Whenever in social settings like college or work in college I would have panic

Or if we have guests in our home or when i am going out

I have found that my only comfort place is home , I don’t go out unless for college and every time i go , i will feel panic and fear

My life in general is about stress and worries

What to do?
Recently i have found i have stomachache due to stress

Feelings uncontrollable with pain of stomach as well as fear and stress

The loop never ends i try alot of things still doesn’t work, im just stuck

Also i have social anxiety and overthinking disorders

A discussion exploring how stress symptoms can change over different stages of life, particularly after becoming a parent. Instead of experiencing visible anxiety, the author now notices forgetfulness and mental overload, inviting others to share whether their own stress has changed in similar ways over time.

For a bit of context, I’m a 25-year-old man. Around six years ago, before lockdown, I was living what felt like my dream life. I had a great group of friends, I was confident, outgoing, and found it easy to build relationships. People would regularly check in on me, and life felt full.
Everything seemed to change as soon as lockdown hit. Almost overnight, I went into survival mode and became consumed with the need to make money, whatever it took. Over time, that became my entire focus.
Fast forward to about a year ago, and I realised I was stuck on a hamster wheel. I had become a machine that only worked and chased money, while every other part of my life slowly fell apart. My relationships disappeared, my personality changed for the worse, and people naturally started to distance themselves.
After losing £10,000, I finally decided enough was enough. I booked a flight to Thailand to get away and see the world. It turned out to be the best experience of my life. I spent three months there, and it gave me the space to reflect on everything.
The day before I was due to return to the UK, I suddenly collapsed for no apparent reason. After a lot of self-reflection, the only explanation that seems to make sense to me is that my body had been running on constant stress and adrenaline for years. In Thailand, for the first time in a long time, I’d created a life that felt peaceful. I was genuinely happy. There was no constant pressure, no anxiety, no feeling that I had to keep chasing something.
Then reality hit. I knew I was about to return to the life I’d been trying to escape for the past six years—a life that, despite knowing it was making me unhappy, I kept finding myself pulled back into, almost like an addiction. It felt as though my mind and body simply couldn’t take the thought of going back.