Increase in Anxiety Levels

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I have noticed that recently I have been having a very, very difficult time controlling what I've decided, for lack of a better term, is anxiety. I have multiple urges every day to just ignore the world because it is moving too fast and I feel out of control, so I don't do things I am "supposed" to do and instead do what I love to do---but then I am accosted with feelings of anxiety because I know my schoolwork is failing and I am failing once again because I can't control what happens, and my reaction to change is to stop everything and retreat, which in turn is making everything else spin out of control faster, like a never-ending, self-perpetuating cycle of stress.

I didn't go to school today. I haven't gone to school, really, for almost three weeks. I go to one class or another class, but not all the classes. I get stressed after one class and go to the library to read instead of attending the other class, or I go home early instead of attending my last class. I have already failed one class, and I missed a test today because I all I wanted to do was read my book and not worry about school and lectures and tests and homework and classmates and bus rides and all the crap associated with school. And then my holier-than-thou sister comes home and is all "well, look who didn't go to school today," which, of course, caused me to get very angry, which led to a spike in emotion that caused me to just lock myself in my room and rhythmically bang my forehead against the wall while tapping my fingers.

I don't know what is causing this sudden change in behavior, but I was wondering if anyone else has "episodes" like this, and if so, what they do to ease them. And it really is sudden, really. I haven't felt this anxious in a very long time.

I do that a lot, but I have been trying to remain calm and not act hyper.

Welcome to my world. Perhaps my story will help you in some way. I have a long history with anxiety. It first popped up when I was about 20, the second time I went sailing (the first time I went sailing we capsized and were rescued by the Coast Guard). I had a panic attack on the sailboat, then started having panic attacks in grocery stores, trains, planes, and then it morphed into agoraphobia (fear of anywhere besides my house). This was more than 20 years ago so I didn't have the internet, didn't go see a psychiatrist. Got books out of the library, learned about anxiety and panic attacks, did some self-hypnosis, stopped drinking coffee, did relaxation exercises and forced myself slowly to readapt to the world. It worked for a short time.

It started again a few years later, that time I went to my doctor and he put me on Xanax. I hated it so I stopped taking it. I have had anxiety off and on for over 20 years, and now it's almost constant. But I'm at a really bad place in my life at the moment. My hope is that when things get settled, my anxiety will lessen.

Two medications have worked for me. One is elavil, which is a tricyclic antidepressant that also helps some people with anxiety. Temple Grandin says a tricyclic is the reason she's doing as well as she is.
The other is klonopin, which is a benzodiazepene that takes away the anxiety. I've been on it for 5 years. I think I would not be here today if it weren't for these medications.

I used to do yoga but I got injured two years ago and can't do that

Good luck.