. Now I have been on Zoloft for 2 weeks. Zoloft has been the first thing to actually give me relief from my social anxiety. Right now I take 50mg a day (started at 25mg for a week).

I hope this helps - you are not the only one. I thought I was such a freak when I had to deal with this at your age. It's no way to live!
 
I think you need to talk to your dr- that is a very low starting dose- I am not 17 but when I started on Paxil I was mid 20's- it saved my life literally. I know there are concerns with these meRAB in younger people but from the sounRAB of what you are experiencing that isnt going to do enough for you.

Having said that Paxil is very difficult to stop for many people- perhaps you can discuss a different med like the above poster mentioned
 
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