flinchy
20-03-18, 03:04
I'm just wondering if anybody here experiences pre-emptive anxiety about developing symptoms, without actually experiencing them (yet)?
My reactions to actual symptoms, when I do experience them, cause such a high level of anxiety and panic that I'm now really anxious all the time about a symptom potentially developing, because I know that if it does, I won't be able to cope with it. I guess what I'm talking about is fear of fear itself, or anxiety over future panic attacks.
It's gotten to the point where, in everything I that I do, I project into the future with worst-case scenarios: "there could be delayed onset pain later on from this exercise, which I'll think is spinal injury"; "this might give me food poisoning, which I'll think is gastrointestinal disease." I spend a lot of time "preparing" for these kinds of things to eventuate, researching the causes and treatment of symptoms I expect to have, or trying to stave them off, whilst criticising myself for creating worry unnecessarily. I feel like I can't enjoy anything any more because nothing in life is risk-free, and that panicked state that I hate so much is looming on the horizon all the time.
I know there's not an easy answer to this (mostly because so far CBT and a few different psychologists haven't really helped) but if anybody has some practical strategies for this kind of thing, or even a less health-focused Generalised Anxiety Disorder, I'd love to borrow them.
My reactions to actual symptoms, when I do experience them, cause such a high level of anxiety and panic that I'm now really anxious all the time about a symptom potentially developing, because I know that if it does, I won't be able to cope with it. I guess what I'm talking about is fear of fear itself, or anxiety over future panic attacks.
It's gotten to the point where, in everything I that I do, I project into the future with worst-case scenarios: "there could be delayed onset pain later on from this exercise, which I'll think is spinal injury"; "this might give me food poisoning, which I'll think is gastrointestinal disease." I spend a lot of time "preparing" for these kinds of things to eventuate, researching the causes and treatment of symptoms I expect to have, or trying to stave them off, whilst criticising myself for creating worry unnecessarily. I feel like I can't enjoy anything any more because nothing in life is risk-free, and that panicked state that I hate so much is looming on the horizon all the time.
I know there's not an easy answer to this (mostly because so far CBT and a few different psychologists haven't really helped) but if anybody has some practical strategies for this kind of thing, or even a less health-focused Generalised Anxiety Disorder, I'd love to borrow them.