does anyone else feel like this?

[sarah_85]

i just need some reassurance that other anxiety sufferers feel like i do. my anxiety is pretty under control tbh, i have so many good days but then i do get some very bad days and times when things that probably shouldn't worry or startle me do very much so. for example today, i've felt really anxious, had chest pain (all over my chest, in different places at different times) and although i recognise there symptoms as anxiety, part of me is still petrified that i have some kind of serious illness, and that i keep explaining away the symptoms as anxiety and then one day when it's too late i'll find out it's serious and it's too late to treat whatever it is. i know i am being irrational. i got checked out at a&e last august and was 100% ok. i just wonder if other people feel like this? weird question i suppose. i rationalise with myself that if it was something serious, or a heart attack or something, it wouldn't come and go it would be constant and excruciatingly painful and debiliatating. i just get so angry with myself and i hate living in fear. but hey, tomorrow might be a good day, i havent felt like this for 2 weeks so at least it is few and far between :)

[Greenman50]

yep , i feel like that most days :blush::blush: , but had a good day today so i,m going to ignore every ache and pain tommorow and get back to work .

[sarah_85]

me too :) it's so much easier to ignore aches and pains at work. i think that's why i've noticed it today so much as i've been indoors watching films with friends. roll on tomorrow. glad to hear you're having a good day xx

[Greenman50]

Thanks Sarah :D

I,m convinced (eventually) the more i dwell on things the worse i am . Its going to be a struggle to get back to work , but i,ve proved to myself today after going out with the kids , i feel much worse at home and "dwell" on every ache and pain .

Enjoy tommorow :D

[Kell]

Hi Sarah,

Although I cannot relate to your fears of illness, I can relate to the coming & going of anxiety. Although I have suffered with anxiety / depression for nearly 10 years it has been particularly persistant since the summer. I seem to go a week or so feeling ok, only to be floored by the return of anxious feelings.
I guess it's only natural to believe that there is an underlying physical reason for how we feel when anxiety takes hold because we get such strong symptoms. It is "just" anxiety that causes this although I know that it's easier said than done to accept this.
Oh to be "normal" and to be able to worry about regular things rather than worrying about anxiety
Kel
x

[Bill]

Too much stress.......

i do get some very bad days

Causes..

things that probably shouldn't worry or startle me do very much

Causes...

felt really anxious,

Causes.....

had chest pain (all over my chest, in different places at different times)

Causes....

petrified that i have some kind of serious illness,

Causes....

i keep explaining away the symptoms as anxiety and then one day when it's too late i'll find out it's serious and it's too late to treat whatever it is.

Causes....

i know i am being irrational. i got checked out at a&e last august and was 100% ok.


Causes...

i rationalise with myself that if it was something serious, or a heart attack or something, it wouldn't come and go it would be constant and excruciatingly painful and debiliatating.

Causes...

i just get so angry with myself and i hate living in fear. but hey, tomorrow might be a good day, i havent felt like this for 2 weeks so at least it is few and far between

In other words, too much stress creates the health anxiety loop.

We have a bad day at work or something at home we hear, read or see upsets us.

We then start worrying because we've been stressed.

The worry and stress then create our anxiety symptoms such as panics, palpitations etc.

These symptoms then add to our stress causing more worry so we then start worrying about our symptoms.

We then try to rationalise our worry by analysing all the "what if's" to try and stop our anxious feelings.

However, the analysing then feeds our anxiety because we end up dwelling on it which is what it wants us to do because it feeds off attention.

We then keep our anxious symptoms alive because we feel compelled to keep thinking about them because they frighten us too much.

When we end up not being able to reassura ourselves we then try seeking reassurance from a doctor to find an "immediate fix" to stop us worrying so our anxious feelings will stop.

However, the next time we get too stressed, the whole cycle repeats because we end up having no confidence in ourselves and each time it happens we always feel angry with our own inability to cope with stress.

A few thoughts....

Try to keep stress to a minimum because it's the fuel that anxiety feeds off.

Once the fuel is ignited, try not to add to it by adding more fuel by dwelling on it.

The only way to put the fuel out is by trying to Ignore it and Forget it by turning your mind onto other thoughts. It may not feel possible at first because anxiety creates a barrier but you'll find as soon as you allow yourself to break through, the anxiety symptoms will then stop and you'll then build more self-confidence to stop the cycle repeating every time you feel overstressed.

Anxiety feeds off attention. It starves when it's ignored.:hugs: