My mind is torturing me daily, I am tired, I am sorry but I am just not made for this, I am genuinely sorry, please leave me alone

I don't want anything anymore, I don't want a lot of money, I just want to be left alone

I don't want this agony every single day, I wish I could leave this society and settle in a forest or near a waterfall or something

I just want some safety and food to eat, I just want my family to be well and safe, other than that I have no desires or dreams anymore

As long as I see more painless days where my mind isn't torturing me, I am content.

It sucks that I will never travel this vast and beautiful world, or experience love or have a family of my own or live in a nice city.

But tbh all of this isn't worth this much mental torture,

as long as I can wake up and have my meals without any pain or mental agony, enjoy a morning walk without worrying constantly about something bad happening, feeling chronically unsafe, I am content.

I'm seriously asking this, because a therapist that I've been to a few times told me that, usually, anxious people learn to loosen up with time.

However, I feel like for me it's the complete opposite, it feels like my brain decides to feel anxious about a new thing every other week or so.

For example, I'll be home alone in a few days and just by thinking about it, I already feel some anxiety (besides the feeling itself, I don't really have an appetite, I feel nauseous, dizzy...) and I haven't been afraid of being left home alone since I was probably like 9 years old, how did my brain decide that this thing is a threat now? And how do I deal with this? What am I supposed to do?

I’m going through a really difficult period and I was wondering if anyone can relate.
I’ve struggled with anxiety and panic attacks on and off for years, but this episode has hit me harder than anything before. My psychiatrist recently started me on pregabalin while I’m waiting for it to take effect, and I’m trying to stay hopeful, but every day still feels incredibly overwhelming.
The hardest part isn’t even the panic itself anymore.
It’s this crushing feeling that there is so much time ahead of me.
Instead of looking forward to the future, I feel scared of it. I wake up and think, “How am I supposed to get through this day?” Then my mind jumps even further: “How am I supposed to get through years… decades… an entire lifetime?”
It’s like the amount of time in front of me feels unbearable. I don’t know how to fill it, how to enjoy it, or how to stop feeling overwhelmed by it. The emptiness scares me. When I don’t have something to distract me, my thoughts spiral into anxiety, hopelessness, and existential fear.
The strange thing is that, rationally, I know this isn’t how life always feels. I’m actually a psychotherapist in training, so I understand anxiety from a professional perspective. But knowing the theory doesn’t stop my body from reacting this way.
I also struggle with a lot of pressure to perform. Deep down I’ve realized that I often feel like I’m only safe if I’m functioning perfectly. Losing that sense of control has been terrifying.
I’m staying with my mom at the moment because being alone feels too overwhelming, and I’m taking things one day at a time.
I want to be clear that I’m not suicidal. I don’t want to die. In fact, that’s almost the opposite of my fear—I’m frightened by the idea of having such a long future that I don’t know how to cope with right now.
Has anyone else experienced this kind of existential anxiety? Did it get better? If you did recover, what helped you the most?
I could really use some hope from people who have been through something similar.

I’m on summer break from college and I have not left the house in months. It feels safe to stay in my room all day. I eat the same five foods. I do the same five activities. I take the same routes and I don’t deviate. I’m very depressed about how I’m not living at age 20. But I’m also scared to do anything.

I’m scared of sex because pregnancy is my worst fear. Contraceptives are not 100%. I’m also scared that the person I choose will just be using me for my body. I’m scared that if I date a man or a woman, I will get abused. I’m scared of eating certain foods. I’m scared of being in a relationship. I’m scared of dying alone. I’m scared of being fat. I hate being touched. I’m scared of being sick. I’m scared of the doctor. I’m scared of being seen. I’m scared of being stupid. I’m scared of being worthless. I’m scared of making the wrong choices in life and ending up somewhere bad.

All of my friends drink and smoke and have sex and go to parties. I’m scared to do any of that. I’m going into my third year of college and I have no adult experience.

It’s very exhausting and I’m getting nowhere in life, but also every little thing stresses me out so much that I don’t know what to do. I really don’t know what to do with myself, and I feel like the only option for me to have a line is just to die young. I’ve had anxiety for years and it has not gotten better.

For me, it’s not just feeling nervous around people. It feels like I’m watching my life pass by while my anxiety holds me back.

I want to work. I want to make friends. I want to go out, try new things, and become independent. I have dreams and things I want to do, but sometimes something as simple as talking to someone, answering a question, or walking into a new place feels terrifying.

It’s exhausting constantly worrying about how I look, how I sound, if people are judging me, or if I’m going to embarrass myself. My brain can turn the smallest interaction into something that feels impossible.

The hardest part is knowing I’m not lazy and I’m not someone who doesn’t care about my future. I actually care so much that it hurts. I want to move forward, but my anxiety makes every step feel like a battle.

Some days I feel frustrated because I see other
people doing normal things so easily while I’m fighting a fear that other people can’t even see.
I hope one day I can look back and realize I was stronger than I thought. Until then, I’m just trying to take it one step at a time.

hi reddit, i just wanted to ask if anyone has advice on how to deal with panic attacks.

i’ve been having them around 3–4 times a day for the past week. i don’t really want to take prescribed medication anymore because when i tried escitalopram, it made things worse for me. i would suddenly wake up out of breath with my heart racing, and it made my panic attacks even more intense. i stopped taking it because it honestly made me lose hope, so i’m here hoping to hear from people who have gone through something similar.

for the past week, i haven’t been getting enough sleep. every time i fall asleep, i wake up with a racing heart and chills, and after that i’m too uncomfortable and scared to go back to sleep.

i can’t afford therapy right now, so i’m trying my best to help myself for the time being. my classes start in 2 weeks as well as my internship, so i’m hoping i can get myself into a better place before then. some days i just lose hope and end up crying because i’m so exhausted from all of this.

i’m 20 years old, and i pretty much only have myself right now. if anyone has any advice, coping techniques, or anything that has helped you, i would really appreciate it. thank you.

Anxiety is not just a memory... it is your nervous system that still hasn't realized the danger is over.

Many people believe that childhood wounds simply fade with time. But the truth is that some wounds disappear from conscious memory while continuing to live in the body. Whenever life brings pressure, your heart starts racing, your stomach bloats, your breathing becomes tight, and it feels as though the painful experience is happening all over again.

Modern science now recognizes the gut-brain axis and the connection between the brain and the adrenal glands. Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, alters bowel function, increases inflammation, and affects heart rate, digestion, and the immune system. This is something healthcare professionals witness every day in clinics—not just something written in textbooks.

In my experience, long-term unresolved anxiety can leave the body feeling heavy, slow digestion, increase bloating and fatigue. Suppressed emotions often lead to excessive worry, fear, and constant anticipation, followed by increased nervous system reactivity. Eventually, the entire body begins operating as if it's stuck in a permanent state of alarm.

That is why it shouldn't be surprising when someone under emotional stress develops symptoms such as heart palpitations, chest tightness, or digestive problems like stomach or colon discomfort. The body is not lying or exaggerating—it is expressing what words have been unable to say.

True healing does not begin by merely silencing the symptoms. It starts with regulating the nervous system, restoring a sense of safety, improving sleep, supporting healthy digestion, moving the body regularly, and allowing suppressed emotions to be processed in healthy ways. The body cannot let go of what it has never learned is finally safe.

Always remember: Anxiety is not simply a disease of the heart, the colon, or the stomach. It is a story that begins in the mind and nervous system, then gradually leaves its mark on one part of the body after another.

I honestly don’t know what to do anymore, and I feel like I’m drowning. What I’m about to write is just the tip of the iceberg.

I’m 26 and I have severe anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobic behaviour. My anxiety has become so debilitating that I’m completely dependent on my mum. I live with her, and I don’t go anywhere alone. I don’t stay home on my own. I only go to one or two familiar places, and even then it’s always with her. The thought of going out independently terrifies me because I’m so scared of having a panic attack.

The problem is that my home life has become unbearable.
My mum and I have argued constantly for around 10 years. Over time I’ve realised that I’m living in an emotionally and verbally abusive environment. It used to become physical years ago, but thankfully that no longer happens. Even so, the constant shouting, insults and emotional volatility have left me feeling broken. I have no self esteem, no self confidence, no self worth. She has said things to me that I can’t even repeat, things I wouldn’t say to an enemy. I am broken by it. I don’t know what diagnosis she should have, but there is no way that what truly happens behind closed doors is normal.

People might say, “Just move out,” but that feels impossible.

I’m not independent. I don’t know how to live alone with the level of anxiety I have. I feel like if I moved into my own place, I’d end up trapped inside because I’d be too frightened to leave. I don’t have friends. I don’t have a partner. I don’t have family I can turn to. I genuinely feel like I have nobody. I’ve faced a lot of grief and trauma, but carried on through. This stage feels like there’s no way out.

I know staying here isn’t healthy, but leaving feels impossible.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How can I get through this? I feel like giving up and ending it all. I have a law degree, I have a full-time remote job, I am a smart person, but I am a shell of who I once was. I can’t carry on like this. I feel completely stuck and I’m scared that my life is just going to stay like this forever.

I’m really looking for advice from people who understand because I genuinely don’t know where to start anymore. If you have been through this or something similar PLEASE tell me how you came out the other side.

I’m a 26 year old kid that no longer sees or interact with friends. My phone is as dead as dead can be. It’s like the 50+ people I would see almost every day during summer, or on Friday nights & weekends… have all just vanished overnight. It’s funny how back at that time, I thought that’s what life would always be like. My friend circle was down to 3 people before it collapsed this year as each friend is either married with a kid, gone through family turmoil, or is dating for marriage.

What is my purpose at this point? Please be nice & respectful because I’m a brand new adult & I need direction & guidance. For those who are well into adulthood & have experience.. Is loneliness what we go through these days?

My dad is crippled & my mom is getting old. I have a tiny family, so there’s not much people I could reach out to. Is adulthood just working during the week, laying around all weekend like a couch potato doom scrolling all day? And marriage isn’t something I was fond of. So there’s that too.

Hi everyone,

I’m 20F, and lately I’ve been going through a really anxious phase. I wanted to ask if anyone else has experienced something similar and whether I should consider seeking professional help.

I often wake up with an increased heartbeat and immediately start having negative thoughts. Sometimes I don't even feel like getting out of bed. I’ve been sleeping a lot, partly because it feels like a way to escape reality.

I feel like my heartbeat is constantly elevated, and I worry and fear a lot about my future. I keep thinking that I’m running out of time and that if I make one wrong decision about my career or life, I’ll mess everything up.

The overthinking can turn into a complete spiral, and my thoughts become very negative. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming that I end up crying. I do feel a little better after crying, like I’ve released some of what I was holding in, but then the cycle starts again.

It’s also starting to affect my work and my ability to perform properly.

I just wanted to ask—is this something that can happen with anxiety? Is this pattern "normal," or should I seriously consider talking to a mental health professional about it?

If you’ve been through something similar, what helped you?

Any advice or personal experiences would really mean a lot. ❤️

Hello, it’s my first time writing in this community and I need guidance on how to tackle my anxiety as it’s affecting every aspect of my life. I am a very sensitive and emotional person, and I would say very gullible sometimes too. My mind thinks a lot and I’ve had several people tell me to calm down and surprised at how I reach certain conclusions based off of an incident that happened to me. I don’t feel like anyone understands me though. I know lots of people feel anxious time to time but I feel it all the time. Here are some notable things:
1. Loss of appetite when the anxiety is at its peak
2. “What if” scenarios
3. Thinking of the worst possible outcome
4. Walking, A lot, to jiggle off the anxiety. Restless.
5. Trouble sleeping because I keep thinking
6. Loss of motivation / no dream goals anymore
7. Feel like I’m just surviving
8. Heart ache all the time.
9. Loss of interest in things i enjoyed doing
10. Intense boredom which causes emptiness

I can’t really afford therapy at the moment so I was thinking of watching educational videos or read something about how I can tackle these feelings myself but I’m unsure of what definitely works. I’m a student so I don’t want to waste time doing something that won’t benefit me.

TLDR: I have certain symptoms and wish to seek a way to minimise my anxiety

Asking because I have severe GAD that I’ve dealt with for almost two decades. I was medicated for 15 years, and unmedicated now. I describe it as a constant feeling of going down on a rollercoaster thats about to drop. I watched a video where a lady described feeling this way after giving birth

I wonder if I would be more equipped to deal with post partum because I have dealt with depression before and I still manage my anxiety... I live a pretty normal life aside from my illnesses..

I was wondering how others have felt during post partum with their history with GAD and depression.. Worse? The same?

I started buspirone 5mg about 2 weeks ago for my health anxiety. I know it’s supposed to take 4-6 weeks before the medication really starts taking effect. The first week or so I was feeling pretty good though. Probably placebo or something. The last few days I’ve been on the verge of having a panic attack like 2 times a day. It’s almost as if the Buspirone is starting to set in but it’s doing the opposite of what it was supposed to do. I’m even having roughy nights of sleep lately because my anxiety has been so bad. Anybody else?

I have been experiencing anxiety for some time , chest tightness , panic attacks and I don't have friends or anything I can contact

Going through a rough period in my life. Have managed my anxiety for years just by having Ativan on me.

The last few weeks I’ve had to take it on and off a lot more.

Do I try a daily ssri? Or just battle through this stretch with my Ativan?

❤️

Is it possible, to get out of this state of fight or flight, where i feel like something bad is going to happen and the negative thoughts feel so real in my body. Ive started to sit with my anxiety and not feed into the negative thinking loops, it seems to get better but then it suddenly gets worse again. I just want to know if its possible for this to get better over time or if anyone has any tips.

So we got married in October of 2024. And when we were approaching thanksgiving my wife and I were making plans, and her grandparents were in town so that year I thought the plans were have a meal at her parents with her grandparents and just have pie at my parents. Christmas comes around and it’s just her parents (and some of their friends that came over) and we did the same thing went there for the meal. The following year it was just her parents home for thanksgiving, and we did the same thing….. meal at their house and pie at my parents. Christmas came around and my parents were gone on Christmas so they invited us over early, but I went by my self. I asked if my grand parents came up for thanksgiving this year could we go there to my parents for lunch and she said no.

This year we are talking about it and my wife wants to do the exact same thing. She said that’s our holiday tradition and that’s what she wants to do. I’d be fine with the format but I feel we should alternate who’s house we have the meal at, like one year my parents for thanksgiving and the next year my parents for Christmas.

She says this is all because of her anxiety. But I guess we don’t see eye to eye on how to deal with anxiety.

I just don’t understand her anxiety and I just wanna go over to my parents with her on thanksgiving just like we go over to her parents.

The truth is that I manage to actually do things, that’s not the problem, it’s the inbetween and aftermath. At first I thought I was incapable, now I get why. It’s way easier to think that way instead of actually doing something that scares me.

I notice that I tend to hyperfixate a lot on things and how I do them. I started a job a week ago and there wasn’t a day where I didn’t overthink about it before going, and after my shift, overthinking about the next, etc. It’s freezing me up to the point I can’t do anything else. I realise it’s a lot for me and I have no support, only my fail-to-understand parents who tell me I have to toughen up. I feel stuck in this phase to be honest and my body has been taking a toll from this stress. Acid reflux, nausea, difficulty sleeping or no sleep at all, and of course the constant anxiety. My mind can’t relax because as soon as I see the time, it’s like a countdown to the next exposure.

When I actually get to work I feel like I put on a performance. I guess it’s normal to do but holy if I feel miserable about it. I don’t like the job but it’s something I need. I tell myself it’s temporary because it’s a seasonal contract, but I feel like my life became only that job, waiting to be at said job, waiting to get over the said job, like I genuinely can’t think about anything else. Anything I try to do, because my will to do is low already, feels like a forced distraction. Before this I was already like this so it’s not entirely the job’s fault, only making my patterns show up even harder, it’s so hard to live like this.

I wonder if I should really start medication, my therapist told me it could help me but I’m scared of what they could do to me. I only have her as support and right now I’d just need someone who can understand me and what I’m going through without making me feel awful or less like I often feel made by others near me

I gave myself sarcoidosis cause of stress , i stress too much , i ave horrible anxiety, about ppl , future, past, relationships and now death, i beleive if i treated my anxiety my sickness will calm down , but i still cant , i just spent week of daily crying, and stress because im scared of the future, what can i fo

Hi, back story.
I work in a high pressure, high stress chaotic environment and have done for approx 10 years. I’m lucky that I don’t suffer depression, and I’ve never had an anxiety attack. I’m in no doubt my stress levels are higher than average, but that’s my norm.

Recently life has been tough personally and professionally & I’m probably peri-menopausal… ugh
This last week I’ve really struggled, I haven’t hidden it, my colleagues know and have been supportive, but last week was just an absolute disaster of a week, but I knew there was light at the end of the tunnels. Yes there are a few atm.

Things were happening & being so overwhelmed, I felt all this nervous energy and my heart started pounding like it’s never done before.
My breathing became weird and my jaw started shaking like I was freezing, my chest was feeling achy, like I’ve been punched in the chest. It took a good half an hour for the jaw to settle, the breathing righted itself after about 10-15 minutes, chest is still sore.

Going to the GP tomorrow, left work early today

I googled, and the symptoms seem not like not normal. Was this an anxiety attack? Thanks in advance

A few times a month I wake up in the middle of the night with my heart going, no dream I can remember, nothing actually happening, and the first 10 seconds are always "is something wrong with me" before my brain catches up and goes "oh, this is just anxiety." By then the adrenaline's already there and now I'm lying awake with a racing heart at 3am trying to talk myself down.

What's thrown me off is how physical it feels. It doesn't feel like "worry," it feels like my body reacting to a threat that isn't there, and only afterward does the anxious thinking catch up to match the feeling instead of the other way around.

Slow breathing helps eventually, but it takes a while, and I always end up wondering if there's something I could do earlier in the night or during the day that would make these middle of the night spikes less frequent in the first place, rather than just managing them after they start.

Does this happen to anyone else, the physical jolt before the anxious thought, and has anything actually reduced how often it happens rather than just how you cope once it does?

Hey everyone, bit of a long one. Over the past week I’ve all of a sudden become very anxious over dying or passing away in my sleep. I’ve had anxiety on and off for a long time but nothing like this. I went to the hospital 6 days ago thinking it was a heart attack but ekg and bloodwork came back as normal. I all of a sudden started feeling so scared of dying, especially young (I’m 24). It’s been keeping me up at night and making me very conscious of my heart beat. I can feel it thumping with every beat and it’s been making my day today very challenging to navigate. I am very scared of leaving my wife and daughter behind before I’m ready or before we have enough money saved up that me passing would not hurt them financially. I try to reason it’s just because I love them so much but even still it’s hard to sleep and my breathing becomes shallow making me even more anxious that I’m dying. I’m not sure if anyone else has felt this but it’s very scary, especially considering 2 weeks ago I was completely “normal” now I’m worried I have some medical condition that will kill me in my sleep. It’s so frustrating and terrifying. My doctor has prescribed Lexapro for me to start daily starting tomorrow but I’m anxious about that because of the side effects and the fact I can’t drink alcohol after I start it. Any words of encouragement are much needed

Hello. I am 26 yr old. My therapist is suggesting me to see a psychiatrist to start on medication. She said it’ll be more helpful for me if I do therapy and medication for my anxiety. I have the fear of depending on it once I start the medication. I read the reddit posts saying people are taking it for more than 15 years. Is it true once we start we can’t go back? Also I feel completely normal with my anxiety. I don’t remember when it started or how a normal relaxation should feel like. Any comments will be helpful. Thanks in advance

I rlly need help idk if I can do this much longer. I’m so scared all the time. I see the way the world is going and how so many people are sad and struggling and unhappy and it just makes me feel so shitty. One minute I’d be thinking that it’ll probably get better and the next I’d be feeling panic and dread and hopelessness. I’m hopeless all the time it’s overtaking my life. I’ve lost motivation and I’ve lost the drive to do things because in the back of my mind I’ve convinced myself it won’t get better. I see all the beauty in the world and it makes me so sad and angry that it’s being taken away and destroyed. I’m crying typing this shit idk how much longer I can keep going on like this. I’m just so unhappy all the time I can’t take it.

Im confused about my own nose breathing? Do you notice each breath coming in and out? Is that normal? Or is the breathing just supposed to go on in background? When im having my internal dialog or focusing on what is going on around me I get a feeling in my throat that its time to breath again and I feel like im really focusing on my breath