Feeling feint, is this Anxiety?

[Darren83]

Hi all I'm new to this site and new to understanding anxiety is general. I believe I have been suffering with anxiety for years but has recently started becoming more common. I suppose my question is does anyone else relate to the symptoms I am going to describe and has anyone found ways to reduce or irradicate them.

Basically what happens is if I am going to an event or social occasion before I get there or when I'm waiting for the event to start I feel feint and start sweating and go pale, this could be a wedding for example where I feel awful before hand whilst in the waiting area almost to the point of having to leave before I pass out, but once the bride and groom get procedures under way I feel fine. It's the same for concerts or comedians, I'll feel light headed and sick while I'm waiting for it to start then as soon as it does I'm fine.

I find it strange as every time it happens I'm never worried about the thing I'm going to actually do, but I have to suffer these symptoms before I do it.

I haven't spoken to a doctor about this yet.
Any replies will be gratefully received

[florida94]

You are exactly me. You just described my very existence. lol I know exactly what you're feeling. It's like, you're excited and nervous at the same time just because it's something new and you don't know what to expect. It's that uncertainty of what is going to happen that scares you just a little bit, but then once it happens, you're all fine and good, and then you ask yourself why you were ever even scared....

And then problem happens again and again.. haha

It's definitely a form of general anxiety that can really get you worked up, but luckily enough you and I do have somewhat easy in comparison to other people. Your goal at this point is to minimize or at best keep just this problem.

I find that working out or doing any form of exercise can help alleviate the issue. For me, its just a lot of self talk. I'm nervous for the dentist, the next Disney On Ice show, or heading out to a party with friends. Whatever it is, for me, I find that it's just a lot of practice and eventually you won't feel so faint and dizzy.

I think for me, it's just that feeling of being nauseous.

I have never gone to a doctor to talk about my own sense of anxiety, but I think its just because I've gone through it for so long that I'm almost accustomed to myself being anxious for something.

sidenote: I also deal with not being able to eat when I'm nervous or excited for a big event. I wonder if you feel that same thing.

You are going to be fine my friend. My best piece of advice is to do the "accepting" technique where you just accept the feeling. Think of it as your response for thinking that the event is important, and then slowly do some basic breathing exercises and a bit of self talk telling yourself that "I'm completely fine. I'm safe. I'm okay" and it will turn out just fine.

[Darren83]

Hi thanks for your reply, it's reassuring to know I'm not only person having to deal with this. As far as your 'what was all the fuss about' that is exactly how I feel afterwards, and even beforehand I know it's coming and i know it will end up ok it would just be nice if I could stop it happening. I suppose I should be greatful that my symptoms are relatively mild compared to some others.

Eating before hand is deffinatly a no, I couldn't eat because I'd be sat there the whole time thinking about what I was soon goin to have to through. If my friends say let's go for dinner before the show etc I'll always say let's go afterwards as if it was my choice I'd turn up 1 minute before start time to reduce my suffering lol.

I also don't particularly like talking to people whilst I'm not feeling great, I find if my girlfriend is with me she will keep talking away while we are waiting but I'd much rather not talk and concentrate on trying to distract my mind elsewhere.

Have you ever been so bad you have actually passed out? So far I haven't although my first experience of this I very nearly did. I've found that with it becoming more common it's enabled me to understand it a bit better and I'm trying to develop coping strategies. I think breathing will help and distraction deffinatly helps, last time I tried the 'bring it on' mentality as now I know I can get through it, next time I will try re assurance for sure

[tillyyy]

I always get similar symptoms before any show or event. I went to see some youtubers and almost left because I felt so unwell at the beggining. I've come to expect it now, so I always know that whenever I feel ill before an event it's just my anxiety.

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