Fear VS anxiety

[Kevin160]

I feel people who dont know much about anxiety dont know the difference and they are the same ..but people here willl likely know the difference ..

Can anyone explain how anxiety is not always scary ..for me today i just feel calm ..im getting these occasional "irrational thoughts" but im not panicking or feeling scared ..so i wouldn't call it fear..so can anyone also explain how anxiety like this can actually be a good thing and not harmful ..where it doesnt create panic attacks or much stress and i feel calm but the thoughts and heart palpitations are present

[Agoraphobia39]

Hi Kevin,

Surprisingly anxiety symptoms mimic excitement as well. A lot of behavioral therapists would say if you are feeling anxious, change your thoughts around and say you are actually excited and it should help you to be more calm.

A lot of people have a hard time doing this at first. It's easier said then done for sure. Basically anxiety is away your body is trying to make you aware of change and to be alert. It really doesn't have to be a negative thing.

Now with fear, if you become anxious you get the flight or fight mode. Thats the anxiety that most people arent able to deal with or control and it makes the fear worse.

I hope that answers your question and I'm SO glad you are having a positive look on anxiety today! That's great news!

[Kevin160 in reply to Agoraphobia39]

Oh thank you so much ;). You are so kind ❤️..i understand what you mean, for example today my anxiety is very low , i feel calm and i get a few scary thoughts and heart palpitations but its very managable and doable , and i feel very close to being able to deal with the anxiety more than before, im reminding myself that anxiety wont kill me , and that it wont affect my health , eventhough sometimes its not easy to convince yourself from the physical symptoms which makes me worry a bit , but its a cycle that you just got to break , currently my life is going well, there is not a valid reasoj to panic or worry but its a cycle that you worry about the stress or fear itself, so it doesnt end unless you train for it and adapt , i used to feel so bad about myself dealing with all this and feeling my life is pretty bad , but i guess its a matter of time since i saw what its like to get better

[Needtovent]

Hi Kevin, I believe fear is a symptom of anxiety. There are times when it is an 'appropriate' feeling and times when it is more irrational. Generally, anxiety is not harmful. In and if itself it will not hurt you. However unpleasant the feelings may be. As you experience them continue to remind yourself of that. This will help to retrain your overly sensitized nervous system and, over time, your body will begin to handle these symptoms and you will realize increasingly fewer thoughts. I'm still working on this friend. It's good that you are at your age. Wishing you a calm day.

[Kevin160 in reply to Needtovent]

Thank you so much ..i wish you a calm great day too ❤️..im continuing to remind myself that what im experiencing is not harmful, but its only easy when the anxiety is low ..

[Needtovent in reply to Kevin160]

I know what you mean Kevin. The process is not easy. I find just talking here is another strategy that helps. BTW, have you picked up CLare Weekes book? Reading her explanation provides a much better understanding of the process than my overly simplistic response.

[Kevin160 in reply to Needtovent]

Yes i read some of it online , and im going to hear the podcasts that i found on youtube and other platforms , i understood the point of it , and im finding that accepting the feeling of anxiety is far less scary and severe than when i try to fight it and panic that its unbearable, now my anxiety is much lower and less frequent , but i have only one fear right now.

A while back a friend passed away from a heart attack after they got their A level results (british system pregraduation exam) ..and i heard a few cases where students died from severe heart attacks and strokes from a sudden shock or panic, its extremely rare and it mostly happens to people with preexisting heart problems , i just have seen alot affected from stress especially my mom who didnt have a preexisting problem but from stress and anxiet and divorce and family things etc,,. She got a heart attack ...so im dreading my results in a few months and worried that something like that would happen to me , and add to my already existing anxiety ....like even if it didnt happen the thiught itself is very scary ..and i just keep getting chest pains and palpitations that really scare me ...and my problem is that im afraid of fear, i dont have any actual problems which makes me also angry , but very scared, im feeling better for the time being but im just worried abiut the future, and i dont mind exoeriencing stress and anxiety but only when its not fatal , everyone says its not then things like this happen and it throws me off ...