The thing you fear the most is fear. The thing you panic about most is panic.

[Jeff1943]

You are agoraphobic about agoraphobia, not what's outside your front door.

Something originally stressed you and caused your anxiety. But chances are, the original cause has long since passed or has been overcome. But the fear, the panic attacks and the agoraphobia continue.

Now you fear the fear, you panic about panicking, you are fearful of the agoraphobia itself, not the walk to the park.

Who said so? The woman who cracked the anxiety code said so. You can probably guess who I'm talking about.

[autumnthebrat2]

Jeff, love to see your posts....I know you are an anxiety veteran, have you ever experienced tinnitus?

[Jeff1943 in reply to autumnthebrat2]

Yes, I sometimes have very mild pulsile tinnitus, in other words I can hear my pulse in my ears. I don't think that in my case it's stress related but to do with narrowing of tiny blood vessels in the ear. But because it doesn't bother me I rarely hear it. My brain switches it off. But now I'm thinking about it I can hear it a little.

[Amytat in reply to Jeff1943]

Lol I have it too. Real bad one. Is it anxiety?

[Jeff1943 in reply to Amytat]

Interesting question. We know anxiety makes the nervous system many times more sensitive so it could well be that anxiety can increase the sound of pulsile tinnitus. But I think it's just as likely to be part of the aging process where small blood vessels in the ear become narrowed. As for ordinary tinnitus I don't know.

[Funkyfaerie]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the reminders, I'm going ask you something now if you don't mind, did you/have you ever suffered with muscle tension pain and nausea.

I understand Claire Weekes book, but I cannot kick these symptoms, and it makes my life a misery I feel I hold myself rigid, that then causes the tension, its like a catch 22 and I'm stuck!

Thanks for your time.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Funkyfaerie]

Certainly mild nausea which was anxiety related and stomach ache which was a grief response to the premature death of a good friend. Claire Weekes always said the stomach is the organ most sympathetic to anxiety. Muscle tension I can't recall experiencing myself but it is well documented as an anxiety symptom, specially of chest muscles where it causes people to wrongly thing it's heart.

Acceptance is simple to understand but not easy to practice and takes persistence. If Weekes was alive today I think she would say you are not accepting your symptoms because you are complaining about them. Prople who truly accept their symptoms (for the time being) don't complain about them. That's the way it works. I would say keep practicing Acceptance and Floating and be prepared to Let time pass.

[Funkyfaerie in reply to Jeff1943]

Sorry, I don't mean to keep complaining, it's just gone on for so long and it makes my life a misery.

However I do try, I go out more now, just spent a weekend away with 17 of my family and all the grandchildren, and I was 95% fine.

I have problems with my jaw and clenching which my dentist thinks is causing all my pain that makes me feel wobbly, and consequently freaks me out. I can see what is happening, but not yet, as you say accept. I have CW's book I will read it again.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Funkyfaerie]

I can well imagine that tension in the jaw muscles can be caused by anxiety. I think you know what you are doing and are making good progress and I wish you all the best for a full recovery.