What if im having severe menstrual pain and irregular periods but the thought of having a pelvic exam gives me an overwhelming amount of anxiety and panic (so much so that im not sure i can endure it and im tempted to just deal with the symptoms)?

Stress (emotional, school. work) can delay ovulation which causes "irregular" periods. Ask your GYN physician about low dose oral bcp's, which stop ovarian estrogen, and will alleviate the menstrual cramping. Your physician may choose to provide a mild sedative medication to modify the anxiety of a pelvic exam.

If you can find a gynecology office willing to work with you, you should be able to start with a checkup without doing a pelvic and at least discuss your issues and concerns about it. No office should insist on an exam that may be traumatizing (unfortunately, that has happened), and there may be alternative studies that are appropriate to your situation. Just don't let yourself be bullied!