<p>I first started having severe stomach problems as a junior in high school. I had severe anxiety and would vomit close to 4 or 5 times a day. I lost a ton of weight and could not keep any sort of food down. I was not very big to begin with and my girlfriend didn't like how skinny i looked as you could see each of my ribs individually. I have been in sports throughout my life and I exercised daily. So once these symptoms began I lost a lot of muscle. I felt dizzy all day and felt like passing out every time I worked out. I eventually ended up going to a doctor in which he believed I had a stomach ulcer. After some tests it was shown I did not and he explained i needed to go see a counselor for my anxiety. I saw the counselor for a couple months but talking about my problems and learning breathing exercises didn't seem to help.The severe symptoms stretched out for about 3 or 4 months and eventually began drifting away. My appetite returned and I gained some of the weight. I had no idea why. Through my senior year I had small spurts of the severe symptoms. In some cases their would be small amounts of blood in my vomit. Although each time the symptoms go away after a week or so. I am now a freshman in college and it has come back worse than it ever has. 24 hours a day I feel like their is a pit in my stomach that nothing can fill. I have absolutely no appetite and my anxiety is through the roof. It has come to the point where everyday tasks such as riding the bus to school, talking to people, and using the phone seem almost impossible. It has started to effect my grades as I rarely go to class anymore and can barely sit through an exam without sweating profusely and needing to run to the bathroom because i think I'm going to vomit. My last test I filled in the last 25 questions randomly because we weren't allowed to leave the lecture hall once it started. At first, the only sense of comfort seemed to be my apartment. But now, I cant even get a good nights sleep because of this feeling. Once again I have lost my appetite and continue to get sick especially in the mornings. I am beginning to feel like I don't belong in college at all. I see kids going to parties and meeting new people and I can barely make it out of my apartment. In High School I was a very social person and new everybody. Now I am very depressed and keep to myself. I went to my college counseling center and once again it was just simply talking and the usual breathing exercises. Every time I go to see a doctor they cannot find anything physically wrong. This has made the last three years of my life a living hell and I just want it to go away. Not only that but it is now getting in the way of my grades. Any suggestions or other people that have gone through the same thing?</p>
<p>I would suggest printing out this post or typing it separately and bringing it with you to the counseling center (you might want to consider sending it to your parents as well.) I don’t know if you are like a lot of people who are too embarrassed to stress the severity of your feelings in person. A lot of people feel it is more socially correct to downplay their feelings ‘aw, it’s just a flesh wound’ style. If you do that, the counselor might not know it is actually causing you physical grief, and reading your post might help.</p>
<p>I would also suggest considering volunteering for some ‘welcome’ events in the fall, for freshmen. You will meet the other volunteers and new students in a situation where your role is pretty much scripted. This summer you should make an effort to reconnect with your high school friends whom you know like you, as well, imho.</p>
<p>Just ideas. I am no expert, but you shouldn’t be in this alone.</p>
<p>I recommend that you continue with counseling AND immediately see a physician or psychiatrist who can prescribe anxiety meds. It often takes an extended period of counseling to learn to manage anxiety, and it sounds like your condition is rapidly deteriorating. It is not uncommon for an anxiety disorder to cause stomach problems as you’ve described. The blood in your vomit seems alarming though. </p>
<p>Also, talk to your professors and let them know that you are having health problems.</p>
<p>I assume since you’ve been suffering the past 3 years that your parents are aware of your health problems. Have you talked to them recently and told them how you feel? If possible, I would enlist their help in finding you the right doctor and helping you get some supports in place at college. I agree with collegevetting that you should reach out to a close friend from home too.</p>
<p>My heart goes out to you! Good luck and please let us know how you’re doing!</p>
<p>I agree with the above posts, but I have one thing to add: If you need to cut back on classes are take a semester off, please know that it is okay! Your overall mental health is critical and you need to take care of yourself. </p>
<p>Also, it seems like you’re talking to medical doctors about a psychiatric issue. While it’s good that you’re seeking professional help for this, I don’t think that they can provide you with all the right answers. It’s not their specialty. It’s like going to McDonald’s, asking for a Whopper and settling with a Big Mac. Like overtheedge said, see a psychiatrist. Perhaps the counseling center at your school could refer you to a community mental health clinic nearby. Medications don’t solve any mental health issue by themselves, but they certainly help to some extent. I’ve been on them for other mental health issues and while they can be a pain, they’re sometimes necessary. </p>
<p>If you have blood in your vomit, you need to continue with a medical doctor as well as see a psychiatrist (which I also agree with!).</p>
<p>There are a number of things that blood could be. I would not shrug it off just because your doctor proved it wasn’t an ulcer. If a general practitioner couldn’t help, then you need a specialist. I’m guessing a gastroenterologist. I had a friend who became very sick during college with Crohn’s disease and another friend I know whose young son has ulcerative colitis.</p>