How do you draw the line between emotional illness and simply going through crap?

[Anonymous]

Crying
I can't stop the negative thoughts. I try to tell myself to stay strong but I'm struggling. I cry anytime and anywhere, and it's crazy, I can't control it.

Insomnia
I can't get to sleep and sometimes when I'm finally able to, I wake up a few hours later in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. As a result, during the day, I'm exhausted, even now. I bought this lavendar-scented eye mask thing which warms up and is supposed to help me sleep but it's not helping...

Stomach problems
I don't have much of an appetite and I get a stomach ache after I eat. I've been going through this for months and I've been receiving pills from my doctor but nothing is working. I've actually seen two doctors about this and they both said it's stress.

Breathless
I feel like I'm always sighing or taking deep breaths. I always feel out of breath and my heart rate is fast. Even right now.

Hallucinations
Lately, I'm in bed with the lights turned out and I see a roach crawling up my bed so I turn on the light but there's nothing there. i do this several times till I stop seeing it.

Anxiety
I got into a fight with my bestie a couple of months ago over this whole thing. Someone special to me recently left town and from when he told me till the last day I saw him was the most agonizing time ever. It was like waiting for a bomb to go off and not being able to do anything to stop it. I was going crazy over how much I'd hurt after he left - I was right to, because he's gone and I feel like crap. But my best friend claimed I was overreacting and that I thought of him as someone I couldn't live without. Maybe she was right, maybe I was overreacting and that's why I wasn't able to accept reality till the end. But I don't feel like I've been overreacting. I can't control how I feel and he and I had a special bond - we were close friends who shared anything.

Now, he's not contacting me and won't reply to my emails. He may have cut me off, just like I was fearing...

Updates

+1 y

Sorry, this was kind of indirect. My question is whether I'm going crazy or I'm overthinking/overreacting?

Updates

+1 y

oh and my guy friend leaving is not the only reason I'm feeling like crap

[dangerDoge]

This sounds more like a version of depression (which is a mental illness pretty much) mixed with some mind games.
--For insomnia, a trick to get to sleep is to not try to force sleep. If you are feeling restless, it is better to do something calming, like reading a book, before you go to sleep. Telling yourself "I need to sleep" actually keeps you awake ironically.
--For the hallucination, I wouldn't worry too much. It is pretty common to see things in the dark. Like sometimes, I turn off the lights and then I'll see a figure looming over me, but really it is just my imagination. This one isn't a big deal.

I'm saying this is depression because of the crying, breathlessness, stomach problems, and anxiety. These seem serious enough to where I would consider contacting a professional -- psychologist/sociologist/therapist etc. They are great for helping you sort out problems and give emotional support. If you are at a college campus, often times they have a cheap mental health counselor you can go to.
For the depression, the best way to tackle is to go and figure out firstly why. Then you can figure out solutions to the why. It sounds like the situation you mentioned in the anxiety paragraph is the main problem.

Look. Life forces us to go through changes that we don't really want to go through. From middle school to high school, people often lose contact with their old friends. From high school to college, people lose contact with even more friends. While we sometimes cut off people and sometimes get cut off, the great thing about life is that we can form new bonds. It is harsh, but in time, it gets better. All we can do is find new special someones. There is always someone waiting for us to take a step forward.
If you need to talk about it at any time, just contact me via pm or such. Even if I'm not the greatest advice giver, I'll try and listen the best I can.

[Asker]

I never knew there are mental health counsellors at colleges. I'll check. I actually was seeing a therapist in high school.

[dangerDoge]

Where I go, they have sessions for $5.

[Asker]

wow cheap! Thanks

[CaliforniaMaki]

If it's been months now and the reaction was still the same, it may be some emotional stuff which you should go and have help with.

You may have to really face and accept reality as it is. An end in one relationship doesn't mean an end to your world too, like it's all that's ever going to matter. It was good, but not a lot of things last too so be happy you had that kind of relationship and try to think of new opportunities that'll come your way that will make you a better person.

[lanternhill]

I think you should talk to a professional - it sounds like either anxiety or depression or both, possibly brought on by stress from your friendship breakup.