Does anxiety make it hard to think and feel closed in?

[LiveAboveIt]

I've recently come off of meds and I think the withdrawals are increasing my anxiety during the day the same way they did while I was on them, which was only for 5 weeks.

I notice that I have kind of an apprehensive anxiety state all day, but it flashes in waves and I feel almost sucked into my head and unable to think about anything else.. Almost like my brain becomes mush and I get stuck feeling very claustrophobic and get really bad tunnel vision and feelings of fear.

For whatever reason I really hone in on the feeling of being stuck in my head and the mind blankness/fear. It's definitely become a trigger of mine and I always end up thinking "I'm never going to be able to think about anything else and I'm going to be stuck in my head forever, trapped and unable to ever enjoy life or feel anything else."

For awhile I thought something was really wrong with me, like schizophrenia or psychosis, but I've read recently that anxiety can cause some of these feelings.. So I wanted to know if anyone else has ever experienced this and does this sound like a normal part of intense anxiety?

[Josh1234]

very basic symptom. our thoughts turn inward and obsessive, we lose outside interests, and we only focus on how bad we think/feel.

[LiveAboveIt]

very basic symptom. our thoughts turn inward and obsessive, we lose outside interests, and we only focus on how bad we think/feel.

Man.. It's weird how anxiety changes. I think I've ALWAYS had this happen when I had anxiety.. But, I have this strange awareness of it now.. Instead of just GOING with the anxiety and panicking.. Now I question every single thing that I feel and notice things I have never noticed before. Its like instead of just freaking out and focusing on the anxiety, my mind immediately targets the way I feel in an introverted way and even with the awareness of not being able to think and being obsessed, I cant get out or stop it.. It makes you feel even more trapped than when you didnt really notice it or analyze it too much.

Thanks, Josh. I highly appreciate the response.

[Josh1234]

check website panicend.com...lots of great info explaining whats wrong.

[GingerFish]

Sounds exactly like extreme anxiety. When I am at my worst whether its with a bad OCD flare up, constant high anxiety or during a strong panic, I always feel trapped in my own mind and it feels like torture. Usually when you have a panic, you want to run out of the room or building where you were when it happened and usually you can but when its your mind that is making you feel trapped and helpless, you literally can't escape and have to accept it for that moment and find ways to relax in that state which is bloody hard but possible.

[LiveAboveIt]

Sounds exactly like extreme anxiety. When I am at my worst whether its with a bad OCD flare up, constant high anxiety or during a strong panic, I always feel trapped in my own mind and it feels like torture. Usually when you have a panic, you want to run out of the room or building where you were when it happened and usually you can but when its your mind that is making you feel trapped and helpless, you literally can't escape and have to accept it for that moment and find ways to relax in that state which is bloody hard but possible.

Yeah, that's exactly how it is for me. Being aware of the mental state you're in makes it even worse.. I used to just run with the fear, which is bad enough. I akin this to being in a dream and realizing that you're dreaming, but being unable to wake up. Obviously it's much more severe than that, but the awareness of it and your lack of control makes it that much more terrifying. I haven't learned how to relax myself during the panic or periods of intense anxiety yet, I seem to just go mental and it runs its course, mainly because I panic about being this way forever.

[LadyVee]

I'm getting this at the moment too, what helps for me is doing the headspace 10 minute meditation (it's on youtube), it helps me to concentrate on something else then after I find I can relax a bit. Sometimes I do it twice in a row!