New to this forum

[WillCR]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum, but am really
In need of some guidance.

I've been having really bad anxiety for the past couple of months, and yesterday seemed to reach an all time high. I felt so dizzy and so out of it the whole day, and didn't get any sleep because I honestly thought I was dying. My hands were numb and I was out of breath also. Eventually I had a panic attack. I managed to finally get to sleep, but woke up this morning feeling worse than ever! UsuAlly after a sleep (even if only for a couple of hours) I feel slightly better, but I now feel ultra dizzy and lightheaded, and my hands feel tingly and are shaking. I'm really concerned that this is caused by more than just anxoety, as i honestly feel awful

Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks

[venusbluejeans]

Dizzyness and tingly hands are classic signs of anxiety...

when it happens you need to try and get your breathing under control.... breath in through your nose and out through your mouth..... breathing out for longer than you breath in (in for 5 seconds, out for 7)..... just sit there concentrating on your breathing.

have you been to the drs about your anxiety?

[WillCR]

Hi,

I have been numerous times to the doctors, and have also seen a handful of cancellor's... Nothing seems to be working. If I concentrate on my breath then it gets better for a few minutes, but then my brain goes back to the anxiety and everything starts again! If only there was a full proof way of distracting the brain...

[venusbluejeans]

I used to pick the most monotonous game I could find and keep playing it..... anything that will take your mind off how you are feeling. but the brain is a powerful thing

[debs71]

Hi WillCR,

Firstly, welcome! There is a load of really great info and help on this site. Anything you need to find out about symptom wise or your feelings in general, you can put it in the search box at the top of the page, and a wealth of info/previous posts should come up for you, as so many of us know exactly how you feel right now, and have also asked the same questions that you doubtless have too. Anxiety is certainly not easy when it first emerges, and all the weird symptoms you get are very frightening, I know.

I know that it is REALLY hard to rationalise that the things you are experiencing - especially the physical stuff like the racing heart, numbness, breathlessness, dizziness - are all anxiety, but they honestly are. Unfortunately, we are sort of caught in a vicious cycle when anxiety is peaking, as the more we stress about the fact it might NOT be anxiety, and might be something really physically wrong, the longer we have all of the symptoms, and so it goes on. The key is to break the cycle, and the problem is, that isn't always easy!

As Venus said already, distraction is vital, and can be so helpful in reducing a lot of the classic anxiety symptoms, and you DO have the classic symptoms. Please trust me when I say I have had all of your symptoms a million times over - still do now - and I am still here to tell the tale (well....just about:wacko:)

You must try if you can not to indulge the symptoms that you are having, and that is where distraction comes in, and that can be physical occupational stuff - keeping busy in the home, going out for a walk, etc, or just simply doing ANYTHING that takes your focus away from how you feel, like doing a crossword, playing games on the internet, watching a DVD....it doesn't matter what it is, as long as it deviates your brain from the anxiety.

Anxiety is self-perpetuating. It feeds off of us getting worked up about it, so when you break that, it calms down and you start feeling better. It sounds so easy I know, and I know just how hard it is believe me, but IT CAN be done.

You have to be bloody minded with it. Don't tell yourself 'I feel awful, I'm gonna die, I can't do this, etc, etc'.....you have to replace that with 'This is just anxiety, I won't let it beat me, I'll feel better soon', etc. Positive thinking helps greatly.

As I say, you must not give the anxiety power, as your symptoms will just linger on. Even though you feel crappy, you must make yourself do stuff, as that is the key to conquering it, even momentarily.

It is entirely possible to not feel as bad as you do now, honestly. It is purely practice and finding exactly what works for YOU personally. Don't give up or give in! :hugs:

[WillCR]

Thanks so much for your lengthy and informative reply! It's so nice to meet other with similar symptoms.

I've been suffering with anxiety for years, but it's always been (fairly) mild, with the occasional horrible panic attack during times of heightened anxiety. It usually comes out in the form of irritability and the feeling of tiredness.

It's only the past few weeks (I recently started a masters year and uni, and it's bloody tough) that my anxiety seems to be pretty much non-stop.
I used to have the luxury of waking up the next day and feeling pretty much okay! It's gotten so bad that I find it hard to leave the house to go for walks/the gym etc, two things I used to love. And I've gotten to THAT stage, that I've read about many times, where you just start to feel complete despair over the way you feel, as if it's going to be with you forever.

Today I just feel absolutely lifeless; extreme fatigue, headaches, dizziness, anxious thoughts... and I'm sure you can all relate with that leading to thoughts of: 'I'm dying!', 'I'm going truly insane' etc

This truly sucks!

[debs71]

Yeah....it does suck. Big time. You just have to try if you can to tell yourself that this a glitch and a phase that you will get over....and you will!

The first thing you must know and recognize is that your anxiety has a clear cause by what you mention - the stress you've been under from your studies, and if you have always been inclined to feeling anxious, it doesn't take much to push us over the edge. I'm like you, and had mild anxiety for many years that I controlled, but then I had a huge amount of stress on me, health problems, had to stop work and then wham, full on breakdown. I have always been a huge worrier and nervy, even since childhood which adds to the whole forgone conclusion that i was heading for trouble.

My anxiety also exhibits in fatigue and feeling really washed out, but is also caused by fatigue and insomnia - which I've had lately - and what do you know, my anxiety has crept back again this week. It's a real git as just when you think you have it sorted, back it comes.

You CAN still do those things you love. I know you say you feel exhausted/fatigued, but that is the adrenalin surging through you that is causing that....try if you can mange it to get out of the house, even just for 10 minutes walk around the block. It is amazing how something small can really help calm things down.

I do know how you feel though. I have been on the verge of agrophobic when my anxiety has been at a peak....couldn't face leaving the house, which I saw as my security blanket. Trouble is, it really doesn't help at all, as you just sit and stew on how crappy you feel, and the longer you stay in, the harder it will be to face going out.

You must also bear in mind that you have been ok (albeit with the odd glitch) with your anxiety before, and that in itself means that you can go BACK to that point, as bad as you feel now. x

[kdf123]

Dizziness is the worst symptom that I get with anxiety and it lasts for days at a time if you let it.I have suffered with this on and off for 8 years now and the only way I have found to beat it is to keep busy and not focus on the symptoms and I promise that I does gradually fade away .take care