I don't even know if this is anxiety, would love some other opinions

[MrsPotatoHead]

I've got a really strange thing happening. All of my anxiety manifests in a purely physical way. For example, my brain is not actually caught up in any sort of anxious thinking, if anything my thoughts are just your normal sort of thoughts. But my body is a whole different thing. Right now my anxiety is the worst its ever been, my heart is pounding and my stomach is in knots. And worse that its there from when I wake up to when I go to sleep. All day. Every day. And its been weeks now. I don't want to eat anything and get constant nausea. All I know is I feel this intense fear, but not in my mind? What is that? Is that even anxiety?

I've tried all sorts of things to deal with it, meditation, CBT, acceptance but it just does not go away. The only thing that stops it is alcohol. And yeah, I know its a very dangerous thing to drink to deal with anxiety, but my point for bringing it up is that my anxiety seems to have a very strong physical basis. And Im wondering what alcohol is actually doing to my brain chemistry to stop the anxiety and how I can replicate that with far more helpful things such as vitamins or proper meds. I was prescribed prozac for anxiety a while ago and am wondering if I should go back on it.

Does anyone else have experience of severe physial anxiety? How do you deal with it?

[joelhall]

I allow it to happen and talk myself through the physiological reasons of why I'm getting the symptoms. Pretty much all you can do is accept it and carry on.

[Speranza]

I was the same recently. I knew my body was responding to anxiety but I didn't 'feel' that anxious in my head. Of course, that was missing the point that they're called feelings because we feel them. Took me a while to get that one!!

[kadyjane]

I have felt the same way, the pounding heart, knot in the pit of your stomach, etc etc
I have had this for many many years and my dr said I was born with something wrong with my brain that cant be fixed, hard to accept that one
Xanax is what helps me the most, maybe you should talk to your dr, alcohol is not good, but with the medication, your dr can at least monitor you
Kadyjane

[SarahH]

Yes all my anxiety symptoms are physical....................however when I really think about it the "thoughts" come first even if they are fleeting thoughts that I dont really notice....my subconcious is a pain!!

[Lilharry]

Yes!!! It's caused by candida overgrowth in your gut. Beer feeds the candida, which is why you feel better when you drink, but it's the worst thing you can do. I had a beer addiction for years until I found it what it was. I am finally being treated for it and I'm feeling a lot better.

[PanchoGoz]

Have you had your blood checked with the doctor for thyrois etc. That can give you anxiety symptoms like sweaty hands, pounding heart, fatigue, nausia etc.