Forgetmenot
07-03-08, 09:03
Hi all
When I came down with anxiety and panic (out of the blue it seemed) I didnt realise for ages that the symptoms were anxiety related...so I worried about them. I was diagnosed with inner ear infection (to explain the dizziness) and waited to get better...but I didnt because of course, it was anxiety all along.
At various times I was convinced I had menigitis, heart problems, blood poisoning, failing sight, brain tumour, etc, etc.
It's taken a long time to convince myself that none of this is true and that by dealing with anxiety the physical symptoms will go in time. The problem is, those symptoms are so diverse - you just can't believe that it's not something more serious.
Here's a list of some of my own anxiety symptoms. If you can relate to these, it might help you convince yourself that it's really anxiety that is the root of all this:
Numbness in certain body parts for minutes at a time
Sore spots down my back that feel like bruises (I thought it was bronchitis - it was muscle tension)
Sharp stabbing pains in the ears
Feeling of wetness in the ears
Feeling of liquid running down my throat (this was just tissue fluid build up from inflammation caused by tense throat)
A feeling of pressure on the bridge of the nose and the roof of the mouth (more muscle tension)
Swelling to the throat and face (muscle tension and inflamed glandular system and ligaments - all from that tension)
Total bodily weakness for days on end
Upset stomach
Bad skin
Sensation of intense heat in the abdomen or chest or throat
How did I break the cycle? I just went against every reflex reaction I have, and forced myself to function again - to prove to myself that I can do things in spite of the discomfort - to prove to my brain that there is no threat out there. Its the most difficult thing ever and I'm not quite there yet - but over weeks and months the symptoms subside a little.
Hope this helps
When I came down with anxiety and panic (out of the blue it seemed) I didnt realise for ages that the symptoms were anxiety related...so I worried about them. I was diagnosed with inner ear infection (to explain the dizziness) and waited to get better...but I didnt because of course, it was anxiety all along.
At various times I was convinced I had menigitis, heart problems, blood poisoning, failing sight, brain tumour, etc, etc.
It's taken a long time to convince myself that none of this is true and that by dealing with anxiety the physical symptoms will go in time. The problem is, those symptoms are so diverse - you just can't believe that it's not something more serious.
Here's a list of some of my own anxiety symptoms. If you can relate to these, it might help you convince yourself that it's really anxiety that is the root of all this:
Numbness in certain body parts for minutes at a time
Sore spots down my back that feel like bruises (I thought it was bronchitis - it was muscle tension)
Sharp stabbing pains in the ears
Feeling of wetness in the ears
Feeling of liquid running down my throat (this was just tissue fluid build up from inflammation caused by tense throat)
A feeling of pressure on the bridge of the nose and the roof of the mouth (more muscle tension)
Swelling to the throat and face (muscle tension and inflamed glandular system and ligaments - all from that tension)
Total bodily weakness for days on end
Upset stomach
Bad skin
Sensation of intense heat in the abdomen or chest or throat
How did I break the cycle? I just went against every reflex reaction I have, and forced myself to function again - to prove to myself that I can do things in spite of the discomfort - to prove to my brain that there is no threat out there. Its the most difficult thing ever and I'm not quite there yet - but over weeks and months the symptoms subside a little.
Hope this helps