damianjmcgrath
06-09-16, 19:42
I've had anxiety for many years now, almost always focused on my heart. It's kicked into overdrive following the birth of my daughter, I think that event made me aware of my mortality.
My anxiety feels like a weird form. It's not as dramatic as others. It's very "internal", there's almost no outwardly signs at all. I don't hyperventilate. I sweat a little bit, but only noticeable to me for some reason. I don't faint, or collapse. I don't even look or act anxious - I can still perform at work, hold conversations, go out socially, do things, etc. Not many people can tell I'm anxious at all. In fact, a lot of people think I'm very confident.
Inside my head though, I am constantly thinking the worst, almost planning to have a catastrophic event like a heart attack. I get aches and pains, from little stabby pains to dull throbs, and tingles/pins and needles in my hands and feet at random times, a heavy head, yawning fits, etc every few minutes, and it triggers what-if thoughts.
I've dealt with it as best I can - I've had CBT, been to a Mindfulness course, read countless books, and I've reached a point where I know it's anxiety causing my problems.
Accepting that is a big step for me, and it has helped me a bit. However, I can't seem to make the next step forward.
All of my symptoms make me tired, irritable, grumpy, heavy headed, heavy-chested, and make me feel like I can't be bothered to do anything. Those symptoms feel so real, probably because they are, that I'm finding it really tough to ignore them. For example, my mum gets migraines, and she basically just has to go to bed because she can't do anything else. I feel like that. I feel so lethargic and achey that it's almost impossible to ignore them and carry on as normal. I have to just lie down. It feels like I'm giving in to it though.
I don't know how to not let it affect me like that every day. I want to have energy. I went to a wedding the other week, and people were dancing, and I felt like I wouldn't physically be able to move my body like that, because I feel so stiff and tense.
Has anyone got any tips for how to actually combat the physical effects of the anxiety?
My anxiety feels like a weird form. It's not as dramatic as others. It's very "internal", there's almost no outwardly signs at all. I don't hyperventilate. I sweat a little bit, but only noticeable to me for some reason. I don't faint, or collapse. I don't even look or act anxious - I can still perform at work, hold conversations, go out socially, do things, etc. Not many people can tell I'm anxious at all. In fact, a lot of people think I'm very confident.
Inside my head though, I am constantly thinking the worst, almost planning to have a catastrophic event like a heart attack. I get aches and pains, from little stabby pains to dull throbs, and tingles/pins and needles in my hands and feet at random times, a heavy head, yawning fits, etc every few minutes, and it triggers what-if thoughts.
I've dealt with it as best I can - I've had CBT, been to a Mindfulness course, read countless books, and I've reached a point where I know it's anxiety causing my problems.
Accepting that is a big step for me, and it has helped me a bit. However, I can't seem to make the next step forward.
All of my symptoms make me tired, irritable, grumpy, heavy headed, heavy-chested, and make me feel like I can't be bothered to do anything. Those symptoms feel so real, probably because they are, that I'm finding it really tough to ignore them. For example, my mum gets migraines, and she basically just has to go to bed because she can't do anything else. I feel like that. I feel so lethargic and achey that it's almost impossible to ignore them and carry on as normal. I have to just lie down. It feels like I'm giving in to it though.
I don't know how to not let it affect me like that every day. I want to have energy. I went to a wedding the other week, and people were dancing, and I felt like I wouldn't physically be able to move my body like that, because I feel so stiff and tense.
Has anyone got any tips for how to actually combat the physical effects of the anxiety?