Why am I always feeling I going mad or dying?

[phil06]

It seems to be my most common symptom with any sensation is I feel I am dying..or going mad. Lately I have been feeling I am going mad and I feel I act all funny..worry my personality changes as it does have some effect on my mood.

Surely it gets better as I have had anxiety for years?

Plus my panics are quite bad at the moment, my chest feels heavy, sunk, breathing goes funny, feel on another planet like a wave..and adrenaline makes me feel I am dying..never anxiety always these feelings of dying.

[ladybird64]

Phil, a genuine question..are you doing any kind of therapy?

I honestly can't remember although I have read a ton of your posts, I seem to recall you were on medication at some point.

Again, as we have discussed with someone else recently, you are posting and posting about issues that are ongoing for you and despite everyones best efforts, you are still following the Google habit.

You have had lots of good advice here about lifestyle changes, diet , exercise, yadda yadda..have you actually followed up on this advice hun?
And I don't mean doing it half-heartedly a couple of times and then stopping.

I'm sure that this must be miserable for you and I would have thought that you would be planning some action to start feeling better.

My opinion for what it's worth is that you need to be doing something to challenge this thinking that is keeping you in the same place, asking questions, seeking pointless reassurance, Googling...I honestly think that you now need to go back to the GP and ask for a referral for CBT and possibly counselling.

You have had anxiety for years and it's a miserable existance. That should tell you that you need to make some changes if you genuinely want to be rid of it, long-term changes.

It is a scary thing to do as the easiest option is to keep asking for reassurance but these are things you have asked before many times and you already know the answers.

How about taking the leap of faith and going to the docs re therapy?
As well as meds if that's what it takes, whatever makes you feel better about yourself is the way to go.

Gonna make an appt?

[Electric_Worry]

If it's any consolation, I've been feeling the same way since my first real panic attack several weeks ago. In a relatively short space of time I've encountered a number of frightening mental and physical symptoms that on occasion have convinced me something is seriously wrong. I'm talking about things from intrusive thoughts to not being able to breathe to thinking I'm having a stroke or a heart attack and a million of little things inbetween. Even today I started getting terrible chest pains on my left side and due to not being in the best shape (even though I'm in my 20s, don't smoke and rarely drink), I thought it had to be heart disease. I called the local doctors and thankfully had a nurse put things into perspective on the phone.

It's embarrassing, but it happens, and although it sometimes feels difficult to accept, the majority of my problems (and yours, too) are purely down to anxiety.

The fact is, some people are able to overcome anxiety in an instant, whilst others take years and years to overcome it. You need to understand that for most people there is no quick fix and your anxiety problem will become a journey that you deal with over time. I'm not entirely sure what you are doing to try and cope with your anxiety, however there are a number of different options and avenues that can help, e.g. medication, therapy, a change in diet, exercise and so on.

I am also having problems with my own anxiety and seem to find new problems from day-to-day. I haven't given up hope, so I press on. It really isn't easy, but I can genuinely relate to you, as can countless other people on this site. You can often feel very isolated, thinking you're the only one to be suffering in such a way, however such a thought could not be further from the truth.

Ladybird64 has some sound advice. Try not to dismiss it.

[phil06]

Phil, a genuine question..are you doing any kind of therapy?

I had therapy a few years back it got that bad I considered therapy again this year but there's a large waiting list or go private. That's when I looked at CBT books and relaxation. The reason I held off as I feel I have a little more control over it than feeling desperate as much.

Therapy would be a short term fix probably as my anxiety would reoccur and I don't fancy getting therapy every year.

To be honest understanding has helped me a bit there was a particular thread on here that gave me a push to go out this weekend here it is: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61323 so I think understanding is maybe an easier cure than google a symptom. Maybe that post will help a few others too.

[ladybird64]

First off, Im glad you have found a thread that helps you. Bill is a great guy and continues to be a massive help for many people here.

Now the naggy part.

I sense a bit of a cop-out Phil. You are only..21 is it and you are saying that you had therapy a few years back? That would have made you a teenager with rampaging hormones and things have probably changed since then.

You seem to be looking for reasons (maybe subconsciously) to avoid taking any kind of long term action against your anxiety by more or less saying you are not feeling desperate enough..that doesn't make sense my friend.

You also state with certainty that therapy would be a quick fix and the anxiety will return-how do you know if you don't at least try?
Yes there are waiting lists but Phil mate..again, that doesn't really make sense.

What you are doing now, is it dealing with your anxiety? Surely the quickest fix of all with guaranteed rebound effect is to post here for reassurance, get it and then post again soon after?

You have looked at CBT books and relaxation-do you put them into practice regularly or have the books been relegated to the bookshelf?

I can't make you do anything you don't wish to, nor would I want to. But what i would say is if you are really serious about wanting to feel better, you will take a long look at what you have done so far and ask yourself if you have really given it a chance to work or have given up as it's seems too difficult.

[phil06]

First off, Im glad you have found a thread that helps you. Bill is a great guy and continues to be a massive help for many people here.

Now the naggy part.

I sense a bit of a cop-out Phil. You are only..21 is it and you are saying that you had therapy a few years back? That would have made you a teenager with rampaging hormones and things have probably changed since then.

You seem to be looking for reasons (maybe subconsciously) to avoid taking any kind of long term action against your anxiety by more or less saying you are not feeling desperate enough..that doesn't make sense my friend.

You also state with certainty that therapy would be a quick fix and the anxiety will return-how do you know if you don't at least try?
Yes there are waiting lists but Phil mate..again, that doesn't really make sense.

What you are doing now, is it dealing with your anxiety? Surely the quickest fix of all with guaranteed rebound effect is to post here for reassurance, get it and then post again soon after?

You have looked at CBT books and relaxation-do you put them into practice regularly or have the books been relegated to the bookshelf?

I can't make you do anything you don't wish to, nor would I want to. But what i would say is if you are really serious about wanting to feel better, you will take a long look at what you have done so far and ask yourself if you have really given it a chance to work or have given up as it's seems too difficult.

Well today for example I have been moody, had racing horrible thoughts which makes me think I'm ready for going mad so that's hard to deal with. No the doctors are reluctant to offer therapy I don't think they like referrals maybe as they feel there's self help ways I don't know.

I just feel I know alot of the symptoms the therapy techniques but don't have too much motivation to make change. Even if I do, it can return and set me back to worrying and when I overly worry all what you learn seems irrelevant.

Basically this year I've just felt a bit crap about life, growing up, changes and so on plus there's been anxiety making it worse. There's always a pressure to find your path at my age some take longer than others. I guess coping would be good right now as I rarely feel myself due to the racing thoughts, the panic. More so this year rather than thinking about it for 2 hours solid it's been all day. So when the year ends I will have learned that anxiety can affect you for 24 hours per day and not just a few. Maybe last year I never knew that.

So it's about finding the right track for me..I just feel a bit off from all this anxiety, the usual fears like I'll never feel myself again..Maybe I need a good list of what works when I feel bad.

So my question is..is it normal to not feel yourself? thoughts seeming foreign, too stressed to do anything relaxing, head pressure/pain, not feeling yourself for months from anxiety? Does it eventually go away? And sometimes if I don't ask for reassurance I feel I am dying or going mad.

[phil06]

I'm fed up of yet another day I don't feel normal..

Symptoms:

Headache, pressure, squeezing, throbbing veins.
Everything feels strange.

What's annoying as I can't concentrate on say watching TV as I feel so funny so on goes the chilled out music..this is the battle I have. Lately this symptom makes me think my brains not working so I get chilled music on.

Right now I feel so rubbish about the way I feel I can't see a time when I will feel chilled, relaxed, normal and enjoying surroundings..all my feelings are inner. I feel I don't know my own mind...it's a sake of symptom > uncomfortable feeling > dying or going mad. Like when I go out I feel I don't enjoy things the same anymore why is this? Will the enjoyment return? I can't give answers about going out as I sit in worrying how I feel..right now I feel I am going mad as I have been moody today and my head is tense.

The longer it goes on the more I question is it really just anxiety? How can such a silly thing make you feel so disconnected with every day life?