how bad can anxiety symptoms get ?

[worryalotk18]

hi I've recently been diagnosed with anxiety this year as I'm suffering from really bad physical symptoms,
I just want to know how bad they can get I'm really worried about them I know it sounds stupid but it makes me cry because I think these symptoms can be something worse but my doctor just keep telling it my anxiety and the physical symptoms can get really severe.

[Louna]

Honestly, anxiety can cause very bad physical symptoms.

For me personally, i have experienced the following physical symtoms due to anxiety over the years:

• heart palpitations
• chest tightness (very tight!)
• severe headaches
• severe dizziness
• swelling in arms / legs
• very loose bowel movements
• breathlessness
• pain in stomach / back / limbs (so painful to the point i cry!)
• pain in neck

And i could also name probably 100 more lol.

You fixate on one thing, you will have a symptom and then fixate even more, causing more symptoms. The brain is an incredible thing. Honestly, you are okay.
Listen to your doctor

Fixating makes physical symptoms even worse tbh!

[cattia]

Physical symptoms in my experience can make me feel much more unwell than any 'physical' illness I've experienced. I've felt like I've got the worst flu ever due ro anxiety. I've had dizziness, shaking, extreme fatigue, pins and needles, whole body aching, sweating, stomach upset and loads more over the years. The thing to try to hold on to is that however unpleasant these things are, they can't hurt you. If you read about the body's stress response and fight or flight, you will see that these symptoms are actually your body's biological way of trying to protect you when it perceives that it's under attack. What treatment has your Dr suggested? Sometimes medication can really take the edge off the physical symptoms leaving you more able to work on the underlying causes.

[Bittersweet05]

Sorry to hear health anxiety got a hold of you. I suffer too for past 5 years. They are right once you have a pain your brain dwells on it. Once you can stop analyzing your body for those aches it goes away. Read an article on that and he was right. I have to stop scanning for aches and pains. I am not on meds but found over the counter herbal stuff that helps to relax me. Hang in there. Hope you feel better.