diagnosis?

I would like to know what you think I am suffering from, I'll describe the symptoms I have:
- I was always bad with people, I just never understood them. It's better now since I specifically trained myself in empathy.
- I've always been pretty unaware of my own emotions. At age 18 I remember thinking I had no emotions. Even now it's common to notice symptoms and then think "why is my heart beating so fast??".. although I've gotten a bit better at understanding what emotions I am feeling (I think)
- Everything is so hard. This is wrecking my life. Everything just scares me and stresses me out.. it's as if all my time is spent unsuccesfully trying to calm myself down. I don't know why but even doing simple thing like taking a shower, cooking food or going to the supermarket scare me a lot and are very stressful! There doesn't seem to be anything in particular that scares me, more generally "everything".
- I have plenty of friends (people seem to like me easily) but I don't see them often because I prefer to be alone for the most part. It's just too stressful to be around people too often - as everything is too stressful.
- I can't complain about female interest (it's not uncommon to be approached by girls at social events even), but ultimately I'm always the one keeping things off. Not that I don't want to have a girlfriend, but the prospect is just too scary and stressful I think
- I don't have a sleeping rythm. I sleep some during the day, some during the night. Sometimes I sleep a lot, sometimes very little. There’s no pattern.
- There are some things I do compulsory, I think in an attempt to calm myself down. I smoke cigarettes almost constantly. I browse internet forums a lot. I don't know if I generally have a lot of patterns that I keep repeating though
- If something peaks my interest, I will take it on fanatically. And I will usually get very good at it quickly too. (I once took a test and I have a high IQ) Stuff like chess, go (japanese board game).. or strategy games in general I get very good at. The last thing was poker, which I played on the internet. I made a good deal of money that way, but now I can't play anymore, the ‘freaking on it phase’ has faded and now it's just way too stressful (like everything else in life)
- I somehow managed to struggle myself into my last year of civil engineer (university study). Almost never gone to classes, and for the most part I took exams without having studied anything at all, or only a few hours before the exam. If there were tasks, I'd typically copy them from others.
- You probably can't tell I'm so panicy when you see me. In fact, people more often describe me as very calm and laid-back. My lack of activity probably looks more like laziness. (I have a very stoic expression and attitude I think)

Recently I've been taking some anti-depressants, like serlain (zoloft) and now anafranil (clomipramine) and lambripol, but it doesn't seem to help with my constant stress at all.

I'd really like to know what is wrong with me, and if there is something out that can help me. Are these symptoms I described typical of something?

Thanks a lot

Hi,

Describe further the "stress" you are talking about. Does it feel like theres something scary stalking you, ready to prounce on you if you let go? Something that you have no idea what is it..but its always present in the back of your mind...something that could explode at any time? You avoid certain things out of fear that you could lose control and be hit hard with something? Let me know if this at all sounds familiar to you. If not, explain more what you feel by when you talk about 'stress'.

Alex

Hans

Your mind can be very active, your body can be still. Your body can be very active and your mind still.

Still your mind, slow down. We all experience stress everyday but how we deal with that stress and release it really effects our health and how think about the world.

Alexp quite skillfully is helping you to identify whats going on. Stress is unavoidable and sometimes necessary in daily life, accumulating too much of it and holding on to it is however is bad for us. If you are holding onto everyday stress it can make you feel angry, anxious and stressed about everything. You need to identify how often you feel like this, when, what is causing particular symptoms.

Keep a diary of whats going on, what you are eating and so on and if see if you notice any patterns or habitual reactions.

Keep in touch

Jack

Turns out I have ADD.