I am a young woman. I don’t smoke or drink. I have never had any chronic illnesses, and my BMI is perfectly fine.

Two months ago, I was suddenly struck by shortness of breath, and it has been with me constantly ever since. I am unable to take a normal breath; I feel a heaviness in my chest and a sensation that I am suffocating. It's like this literally 24/7

It gets even worse when I try to perform any activity—walking 50 meters or taking dishes out of the dishwasher feels like running a marathon. I am extremely weak.

Sometimes it gets so bad that I experience tingling all over my face, a tightening in my throat, my fingers contort, and I lose sensation in my legs for 10–15 minutes. ☹️

The worst part, however, is at night. I keep waking up around 3:00 or 4:00 AM feeling like I can’t breathe (even worse than usual), along with dizziness and heart palpitations/tachycardia.

Because of this, I ended up in the hospital. I underwent several tests, including a chest X-ray, a CT scan with contrast, an MRI of the head, a lung scintigraphy, an echocardiogram, a Holter monitor test, and a gastroscopy. Everything came back normal, except for low iron (24) and ferritin (8) levels, as well as tachycardia. My oxygen saturation has been between 94% and 100%.

My spirometry results were also reportedly normal. However, a test performed in a body plethysmography chamber showed parameters bordering on bronchial asthma, so the doctor prescribed Bufomix, to be used twice a day.

I have been using these inhalers for three weeks now, but unfortunately, I don’t feel any improvement.

I don’t know what is wrong with me. ...what to do. I’m terrified—I’m so afraid that I’ll have to struggle with these breathing difficulties for the rest of my life... :(

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? If so, what helped you? Can this be anxiety or just dysfunctional breathing pattern?

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any comments or advice! 🥹💕

I've always struggled with anxiety, but the past year it's gotten worse. I haven't left my house for a few months now, and even the thought of going outside the gate gives me anxiety. It also doesn't help seeing my friends doing good in life, when I can't even go in my backyard without getting anxious. I don't even know why that happens. This is the most depressed I've ever been, how will I ever get a job, make friends, do basic life shit if I'm like this?

So this is my life in my 30s, dealing with depression and anxiety everyday, unable to do basic tasks let alone be employed. I always thought in my 20s, it's ok I'm struggling now, I'll have it figured out by 30. Nothing has changed. I'm still down, still unfocused, still drifting through life. Time is just passing by. Im not living. I feel like I'm wasting my life.

Hey guys I've been dealing and struggling with mental issues i am 25 rn. On 1st november ill be 26. From the time since lockdown i think ive been wasting a lot of time and feel like ive been waiting for perfect moment for the things to start. I completed my twelth at 2019. After that enrolled into graphic design and multmedia course. Without any giving a serious thought about it.and my career. Let me tell you my background a little i was not good at studies i studied at sacred heart convent school best school of ludhiana. There rich kids came and i was from lower middle class family. Being around rich kids i felt very uncomfortable being around them because they used to treat me differently. Racism i faced, no one used to talk to me i had no personality there. Girls didnt even used to look at me. There's this one incident happened where all the boys and girls were standing in seperate lines and teacher asked us to hold hands of each other. So the girl beside me who was standing looked at me too see who is her partner guess what happened she made a face very ugly and she went back with some handsome and rich kid. From there i got this trauma didnt told anyone or my family what happened. My parents are not literate so i didnt bother to tell them. From that day on that thing is still on my mind. This thing comtinued upto tenth standard. I never changed or upgraded my personality i was dumb because i didnt even jad internet or my personal phone. If i had technology and resources at that. Time maybe things would have been a different. Other kids were so knowledgeful maybe because they had much better information from internet and had internet personallity too. I didnt have shit. The only thing i was proud of myself was that i was the second fastest sprinter in the whole school and the best gymnast. I only went to school for gymnastic and athletics but i didnt had proper knowledge as how to recover and be good at the sports which i was playing because i didnt had internet. So one day while playing Football i accidentally tore my acl. I didnt know what to do i didnt even went to doctor untill one week untill the symptoms raised. So i went to doctor got a checkup later i found out i have tore my ligament. At that time didnt even knew what is a ligament and ahat it does doctor said sorry buddy you should now refrain from running and practice sports and maybe i should want to do surgery he said. Listening for the first time to this felt like the end of the world because my strength was the only thing i had. Told my parents about what doctor said. My parents didnt agree for the surgery at that time they thought the doctor was lying and wants to make money for himself the less they know that the doctor was saying the right thing. I tried convincing my parents for surgery because i knew that how much i loved sports and i could even make a career out of it in any field. But they didnt agree so like this i was very demotivated i was completely overwhelmed about my future. So from 2017-2022 i started doing gym i thiught maybe it will heal on its own and in between that period of 5 years sometimes i got tempted to play football and i went and every game i went to play came back with injuries after injuries my knee got fucked up so bad that one time my knee got locked. And i wasnt able to walk seeing this my parents thought maybe it serious, so they agreed for it. After surgery it took like 1 proper year for me too get back on my legs. Still i didnt felt strong like before went back to gym again for recovery and strengthening of my knee but i knew it was over because we cant fully recover like athletes because we dont live that lifestyle. In between my bed ridden phase i used to just stay on bed like a dead body thinking about what my future holds because i had already done my school at 2019 and i didnt even joined college after it. I felt my other peers are going so ahead of my life what the hell im doing. I felt so confused about my career the h graphic design course which i had joined at that time i left it in between because i didnt had a good system with good specs and i tried running softwares in them but the system only crashed running those softwares. I thought to myself what's the point of doing it when i dont even have a system. I had developed my skills in photoshop illustrator and premiere pro after effects, where i used to to unpaid internship. There also i got robbed the employers didnt give us salary only from there i got fucked up more 8 months of job was waste.then i later said i dont want to do this thing only. Time passed by went to mohali for one video editing job no experience. There the pressure was too high they said i had to make 20 videos a day. I got reality check at that time got nervous came back then went to kolkata hoping there i can do something. Went with my brother and one friend of his. Later found out that there are no jobs of this field, another twist. My brother went into bpo and i went into dominos. I left there too were there for three months then came back. Got depressed even more. Because id wasted time there. And money too. My father also got retired. My mental health was so much bad started smoking weed to escape the responsibility i had. That was the most worst decisions i ever took. Layer my right knee also got busted and now im not able to do a thing. And cant say my parents for another surgery so ive been dealing with it.. at 2023 my mom said that maybe you should do college. I said no but they forced me too. And i didnt want to do college at punjab such a shitty place it it is. My friend told there is Ct University lets take admission there after one month that rat snitched on me he dropped out and i was left alone. I left the college without telling my parents. Took the college money and spent it on myself and other things. Im completely numb right now. I dont want any pity or advice im just sharing this my story to tell you what a failure i am and a bad boy for my parents. By the choices of things ive done i shouldn't live anymore im suicidal right now. And i cant tell the truth now its so much late. The moral of the story is i put an axe into my own leg.

Depression and anxiety can affect your thoughts, emotions, sleep, relationships, and daily functioning. Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand what you’re experiencing or know whether it’s time to seek professional support.

A psychological assessment can help you:
● Understand your symptoms more clearly
● Identify how they may be affecting your daily life
● Explore possible contributing factors
● Receive professional guidance and recommendations
● Take the next step toward appropriate support and treatment

Hi, I’m Diksha Sharma, an RCI-approved Clinical Psychologist. I can help you with professional depression and anxiety assessments in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space.
If you’ve been struggling, DM me to book an assessment session.

You don’t have to figure it out alone.

I'll try to be succinct, i usually talk to much.

long story short, my parents suck. both of them are horrible people. not your regular kind of bad people, but the kind that would go above anything or anyone (even if that would go against their "values") if it means they're gonna have it their way. they are going through a divorce right now and my father, who, unlike us, has money for a lawyer, is trying to get the judge to allow him to sell the house we grew up in. half of the money would go to my mom, but her and my 15 yo brother would be homeless

what about me? i live in another city, in the capital of my state, because it's where my college is. my mother uses part of the money my dad sends her to keep me here, but he constantly states to me that he doesn't give a fuck about my studies and if i had to give up and go back to my hometown, is none of his concern. I'm trying to get into a low income students program they have in my college, which would also help me get a job, but they are very strict, so I'm not sure if I'll be accepted. it's really hard to study and focus when I'm not even sure if I'll be here next semester.

my father is going through a mid life crises. he bought a motorcycle (he doesn't even have a license for it) and got a new girlfriend, and she is shit talking a lot in his head about me and my mother, saying we are parasites who only want his money. he cheated on my mom a lot in the past, and she always forgave him.

I'm in a state of constant stress. I'm diagnosed with severe depression ever since i was 12 years old, and with cronic anxiety and agoraphobia since 17. my mom doesn't have a lot of education, I'm the man in the house and i have to constantly help her from afar with legal and technological stuff she doesn't understand. I'm dealing with all my responsibilities from college and from the house i live in, and I'm hanging by a thread. I'm in constant (sorry for repeating this word so much) fear of my mom and brother being homeless, my father threatening me all the time of taking me out of college, apart from other horrible people in my life making it all a living hell. i fell like a deer in the middle of a forest running away from a hunter. my mind is on 24/7, i barely can get any sleep nowadays. anyday now, i could just wake up and realize that everything i have is gone. i have already promised to myself that if the situation ever come to the point of me having to go back to my hometown to work a shitty job and live a shitty life, I'll end it all, because i can't do that, i can't go back, i can't regress.

i don't vent about this with my friends of my boyfriend because if all of this stuff are out of my hands, what could they do? i don't want to make the people i love have to worry about me when they can't even help. i already talked to much, sorry for the long post. I'm just really really goddamn exhausted and i can't take it anymore.

Hi Im a 23 year old male who has recently finished college, during the 4 years off college I was always a bit awkward but nothing dramatic, i smoke weed and hhc frequently during my 4 years off college and did mdma multiple times include 2gs in 5 days. I remained physically fit during college and kept my grades up but my mental health really went down hill and i was using the drugs to escape.

I crashed out hard last year having panic attacks sever stress, social anxiety and a loss of self, I was completly burned out and couldnt get out of my head and spent the majority of my time doomscolling and sleeping. It felt like I had lost my mind I didnt know what to think what to say to people I was on edge if i left the house. Somehow I still managed to get good grades but i have convinced myself that everyone hated me and that I had fully fried my brain. Anytime Im with new people or people I havent seen in awhile i get really anxious and sometimes i freeze and my brains panics cause i dont know what to say.

I thought I would recover but I still feel the same way now and im sick of it, i started going to therapy and he was saying its an emotional problem but its a possibility the drugs have effect me.

Has anyone gone through something similar, have any advice or ways to put the doubt to bed. Id appreciate honest advice.

I have ADHD, struggle with shyness and some social anxiety, possible GAD, and have had a chronically low mood for almost 15 years.

I've always believed I'm naturally very extroverted, but my social anxiety prevents me from having the kind of life I need to be happy.

I have close friends I talk to regularly. What I really want, though, is a group of people I feel comfortable with, where we can hang out, play sports, have interesting conversations, and regularly do things together.

I've known people with huge social circles who seem genuinely happy. Some of them say they'd go crazy if they couldn't see their friends regularly. I've also had periods when I was part of a group I felt comfortable with, and I remember how good that felt. I used to live with very talkative, energetic roommates, and we'd sometimes spend hours talking. I loved that.

So I've always believed some people simply need a lot of social interaction to be happy, and I'm one of them. Everywhere I look, advice about happiness emphasizes friendships, community, and social connection, which only reinforces that belief.

When I'm around people I feel comfortable with, I genuinely enjoy myself. Sometimes I still feel better the next morning. But by the following evening, I'm often lonely, bored, restless, and unhappy again.

There's another part of this I've struggled to understand.

My mind is constantly active, and I ruminate a lot. Being inside my own head can feel uncomfortable. I feel I need another person to talk to as a kind of counterbalance to what's happening in my mind. Without that, I feel lonely. Sometimes that loneliness feels like actual pain, and I can't really explain it beyond that.

I can feel incredibly lonely even when my girlfriend is lying right beside me. We might be cuddling or watching TV together, but if we're not actively talking or interacting, I can still feel disconnected.

Also much my energy and tolerance for ordinary life fluctuate.

Some evenings I'm so exhausted that watching TV in bed is all I have energy for. I don't particularly want to go out or do anything. I don't have many hobbies I'm passionate about, and sometimes I struggle to find the motivation even for things I want to do.

Other evenings, I suddenly can't stand it. I become intensely restless and start thinking we're always in bed, we don't talk enough, we don't play board games, and I'm wasting my life watching screens. Sometimes I can't even tolerate looking at my phone or another screen.

I start questioning the relationship and feeling like I need to restart my entire life. My girlfriend and I are compatible in many ways, but I often feel like we're missing the kind of connection I need. When she's quiet or tired and we're not really talking, I feel incredibly lonely. I want her to be that counterbalance to my chaotic mind, someone who can engage me and help me get out of my own head. When that doesn't happen, I start feeling like the relationship isn't giving me what I need, and I become convinced that I would be happier with someone more talkative and engaging. This has been happening for years.

I keep thinking that if I were on my own, I'd finally have the push to overcome my social anxiety, make more friends, join sports, and build the active social life I've always wanted. Sometimes I feel like I can't properly move forward with anything until the relationship is resolved.

I've also noticed that the evening restlessness can be particularly intense on days when I take my ADHD stimulant, although it happens without medication too.

For years, I've treated social anxiety as the root cause of my depression. I've invested a lot of time and effort into counselling because I genuinely believe that once I overcome my anxiety and build the social life I want, I'll finally feel happier.

I know I've had a low emotional baseline for years. I've never really experienced much sustained happiness or excitement, even when things in my life were going reasonably well. But I've always assumed that changing my circumstances would improve that.

Lately, though, I've started wondering whether I'm looking at this the wrong way.

I know socializing makes me feel better, and I can see why a more active social life might improve my happiness. But I've gone from believing it could help to being convinced that not socializing enough is the reason I'm depressed.

What if part of my intense loneliness comes from being uncomfortable inside my own head? What if conversation and social interaction aren't just things I enjoy, but also ways of getting temporary relief from the depression and rumination?

Maybe I really am extremely extroverted and my social anxiety is preventing me from meeting an important need. But maybe I also have dysthymia, and the underlying depression is making loneliness, boredom, and quiet evenings much harder to tolerate.

For those of you with chronic depression, especially if you consider yourselves extroverted, how do you tell whether your depression is primarily caused by unmet social needs or whether depression itself is making you feel such an intense need for social interaction?

Does anyone else find that being alone with their thoughts feels genuinely uncomfortable, and that spending time with people makes them feel better, but only temporarily?

I'm trying to figure out whether I've spent years working on what I believe is the root cause of my depression, without really knowing if that's what's causing it.

(34F) I’ve always had a tendency to anxiety and depression. I had my first panic attack when I was around 12 years old and there wasn’t a specific trigger, I was with my family watching tv on a weekend.

Three years ago I moved to a foreign country where they speak my second language. I was able to finish a master’s degree and find a job. I absolutely hated this job, we are all burn out, have to work around 10-12 hours per day and sometimes even on weekends. I spoke with management a couple of times but they told me that the job will not change.

In February I travelled to my home country and I had a great time with my family. Once I came back from that trip I started to feel more and more sad as days passed. I got to a point where I cried every day. I had to stop working when I spent a whole weekend with an anxiety attack, couldn’t relax or focus on anything. I decided to take therapy and I went to my GP and since I was having passive suicidal thoughts, they gave me a 1-month sick note.

I’m married here but I feel they are the only connection I have here, but they are from here, so I feel like they connect with people easily. During my job absence, he insisted me that I should meet new people, so I joined a women’s group and they meet sometimes, I’ve joined them twice. There I met someone who lives nearby, but I don’t know, even with the idea of proposing to meet I start to get anxiety symptoms.

During my sick note, every day I dreaded to go back but I forced me to. At the beginning it was uncomfortable, but at the end I got kinda used to it. I still felt that the tasks made no sense for me (a lot of things could be automatized) and I spent a lot of time working. I started proposing improvements and they listened to some of them so I got motivation. I was on a momentum for around 3-4 months but then they made me cover a colleague and then everything was awful again. I didn’t understand what I was doing, no one was available to help me, I got some angry customers until I collapsed again right before a long holiday I had scheduled with my family. My intention was to unwind and decide when to quit, and maybe get another job lined up before that. I wasn’t able to unwind during my holidays, I was constantly feeling on the edge of a panic attack, nervous, waking up with nausea, etc., comparing myself to others. For instance, I thought I would be a good ‘guide’ during the trip but I couldn’t do it, every time I was on the spot my mind would go blank. I was so indecisive, and felt I was a disaster during the trip. According to them I wasn’t, but I don’t know if they say so because they love me.

I didn’t feel great after my holiday so my sick note was extended again, and I resigned without something lined up. I’m not even able to apply to other jobs, I read the JD and I doubt I will be able to cope. I feel awful with myself but I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m doomed. I don’t have hobbies, and I tried to start some but I lose my patience really fast and start doubting myself with thoughts as ‘why I can’t understand this and everyone else can do it?’ ‘I’ve tried this many times and I don’t seem to improve’. This started to happen even with small things such as cooking or taking decisions. I’m afraid of cooking because it will not be perfect, if it’s not perfect then what’s the purpose? My therapist told me I should start doing things without expecting them to be perfect. So, I forced me to do so, but I don’t feel good doing those things. I’m afraid my partner will make fun of me or think I’m stupid.

At this point I feel like I don’t have what it takes for life. I feel everything’s a problem, I don’t trust myself, I don’t know how to socialize – I don’t feel I connect with people, and I don’t even know what to talk about, since I just ruminate about this stupid stuff all day. I don’t know how to handle uncertainty, and I have no idea how I will overcome this.

Actually, I’m thinking how I made it this far in life.

I have a trip planned to my home country in December and then decide what I will do. I think I’m throwing my life away and ruining my marriage with all my stupid stuff. But I don’t know, I can’t imagine a future in this country far from my family, but my parents are getting old and I cannot depend on them all my life. I feel so bad, I used to be independent. When I’m here, he invites me to do things with his friends, but I don’t know, I feel I can’t joke, I don’t know how to act around them, I just remain silent, make questions and don’t connect.

PS: I’m taking antidepressants since April, and I don’t know if they are working.

Other than talking to a therapist.

I’m 47 F. Single no kids. My parents are 77 and both well at the moment but I’m really scared they’re going to get sick and die. It’s just a matter of time. I have no one else. My brother doesn’t contact me much and I have no friends. I’m so scared I don’t want to live anymore. I’m not actively suicidal but I really don’t want to go on living to face the future. I don’t know what to do.

From 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic until 2024, I pursued a degree in computer science at a university. At one point during this period, I came very close to giving up. My parents encouraged me, and I managed to push through. Throughout my studies, I never failed a single exam and maintained a solid grade average.

Then, in 2024, I began my bachelor’s thesis, and that is when I fell into a deep slump. From the very start, beginning with the process of selecting a topic, I struggled to communicate effectively with my supervisors. I also made the mistake of registering the thesis too early, even though the structure was unclear and hadn't been discussed with my supervisor. I wanted everything to be perfect. Driven by this high standard, I over-planned, gathering far too many courses, books, and articles. During the writing phase, my supervisor criticized my work at every meeting and demanded improvements, which only raised the bar even higher. I began to feel paralyzed and started procrastinating. I couldn't even get out of bed, gripped by an intense fear of failure. In the end, I had nothing of any real use, perhaps ten pages and a small project. My supervisor told me it wouldn't be a problem; I could simply write the thesis the following semester on the same topic, provided I rephrased the research question.

So, I tried to prepare better this time before registering anything. I managed to keep it up for a month, but then the procrastination set in again. It wasn't until the end of the semester in 2025 that I finally realized something was wrong with me. It was like waking up as if, until that moment, I had simply been running on autopilot. Since I still live with my parents, I opened up to them. Before that, I had always lied to them, claiming I was working on my thesis, a deception that also led me to withdraw significantly. My parents suggested that I try to re-engage with life before tackling my bachelor’s thesis. That worked for a while, but the thesis was constantly on my mind, and I naturally kept trying to study for it. I became increasingly desperate. I developed such an intense fear that I couldn’t even bring myself to go near my computer. As a result, I felt completely incapable of handling even the simplest tasks. I stopped eating and showering, spending all my time in bed, consumed by negative thoughts that only worsened my mental state.

Because of this, my parents stepped in and looked for a psychologist, a difficult task these days, given how overwhelmed the system is. Eventually, they found one, and I began attending sessions. It was all very unfamiliar to me, as I had never faced such issues before. During this period, I was essentially running on autopilot. I began to see suicide as my only remaining option.

Every day, my mind is caught in a relentless loop: Do I even want to work in this field? Does this field even have a future, given the rise of AI? How many years have I wasted? If I drop out, will all my progress be lost? Will I end up regretting it? And if I start something new, won’t I just end up dropping that, too, just like my studies? I simply have no idea what I want anymore. I can no longer see a future, and I am in a state of complete despair.

The therapy didn’t help, and I hit such a severe mental block that I couldn’t bring myself to go back, which led to me stopping the sessions. My last glimmer of hope was a sociotherapist who supported me throughout 2026, following my decision to drop out. As a result, I began establishing a daily routine again, going for walks and sticking to set sleep times. There have been ups and downs. But as the number of semesters keeps rising and I get older, new anxieties have surfaced; everything feels like it’s happening too late. I regret not pushing through and finishing my bachelor’s thesis the first time around. Moreover, my sociotherapist let me down even though he had promised me he wouldn’t do the same thing my previous therapist did.

I’m trapped in a rut again; I have little appetite and can’t bring myself to leave the house. Everyone tells me I should focus on getting healthy first to pick up where I left off back in 2026. But everything feels so slow and pointless. I’ll be turning 27 next year. No one seems to understand that I need a sense of direction or purpose. Even if I do manage to complete my bachelor’s thesis, I don’t believe I’ll ever work in that field. Yet, I have no idea what else I might want to do. If I drop out now, it means all these years have been a waste. I’m also worried that this might foster a mindset where I always quit whenever things get difficult.

I just don’t feel ready for life; it’s as if I’m broken. Not only that, but I don’t recognize myself at all anymore. The only solution that makes sense to me is suicide. But even that scares me, so I suppose I keep putting it off.

by uncontrollable i mean i start shaking laughing SO HARD in situations where i should be crying. and similar situations?

I need to vent. I've been 7 weeks in uni (and subsequently an adult over 18 living alone for the first time) and I feel like shit. The original spark of being in a new country with many opportunities have faded. I am so lonely and have no friends; I do have lots of anxiety and depression. At least I'm trying to make an effort on my mental health (which took an egregious amount of effort) by having an appointment with student support, psychology support and a doctor's appointment with the uni. My end goal's to get meds, hopefully antidepressant and maybe ADHD meds. It could be worse tho, like me jumping off a building (might happen in the future lmao.)

My uni life is shit. I feel like I'm only here to get a degree. I do not enjoy the education process at all. I skip out on all my lectures (uni is such a scam lol), half-ass my assignments, and hate even opening one slide. I don't even care about getting a good GPA anymore, I just wanna pass and move on with my life.

But honestly what I hate most is my social life. I go on everyday not talking to anybody, and just seeing someone scares me out of my mind. Just the thought of talking to someone makes me overthink everything. I get cold sweats, fast heart-rate and second doubt myself. Originally I was gonna post this to Gemini so I could have someone make me feel better, but I decided to post it here too.

I go out just to buy food. Where would I even go alone? My functions on this Earth is to eat, shit and sleep. Oh and social media + reels have fried my attention span. I know I can be better, have the capacity to be happy, but I've been chasing that dream for years and I always ended up like shit. Maybe a few days of happiness like when I got into uni, but that didn't last long. Seriously what am I doing wrong with my life? Am I just biologically engineered to hate living?

Update: I've got an appointment with a GP (General Practitioner) in 2 days. Hope that goes well and I can get the meds I need. But judging by how the other appointments went (one for student support and one with psychology) it's gonna go shit. I might even cancel it tbh. So the former went okay, I went and talked for 20 minutes. I was an anxious wreck only able to clasp my hands. But he did say some pretty great stuff and I really shouldn't sweat it. Now the latter is just terrible. I thought I knew the location, but when I went there it just was not. So I had a full blow panic attack. Mind u this was in the morning, there wasn't much guys but I still had to retreat to the toilet to get space. Then I called the number, asked where the place is, and idk why but I couldn't understand anything they said. I just assumed "oh it's probably right next to it," so I went, and oh my god there wasn't any other room! Maybe I should've turned back and search the other way, but by then I just couldn't so I took off to a lecture where it was a bit more quiet. I tried cancelling online but it was alr past the time. Good thing there isn't any monetary cost for not showing up I think? Well not for the GP but at least I know where the room for that is. Istg I read it correctly, one is East Wing Ground Floor, okay I know where that is, the Psychology Room is on Lvl 2 East Wing, okay I went up and there's just no fucking room named that wtf. Anyway might need to do online appointments from now on

My experience with anxiety is relatively new, just this year. I think one of the biggest things I’ve noticed other than all of the physical symptoms and the feeling like something has broken is the constant feedback loop my brain provides when I feed into it.

I want to get better. I mourn the person I was before this, and in doing so I’m applying a catalyst moment to my problems. A point where I feel like things went from alright to free fall. Everyday I obsess over it and try to reason with it and dig deeper in hopes I may receive a breakthrough but I fear that makes it all worse.

Humans will either yearn for stability or understanding. When things are not wrong there are hardly complaints or observations made on the state of things. But when faced with destabilization, especially within oneself, it seems the only option is to endlessly chase justification in hopes it brings you back to your previous state.

In this struggle against my own mind I see posts of people in their own unique struggles receiving tailored advice from people who are dealing with different but just as complex battles. I see symptoms similar to mine and dive deeper into the posts to hear snippets of people’s stories expressing hopelessness, success, or curiosity shrouded in desperation.

I’m glad to have found a community where my fears and issues don’t ostracize me from my peers. However I often find myself here in times of despair and leaving with more worry and dread. Mental challenges are so complex, and I find that even the idea of seeking answers in here throws me off my balance and makes my thoughts race.

For anyone either dealing with or have dealt with anxiety in any severity, how do you deal with moving forward and working towards a point where you are no longer in free fall if a constant stream of information and feedback overcomplicates your current issue?

I live in a state of anxiety EVERYDAY. I have anxiety when i’m home just watching tv, when I am on my phone, when I am with family, when I try to relax, at school, at work. It NEVER ENDS. I am constantly on edge, I feel stressed and tired so I relax, then I feel anxiety about relaxing because i’m not getting anything done. I constantly feel like I should be doing something, and when i’m doing nothing, my brain won’t shut up. I have never felt at peace before, I am constantly thinking about what i’m doing, what i’m not doing, and what i’m going to do tomorrow and next week. I am being mentally tortured. I sometimes feel fomo and anxiety because i’m spending my 20s not doing things outside and going out to places like the bar, or with friends (i don’t have many friends). I feel like whatever i do, I can’t relax and be content. You know how some people have a safe space to just decompress? I have never been able to decompress, not even in my own home. I am always in a fight or flight and it’s mentally painful. I could maybe deal with this if i had one moment within my day that brought me peace and tranquility, but i don’t even have that. It hurts so fucking bad to not be able to calm, I just want to be happy and feel at peace. I feel like as long as I am in this body, nothing will ever bring me peace. I don’t know what to do.

So guys lately I am been a lazy af , I am training mma for since last 1 month but still most of the time I am lying on sofa or bed just one hr mma then back to couch , whole I have zero physical activity, will drink a lot of tea , eat a lot of smokeless tobbaco, I have quit alcohol and smoking since 2 month's , so I am sticked to smokeless tobbaco, but guys I feel a lot of tremors , a floating feeling in my lower back , even when lying on bed same tremors, and the feeling of if everything around me is real or not that type feeling, idk what to do changes I am really lost into this things, and from last 4-5 days mma gym is closed it's shifting to another place wo more 6 days it's closed , even I started training mma twice in a day but still I am not able to understand things I face , what new things shall I introduce to let this all go , I am 105 kg guy so I am a lazy bear , so what can you suggest, I am also thinking of working as a delievery guy so it will keep me away from lying on sofa and bed all day , so people who faced same what u will suggest me , even now while typing I am not feeling real that I am typing, so please help a brother out, please...

I'm a 21-year-old third-year B tech student in India, and I'm looking for genuine advice from people who have experienced something similar.

Over the past 3–5 weeks, I've noticed a significant change in my mental state compared with how I used to be.

Previously, I was motivated, curious, and willing to try new things. I had goals and felt confident about working toward them. Recently, however, I've been struggling with motivation, concentration, and self-belief.

Whenever I think about studying, improving myself, or working toward my goals, my mind starts overthinking and predicting the worst. I get thoughts like, "You can't do this," "You'll never succeed," or "What's the point of trying?" Sometimes, I lose the motivation to begin a task before I've even started.

I've also noticed that my concentration and ability to organise my thoughts don't feel as good as before. It frustrates me because I genuinely want to improve, but I feel mentally blocked.

Recently, I've been under considerable pressure from exams, relationship difficulties, and uncertainty about my future. I'm in my third year of college, and I feel pressure to perform academically, secure a job after graduation, and prepare for competitive government or defence examinations. Sometimes, it feels like I have too many things to figure out at once.

The confusing part is that I can still enjoy certain activities and spend time with friends, but I also experience periods of low mood and hopelessness even when I'm not studying or thinking about my career.

I've even had occasional thoughts about harming myself or ending my life, although I don't currently intend to act on them. This has made me concerned about my mental health.

I don't know whether this is stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, or something else. I also don't want to dismiss it as laziness or a lack of discipline.

I'd appreciate advice on the following:

1. Has anyone experienced a sudden decline in motivation, concentration, and confidence after a period of stress? What helped you recover?
2. How can you deal with persistent negative thoughts that make you doubt yourself before you even try something?
3. How do you distinguish ordinary stress or burnout from symptoms that may require professional mental health support?
4. What practical things can I start doing at home to improve my mental well-being without putting additional pressure on myself?
5. Did therapy, consulting a psychiatrist, or medication help anyone who experienced something similar? How did you decide to seek professional help?

I'm not looking for empty motivational quotes or someone to tell me to "just be disciplined." I'd appreciate honest experiences, practical advice, and suggestions about what steps I should take.

I want to understand what's happening, regain my confidence, and get back to working toward my goals without constantly feeling overwhelmed.

Im (M30) having a lot of anxiety, overthinking and depression lately, even though I know I shouldnt. Im a freelancer on an online platform doing logo and branding for mid to low budget client ($70 per project), I have been working full time freelancing since 2020, im not gonna lie the money I got is really good, I almost hit 500k in sales, and since I live in a 3rd world country, this really helped my family economy so much, to the point I can buy a house without loan and quite a lot of investment and savings (by my country standards) but far from financially free.

I have a family that loves me and very close together, on paper I should be very happy. don't get me wrong im grateful to what I have right now, and I want to lock this moment of close together with family forever, which I know its not possible, parents getting older, sister getting older, and this kind of depressing for me.

But the main problem that hit me the hardest was since May 2026, my income go down very sharply, like Ilose 80% of my monthly income, and its getting really hard to get clients, my future become very uncertain, and with technology these days, my client will just do the work themself even though the output not perfect because its cheaper.

I then realize that I don't have any other skill, im getting replaced, and I don't have any formal job, I work alone all this time and just realized that im stuck, trying to cling to the old systems that might not come back.

Im afraid i will be unable to support for my family and make them happy anymore, and its scares me, im afraid I lose everything. Heard many stories lately with people from IT industries. If I work normal jobs and getting minimum wage, I will be unable to support my family, this stressed me so much to a point where I can randomly cry. I never been this low in my life before, and I never seen future so bleak in front of me.

I have goals, which to be financially free so I can work on any local jobs without getting worried, but my plan is cracking right in front of my eyes, I thought if everything is normal in atleast 3 years, it will be very different story.

I need to calm down, I always think on how I can make money online everyday, and its exhausted, my chest hurts, but my head was always like "You need to make money, you need to make money, think about your future."

I know the answer to my problem and its very simple, but I don't know how to get it. I also don't have safety net, like if im 100% out of work, there is not family member that will help me, because they all don't have any business I can help with too.

Sorry for the long rant, I just don't know what to do, and I feel lost, whenever I saw my father and sister together I can randomly start crying.

TLDR: Losing my primary income streams without backup or 2nd job, and gettig anxiety and depression when seeing my family.

I hate having anxiety, depression and autism

It’s really hard having anxiety, depression, and autism

I have a high level of low support needs autism, moderately severe depression, and moderate anxiety, and life is going really rough right now.

I’m a senior in high school but taking 2 college classes and I’m having really bad anxiety and depression about school and stress right now

I don’t have a job or am not doing anything to gain experience right now because of everything going on with my mental health it makes it too hard to do even the bare minimum

It feels like it’s me against the world, and I’ve been in therapy for over 6 months and it just feels like a chore at this point.

I’m also really craving love in my life, but it’s so hard for me to meet people. I’ve been so lonely and wish I could have someone who appreciates and is affectionate to me

Hello everyone. I’m a 21-year-old guy, 6ft tall, but my weight is only 59kg. For the past few years, I’ve been dealing with severe anxiety that has completely taken over my life.

​It got so bad that I had to drop out of my studies. For the past year, I haven't been working at all and spend almost all my time trapped inside my house. I do eat, but my physical health and weight are suffering significantly. On top of that, I am constantly paralyzed by an intense, persistent fear of death and overwhelming dread/panic.

​ I have been smoking for several years. I’ve tried quitting multiple times, but the anxiety and stress always pull me back in.

​I feel completely isolated, exhausted, and stuck in a bad loop at just 21. Has anyone been in a similar situation and managed to get out of it? What realistic first steps should I take to start recovering both physically and mentally, and how can I deal with quitting smoking alongside severe anxiety? Any advice or personal experience would mean a lot to me.

I’ve been suffering with depression anxiety and other thing for around a year now and most recently started sertraline and tracked it on an app I use. the first 3 weeks of 100mg were fairly stable and I was out and kinda enjoying life thinking normality was just round the corNer. all of a sudden this last week, bam. mood dips and anxiety spirals.

im at a loss and feel like im back to square one !!

note: anxiety and mood shown on graph not others on key.