When to seek help for anxiety?

[EvilOnion]

I've always been an over thinker and make a catastrophe out of everything but this past year, like many, is gone nuts to the point where I'm annoying myself and being irrational about things like going places or wearing masks etc.

My work environment is a massive source of anxiety for me and due to circumstances I'm stuck there for the foreseeable, yesterday I had a panic attack in there for no real reason.

For months I've suffered headaches, migraines, insomnia and episodes of binge eating as well as being irritable and irrational.

I'd like to avoid meds if possible but my family think I need to speak to a doctor. I'm not sure what they can actually do.

If it’s interfering with your life then it’s time to seek help!

Nothing to be ashamed of. Contact your GP today and, if you possibly can, also seek therapy.

Imagine how nice it will be to feel better and more able to cope.

I always think that anxiety over a defined event- say a job interview- is generally OK provided it doesn't stop you actually doing what you need to. Anxiety for no definable reason (or when your body feels anxious so you feel your brain looking for a reason for the anxiety and it then fixates on something minor and blows it up into a catastrophe) indicates a problem.

Could you be in peri-menopause, op?

Thanks, you've pretty much echo'd my families thoughts. It's no longer just being a bit worried about things - I'm now actively building scenarios in my head of what could go wrong and would rather stay inside where I'm safe. Not good at all...

I've filled in an e consult for my doctor's explaining everything so will hopefully get a phone call from them today. Pressed submit and promptly burst in to tears but I've idea why

Taking the day off of work but haven't managed to phone in, part of my problem there is that I feel unsupported so now I'm worrying about what they'll think/be saying if I tell them. Never ending!

I'm mid 30's so I don't think it's peri menopause but reading the symptoms I can see there is a bit of crossover.

Peri can definitely start in your mid 30's, and can last for a decade or more before full menopause.

Now you've got me thinking @Aquamarine1029.

I don't have any physical symptoms but it's just occurred to me that I stopped taking hormonal contraception in June, I've been on some form of it since I was 15 with the exception of 2 breaks for pregnancy.

I wonder if my regulation has gone haywire!