Your at the grocery store and happen to bump into someone accidentally (or they bump into you). After excusing yourself, a light conversation begins. You introduce yourself. They introduce themselves. Basic chitchat like: "Where are you from?". "I haven't seen you around here before". "Do you come here often?". "Do you live around here?". "Oh, you have a dog too?". Just the usual small talk.
You go home thinking "what a nice person I just ran into today".
As the day progresses, you start to think about it more and more. You try to remember and analyze every detail of the event, sometimes replaying a particular detail over and over again in your mind. After awhile it starts to bother you and the "what ifs" start creeping into your mind...
What if the whole thing was staged?
What if the person was stalking me?
Why did the person ask me that particular question?
Why did they react a certain way when I said this or that?
Perhaps you even go to bed that night and dream about the person. A dark, sinister dream in which they are some secret agent spying on you or perhaps someone trying to break into your house.
You wake up in panic mode wondering if your losing your mind (which makes you panic even more!).
Perhaps something even happens that seems to legitimize your concerns (ie; a sudden phone call w/ hangup or a mysterious beep from your cell phone, a strange noise outside at night, a car you don't recognize drives through your neighborhood or even stops for a few seconds, etc). Paranoia begins to set in. You feel more and more anxious and stressed even though your rational mind knows that you are more than likely making mountains out of mole hills.
... OR ...
You have an appointment or some impending deadline where an event is to take place. It may be something that you are looking forward to or it may be something that you are dreading. At first you are able to deal with it emotionally but as the anxiety, worry and "what ifs" begin to creep in, the stress and pressure builds. Maybe you start dreaming about it, have multiple panic attacks or just constant anxiety in anticipation of the event. The more you think about it, the more you imagine the worst...even a "doomsday" scenario. It reaches a point where you begin to wonder if you are going to have a nervous breakdown or even lose your mind over it.
During the day, you start desperately trying to take steps (even small ones) to deal with the stressor so that the worries and bad dreams will go away. If it's a Doctor's appointment, perhaps you find another Doctor, postpone or even cancel your appointment - which give you a temporary sense of relief. Perhaps you write a letter to your to your Doctor explaining your fears and get your relief from that. Anything to make the event less stressful.
The first example is pure fiction (it never happened) but similar things have happened that have lead to exaggerated/excessive worry, "what ifs" and blowing things way out of proportion to the point where they would weave their way into my dreams and cause me to feel like I was truly losing it. The second example happens to me any time there is some appointment to keep (a trip to the Doctor's office, etc).
I was just wondering if this sounds like GAD and if anyone else ever experiences anything like my example above.
Any input is welcome and thanks!.