Hi mae, dont stress out too much about meeting with the school psychiatrist. Sometimes meds are good and can give you the extra boost along with what you've learned from counciling. As to your mothers reaction, I am a parent with a daughter in college and I would want to know if she felt this way and would do whatever I could. There are many people here to talk to who will listen and give support.

Hi Mae.....I am a mom and if you where my child....I would definitely want to know that you were having some struggles. By telling her it actually may relive some if your anxiety.

First off...college can be tough. My gosh....high school is tough....I have a freshman boy. Pressure is part of school these days. Finding the way to take the pressure off is key.

I started with anxiety and depression at about your same age. I had no where to turn and had a hard time finding information as to how to overcome this condition. These days....there is thankfully so much more help....but still there is a lot of gimmicks and uniformed professionals. I know, I had a psychiatrist tell me one time that in order to overcome this condition I just needed to spend more time with my friends. Haha....I love my friends but I needed to do a bit more then hanging out.

After years of searching I did completely overcome my anxiety and depression and have been free of it for years. The best treatment is CBT...look it up if you are unfamiliar. If you would like we just finished a support group with information on what anxiety is and how to overcome it. The main thing to know is that anxiety is nothing more then negative thoughts. There are many reasons as to why we begin to think negatively and learning some of the reasons will be extremely helpful for you.

Friend me if you want this information....but be sure to start with the introduction.

My best to you....please call your mom.

First, anxiety tends to run in families. Your mom or siblings or cousins probably also struggle with this. You're the only one who knows if it's the right or wrong time to share, but seeing as anxiety is super common, it seems a safe bet your mom knows others who have this.

Second, there are a ton of natural alternatives. L-Theanine is available at health food stores and can work wonders. Meditating each morning and visualizing your day going well seems like such a simple thing but it also works really well.

Also, take the pressure off of yourself! I know you want to do well but realize it's not about doing well at everything - college is about ferreting out what you naturally excel at. Try to tune into what you like/don't like about various subjects to help you sort out your path. What you do well in at college can predict what sort of work you'll do well at (and enjoy).

Finally, there are medicines you can take that won't alter who you are or how you behave. Propranalol is an older medicine that's inexpensive and has very few side effects. All it does is regulate your heart beat so that the chain of anxiety is broken.

Take good care of yourself and realize you're not alone.

I was very anti-medication as well but then I went to see my doctor and she convinced me I have nothing really to lose. If you don't like it or it doesn't work, you can always stop taking it and you'll just be back where you started in a worst-case scenario. It's not as if just taking a pill signs you on for a lifetime. Ideally, you would take the meds just long enough to get a handle on things and then when you feel good again you can taper off.

Anyway, I'm really glad I talked to my doctor because I've been taking Lexapro for about a month now and I know it's helping me. I don't feel like a different person. I feel like me, just minus all the negative thoughts and constant torment of anxiety. It's like the meds have taken away some of the heavy lifting.

But I've also been doing a lot of other work, too. Journaling, CBT, yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. The best thing is to combine medication with a lot of other tools.

Make sure you take care of yourself, too. I don't want to make any assumptions about you personally, but college students are notorious for eating crap, living on caffeine, binge drinking, and doing all-nighters. All of these these things will absolutely wreck your mood and invite intense anxiety. Eat right, exercise, drink lots of water and try to practice good sleep habits. Take care.

I second Judy's comment....don't get too worked up about going on medication. If it doesn't work for you, you can always go off of it. If you are really worried about medication, you may consider expressing your concerns to the psychiatrist and ask if there are any natural alternatives you can try before going on medication.

I've been on medication for depression, and I was extremely hesitant before I started. I too felt that it would make me feel different; that it would change me. I also worried that I wold be dependent on medicine forever if I started taking it. I expressed these concerns and my doctor started me on a low dosage and we worked it up a little bit so that it wasn't a huge change of feeling all at once. It didn't change me as a person, it just kind of lifted a weight off of me. It helped me be the me that I was before depression. And I did wean off of it. Even if I didn't, there would be nothing wrong with that. Our brains are just all set up differently, and each of us needs different interventions. For one person, it may be medication and for another it may not.

I'm also in school, and this recent year has skyrocketed my anxiety, so I am in a similar situation, and if you ever need to talk, feel free to message me.

I can understand your hesitation about going on medication for dealing with your anxiety. I'd like to second JudyFZ's comments about coupling medication with alternative forms of treatment, such as journaling, yoga, meditation, and deep breathing. It is important for you to know that everyone is different, and the way they cope with their negative thoughts and pressures varies. I think you should give a try to some of these alternative methods for a while before you talk to your counselor/psychiatrist. Sometimes the best support system can be a group of relatives or peers.

Know that what you are experiencing is common, and that at college is it okay to feel overwhelmed. Based on my own personal and emotional experiences, I would encourage you to get to know some of your peers in clubs or activities to foster some positive peer relationships. I am a member of the dance team at my school, and these girls have provided incredible support and love during some of my toughest times. Often, peers are able to understand and relate to many struggles because they themselves are experiencing aspects of the problems as well. They are able to give first hand opinions and advice.

That said, I really encourage you to talk to your mom or another relative who you can trust. Having family support is incredibly helpful in addition to peer support. I find that I really get a lot of comfort from talking and sharing my feelings with people I am close to. Know that your feelings are important and that if you try different methods of dealing with your anxiety, you will surely find peace.

Best of luck in your academic and extracurricular pursuits at school! Feel free to message me to talk!

I just wanted to say thank you all for your responses. Thanks, to the encouragement I was receiving I finally built up enough strength to talk about this problem with some people who I trust. I opened up to my close friends here at school. They were all very supportive and offered some good advice. Although it was hard, I did call my mom and talk to her about it. She also was very supportive and had a lot of advice. I know I have a long ways to go with dealing with this, but I also now know that I have people behind me to support me in the process. I really do feel a sense of relief now that I am being open with my friends and family and that I don't have to go through this alone anymore. As much as I want to handle it on my own, I know it will be beneficial to me to that the people I love and trust the most know what is going on. I also really appreciate all of the support and advice that I am receiving from everyone in this group.

Hi Mae! I think an important first step is talking to your mom about your situation especially if she helps you in anyway that she can as you said. I think that your anxiety may be compounded by the fact that your mom doesn't know about your situation. Also, your mom's advice is one that you certainly value and so opening up to her will enable productive conversation to flow. She will able to offer her advice and guidance. Of course, whether or not you choose to take is completely up to you, but advice from someone you love can never hurt! If you are comfortable with your primary healthcare provider, you should seek his advice on the medication and also conduct your own research by finding reliable information online. Being informed is the most important thing you can do in making such a decision. And if you do decide to take the medication and feel as though you feel different in a negative way, you can always discontinue it. Make sure you discuss this option with your counselor and the psychiatrist.

If you find the "right" med then it just helps to lessen your symptoms and still make you feel like "you". It took so long to find that right med but it is worth it. Some people don't need meds. I got help when I was in college too and it was a good place to start. Also if things get bad, you might want to medically withdraw and take a semester off and then go back. Try to see if there is a NAMI around you, they have a lot of support groups, resources and can tell you about your options. Good luck.