Can anxiety really make you feel this ill? please help

[Bonnibelle]

For the last week or so I've felt very off balance like the ground is moving. I feel very off balance. It's been terrifying me to the point I'm now way too scared to walk a around.

My gp called me today after my hubby rang him to tell him how scared I was and bless him he came to my house. I was scared stiff but he said its ok I will be there if you have a panic attack and help you. When he arrived u told him how scared I was about this off balance feeling. He did a full examination. He checked my temp, BP, eyes, ears, muscle tests and balance tests. He told me physically I am fine and it's not anything serious or an inner ear infection. He listed to how much stress I have been under. My daughters been ill in hospital and my son told us a month ago he had suicidal thoughts. I have no support and I've been juggling it all. He diagnosed me with stress and anxiety. He said anxiety when acute like this can cause dizziness and an unbalanced feeling. He asked why my mother doesn't support me and I told him I had no idea, I have no support and my husband has to work.

I have never experienced this and I'm terrified. Even though he's done a full check up I am still so scared. He told me to rest but also keep moving round slowly to build my confidence again. I picked my son up from school then my daughter, made their dinner and then I remembered my son had gymnastics so I had to go out in the car again. The floor felt it was moving and I panicked I'd fall to the ground. I was terrified. I just took my kids to school this morning and when I got home I felt like the ground was moving under me, my legs feel like lead but weak, I feel just generally ill and very very afraid. I am sat sobbing. I keep waking up praying it has gone but only to feel it just as bad I am adding fear to it I know but I can't help it, I am so scared it's a brain tumour or something serious.

I'm home now and sat sobbing. Has anyone experienced this with anxiety? I haven't and I am so scared. Can anxiety really make you feel this ill? I haven't ever felt so ill and afraid and I have anxiety a few years now.
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[GingerFish]

Anxiety can make you feel like you are having something life threatening like a heart attack or a stroke so of course it can cause things like severe dizziness! Its horrible. I've noticed when I am at my worst stress/anxiety wise, my dizziness gets worse but I suffer from vertigo to begin with so I'm used to it now but it still gets me down and has me sobbing too.

The main thing is you have been checked out by your GP and been given a clean bill of physical health. I know at the moment, you have little to no comfort from that as your anxiety is sky high and we sufferers tend to listen to the anxiety over the doctors but I promise your anxiety will settle, it will take time and acceptance but it will. You have been through a lot lately, anyone would be in an extreme anxiety state if they had been what you have been through so don't make yourself feel any worse by beating yourself up over how you feel. You should be proud of yourself for managing out, you still made it despite the dizziness and your fear! I know you wont see that as an achievement just yet but it really is. The more you do that, the easier it will get and your confidence will build, just like the doctor said.

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you so much for replying to me, I appreciate it. I am sat crying and so afraid.

I am so scared. I have anxiety years but never have I felt like this. I feel afraid that I am seriously ill. My GP said my BP was perfect and my eyes looked normal so there is nothing serious going on in the brain at all. Why can't I believe that's enough to be sure

I have had an awful stressful time. I have no family, my own mother won't support me and I rarely see her. My son has been bullied and crippled with panic attacks, that's been so hard to see and cope with. CAMHS won't help and have said I am best equipped to help him having suffered myself. My daughter has been ill weeks and ended up in hospital for 2 nights. It's been so tough and I have been feeling nothing but stress. I have had noone to turn to, only my husband but he can't take any time off.

I am struggling going out to do the school run but I know it's my fear of walking round doing that I have noticed when I know I have to go out the ground moves more than usual.

I feel ill, exhausted, foggy head and foggy vision, weakness in my legs and they feel heavy at the same time, floor moving, unsteady and giddy. Terrified I will faint or end up in hospital. Everytime I have to walk around I feel sick and flood myself with more fear. It's because I have never ever felt this bad before so I am scared stiff. Which I know will create more adrenaline

Thanks again. I appreciate your kind reply.

B

[MyNameIsTerry]

The fact you can feel it get worse when you are due to approach something that you know will cause you anxiety or panic is a good sign it's anxiety or panic related. That are your GP checking you out and coming to that conclusion.

You have had a very rough time lately Bon and with an active anxiety disorder in play the result is most likely going to be an episode like this. On top of the actual events you have been kicking yourself (and no doubt overthinking) about why you couldn't have prevented them or done more, all natural thoughts of a devoted mother on top of a disorder that thrives on doubt and negative bias.

You need a llittle time to get yourself back to a more normal state.

Right now you are probably looking at it all as one big problem to deal with and this is part of the trap in anxiety disorders. Break things down, look at them in logical steps towards a goal rather than look at the end product. It's just overwhelming otherwise.

For instance, CAMHS have been as much use as a chocolate fireguard but they are not the only people that help children with anxiety. There may be help you can get from charities. A charity in my area runs specific courses for young people as they realise their needs & pressures are different to adults. Your husband could help you look to see if there is anything else you can access or your GP might have an idea of the local services.

Thats just one example of trying to step away from the overall problem that currently feels like CAMHS have pushed you into a deadend. It might not be the case.



At my worst I was afraid on a settee in front of the TV most of the day. I was afraid to shave or have a shower as it just pushed up my anxiety. So, yes, anxiety can be very powerful but it doesn't stay like this and things gets better.

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you so much Terry

I have been so upset. I keep shaking everytime I walk around because I feel so off balance it reminds me how bad I feel and I keep wishing it would go away and stop I worry my GP has just put this down to anxiety because I have anxiety and what if he has missed a tumour.

It does feel worse I guess when I stand up because I dread feeling it because it floods my body with more adrenaline. How can I stop this? I am fueling it making myself feel much worse.

I just keep wishing it would stop and crying my eyes out because I am struggling to clean my house, cook, take my kids to school

Yes I beat myself up terribly last week I couldn't stay in hospital with my daughter. Beat myself up I took my son to school and left him having a panic attack. I feel terrible :-( I had dizziness before that but it got worse once my daughter was in hospital and hubby wasn't home with me

I just went to make a drink. My legs are like lead and shaking, I wonder if that causes this unsteady feeling on the ground?

The blurry left eye is panicking me. I had an eye test in July and needed new glasses but only to wear them when watching tv or computer work. I have been wearing them constant for a few weeks and I shouldn't have really, I am wondering if that's adding to this. My GP told me to stop wearing them for a while. Me being me I am scared the blurry left eye isn't to do with my stigmastism in it, and it's infact a brain tumour and that's why ia m off balance and like this.

I've never felt this way before and I am so afraid.I keep panicking I will collapse and end up in hospital. My husband said it was only your legs and ground moving last week, now you think your eyes are blurry and head off balance. He thinks it's all anxiety too. Urgh it doesn't feel like it to me with my head and eyes like this.

Yes I am looking into some charities to help my son. Thank you Terry

Thanks for your kind reply.

B

The fact you can feel it get worse when you are due to approach something that you know will cause you anxiety or panic is a good sign it's anxiety or panic related. That are your GP checking you out and coming to that conclusion.

You have had a very rough time lately Bon and with an active anxiety disorder in play the result is most likely going to be an episode like this. On top of the actual events you have been kicking yourself (and no doubt overthinking) about why you couldn't have prevented them or done more, all natural thoughts of a devoted mother on top of a disorder that thrives on doubt and negative bias.

You need a llittle time to get yourself back to a more normal state.

Right now you are probably looking at it all as one big problem to deal with and this is part of the trap in anxiety disorders. Break things down, look at them in logical steps towards a goal rather than look at the end product. It's just overwhelming otherwise.

For instance, CAMHS have been as much use as a chocolate fireguard but they are not the only people that help children with anxiety. There may be help you can get from charities. A charity in my area runs specific courses for young people as they realise their needs & pressures are different to adults. Your husband could help you look to see if there is anything else you can access or your GP might have an idea of the local services.

Thats just one example of trying to step away from the overall problem that currently feels like CAMHS have pushed you into a deadend. It might not be the case.



At my worst I was afraid on a settee in front of the TV most of the day. I was afraid to shave or have a shower as it just pushed up my anxiety. So, yes, anxiety can be very powerful but it doesn't stay like this and things gets better.

[MyNameIsTerry]

If you've ever done a really hard session on your legs in the gym and felt the lactic acid build up, you will know how it can make you feel unsteady like you have no strength in your legs and they feel like lead.

It's hard when the symptoms flare up like this. What we can is try to self talk in a positive way aimed at accepting that it is anxiety (you are fighting this so it can be even harder) and it can ease our symptoms. It's hard to do it, but it can help reduce their intensity so it's worth a try. Otherwise distractions can be helpful, something that completely takes your focus away from those physical feelings. I have found staring distractions helped me when I was really bad and couldn't eat without panicking as well as it getting me through having a shattered wisdom tooth out. I have found that doing something that means staring for several minutes and very intently means I have no ability to keep feeling the other things. I don't use it now as I don't need it but back then it did help bring the anxiety down a bit or give me a very brief break in my thinking which helped me to try to stop myself going back into that cycle.

[Bonnibelle]

Thanks Terry. I appreciate it.

I really need to trust what my GP said I relax when I have to walk around and when I go to do the school run. I just feel so much dread and panic when ever I have to stand up and walk around.

I do need to find a distraction because all I am doing all day is filling my body with more fear and panicking. I cry all day sat alone.

Urgh this is the hardest thing I have been through and I have had bad anxiety before.

B

[debs71]

Hi Bonnibelle,

Sorry that you are feeling so rough right now.

When we feel like this, it is very, very hard to believe it is really anxiety, as the physical stuff is so intense that we just can't fathom how it is purely anxiety driving it....I have been there many times myself and I am sure other members have too.

I had a breakdown in 2003, and at my worst mental state I had very similar symtoms to yours. My legs felt both heavy and like jelly, I felt nauseous and dizzy when active, and every step I made when eventually dragging myself out of my bed felt like I was running a marathon. I was spontaneously bursting out crying every 5 mimutes. It was horrendous, so I really do sympathise greatly with you.

First things first here. The most important thing is that your kindly-sounding doctor has checked you out physically and is sure nothing physical is going on, which is a good thing. I have to say that reading everything you have been having to deal with - which would be difficult even for someone without anxiety - I am totally sure that this is very high anxiety symptoms creating havoc for you.

I know how frightening this is. You feel like it will never end and you will be left this way, but trust me and others when we say you really will not, and this will pass. The trouble with the horrible things you are feeling now, is that when we are so anxious as that, each symptom- especially the dizziness - is so frightening that it drives the anxiety higher, so you end up in a sort of vicious cycle, and breaking that vicious cycle is the key here.

I know it sounds easier said than done but maintaining as much of a 'normal routine' is very helpful here when all of these anxiety effects are bombarding you. It does sound like you have already been doing brilliantly, by taking your kids to school and getting about. That is excellent in itself. Please try if you can to keep doing that as with time, your mind and body will start to level things out. I know this sounds stupid and impossible, but it honestly does help.

Distraction is also key with anxiety. Anything that diverts the mind from how rough you are feeling is good, be it watching a DVD, playing a game online, the housework (even though you feel awful doing it) All go a long way to squashing the anxiety down, as the mind cannot focuson two things at once, so the anxiety diminishes.

The basic way to tackle these scary effects of high anxiety is to pull the rug from under them and take away their power. Being bloody-minded thought wise also helps a lot - things like, 'this is just anxiety making me feel this way' and 'this is going to pass'. Positive thinking goes a long way.

I know these things sound impossible for you at the moment as the anxiety is so overwhelming, but they really are possible. I have a sort of mini-version of your symptoms right now, after a relapse of my depression and GAD. Every morning I feel low, so tired and when standing, feel so nauseous and shaky that I have to get to the nearest chair, and it sucks big time, but I tell myself that I have been here before and it is flaming anxiety once again, and that does help, so I totally know how you feel, hon.

I am so sorry for your family's horrible time right now. As Terry said, I would definitely look to some mental health organistaions and charities for children/young people for your poor son. There are some great ones out there, such as youngminds.org.uk. They have a parent hotline number which is 0808 802 5544. Another great source of help is MIND. I can vouch for them myself. I had 18 weeks of one-to-one counselling with them in 2004, and they heped me enormously.

Here is a link for some info:http://www.mind.org.uk/information-s...-young-people/

Don't let the git that is anxiety beat you.....things will get better.xxx

[Bonnibelle]

Thank you so much, I burst into tears reading your kind reply.

I am terrified I have had a breakdown and it fuels my fear I will end up sectioned and taken from my family

I am fueling the symptoms with more fear and I can't seem to help it. I have never felt this bad before. I have had very bad anxiety before but it's not usually physical like this so I am finding it hard to accept it.

I just went downstairs to make my lunch. My legs were sooooo heavy and weak, shaking inside walking down the stairs. Then once on the floor it was moving and I felt unsteady and scared. I burst into tears which like you say I also keep doing every 5 minutes. I put the washing in the machine and made my lunch then came back upstairs. I even found that difficult.

I am finding this so hard, I have 3 kids and i am worried sick I won't get over this myself

I am too scared to walk around, cooking their tea is so hard, picking them up is hard. I wish I could cope with this better I really do. I am adding so much fear to it because my left eye is a bit blurry I am panicking it's a brain tumour. Urgh I am adding so much fear to this.

Deep down I do feel all the stress has done this to me. I had a similar experience 3 years ago after my anxiety started and I had a very stressful few months. I was in bed feeling so ill I couldn't walk round. I ma trying to think how did I get myself out of it then.

Worrying I am having a breakdown just makes it worse.

Thank you I shall look at that link for my son. Much appreciated.

Thank you for your kind words. I have been sat crying not knowing where to turn.

Bon x

Hi Bonnibelle,

Sorry that you are feeling so rough right now.

When we feel like this, it is very, very hard to believe it is really anxiety, as the physical stuff is so intense that we just can't fathom how it is purely anxiety driving it....I have been there many times myself and I am sure other members have too.

I had a breakdown in 2003, and at my worst mental state I had very similar symtoms to yours. My legs felt both heavy and like jelly, I felt nauseous and dizzy when active, and every step I made when eventually dragging myself out of my bed felt like I was running a marathon. I was spontaneously bursting out crying every 5 mimutes. It was horrendous, so I really do sympathise greatly with you.

First things first here. The most important thing is that your kindly-sounding doctor has checked you out physically and is sure nothing physical is going on, which is a good thing. I have to say that reading everything you have been having to deal with - which would be difficult even for someone without anxiety - I am totally sure that this is very high anxiety symptoms creating havoc for you.

I know how frightening this is. You feel like it will never end and you will be left this way, but trust me and others when we say you really will not, and this will pass. The trouble with the horrible things you are feeling now, is that when we are so anxious as that, each symptom- especially the dizziness - is so frightening that it drives the anxiety higher, so you end up in a sort of vicious cycle, and breaking that vicious cycle is the key here.

I know it sounds easier said than done but maintaining as much of a 'normal routine' is very helpful here when all of these anxiety effects are bombarding you. It does sound like you have already been doing brilliantly, by taking your kids to school and getting about. That is excellent in itself. Please try if you can to keep doing that as with time, your mind and body will start to level things out. I know this sounds stupid and impossible, but it honestly does help.

Distraction is also key with anxiety. Anything that diverts the mind from how rough you are feeling is good, be it watching a DVD, playing a game online, the housework (even though you feel awful doing it) All go a long way to squashing the anxiety down, as the mind cannot focuson two things at once, so the anxiety diminishes.

The basic way to tackle these scary effects of high anxiety is to pull the rug from under them and take away their power. Being bloody-minded thought wise also helps a lot - things like, 'this is just anxiety making me feel this way' and 'this is going to pass'. Positive thinking goes a long way.

I know these things sound impossible for you at the moment as the anxiety is so overwhelming, but they really are possible. I have a sort of mini-version of your symptoms right now, after a relapse of my depression and GAD. Every morning I feel low, so tired and when standing, feel so nauseous and shaky that I have to get to the nearest chair, and it sucks big time, but I tell myself that I have been here before and it is flaming anxiety once again, and that does help, so I totally know how you feel, hon.

I am so sorry for your family's horrible time right now. As Terry said, I would definitely look to some mental health organistaions and charities for children/young people for your poor son. There are some great ones out there, such as youngminds.org.uk. They have a parent hotline number which is 0808 802 5544. Another great source of help is MIND. I can vouch for them myself. I had 18 weeks of one-to-one counselling with them in 2004, and they heped me enormously.

Here is a link for some info:http://www.mind.org.uk/information-s...-young-people/

Don't let the git that is anxiety beat you.....things will get better.xxx

[debs71]

You are very, very welcome Bonnibelle.

As far as being sectioned, try if you can not to think that way, or so ahead of youself. Anticipating what may happen is so easy for us to do as anxiety sufferers, as we worry constantly about everything, but try if you can just to focus on the here and now, not what might or probably won't happen. Being sectioned is a massive thing, has strict criteria attached to it, and is the last thing anyone wants to do, and is only ever done when all other options have failed. I don't feel that is the case for you, hun.

I do feel that you need support right now. Is there any way that your doc would/could refer you for some therapeutic help? I get the impression that you have so many things that are getting on top of your right now, and are perhaps contributing to and exacerbating your anxiety, and I really feel that perhaps a talking-type therapy may be very helpful to you, however the edge needs to be taken of of your very high anxiety symptoms first, as clearly you are struugling horrendously with just getting up and around, although I still think you are doing a sterling job of trying to carry on, by getting the kids sorted and off to school, etc.

Are you takng any anxiety medication right now? I only ask as they do take the edge of the most problematic physical and mental symptoms, and then the causes and triggers can begin to be addressed through coping techniques and therapy.

Regardless, please know that you are not alone in this and there are many of us who have been there, are still there ourselves, and that you can always talk to here.xxx