"You can't develop new symptoms of anxiety"

[Rhys1879SAFC]

Hey, I'm in a bit of a panic.

I've just read that when you first start suffering anxiety and you have your original symptoms, no matter what they may be, you can't develop anymore at a later stage?

I'm really worried now because I've had anxiety for a couple of months and in the last few days my eyes have been dry, vision grainy and I keep getting hot and cold spells, I also feel sick.

I'm worried that there is actually something wrong with me now, maybe a brain problem or something. I'm scared that what I've read is true. :doh:

[harasgenster]

Where did you read that?!!!

Nonsense. Doesn't make sense! Don't worry, of course you can develop more symptoms. Everybody here will tell you that they have had different symptoms at different period of their life. I used to have symptoms I don't have anymore and I have new ones but it's just anxiety.

Please don't worry and don't believe everything you read!!! :D

[ktg123]

Agree total nonsense my symptoms always seem to change think its anxiety fighting back becouse just as i get use to the symptoms and nearly convinced my self its ok and just panic Bang they change and it starts all over again :mad:

[darcy]

oh my goodness... ive had anxiety for years and looking back my symptoms have never been the same which is why the anxiety continues cause your always worryin about something.. a few weeks ago it was leg pain and m.s... this week its burning smell, nausea and brain tumor... ive had the heart palps, ovarian cancer.. the list is endless... and im kinda glad all the symptoms dont happen together at the start.. could u just imagine :wacko: LOL xx

[london]

what drunk said that

[Em.ma]

if thats the case then all of us here would be really ill lol. its not true x

[teez]

mine change all the time to catch me out,,tricksy little devils lol

[Chris hill]

Ha yes the list of my things changes most days .The dry grainy eyes can almost make the ringing ears subside .

[kah]

Yep, anxiety is a clever thing - keeps us on our toes with ever changing symptoms :mad:

[bluetopazgirl]

I agree - that can't be right, it surely isnt for me. . ive always got something new lol x

[scaredstiff695]

pants that course it can change. i was told its your anxiety shifting its focus. x x

[uk23]

I have never heard of this, infact my psychiatrist and psychologist would both disagree as they have told me numerous times that anxiety can change its forus causing new physical worries and sensations.

[Rhys1879SAFC]

Thanks everyone, I feel okay today actually for a change! haha.

[wiskersonkittens]

Dr. Claire Weekes says that. I read that in one of her books and I was like -- NO WAY! I think what she meant was that for some of us our anxiety symptoms are abdominal, some cardiac, and so forth. Different areas on people are stronger than others -- like in my own experience, I've had palpitations/flutters/ and so forth, and even experienced dizziness for a month, yet I've never thrown up. My chances of actually throwing up from anxiety are really low, while someone else may throw up, but not experience heart or head issues. That would be rare. That's what I have gathered from what the meaning was -- but I agree, I am in a situation now where my anxiety has gotten dibilitating and I get a whole slew of strange symptoms. That is from our overworked nerves in general. But, I think each one of us has a particular area of sensitivity and that was what she was referring to. Just a gander .. Hugs, Wiskers ~

[Teacake]

I have had anxiety symptoms for 24 years now and they evolve with what's going on in my life. I can go from phase to phase and set of symptoms to another. Sometimes I'm almost symptom-free, only to have something new pop up. It's very fluid.

[punkprincess19]

OMG, i read this in Claire Weekes book and ever since it plays on my mind when i get a new symptom!

[ronski]

Well you are right in one sense but a tad misguided. If you have had anxiety for a few years then there comes a point that you cannot get any more new symptoms or sensations because the nerves involved can only create certain symptoms with the organ system that they feed into. Yes they can change constantly but eventually if they continue you will recognise that yes you have had all of this before.
The big mistake that we all make is that we talk about getting cured of anxiety. That will never happen as anxiety is a protective mechanism and is an integral part of our humanity. What we should talk about is desensitising our nervous system as that is a more accurate goal to strive for.

[Lanesra]

Here is a list of my symptoms for each bout, hopefully they will add to the comments above to prove that you can get every symptom going:

First bout:
Trouble breathing

Second bout:
Loss of appetite

Third bout:
Loss of appetite
Excess stomach acid
Tension headache

Fourth bout:
Racing heart
Palpitations
Dizziness

Fifth (and present) bout:
Pins and needles
Muscle twitching in legs
Painful breasts (possibly related to my contraceptive though)
Dry mouth
Muscle spasms in back
Stomach cramps
Palpitations

I forgot to add I also had dry mouth and nausea during the third bout (can't scroll back up on my phone!)

Of course I've diagnosed myself with every cancer under the sun as well as Diabetes, MS and various other conditions but it's Anxiety which almost always lies at the bottom of my symptoms.

Hope that helps, it's hard to tell you not to worry. I usually stop worrying if I get some sort of reassurance or once the symptom stops...until it's followed by the next symptom!! Got to love HA eh?!

[Anxious_gal]

I have anxiety most of my life and my gosh new symptoms always freak me out!
hear palps, tachycardia,chest pain, falling sensation,no appetite, muscle spasms, feeling faint , head pressure , are some of my newer symptoms.

[ronski]

If you analyse most of the symptoms we all suffer with anxiety I have worked out that most of them are due to dysfunctional breathing. Of course the breathing dysregulation problem is born out of years of our bodies coping with excess stress and then wham it cannot cope and we get a Chronic Hyperventilation state most of the time. It is this state that gives us dizziness, nausea, feelings of doom, cold hands and feet, palpitations, chest pain etc. The breathing pattern actually changes our blood acidity levels to an alkaline state and resets our respiratory level in our brain stem so that we end up slightly hyperventilating due to stress and then we get very quickly all those awful symptoms and sensations. So yes our nervous system symptoms can change but other bodily systems crank up the overall suffering by trying to normalise things known as homeostasis.
The respiratory centre in the brain centre normalises higher than it should and that is when our problems shift up a few gears as that is what causes most of the very unpleasent symptoms we suffer including panic attacks.
Research is showing that panic attacks are caused by faulty respiratory patterns mostly hyper ventilatory. So next time you feel a panic attack is starting focus on your breathing and you will see that your respiratory rate is shallow and faster than it should be.