Does anyone else overthink everything, and always feels worried and anxious about something?

[Newmeagain]

I just feel like there is always something worrying me and I was thinking that surely other people must have better responses to day to day issues?

To give an example - there is always something to do with my house see that is stressing me out - is that mice in the walls, oh no I need to get the washing machine fixed, etc.

or today - I noticed I can’t see my neighbour’s photo on WhatsApp so I have convinced myself she must have blocked me but I have no idea why? It has really stressed me out.

Can anyone relate?

Yes OP. Totally.
I worry about everything. I always have done.

Yes, I can relate in the sense that I’m a perfectionist, so I feel constantly aware of things I need to do, tasks that need completing, thinking ahead to new things as quickly as one thing is finished. My mind seems to constantly run through to do lists, upcoming dates, etc. It feels hard to relax mentally. Swimming helps.

Yes but not about things like that. I worry about every little thing to do with mine and my family’s health. In my defence I have had so much happen in that regard over the years that I just feel like every little thing is bad news health wise.

I also get a bit stressed about health (what is that weird symptom? Could it be cancer?) and work (I work in a professional role and have a constant to do list) - but to me stress about those things seems a bit more justified.

If I didn’t worry about something, I’d worry that I had nothing to worry about. It’s exhausting and debilitating and it bothers me that I spend so much time fretting and not enjoying things.

It would be lovely to feel calm and content.

Yes 🤦🏻‍♀️

Yes but I have diagnosed anxiety. Now I am treated with therapy and meds and life is much easier.

I think modern life and technology, which mean we’re always switched on, mean the animal
tnat we are is always scanning for some kind of stimulus or danger. We just never switch off as our phones/tablets mean that yes we have access to the world but the world also has constant access to us. Of course some people might also have this kind of anxiety as a result of some specific trauma also

OP that sounds exhausting. Have you tried medication from your doctor?

Yes! And I’m scared of anti-anxiety meds and I don’t want to accidentally not worry about something I should be worried about. I don’t want to be caught unawares and not have a plan in place. It’s exhausting and getting worse as I age. You have my sympathy OP xx

I can’t speak for everyone, but my meds don’t make me magically stop worrying about everything- I would still worry about something that needed it eg if I found out I was about to be fired. It just stops my mind from racing and spiralling with anxiety about every little thing, and catastrophising things that haven’t even happened.

Yes! My dad was the same. It's crap

Thank you. X

Yes, I’m always worrying about something, from my DH becoming ill and struggling to pay the bills, to issues with the house, to worries about not being able to get into my emails in the future, to worries about the DC which I know are minor and on and on! Multiple times a day, every day.

I can’t drive because I panic easily, can’t think clearly when I’m stressed and worry about crashing. I am socially awkward and worry about having to interact with people. I worry so much that I plan what I can say during conversations, as I struggle in the moment. When I do chat to people I relive conversations afterwards, worrying that I’ve said something wrong or might have unintentionally offended someone.

I’ve come to realise that I’m probably ND, I’ve gone through life struggling but just doing my best, but according to other posts I can’t be because I’m not diagnosed 🙄 Being diagnosed was a very rare thing when I was younger, I knew of one child my whole childhood, and I was just spoken about as being ‘very quiet’ (I wouldn’t speak out in class etc).

Worry all the time. About DC, DM, dog. I spend a lot of time running through worst case scenarios. Most of which don’t materialize. I have a weird thing that I think worry will enable to me to control things/ prepare. I worry less about small things. I think these kind of worries are very common in current times

Yes, me. Since I was about 4.

As a child - mum home late from work? She must have had an accident.

As an adult - partner quiet? He's leaving me/cheating.

Friends, family sitting in a room in contented silence at a family gathering? They're nervously keeping quiet because they're waiting to deliver some awful news to me.

Neighbours laughing together in their front gardens? They're mocking me. In fact, anyone laughing at all, anywhere, is aimed at me.

All my life I've had this. Intrusive thoughts. If nothing is wrong I will create problems in my mind.

I kindly disagree with a pp about it being modern life, phones etc, though I am sure this applies to a lot of people. As I say, I've been like this since I was a child in the 70s!

Have you done something to piss your neighbour off? Does a missing photo mean your blocked? <invested>

I’m the same. I’ll fixate on an issue, consider from every angle, fret over it. I don’t have DC but just extend my anxiety to my cat instead. I’ve come to realise that however much I try and ‘cure’ every single problem, my mind will always find something to worry over.

I also can’t drive because of what you describe. I can’t make decisions in time, panic and find the whole thing terrifying.

Something that helps a bit is writing down my main worries, what is the worst that could happen, and what I would do in those worst scenarios. It seems to stop a bit of the free floating anxiety.

On some occasional, rare days, I’m calm and worry free, and I think ‘what witchcraft is this’. But never find the key to replicating it, it seems quite random, I just wake up that way.

Similar. It’s not got anything to do with modern life for me. Me worrying I’ll die in my sleep and leave my teenager has nothing to do with modern technology in fact I suppose I’m more likely to live longer as a result of living now. I think though op don’t consider it a fair accompli, there is stuff you can do and that doesn’t have to be medication.

I relate to everything you've written; I'm exactly the same way. It's got worse as well over the years and going into menopause. I suspect ND too and I've finally bitten the bullet and asked for a referral under rtc for an autism assessment. I just can't cope anymore with this level of constant anxiety.

Lack of sleep makes everything soooo much worse for me - on to a different level - hubby sometimes puts me in bed with half a beta blocker - if I can get a bit of sleep my brain re-sets itself and I'm less anxious. How's your sleep op?

No. I don’t really worry about anything I can’t control. I never watch the news and I’m certain this is why I don’t have a single grey hair at 49

I'm like this but it has got a bit better since starting hrt.

I'm like this, but I have found it exercise helps. If I get physically tired, I sleep better and that seems to help mental well-being.

I think it gets worse as you get older.