physical symptoms

[Ren_04]

anyone experience physical symptoms with their anxiety? I have 24/7 anxiety and it’s become crippling and debilitating at times

[blackcat64013]

Hi Ren_04,

Anxiety can feel like a constant weight on my shoulders. No matter what I do, it always seems to pull me down. I find myself panicking often, with the feelings becoming so intense at times that I find it hard to sleep. The nocturnal panic attacks are the worst.

In some cases, anxiety can lead to full-blown panic attacks, which only make the weight I am carrying even heavier. Unfortunately, it hasn't always been easy to access help for managing my stress and anxiety, particularly in the post-pandemic world.

I now have a good personal relationship with my new doctor who has prescribed medication and I am seeing a psychologist.

You may not want to visit a doctor or a counselor, for whatever reason.

There are quite a few online anxiety management courses designed to help you to regain control of your thoughts and emotions, allowing you to minimize the effect anxiety has on your life.

Books from the library can also be of assistance. Two I recommend are 1. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Burns 2. Mindfulness: New Science of Health and Happiness Times Special Edition 2017. Currently, I am reading The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson.

I hope this helps.

[Ren_04 in reply to blackcat64013]

Thank you!! It’s nice to know other people feel the same

[Margaret_712]

Hi Ren - Yes, I do, and it bothers me so very much. I get a speedy heart rate, and incredible tension in my neck.

I am trying to deal with it by taking brisk walks in the early part of the day, which helps with sleep, too. And, taking a capsule of magnesium and calcium at bedtime. Both help calm the nervous system. There is also a great product called Gaba Calm by Source Naturals. Get the sublingual. It won't sedate you, it will just take the edge off.

[Margaret_712]

Also - breathe work, like box breathing, and EMT - emotional freedom technique! I did a session with a practitioner the other day and it was really effective. I focused on fear for the whole session and it totally reduced my anxiety.

[Ren_04 in reply to Margaret_712]

Thank you! I’ll check it out

[MindfulMoment]

Somatic anxiety is the worst for me. I can deal with the rumination but when it’s physical I find it unbearable to override the primal trigger to pay attention. I become obsessed and convinced something is truly wrong physically and I’m going to die this time. The tingly hands, racing heart, pressure in my head, brain zaps, burning lungs, sore arms and shoulders, choking feeling in my throat, wobbly legs. All of it leads to panic attacks for me. What I have learned to do is tell someone I trust what I’m experiencing. For me this someone is my husband. I’ll go to him a hundred times if needed to allow him to ground me until I can concrete in that it’s only anxiety. Logically I know it to be true but when I am at high anxiety I can’t think logically. I can do all the breathing in the world and still hyper focus on a somatic sensation. I’ve also learned to keep my hands busy while it passes. Hard work, lifting, cutting, things that exhaust my muscles until I stop focusing on it. Then before bed I drink a calcium magnesium drink to relax my now tired muscles. Eventually my brain will catch up and it will pass.

[Ren_04 in reply to MindfulMoment]

This is exactly how I feel! I can deal with the dreadful anxious thoughts but once it becomes physical sometimes I feel faint, dizzy, I get hot flashes, chest pains, I start to feel uncomfortable in my own skin. I just recently opened up about this to my boyfriend and it helped a little bit by talking and letting someone know instead of trying to hide when I feel like this because sometimes it’s everyday for a week and I have to pretend I’m fine and normal. I feel like I’m dying sometimes when I know I’m not. Sometimes I can focus my brain on something else for a few moments and then I’ll feel the little tingly sensation in my chest and go right back to the intrusive thoughts. I’m looking into counseling now. I just want my life back.

[MindfulMoment in reply to Ren_04]

Yep. I know exactly how you feel. That little voice saying this time for sure it’s something big. I heard a therapist say one time those intrusive thoughts are ANTS (automatic negative thoughts) I thought that so simply summed it up. You can also try writing exactly how you feel onto a piece of paper, walk away for an hour or so and do something else and then come back and process through what you wrote asking yourself is this true. When we can accept these weird feelings they lose their power and we stop being afraid of them. But they are oh so scary at first. Just to to remember this IS temporary and it will pass.

[Ren_04 in reply to MindfulMoment]

Thank you so much. I’ve felt so alone for so long now. I don’t wish this on anyone but knowing someone else knows how I feel gives me a sense of relief

[MindfulMoment in reply to Ren_04]

I have been to the rock bottom of anxiety and found my way back up to the top. I’m not completely better but most days I manage all of my symptoms. Anytime you have any questions please feel free to ask. You are not alone.

[LadyZen]

I've had crippling depression a few times in my life. But life had to go on. So whenever I've reached those breaking points where I couldn't function, I usually found a therapist and went back on medication for a couple of years. Once the storm passed, I was able to wean off both the therapy and medication. If it gets really bad, don't feel like you have to be crippled over it. Therapy and medication can be a solution, even temporarily.