What is wrong with me?

[alan1029smith]

I've always had anxiety problems, but they have recently become crippling. Here are a few examples:

Whenever I get in the car and begin to pull out of the driveway, I have a panic attack for fear of accidentally running over my dog. I know my dog is safe and sound inside the house, but that doesn't stop me from checking. Sometimes, I make up to five trips back and forth from the car to the front door in order to prove to myself that she is okay.

Whenever I use the public restrooms at my university, I enter the men's room, but as soon as I am inside, I become paranoid that I might have mistakenly gone into the women's room instead, prompting me to open the door and check multiple times.

I have been late to class almost everyday because I just can't bring myself to exit my front door for fear of leaving something important behind and being left stranded without it for the entire day.

Whenever I eat at the dining halls at my university, I use the cubbies to store my backpack (because they don't allow backpacks inside). When I come back to retrieve it and begin walking away, I repeatedly check to make sure I didn't somehow accidentally open the wrong cubby and walk away with someone else's backpack.

I generally avoid people I don't know well for fear of having a potentially awkward interaction.

I can't make simple decisions, like ordering food from a menu, without worrying that I will regret my decision afterward (which I usually do anyway).

More recently, I have become paranoid that Facebook will publish websites that I visit on my profile, or that I will accidentally hit "share to Facebook" on a website that I don't wish to share, so I have disabled my account.

I have even become afraid to check my email because I am worried that I will see a bunch of messages with the words "ASAP", "URGENT", or "HELP!" in the title, and feel bad that I didn't check it sooner.

I am never hungry anymore, so I constantly have to force food down my throat just to get myself to eat. I can never fall asleep, so I always lie in bed for hours before eventually falling into a light sleep, and even then, I repeatedly wake up throughout the night.

On a more personal note, masturbation has become unenjoyable to me. I have come to view it as something I need to get over with, and I often last for half a minute or less. By comparison, I used to last for an hour or more.

I know some of these examples may seem comical, but please try to be sensitive. It has been getting worse lately, and I'm not sure what I should do. I'm CONSTANTLY on edge and uncomfortable, and it has been interfering with my life - particularly my social life...

 

[KatTheGreat]

I am sorry to hear your life has become so difficult for you. I think the best thing to do in your case is to go see a specialist (i.e. psychiatrist), who will be able to properly diagnose you and decide on your treatment. Even though your description is very exhausting, it is difficult to make a diagnosis just on the basis thereof. Also ask your friends for support.
I wish you all the best.

 

[ozguy]

You need professional help and counselling. Seek it.

 

[Horse90]

Speaking as a University STUDENT, not a qualified therapist, it sounds like you have some of the traits of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I would recommend you see a qualified therapist, as it is very treatable.
As for masturbation. It tends to become more of a chore when you're stressed, anxious or otherwise feeling negative. If you get happier, then it will get more enjoyable.

 

[KaraBulut]

What you're describing sounds very much like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It is something that develops over time and gets worse in the teens and 20s.

The critical thing that you've said in your post is that this has begun to affect your daily life (e.g. it's making you late for class, it's causing you anxiety).

When things like this affect your daily living, it's time to get professional help. Talk to your doctor and ask for a referral to a professional who deals with people with anxiety disorders and OCD.

 

[Horse90]

Speaking as a University STUDENT, not a qualified therapist, it sounds like you have some of the traits of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I would recommend you see a qualified therapist, as it is very treatable.
As for masturbation. It tends to become more of a chore when you're stressed, anxious or otherwise feeling negative. If you get happier, then it will get more enjoyable.

 

[cocksucker4use]

I used to suffer from anxiety / panic attacks. I had a lot of difficulty driving to and from work, especially. Could never stop off en route for fear of....? You need to seek professional help and find out what your core issues are so you can enjoy jerkin off again.

 

[nycguydowntown]

You may need to be on an anti-depressant for a while. Have a cousin with similar symptoms and they seemed to help.

 

[guyfromNY]

I agree with everyone else about this sounding like OCD coupled with generalized anxiety disorder. This is not comical and it is also not something you should be ashamed about. Go to a psychiatrist and they will prescribe an anti-depressant for you. Problems like this are treatable and you should not be walking around in distress.

 

[papipaco]

Definitely OCD. I used to have it very bad and did a lot of things that just seemed "weird" to others but absolutely necessary for me. What people don't realize is that OCD isn't funny, it's actually a very difficult disorder to deal with and can have adverse effects in many different parts of your life. Through therapy and medication I was able to (mostly) overcome it. All the best!

 

[JayQueer]

Hi Alan Smith,

It looks like you probably have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with generalized anxiety superimposed as well.

There is also Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) but the difference is that people who have an obsessive compulsive personality disorder find that making excessive lists, checking on things multiple times, etc. makes their life more comfortable. In other words, while these behaviors of excessive lists, checking that the door is locked 5 times, etc. may seem "odd" or "strange" to others, to that person, they find that behavior normal or not interfering with their life.

For someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), they usually find that the behaviors of making excessive lists, checking that the doors are locked multiple times, etc. causes them a lot of distress and anxiety, but they do it anyway.

From what you described, it sounds more like OCD.

I was wondering, for how long have you been experiencing these behaviors? Like checking that your door is locked 5 times, or checking several times that you went into the right bathroom, etc?

Can you recall a traumatic event or experience in your life that caused you a lot of fear? Do you ever experience "flashbacks" or events where you remember that traumatic event, and it causes you to panic? If so, you might have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I would recommend that you see a mental health doctor (a psychiatrist) who can accurately diagnose you and write you a prescription for an anti-depressant. In addition, if your doctor thinks it might help, he or she might recommend counseling or on-going therapy.

Hang in there.

 

[evanrick]

start those omega 3 supplements

 

[ZeroOne]

I am listening to you Adam as a big person up to something in life. These occurrences are unproductive and generating anxiety. Your letting them run you.

I had these similar occurrences, I discovered a program that had improved the lives of millions. I took the program and learned my unproductive ways of acting and gave them up. I now have had been confident in expressing whats important for me to others.

In other words, therapists may not be needed, if you get to have a straight forward conversation about these occurrences.

 

[curiousbob]

Your already on the road to a solution.
You've asked for advice. Mental disorders can have a stigma attached and many of us suffer in silence as a result. Start the ball rolling with a trip to see your general practitioner, if there any good you should get advice as to your next step. Your g.p. might prescribe an anti depressant to help with the symptoms. Anti depressants work but they only work on the symptoms and not the cause, so hopefully you'll be offered therapy. If your in the UK good luck trying to access NHS mental health services as there a bit few and far between. I never received counselling when i became ill and its taken me 3 years to get back some of what was lost.