Anxiety and Stress Forum - Onset of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Does this sound like the onset of a mild case of gad?

Granted -- i'm still pretty normal functioning -- but the symptoms are noticeable. I get through more days than not, but its a huge effort to make myself ignore the symptoms when they are acting up.

I've always been a sensitive, emotional person.

Two years ago (college junior - after transfer to a new high stress school) started having frequent tachycardia/heart palpitations, and also sweating issues. Despite the season, would for no identifiable reason sweat through all shirts (underarm). Both symptoms occured in stressful situations, but also in situations where I could not recognize the stress readily.

Symptoms persisted, with two occasions of three panic attacks, that happened in response to once too much caffeine, but other two were major over reactions to emotional events.

Then, since beginning of this year, symtoms have significantly magnified. All aspects of life can inspire stress. Anything from relationships, to hobbies, to school, to parents -- and the reactions are way beyond how I used to react. Logically in my head, I can realize this, but I cannot control the internal "feelings" of the reaction. Symptoms include a a pervasive nauseated feeling, heart racing, inability to concentrate. Also, fluctuations between sleeplessness and constant fatigue, frequent headaches, occasional dizzyness, irritability, a lot of embarrasment towards my over-reactions. The embarrasment is not what it used to be -- i'm a bounce back kind of person, and now feelings of embarrasment plague me with uneasy stomach, inability to focus feelings. So -- needless to say this constant edgyness got me down -- my best way to escape was trying to sleep excessively. It led to a good two months of a depressed feeling that i've never had before in my life. Sleep took over desire to do anything else, constant daily crying, despair over normal relationships, distance from friends. It led to a huge breakdown panic attack feeling that I could not live like this anymore and fear that I couldn't handle my life, where I just couldn't stop crying/hyperventilating. Since that break, I was inspired to really focus on the positives in my life, and the depression has totally eased, and I am back to feeling happy and normal. However, these anxious feelings just won't go away. The slightest daily mishap/embarrasment/concern/worry will cause significant feelings of nausea, worry, stress, and most upsettingly -- an inability to just enjoy any aspects of the day. The focus is just on surviving the moment -- and boy do the moments drag out when I feel like this.

Sorry its long -- i'm worried taht these feelings are going to get worse or start effecting my life even more....