Anxiety without the thoughts?!?!?

[saintanselm]

Hello All,

New to this forum but not to anxiety. Just have a quick question for anyone kind enough to answer.

I have quite severe GAD, have had it for five or so years. The good news is that its getting treated. I'm on mild anti-d's and soon doing a course of CBT. I was just wondering if any of you suffered/ suffer in the same as me. I often wake up feeling anxious, before a thought has hit my head. Its the same sometimes during the day, I just have the FEELING of anxiety. Sometimes it leads to anxious thoughts, did I piss so and so off, did I leave the oven on at home, stupid things like that which I know are irrational but I still think them. Other times I just FEEL anxious but my head has NOTHING to feel anxious about. Today I went for a six mile country walk on my own in beautiful countryside but I couldn't shake that anxious feeling off so it sort of ruined the walk. Some people seem to think that anxious thoughts lead to anxious feelings. I have anxious feelings before I have anxious thoughts. I can't get my head round this. Is it common?

Thanks, in advance

Marc

[BobbyDog]

I have had GAD for 18 years.
I am anxious for most of the day and night, this is not accompanied with negative thoughts and ruminations.

I did have a period of about 6 months where my thoughts were obsessive, but for the time being I am getting away with not having them.

I have Panic Disorder and have the feeling that I can't breathe, which brings on the hyperventilating, still I do not have the negative thoughts, I react to physical sensations most of the time.

So I think that perhaps it is common.

[joy]

Sounds like me I find it hard to explainto the medics that the panic wakes me up not the other way round and just feel anxious but not about anything. Anyone got anyidea how to explain it so it sort of makes sense

Joy

[Dizzydoll]

yep thats me i have the feeling then this causes the thoughts x

[saintanselm]

My psychotherapist explained it this way, which may help as it sort of helped me.

Imagine a dial 0 to 10.

0 = Serenity ( you probably have to be a budhist!)
10 = Full blown panic attact

Most people in life, with work, family, money problems, hover around the 4 to 7 mark. That's normal healthy anxiety.

In my case I was in two very serious near death experiences and had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder twice. What this resulted it was that my anxiety level were in the 8 to 10 mark for such a long period of time that the needle got stuck. Does that make sense? It sort of does to me. That's why I need medication, which sometimes brings in down to a 6, say if I take a valium, but I'm undertaking a course of CBT which apparently is the best way of getting that needle down for the long run!