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Worried for my mental health

I'm not sure what has been happening recently but stress has been eating me up in some form. I get bouts of weird feelings where I suddenly become very panicked and daunted and will have obtrusive thoughts (often sexual) which panic me further and then I'll feel completely different once that has settled. Nothing major has happened in my life recently. I'm just in the middle of exams. But then other days I am perfectly fine, or so I feel. I had a psychosis about 8 years ago. I'm just worried if something is happenign to me, some kind of nervous break down or whether I've just been stressed with exams.
Reply 1
I think stress has triggered the symptoms to get worse making you feel worse than ever. Just think that exams will be eventually over and you have a summer break to look forward to. Don't let it get you down. Make sure to eat enough and sleep enough.
The best advice is just to go see a GP about it really. To see if there is some underlying problem.

Is this the first time something like this is happening to you in the past 8 years since the psychotic episode? Have you had other problems with stress/anxiety or is this just out of the blue?

Sorry for all the questions haha. Just want to get a better idea of what's going on :smile:
Hey i hope you've been having a nice day, i'm sorry you've been feeling kinda off lately :frown:
exams are a huge stress and can trigger episodes of mental health crises in some people, especially with a pre existing mental health illness or psychotic episode.
i am in no way a mental health professional, but i do have two serious long term mental health problems.
what i would say is that you are having some form of panic attacks every so often, and the intrusive thoughts often come with these, i'm not sure why they are sexual though. it is different for everyone.
major signs to watch out for are any delusions or really weird thoughts and hallucinations or hearing voices.
or feeling really cut off from reality/spaced out and wanting to hurt yourself or anyone else -if so seek immediate help.
you should try and get some support from a mental health professional so they can guide and monitor your symptoms incase they develop.
make sure you don't forget to take any medication you might be on. take regular breaks from revision and make sure to get some fresh air, regular sleep and eat properly. severe sleep deprivation can cause psychosis.
i would say try not to stress about exams, but it is inevitable. i'm doing mine too at the minute and i have to be extra careful.
i hope you found some help in my advice :frown: x. PM me if you need anything.
Reply 4
Original post by StrawbAri
The best advice is just to go see a GP about it really. To see if there is some underlying problem.

Is this the first time something like this is happening to you in the past 8 years since the psychotic episode? Have you had other problems with stress/anxiety or is this just out of the blue?

Sorry for all the questions haha. Just want to get a better idea of what's going on :smile:


Yes more the last couple of months if anything. I can't say I've felt like this anytime before. Now I have calmed down a bit but I feel different, my mood is somehow different. My mum think it's just panic attacks. It's weirrd cas 28/30 days I'll feel completely utterly normal.
Reply 5
Original post by crustyegg
Hey i hope you've been having a nice day, i'm sorry you've been feeling kinda off lately :frown:
exams are a huge stress and can trigger episodes of mental health crises in some people, especially with a pre existing mental health illness or psychotic episode.
i am in no way a mental health professional, but i do have two serious long term mental health problems.
what i would say is that you are having some form of panic attacks every so often, and the intrusive thoughts often come with these, i'm not sure why they are sexual though. it is different for everyone.
major signs to watch out for are any delusions or really weird thoughts and hallucinations or hearing voices.
or feeling really cut off from reality/spaced out and wanting to hurt yourself or anyone else -if so seek immediate help.
you should try and get some support from a mental health professional so they can guide and monitor your symptoms incase they develop.
make sure you don't forget to take any medication you might be on. take regular breaks from revision and make sure to get some fresh air, regular sleep and eat properly. severe sleep deprivation can cause psychosis.
i would say try not to stress about exams, but it is inevitable. i'm doing mine too at the minute and i have to be extra careful.
i hope you found some help in my advice :frown: x. PM me if you need anything.


How would you define delusions or weird thoughts? Sometimes I have sexual thoughts about people or even my own gender even though I am heterosexual, which makes me freak out.

I think my sexual thoughts actually stem from the fact that I'm utterly sexually frustrated and that in the past I have seen a couple of escorts which brings me great shame internally.
Original post by Anonymous
How would you define delusions or weird thoughts? Sometimes I have sexual thoughts about people or even my own gender even though I am heterosexual, which makes me freak out.

I think my sexual thoughts actually stem from the fact that I'm utterly sexually frustrated and that in the past I have seen a couple of escorts which brings me great shame internally.

that would explain the sexual thoughts. a trauma therapist/ sexual guidance counselor could help with that.
strange delusions are things like - somebody is trying to persecute me and burn me i can feel their presence behind me when i walk.
or the fbi has implanted a chip into my skin to track me down and i must remove it ( so the person may take great actions to harm themselves / cut or burn or something else to remove the chip) (which is obviously not going to happen) but to the psychotic person it feels real. that is called a persecutory delusion.

or something like i am an angel and i have healing abilities to cure any person with illness
or i am a member of /insert organisation or cult/ and i have been given special powers to fly or something else.
they are two examples of a grandiose delusion.
Reply 7
Original post by crustyegg
that would explain the sexual thoughts. a trauma therapist/ sexual guidance counselor could help with that.
strange delusions are things like - somebody is trying to persecute me and burn me i can feel their presence behind me when i walk.
or the fbi has implanted a chip into my skin to track me down and i must remove it ( so the person may take great actions to harm themselves / cut or burn or something else to remove the chip) (which is obviously not going to happen) but to the psychotic person it feels real. that is called a persecutory delusion.

or something like i am an angel and i have healing abilities to cure any person with illness
or i am a member of /insert organisation or cult/ and i have been given special powers to fly or something else.
they are two examples of a grandiose delusion.


ok well i don't have any bizarre ideas like that thankfully. it's more a sense of intense anxiety and a sense of impending loss of control and after a few hours it settles down. i do sort of feel removed from myself and can't control my thoughts or feelings. i am also depressed, well, self diagnosed but i have been for much of my life so maybe related to that. either way i will probably see a gp after exams to make sure all good. thanks for your help.
Original post by Anonymous
Yes more the last couple of months if anything. I can't say I've felt like this anytime before. Now I have calmed down a bit but I feel different, my mood is somehow different. My mum think it's just panic attacks. It's weirrd cas 28/30 days I'll feel completely utterly normal.


It sounds like the stress is triggering these episodes.
And yeah probably the depression you say you've experienced is related to that. Best to see a GP after your exams to see if you have any mental health issues and then treatment for it can be discussed from there.

It's good you're speaking up about it. People should never suffer in silence. The faster you get it checked the easier it is to overcome it.
The fact that you've experienced pyschosis before makes it all the more important to see someone about it.
Reply 9
Original post by StrawbAri
It sounds like the stress is triggering these episodes.
And yeah probably the depression you say you've experienced is related to that. Best to see a GP after your exams to see if you have any mental health issues and then treatment for it can be discussed from there.

It's good you're speaking up about it. People should never suffer in silence. The faster you get it checked the easier it is to overcome it.
The fact that you've experienced pyschosis before makes it all the more important to see someone about it.


when you say episodes are you implying potentially psychotic episodes or are you saying that potentially it is literally just stress and nothing to worry about? I know you don't know as such but I'm unsure as to my interpretation of that.
Original post by Anonymous
when you say episodes are you implying potentially psychotic episodes or are you saying that potentially it is literally just stress and nothing to worry about? I know you don't know as such but I'm unsure as to my interpretation of that.


Not potentially psychotic per se as you haven't experienced any delusions/hallucinations. I'm not exactly sure what to call it.
It is probably due to the stress but definitely not something you shouldn't worry about. Which is why I advise to get it checked :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
when you say episodes are you implying potentially psychotic episodes or are you saying that potentially it is literally just stress and nothing to worry about? I know you don't know as such but I'm unsure as to my interpretation of that.
By asking what I'm asking I'm not suggesting this is necessarily an impending psychotic episode that you're experiencing, at the moment it sounds like stress and anxiety/panic attacks but how old are you now and what triggered the psychotic episode you had 8 years ago?
Original post by Little Popcorns
By asking what I'm asking I'm not suggesting this is necessarily an impending psychotic episode that you're experiencing, at the moment it sounds like stress and anxiety/panic attacks but how old are you now and what triggered the psychotic episode you had 8 years ago?


I'm 27. It was something I don't want to go into as such but a specific event happened that left me feeling paranoid about something and then I developed this idea that it got out and people were talking about me and I was disgraced and being chased by gangs etc
Original post by Anonymous
I'm 27. It was something I don't want to go into as such but a specific event happened that left me feeling paranoid about something and then I developed this idea that it got out and people were talking about me and I was disgraced and being chased by gangs etc
Ah right sorry to hear.

But anyway you should see your GP whatever these symptoms are.

What exams have you been having only reason I ask is because of your age did you start your degree late or?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Little Popcorns
Ah right sorry to hear.

But anyway you should see your GP whatever these symptoms are.

What exams have you been having only reason I ask is because of your age did you start your degree late or?


Um I started at 22. Doing a masters now.
Original post by Anonymous
Um I started at 22. Doing a masters now.

What're you studying?

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