How to get help for anxiety?

[Anxious2445]

Yet another post here...

So I've been struggling with self-diagnosed anxiety/health anxiety for a year now and I just can't take it anymore! Sometimes I'll be fine for a month or two without any weird symptoms or panic attacks, and then sometimes it will just hit me full force and I'll be worrying, experiencing physical symptoms and on edge for a while. I never tell anyone about what I experience, which in the past year has included:

-panic attacks

-racing heart

-heart palpitations (these freak me out)

-headaches

-facial numbness

-some irregular menstrual cycles

-feelings of impending doom

-dry mouth

-extreme fear of having diabetes

-binge eating and then worrying about how it will affect my health

-dizziness

-warmth in my arms

-random, brief chest pains

-random sharp headaches that last a few seconds and then go away

-constant fear of having a stroke, brain tumor, circulation cut off, heart attack

It's hard because sometimes I feel fine and other days, like today, I feel so anxious that I don't know what to do with myself - I feel so uneasy.

I don't want to struggle through this any longer - I hate wasting my day away worried about my health and my life when I should be living it - I'm only 17. I don't know how I would go about getting help though. I don't see the doctor for my annual physical until November. I really hate talking to people because it makes me so nervous and anxious (maybe I have a touch of social anxiety?) so the idea of just bringing it up to my mom or my dad is terrifying. I just want to be able to live a normal life, without worrying about anything. I went to a theme park with a friend and I couldn't enjoy myself because I was mentally checking the whole time if I had drunk enough water, if the food I was eating was safe (severely allergic to nuts), where the nearest hospital was in case of emergency. I worry all the time about my health, even though I generally eat well and get a lot of exercise. The doctor says I have high cholesterol but she told me it wasn't anything to worry about because it was not significantly high and it was the "good" kind of cholesterol (also it runs in my family). Other than that, though, I have not long term health problems that I know of, so I have no reason to be worrying - but I do. Every time I get so much as a headache or if I stand up too fast and the blood rushes to my head I wonder if I will die. It's really starting to wear down on me but I don't know how I would get help, or even what would help. I don't know how I would tell a doctor, and the thought of telling my parents is unbearable. Since I haven't told anyone about my symptoms, I'm not sure if they would even take me seriously! Anyone have any suggestions? This is really hard for me.

[Kainan]

Hi. you need to talk to a doctor about this. Keeping all this struggle to yourself is not good; it's in fact detrimental to your health. Perhaps your doctor can refer you to a specialist, usually a psychologist or psychiatrist, who specializes in anxiety disorders and mental health. You need to speak with a professional and be honest with how you're feeling. Only then will they be able to best help you.