View Full Version : Really anxiety ??
Hello all newbie here.
Basically I'm a 26 yo male think I have had a anxiety disorder for over a year now .
It all started when I was organising my wedding. Basically went suit shopping started freaking out and just wanted to get home. After that I started worrying everytime I went shopping. It too watch football etc . Symptoms then were tight chest and dry sore throat
Had my wedding a for them 2 weeks felt great. Came back started new symptoms a few times a day get lightheaded and feel like I'm walking funny.
Since then I have had random spells for no reason of breathless ness. Lump in throat where I sometimes struggle to catch a breath or swallow for a few seconds. Also back pain and tight chest again and recently keep waking up every night sweating
Constantly have floaters in one eye and basically feeling rubbish. Feel the some kind of symptom every day for about the last 8 months now.
Tried 5 cbt sessions as well as reading self help books and cd's
Had ECG and blood test all came back clear. Been given some beta blockers not had any yet though.
Is this really just anxiety and stress and whys it causing it.
Sorry about the long post ricci
Hi Ricci
I have had very similar symptoms to you for 6 months although much improved now. Mine started in a restaurant and i felt like i as hot and suffocating and wanted to get home quickly. The next day i had a racing heart while shopping and had to get out of the shop.
I then started to get lightheaded and felt like i was going to pass out and wasnt quite with it. I also had racing hear during the night and woke up very hot. Any where i felt trapped like in a que, at the cinema, in a restaurant would do the same thing to me so I stopped going.
I also have floaters mainly in one eye and feel my cision is often blurred a little or very light sensitive.
I think all that you are experiencing is anxiety and it sounds crazy because you think if i didnt have these symptoms I wouldnt be anxious ?
know how you feel, take care.
Thanks for the reply. Now When I go in the shop the lightheadedness starts as well as the weak legs. I think it must be hyperventilation. As I sometimes notice I don't take many out breaths.
It's crazy a year ago had no worries enjoyed going out etc and now struggle with things I used to love.
This thing which is getting to me is the physical symptoms everyday. Just wish they would stop !!
Have you looked at Claire weekes books on self help for your nerves ?
I found they helped a lot because they took each symptom and explained why it was happening and made me realise that the symptom for e.g light headedness only went so far, so when i got it i tried to think ok I have had this before and it didnt go further than this, as much as it scared me. I think its hard, but when you truly accept that it is an anxiety symptom and you know whats causing it, like you say the hyperventialting it becomes a little easier. I think it really helps to have an explanation for what is happening.
I also went to a therapist ho to prove to me what the symptoms were, had me sit there and continually puff out like blowing up a balloon to show me how breathing bought it on. When you are feeling brave try it you first get hot then light headed, then feel sick and your heart speeds up. Was a bit scary but quite intersting.
I say all this like i'm over it, i'm not I am still off work with it, but feel slightly more normal now with the occassional blip. Being off work for 6 months and not going out has made me a bit house bound so when i do go out its all a bit much like really noisy and busy. So im trying to get back to normal with slowly doing things.
Yeah unfortunately there are no rules for how and when you get it or why, but it sounds like yours came on at quite a stressful time(getting married) and no matter how happy you are with that it brings new stresses. Everyone, even if its deep down, thinks whoaaa new responsibilities, situations and pressure with getting married. That is completely normal. It has just caused you anxiety as it is quite a final thing and i wouldnt be surprised if you got similar feelings when in places you are meant to stay for a while, like football matches, cinema etc. It's all to do with having to be somewhere (like your wedding) and the thoughts of "what if " Sorry if that is a bit deep but thats what i think could have triggered you.
I think any major life event can start off anxiety if you are pre-disposed to being affected negatively by stress.
Your symptoms are similar to mine, after a panic attack, you get a build up of Lactic Acid in your muscles, which causes the severe pain, it is because your body did not fight or flight. I find the only way to get rid of this is exercise or a back massage. I have one of those that fits onto a chair. Or a Paracetamol. The tight chest is distressing and it only makes me panic more, again perhaps, gentle exercise. I don't know why it does not go away.
Hi Ricci and :welcome:
It certainly sounds like anxiety to me. It's amazing (and terrifying) the symptoms it can cause and how ill it can make you feel. There are some good suggestions in previous posts and don't forget that your GP is there to help you so if you're not feeling any better, go back and discuss it with him/her.
Take care
Pip
Hi all thanks all for your reply's. Tonight really been struggling with feeling breathless and having a tight chest not good.
Just struggling myself to belive it's not something serious
I think if I had a day where I had no symptoms I may start to belive it !!
Hi
How about the amount of time you have had it, does that not make you think it would have to come to something by now, i try and think that about some symptoms that an illness would have got worse and come to something.
Does anything distract you from it or is it over whelming and how about at night does it wake you up ?
I do try and think that. But as its progressively got worse that's what makes me belive it is something else. Even though ECG and blood tests where fine.
I know I panic about when I'm going to certain things.
But ever day I wake up and think I'm going to have a positive day and not think about it then out of the blue a symptom comes on.
Just wish there was a let up for a few days. Then I could belive it
Yeah I know what you mean, I always get frustrated about it just appearing when you are relaxing or not thinking about it. But apparently that is very common as your memory for certain situations can auttomatically trigger it without you even being aware of a thought or a connection.
I think you do know it is anxiety but because it gets you down it messes up how you think and you dwell on it. You know that if it was something else it would be there all the time not go off for a little bit and also it wouldnt get worse when you thought about going out to something. That surely is a sign of anxiety that it worsens when you think about it happening at an event.
You say it is getting worse, but is it actually worsening or are the symptoms just changing over time ? and when you say getting worse do you mean just that you still have it.
I know i get worried by still having it and think its worse but actually the first symptom i had hasnt gradually increased and increased or i would be very sick by now.
not sure if any of this helps lol
But ever day I wake up and think I'm going to have a positive day and not think about it then out of the blue a symptom comes on.
We have all been there, wake up in the morning hoping today will be the day you start to feel better. Then the old feelings start to niggle in the back of your mind. Trying not to think about it but it just won't go away. And wham, the realisation that it is all still there, maybe even worse than yesterday, and you feel more down in the dumps than ever.
As suggested above, get yourself a copy of a book by Dr Claire Weekes. You might find a copy in your local library or try Amazon or ebay. You need to accept that you are suffering from anxiety before you can move forward and that is so hard to do.
The panic and anxiety symptoms are so strong that it feels that there has to be a cause not yet diagnosed. But what goes on in the brain affects you physically too. The anxiety makes you tense your muscles without you even realising the extent you are doing it because that is how you become used to feeling. The tense muscles then ache and give you pain, then you become worried about the pains so you become more tense, and so it goes on. It is a big circle that just goes round and round.
Find a way that works for you that helps you to relax. Physical exercise is good because it will help release the build up of tension in your muscles and it is well known about the positive effect exercise has on the brain. Walking will be fine if you aren't a sporty person. Ask you partner if they would come along too so that you could spend the time together and have fun if that would help.
Then get yourself a relaxation CD. This works by getting you to tense groups of muscles at a time so that you get to recognise the difference between tension and relaxation. You may well feel daft to start with and find it hard to both fit it into your daily scedule and to relax but it could be beneficial to you.
Try to give yourself 'me' time during the week. Whether it's quietly sitting reading, listening to music, going swimming, do something just for you.
Have you talked to your partner about this? Don't hide it, what you are going through is nothing to be ashamed of.
If you need to talk it through with someone NoPanic has a helpline you can call for an informal chat. It is completely annonymous so you can talk openly. Often saying the thoughts that go round our heads out loud can release some of the tension that builds up. Speaking to someone who understands, as they have themselves been through a similar thing, can help enormously.
I don't know weather it's getting worse. Or that I am just thinking about it more and everyday.
I try really hard to not think about it then bam.
Also have noticed a lot of the lightheadedness starts after my t and lunch breaks. When been sitting down for a bit. Weather I have trained my brain in to causing this. As I know that was the first time it started ?!
Anxiety can do some horrible things to your body, i have had everything you describe plus more. It really is difficult to believe that is anxiety, i'm still trying to believe it myself 10 years on. I too feel rubbish most days and feel very uncomfortable if i have to go out to the shops etc. I also had being stuck in traffic too all the "what if's" start creeping in. It will take time, but you are on the right track.
Hi it does sound like it is your memory doing it too you doesnt it with the lunch breaks. It's like your memort says oh last time i had a lunch break i was scared, must be something to be scared of now without you even thinking.
It sounds like you are managing to work though which is really good, i didnt manage to carry on.
As the person above said does your partner know ? as that will make it much harder if you arent talking about it ?
Hello again thanks all for your reply. I am going to try more physical exercise. I used to play football 90 minuets two times a week. So quiet a sporty person but anxiety is even putting me off this because of tight chest and the light headed ness.
Today for instants got a real tight left side of chest. And don't know why this then gets me googling thinking is this going to lead to a heart attack. Ahh
Thanks all again for the help. Got Claire weekes book self help for nerves. Also got her cd and been trying the tightening and loosing of muscles groups once a day. Any more tips ?!
Cheers ricci
Hi there sorry if this comes up twice but it vanished first time..
When i was seeing a therapist she insisted i sat with her and looked at a list of symptoms for a condition i was worrying about to discover my vague symptoms didnt acually fit at all. If i had, had the condition the symptoms wouldnt come and go and they would worsen so much more dramatically.What you think constitutes a particular illness or condition rarely does. We litterally just home in on a part of the body and imagine what we feel is how an illness in that area would feel. But it's often not like that at all.
It is a good idea to keep up your fitness even if you do have some weak spells. Maybe try and go along and think ok if i am taken that unwell at football then someone else will notice, someone will be concerned by what they see and may even call an ambulance (quite unlikely you will need one) but then something will be done about it. I know that sounds scary but what you're living with right now isnt much fun is it ? and if you do that and think sod it lets go for it, it may not actually happen as you have kind of accepted the worse. That could be the making of you as if it goes okay, it will give you confidence.
One thing i did hear about from my therapist was a technique where a person submerges there face in freezing cold water, maybe even with ice when they feel symptoms come on. This apparently gives the body something to react to when the adrenalin has been released and calms it down.
Try and keep in mind that in all the times you have suffered these attacks they have had a limit havent they, it has passed as horrible as it is. I decided to think "ok its been this bad before, it wont get any worse, I survived it last time and i will again". That was after many months of freaking out, going rigid when i felt it come on, running outside to feel normal, ringing ten people on the phone with no one replying and sitting and crying I must say lol
The one thing i was always told was dont fight it when you feel it coming, go with it relax your shoulders and breath slowly yu cant panic and relax at the same time( easier said than done )
Not sure if any of that made sense x
I agree with what your saying.
When feeling positive every day how long does it take for your body to go back to a good state. Eg no physical symptoms etc ?!
Really trying to be positive today.
Ignoring the feeling breathless etc !!
Anyone got any good tips ?!
I think everyones different. I started in october was absolutely hopeless until january, then very slow improvements. Still off work and not completely right. I think it takes some time and lots of doing things again you havent been able to do and learning that you were ok so gaining confidence. But you are younger and fitter so it could be quicker. hope all is still well x
Yeah trying to get there. Keep getting spells of breathlessness and tight chest. Had a wedding yesterday which was a struggle. Had weak leg feeling a lot of the time. , hope everyone else is good !!
Hi that week leg feeling is just your over breathing, its horrible though. I have had that quite a lot and hate it. I also get that when my blood sugar goes low so carry some sweets.
You have done well though to carry on and go to a wedding, a lot of people couldnt do that with anxiety.
Keep it up you will get there :)
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.