Do I actually have anxiety?
Im not sure if I would qualify myself as someone with anxiety/panic attacks but I just really need some answers.
I'm a very out going person with a very big personality but while I'm talking to someone or after I'm done with the conversation I immediately regret anything I said to them and won't stop thinking about that conversation for hours. Typically thinking the worst. I may even rerun the moment in my head and just keep pointing out the flaws of the entire thing over and over again.
Also something that has been happening recently which is fairly new is I think I'm starting to get panic attacks. Usually when I lose control of a situation. Recently I was getting yelled at for something quite small but I freaked out and couldn't breathe and started hysterically crying nonstop. Sadly when I told the person what was happening they just continued to yell at me making matters worse as time went on.
No im not sure weather these are real or if I just like the attention and I'm making a big deal to out of something quite small.
I have been dwelling on these thoughts for the past 3 days and have nit had the motivation to do any of my school work or even leave my room.
I hope this wasn't too confusing to read so if you have any questions please ask!
@Theatrekid123
It does sound like you have social anxiety; the fact you rerun the conversations you've had through your head afterwards suggests that to me. I don't think you had a panic attack though, you were just very upset. Only you know if that was for attention or not, as you previously deciphered. I would suggest you looked up the symptoms of a panic attack - it can feel like you're dying or going mad which it doesn't sound like you experienced.
Anxiety affects everyone differently. You don't have to have panic attacks to have anxiety. You should think about what may have caused your anxiety in an social aspect. I hope this helped!
Hi. I'm sorry this happened to you. Firstly, I'd say yes, you have anxiety. But how much anxiety you have and how it affects your life determines how big of a problem it is.
I spoke to a psychologist recently and he said when it comes to anxiety disorders, he diagnoses people based on how much distress their problems were causing them. For example, he said I have some very mild OCD tendencies. He asked how much time I spent daily on them and how much distress they caused me. They didn't cause me much distress at all, so he didn't diagnose me. That's what you need to figure out; how much distress is your anxiety causing you? What are you willing to do to 'fix' the things that are causing you pain?
Your emotions are significant and they matter. They are most certainly real, and you're not alone.
@Theatrekid123
Wow I am new to 7 cups and what you describe sounds a lot like me. Like you, I am an extrovert. I have always enjoyed talking with people and tend to talk a lot. When I was younger, I never thought I had anxiety, but as I am getting older, I realize that my thought patterns and nervousness can be defined as social anxiety. Whenever I finish having a conversation, I tend to overanalyze and pick through the things I said looking for mistakes. In doing this, I am usually critical of myself and extremely negative towards myself, regretting things that I said. Looking at it more objectively, I know that the person I talked to probably forgot our conversation and has moved on, but I realized- Why am I still thinking and obsessing over what I said and how I was perceived? Also, if I'm honest with myself, although I am generally friendly and outgoing, I do usually feel some level of nervousness or unease during conversations and that pushes me to speak more instead of listening to what the other person is saying. I definitely have trouble listening, but I do not want to be that kind of person. So, what I have been doing is a bit of CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy). When I have obsessive thoughts after a conversation, I ask myself, "What would I say to a friend?" I would be a lot kinder to a friend than to myself! Also, when I am having a conversation, I try to focus on relaxing my shoulders, my breathing, and listening to the other person more. I don't know if you will find this helpful or think we are similar, but what you said really struck a chord with me. When I met other people with social anxiety in the past, I didn't have the same exact symptoms as them, but that doesn't mean that my anxiety is less important or not real. By being honest with myself that I have social anxiety and dealing with it has helped me a lot. Anyway, I am here to chat more if you want!