Does anyone else feel that their anxiety changes perception?

[LiveAboveIt]

I don't really know how to put it into words. I can feel my anxiety distorting my perception about life and how I feel about things. Its making everything feel impossible and changes my view on life to "Nothing really matters, so why bother? The issue is that I don't feel like it has been my decision to feel this way and the simple fact that my views have become nihilistic without my consent, terrifies me.

When my anxiety comes around, it feels as though my thinking goes on autopilot and it just barrages me with negative/scary thoughts for days and it becomes more and more difficult to ignore these thoughts and consider them lies.

The longer I fight, the more I begin to question my own sanity and worry that this is more than anxiety. I worry that this is another mental illness rearing its ugly head. It just feels like I have no control, regardless of how much positive self-talk that I do, nor how much I try to not be afraid of the thoughts and the way that I feel (severe de-realization).

I've just recently tapered off of Pristiq with the help from my doctor and the first 2 weeks were amazing. I felt normal and full of life for the first time in a long time.. And now in week 3, I feel this incredible anxiety and depression overcoming me that has sent my reality into shambles. Not sure what to do. I'm having a difficult time thinking rationally and can't convince myself that is just anxiety and/or withdrawals.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please share your experiences and/or insight on the matter.

[snowghost57]

I would call you doctor immediately and them him/her know what's going on. I don't know anything about the medication that you are on. I was on Zoloft for 20 days and I didn't like the way it made my brain feel. I realized that these drugs are very powerful and should be monitored by a doctor, even when you are tapering off of them.

[Amethyst-moon]

I recently came off my medication and just like you say I felt great and alive for two weeks then suddenly my anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I wanted to die. Ive had to go back on them. How long did you taper off them for? I would definitely go see your doctor asap. Feeling like this could be dangerous. It might just be about lowering your dose rather than coming off completely.

Amey

[Fishmanpa]

From what I've read here, there's no doubt in my mind that anxiety skews perception/reality, especially with health anxiety sufferers.

There was a former/inactive member here that posted Youtube videos. One I watched was her describing muscle wasting in her hands. She "knew" her hands were wasting away yet in fact, besides the physical impossibility, not one person medically or not could see or confirm it. She was convinced.

Take a look at all the node threads... descriptions of "swollen" nodes for months and years. Impossible....

So yes, the forum overwhelmingly affirms this.

Positive thoughts

[LiveAboveIt]

From what I've read here, there's no doubt in my mind that anxiety skews perception/reality, especially with health anxiety sufferers.

There was a former/inactive member here that posted Youtube videos. One I watched was her describing muscle wasting in her hands. She "knew" her hands were wasting away yet in fact, besides the physical impossibility, not one person medically or not could see or confirm it. She was convinced.

Take a look at all the node threads... descriptions of "swollen" nodes for months and years. Impossible....

So yes, the forum overwhelmingly affirms this.

Positive thoughts

Thanks, Fishmanpa.
It drives me nuts that I can witness and be aware of the anxiety changing my perception, but I can't really do much about it until I lower the anxiety.


I recently came off my medication and just like you say I felt great and alive for two weeks then suddenly my anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I wanted to die. Ive had to go back on them. How long did you taper off them for? I would definitely go see your doctor asap. Feeling like this could be dangerous. It might just be about lowering your dose rather than coming off completely.

Amey

I was on 50mg of Pristiq and lowered it to 25mg, which I was on for a month before stopping completely. I was having anxiety while I was on the medication as well, which is why I wanted off of it because it didn't seem to be helping. I actually felt better for the first two weeks after I had stopped the med. I no longer felt fuzzy or apathetic and my anxiety vanished. But yeah, now at week 3, my anxiety is full force.

Not really sure what to do. My doc says it's just discontinuation and should pass, but that felt to me like a really vague answer.