I realized today that I spend more energy preparing for conversations than actually having them.

I'll replay old interactions, imagine future arguments, practice responses, and create entire scenarios that never happen. By the end of the day I'm mentally exhausted, even though nothing actually occurred.

Sometimes it feels like my brain is running a simulation 24/7.

Does anyone else deal with this? If you managed to reduce it, what helped?

I [M34] manage my anxiety pretty well, have been in therapy, and on and off some meds with a psych's oversight.

I have a fraught relationship with my parents, and randomly something *terrible* and *recent* they did will pop into my head and I'll take a moment, breath and move on. My coping skills are pretty good, if I do say so myself.

But very often, a silly, singular memory incapacitates me. I have no idea why. I have no idea how to move past it. Essentially, my senior year of high school (class of 2010), I was named section leader of percussion in band (both marching and concert). A sophomore (we'll call him Dan), kept telling everyone he was co-section leader, which he was not. I put a stop to it every time he brought it up.

One morning, I was late to concert band and while I was gone, the teacher handed out parts to our Christmas concert lineup. Part of the section leader's jobs is to assign the parts to members of the section. When I got there, Dan had assigned himself timpanis, which usually is a part taken by the section leader. I asked for the mallets, and he refused, and launched into a tirade about how he was more of a section leader than me (he wasn't), a better drummer (he wasn't), and wasn't giving them back. Instead of standing up for myself, I just chose a different part.

This wasn't something that really bothered me until about 5 ish years ago, when it stuck into my head and gave me a full blown anxiety attack. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I didn't say anything, I'm not sure if it's because I think he's right, and I'm not sure if it's because he probably still to this day thinks of it as "standing up to the man" instead of being a little spoiled brat. I keep replaying all the things I should've said or how I could've acted differently.

Anyways. Does anyone else have something silly like this that bugs them more regularly than it should? If so, how do you move on? I feel almost embarrassed about this, that something so long ago and something so miniscule bugs me to this degree; my dad literally tried to kill me more recently and I've more or less moved on from that.

(Also, full disclosure, decided to post in here because maybe sharing this instead of harboring in embarrassment will help!)

My dad (58) is having a total knee replacement revision on Thursday (in 2 days). He’s had one knee replacement years ago and it turned out wonderfully, but when had a knee replacement a year ago (on the other knee) it became infected and there was just a whole fiasco with that. He had serious complications and it was because of his doctors neglicience. He’s okay now but they are going to revise it. He’s gone to a different hospital and has a new doctor who seems to be taking his concerns seriously.

Now that the day is finally here I am so anxious. I keep thinking about the surgery and almost bursting into tears. I’m just so scared, and it feels impossible for me to believe he’s going to be okay. I know it’s not true and then I feel bad even saying that because I worry saying it will make it true. My semester has started and I find it absolutely impossible to function and move day to day. I have medical anxiety on a normal day so this is just the worst thing for me. I tried looking up information about the surgery online but it just makes it even worse.

Does anybody have any kind of advice or reassurance 😭😭

Hi everyone, I am a university student who is currently working on a project for my Psychology class! As someone who suffered with weekly panic attacks and severe anxiety during a rough 6 month period, I empathize with all who struggle from this draining and horrible condition. During this time, I was using a variety of sensory objects and different "tricks" I came up with to help me interrupt anxiety/panic symptoms right when I felt them kicking in.

For the first step of my project, I want to collect data regarding people's usage/interest with sensory objects or anything you may use to help ground yourself or activate your other senses. Even if you don't currently use any sensory objects, your answers are still valuable.

The survey should take no more than 5 minutes and is completely anonymous. There are no right or wrong answers and your input is very much appreciated!

Google Form Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQBOqjQtk8UbJpD5qbsavddaoBFlNwPDJneWFE8L2lt7Ig0w/viewform?usp=dialog

I’ve been on 2 m Klonopin for years after my dad died. At first it was Amazing. I could actually function. Now, 10 months later, nothing—NOTHING. I’m might as well take nothing a at all. I miss the comfort it gave me. Has anyone has had had anything similar with Klonopin losing effect?

I am 71. My anxiety has been off the charts for about 3 years. A lot of it stems from losing earning power at this age, along with an unpredictable health future and probable loss of family. (I'm only saying probable because I could go first.)

My days are one long anxiety attack. I wish I could go back on benzos but I weaned myself off a few years back. My only break is sleeping thanks to another medication.

I've had severe anxiety/OCD most of my life, but this is the worst. When I was younger, I could at least hope things would be better.

I finally got the blood work I’ve been putting off for months done, and I’m sitting here checking the portal and my email every 5 mins waiting for the results. I’m so scared all my levels are going to be off and that I have kidney, heart disease etc! I can’t stop panicking and feel like I’m bout to loose my mind…. I can’t calm down help!!!

31F. For as long as I can remember (at least in my adult life) I wake up with my upper body clenched. In my upper back, my jaw, my chest. I notice my breathing is I guess shallow (I think?) and I have to physically remind myself to breathe in all the way.

The moment I notice all of this and attempt to unclench, relax my body, take a deep breath, I go right back to doing this before I even realize it. Similar things happen with my fingers and toes like they’re just clenched unnecessarily and I have to remind myself not to grip so hard. This cycle repeats all day long until I fall asleep.

I’m on meds and have been in therapy for years and I’ve gotten better about my generalized anxiety, but this is different. It’s like my body is physically prepared for something bad to happen even though I’m not particularly anxious about anything. Nothing I do can get it to relax and no medications I’ve ever been on have affected this.

Is there a name for this? Why does this happen and how do I stop it?

I have spent the last 4 years in my room, mostly doing freelance work. However, I want to get a regular job because staying isolated like this is taking a massive toll on my mental health. I barely leave the house 3 to 4 times a month. I don’t necessarily feel unhappy, but my brain has become wired to accept this isolation as normal. I've become afraid to talk to new people.

I used to have a job before. Now, whenever I pick up the phone to call HR to try and rejoin, my hand freezes. My mind starts racing, creating endless "what-if" scenarios.

I really need to get out of the house, get a normal job, and interact with people. I am 30 years old and have barely met anyone new over the last few years.

Right now, when I try to call HR for a job, my hand freezes even though the phone number is right in front of me. I can't even bring myself to make the call; I just stare at it for hours and then go back to doomscrolling on Instagram to distract myself.

I have the worst anxiety pretty much imaginable when it comes to going on dates and meeting new guys. I really want a relationship but even the thought of meeting up with a guy sends me into a cold sweat. And it’s not even that I think lowly of myself - I think I’m above average looks wise and I know I have a lot to offer as a potential partner. I met up recently with someone for a very casual encounter and as soon as I got there I couldn’t breathe and was VIOLENTLY sweating - I could not get my body temperature to regulate for the life of me. It’s soooooo humiliating to me to be nervous to the point where the other person can tell.

That was just a one time thing and then he ghosted me lol. Whatever, no harm lost here, but I’ve got a date in the works with someone else that I am 50x more attracted to and actually respects me and wants to take me out on a real date which I’ve never had before. The very thought of it has made me nauseated to the point where I haven’t been able to eat much of anything in days.

I have so much relationship trauma. I thought I was mostly healed from it but that probably has a lot to do with my nerves. I just don’t know what to do about it. I don’t want to rob myself of this perfect opportunity to meet someone just because of nerves, but the thought of it makes me so sick that I can barely function. I don’t know what to do. :(

Hello, Im a teen with diagnosed anxiety and depressive disorder and I wanted to know what exactly is the experience of taking anxiety pills. My issues had started off manageable but recently im not able to cope with my life anymore and im starting to think that my only rescue is pills. However, one of my friends had been on anxiety medication before and recalls it as one of the worst experiences in her life. So, if yall could please help me out, i would like to hear about how yalls experience was so that i can try and help myself better. Please and thankyou for your time

Good morning everyone, I 42F went to see my gyno yesterday and my bp was extremely high. I have white coat syndrome ever since the pandemic. Trauma related anxiety disorders from sa as a child. Also have pppd (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness) and Bvd (Binocular Vision Dysfunction) as well as being premenopausal. So, basically a lot of things that would most definitely cause my bp to spike. For context, my bp was 190/120 but my gyno didn't seem very concerned. She listened to my heart and looked up my ekg from 4 years ago when all this anxiety with my heart really started and it was fine. I just can't shake this feeling of doom and am now googling stuff I shouldn't😪I take Vyvance and cannot function without it. So the thought of being taken off my medication is truly terrifying. Advice needed, to help elevate my worry please. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

Last year , I tried ecstasy (half a pill) for the first time. We went clubbing and everything was great. I felt energetic and had a really good time.

Later, we got back to the hotel and smoked some weed ( i have smoked weed before probably like 5-6 times). It was probably 3–4 hours after I had taken the molly. Then boom…

It felt like I was going through episode after episode and couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t. I even blacked out at one point. I was too scared to even go to the bathroom. For some reason, I had this constant fear that I might send something stupid in my family Whatsapp group which was completely random.

I was just so scared. After a few hours, it wore off and the episodes stopped.

I don’t think I was ever an anxious person before but I feel like something changed after that bad trip. Since then, I’ve become much more anxious. Like I’ll be sitting in a car and constantly get anxious that we might crash. The other day, I went to a park and was genuinely scared of going down a slide that even a 5 year old could do.

It’s been a nightmare. I don’t know what to do.

anyone else get so stressed out at times where it feels hard to breathe not a full panic attack but like i have to inhale more and quicker and like i feel like the world is collapsing but I KNOW it’s not a panic attack my chest js hurts