Loss of appetite, dizziness, and headaches

Hello everyone,
I am a 19 year old female college student. Since the end of the Summer I have suffered from anxeity. My symtoms include, racing heart, insomnia, a feeling fo internal shaking, loss of appetite, dizziness, and most recently headaches. I started to see a counselor on campus. It sucks because I dont know where this anxiety suddenly came from! I've never had problems with it before until the end of summer. It sucks so bad because it scares me and I want to feel normal again. I def do not want to go on medication because I believe I can heal myself with time and help from others. Does anyone have any words of advice for me? Also lately I have had a new symptom which is a really tense neck and shoulders( I have horrible posture) and headaches, I get random head pains throughout the day and by the end of the night my head actually hurts like a headache- hope this is just another symptom of anxiety and not a real medical problem. Please help me out everyone!

Hi ylime and welcome! Sorry to hear that you are suffering anxiety and all of the physical symptoms that go along with it. There are so many college-age people that are struggling with this now, my oldest daughter included. I believe that this is a tough transitional stage, with so many pressures and decisions, there's no wonder so many young people are struggling!
First of all let me reassure you that the symptoms that you are experiencing are typical/normal anxiety related symptoms. I was getting headaches everyday for a long time, and really had to focus on progressive muscle relaxation to relieve these. I'll post some websites @ the bottom of the page for you that will hopefully help.
Yes, it is frustrating to suddenly have anxiety, seemingly out of the blue. I think that it's one of those things, like many illnesses that has the tendency to always be there, but appears when the trigger is swithched-i.e, a traumatic event, or too much stress in general. The good news is that you have recognized it, and can deal with it now. I am so happy to hear that you are seeing your school's counselor-keep up with that.
Here are a couple of sites that you may find helpful

www.stress-relief-exercises.com/
www.psybersquare.com/anxiety/panic_relax_I

Good luck and let us know how you are doing soon,
Scaredy Cat

Anxiety can cause a lot of different physical sensations and so don't be surprised if you start getting new or different symptoms. But once you've ruled out any physical/medical issues then you can trust (and hopefully be at more peace with the idea) that it's anxiety. If you fight the anxiety or ignore it, it may get worse. The physical symptoms are often our body's way of telling you something (such as how you feel being away from family and feel guilty about "pestering" them).

If you're 19 I'm assuming this is your first year in college which can be a major transition in one's life, especially if you go away to school. It sounds like you're already starting to figure things out though and that you're on the right track in terms of dealing with this. I wish you well!

Wow. This post really hits home. I am in your exact same position. I'm 19 years old, never had a problem with anxiety until the end of the summer when I moved away to university. I hated it there. It was there that I had my first panic attack, and after 3 week of me calling home and crying over the phone every night, my parents decided it would be best for me to come home.

I know how hard it is. Out of nowhere, your life is flipped on it's head and it's hard to deal with because you have no idea what it is. I also know all too well the feelings of guilt that come with involving your parents. All I can say is don't worry, they are your parents and they will do whatever they can to help you. They will be scared, obviously, because it's something they can't make go away for you. But the bottom line is that they love you and will stand by you and help you get better.

You need to take baby steps, though. See your doctor, find a therapist (unless the school counselor is helping you along already). For me, I found that it helps to explore what is making me so anxious. Oftentimes all I can conclude is that "I'm anxious because my anxiety won't leave me alone!" but honestly, it works for me. It might give you a sense of direction for when you talk to your counselor.

Honestly my heart just aches for you and I sincerely hope you find what works. There are so many options, just keep in as good spirits as possible.

I am going through the same thing right now. I cant sleep, shake, and have all kinds of thoughts.