What Does Your Anxiety Feel Like?

[Lost-and-Stuck]

I was wondering what everyone here experiences when your anxiety is severe. What thoughts do you have? How do you feel physically?

[redmama2]

I have severe social anxiety so bad that it’s turning into agoraphobia. I won’t leave the house until I absolutely have to. When I’m in public, my heart races (up 40+ bpm according to my Apple Watch), I feel nervous, panicky, and irritable for a few minutes until I completely disassociate. Once that happens everything is muffled and suppressed like someone else is controlling my body and I’m watching from the backseat. My emotions are numb, my brain doesn’t work, but my body is still tense and my heart is still racing. I try to make myself focus and just get through what I’m doing without doing something wrong. It’s not noticeable enough for strangers think anything about me except that maybe I’m a little odd, but it’s noticeable enough that my husband can usually tell. It’s absolutely exhausting and a short shopping trip can wear me out all day, much less going to work. I frequently find myself in burnout mode from work and I had a mental breakdown last year that I almost ended up in the hospital for because I literally couldn’t think and couldn’t stop shaking and crying for 2 days straight. I’ve tried every other anxiety med, therapy, and trick in the book and none have helped but my doctors still won’t let me try benzos. It’s miserable.

[CL3V3R-G1RL]

When I feel anxious I get real sweaty. I get stomach cramps, cotton mouth (dry mouth) , lump in my throat or sometimes trouble swallowing. I sometimes shake like a Chihuahua. I get nauseous sometimes. I also get hot flashes (adrenaline floods).

I also tend to get real quiet because I'm looking for an exit. I tend to fidget or stem to help shake off this excess adrenaline.

Back when I used to have terrible agoraphobia. I wouldn't leave my house cause I feared outside. I worried about shaming myself and my partner by having a panic attack in public.

But Ive gotten better about that. And I'm outside and doing things. Still a work in progress.

[Formula1fan]

It started with not being able to get a song out of my head, my Doctor told me it was anxiety. It continued to get worse and worse leading to fear and then panic attacks-- at thought for sure I was dying from a heart attack. Ultimately the anxiety and fear got so far out of control I could not think, I was keeping all of this to myself which was such a mistake.

[litethatnevergoesout]

$#*£!

[Agora1]

Physically can feel like you do when going down that first slope on a roller coaster.

Emotionally can feel intense fear of the unknown. Once you get to the end of the ride,

all is well. Although the thoughts of that adrenaline rush can stay with you for a while.

That's what it was like for me. xx

[Ptpichurrito]

You experience tightness and shortness of breath, tiredness and wanting to run. It has helped me exercise like walking and running, relax and even learn language.