Physical Symptoms

[Fall1224]

How do people overcome the physical symptoms of anxiety?

[Kaashi_Reads]

The physical symptoms I get are- 1.Shivering or tremors of fingers

2. Sudden increase in temperature of body

3. Dryness of lips

4. Headache

And these only occur when I am severely anxious and know that something is definitely going wrong.

I don't have any antidote to it yet.They go away after I have caught hold of my thoughts .It's just reassuring myself that "all that could go bad won't kill me. I'll be still alive" Sometimes an inspirational story from my partner helps but only 3/10 times.

[Slotmachine33 in reply to Kaashi_Reads]

Hi there I get the same and more but before i have anything to get anxiety about then the symptoms make me panic more, I've suffered with this for over a year but the symptoms do go but are very scary at the time, I get right headed feel really strange and some feelings I can't really explain , heart thumping too ,I think mines chronic anxiety and just something I have to manage, I wish you well x

[Kaashi_Reads in reply to Slotmachine33]

I wish you well . Have you tried talking to someone? Because mine is not chronic it happens occasionally. Like this year so far only once.

[Slotmachine33 in reply to Kaashi_Reads]

Oh yes ive been having therapy for years and cbt but I won't take medication for it I want to keep away from that, I just use different ways of dealing with it breathing and relaxation things like that , it's the physical symptoms that get me down the most but I do deal with it better than I used to x

[cashew78]

Hello, something that works for me some of the time is sitting still and trying to meditate/empty my mind. It's a great tool, but it takes effort and a long time to learn... and I sure I'm doing it poorly; but poorly done is more helpful than not done at all. I know it's not for everyone, but it does help.

[Jeff1943]

The way to overcome the 'physical' symptoms of anxiety was first set out in a book 60 years ago and during that time it has brought respite and recovery to millions throughout the world.Of course the symptoms of anxiety disorder are not physical, they are fake feelings caused by an over sensitised nervous system. We can all take stress and anxiety up to a certain threshold, but if this is exceeded our nerves become sensitised by an excess of anxiety hormones. In this state they start to complain and send out false symptoms: everything from heart pain and agoraphobia to stomach pain and obsessions of doom. You name it and over sensitive nerves can replicate it.

However, these symptoms are paper tigers: although they feel real enough they are purely 'short circuits' of a nervous system overwhelmed by stress and the surfeit of cortisol and adrenalin that this produces.

So convincing are our nerves in replicating 'physical' symptoms that even when ensured by medical clinicians that there is nothing physically wrong our response is "they must have missed something".

1. Do not try and cure yourself of these fake symptoms - you cannot cure yourself of an illness you don't have no matter how hard you try.

2. Stop fighting the symptoms: fighting only creates more stress and strain and more anxiety hormones to make things worse.

3. The remedy first set out in 1964 by Claire Weekes in her first book 'Self help for your nerves' involves cultivating a mental state of accepting these symptoms temporarily and for the time being. They are, after all, simply the result of hiccups in our nervous system and can do us no permanent damage.

4. Once we learn to Accept them for the moment we stop the over production of anxiety hormones which no longer causes over sensitivity of our nervous system. Slowly but surely our nerves return to normal and we are free from the tyranny of false "physical" symptoms.

This cannot be achieved in a few hours or even a few days and Claire's book has to be read and reread to achieve a state of Acceptance. But anything worthwhile is not easily won.

Claire Weekes' first book 'Self help for your nerves' also published under the title 'Hope and help for your nerves' is available in its original form either new or used from Amazon and Ebay.

Thirty years after her death Claire's biography was published under the title 'The woman who cracked the anxiety code'. What her teachings have achieved for countless millions they can do for you.