Does anyone experience these symptoms?

[Sai26]

I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder and experience body cramps, pains and various types of headaches. When my anxiety is bad it can go on for days even weeks. Like a dull ache/pain for most of the day. My headaches are constant and I experience light throbbing/sensitivity in my ears. The pain also goes down my neck. These body pains can lead to my depression and sometimes its so hard to get out of bed because I know how much pain I will experience. Its very hard to get through the day at work too when these episodes occur. These body pains are caused by my obsessive thinking and worry. I also have trouble sleeping and getting my mind to relax. Thoughts are constantly racing through my head. I would be grateful if anyone could message me or respond if they experience any of these symptoms of anxiety. I feel quite alone and would like to communicate with other sufferers and hear about their experiences. Thanks

[mallet-head]

Hello Sai26, If you have a look at the link below and look at the list of possible symptoms caused by anxiety it will explain a lot!!

see link below:-

anxietycentre.com/anxiety-s...

You are certainly not alone in getting these horrible sensations, although it probably does not make it much easier to bear knowing there are hundreds, if not thousands of people, who suffer in a similar way. What we can do is offer moral support when needed to our friends in this group.

kind regards, Mallet-head

[Sai26 in reply to mallet-head]

Thank you so much for this link its really helpful. I can definitely relate to most of the symptoms.I am glad I have joined Anxiety UK again and communicate with people who can empathise what I am going through. Kind regards, Sai

[Orangelady1]

Hi, I can reassure that you definetly are not alone.i get all the same symptoms as you. It is awful when you awake and dread the pain, I also am a terrible sleeper which just adds fuel to the fire, things always seem worse when you are tired! I hope you start to feel better really soon.

[Sai26 in reply to Orangelady1]

Thank you for responding. I hate hearing about others going through this but at the same time it makes me feel less alone. Today has been a bad day. I didnt sleep a wink last night and felt like the walking dead today. The pain has just been constant today and along with the headaches just this impending sense of not coping and doom. It a totally different headache than your usual headaches. How often do you get these symptoms? Sai

[bry123 in reply to Sai26]

So understand how your feeling. It's terrifying all the symptoms you get for such an awful thing. I'm at my worst currently, and I'm not entirely sure how I get through each day. I guess just hope and pray tomorrow's a better day. Always wishing. Your not alone

[Sai26 in reply to bry123]

Im sorry to hear you feel so bad. Its amazing how I actually get through the day especially when I am at work. But I say this to myself 'this too shall pass' and like you say tomorrow will be a better day. We all need to help and support each other

[partygal]

Hi you are certainly not alone I've read all these symptoms are normal. I get a horrible feeling in my throat like there are lumps on my tongue (very strange I know) I can have them for weeks then when I see the GP and they tell me it's all fine they disappear over night. This is just me over thinking and focusing on the problem. Anxiety can show itself it lots of strange ways, I know it's easy to say but you need to try and not focus on what you think you are feeling.

Take care xx

[Sai26 in reply to partygal]

Thank you for your response. It amazes me how many symptoms there are with anxiety its so complex. It just really scares me sometimes how bad I can actually feel. I am seeing the doctor on thursday but my faith has been lost in GP's in the past as they just don't understand. I have even spoke to doctors who seem confused about all these body pains. But I guess they are not mental health professionals. I appreciate your support. Sai

[Hidden]

Hi Sai I can relate to your words. Anxiety is horrible isn't it? Doctors are not mental health professionals and unfortunately some of them don't believe or understand it. But they can refer you to those who can help you as part of their duty of primary care.

For whats its worth try and see a doctor you think would be sympathetic. I generally find women doctors better for this. My favourite doctor is female and she is great.

Let us know how you get on.

Bev x

[Sai26 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your response Bev. Its awful and sometimes I wonder how I get through the days when it's bad. I went to see a female doctor and she is very understanding and supportive. Although there isnt a set cure for my body pains as its the thoughts that cause them. She advised increasing my dose of anti depressant but this doesn't work. Hopefully CBT will help. xx

[Teens20]

Hi Sai, am a new member to this forum and I can totally relate to your symptoms as I get similar pains too, mostly in my neck which accompanies imbalance falling sensations! I am getting chiropractic treatment for this which helps but the moment I get anxious and worried bang the pain hits me!! These days I feel constantly anxious and I hate it!! I have a beautiful family and I can't enjoy due to this devil anxiety, no idea where it had come from but I wish it would leave! All GPs do is prescribe drugs,I don't want to let drugs control me, we need to support each other... Who agrees??

[Sai26 in reply to Teens20]

Yes I agree we do need to support each other. The pains are horrible and I can sympathise with this. It totally takes over me. To be honest I think I will be on drugs for most of my life as they do help me and I am only on a low dose. As I see it the drug im taking helps control the anxiety just as a drug would for any illness/condition. I just wish they weren't so stigmatised in society because more often than not people are quite ignorant about how useful they can be. They have their side effects but I suppose all drugs do. Its so important to get the right support though and I feel better just knowing there are people I can talk to who experience similar feelings.

[eric45]

Hello,

yes, you are not alone! I have GAD too and all of your symptoms are very familiar to me. I have just about learned to ignore them as much as I can.

I used to worry all the time about what caused them. I had bad stomach cramps but colonoscopy and scan revealed there is nothing wrong with me. I had these most awful headaches that felt like someone was squeezing my brain all the time and of course I was thinking about brain tumors. My neck was really stiff and I would wake up at night (when I could sleep feeling like a dummy). However, the most debilitating symptom was tinnitus. I thought I had a Boeing engine inside my ears all the time. All of this of course was happening before my final diagnosis.

The good news is that all those symptoms have now become manageable. As soon as you stop worrying about what causes what and you embrace the fact that it is all down to anxiety, life gets easier. Stopping obsessive thinking is altogether more difficult but at least you worry much less about what happens around your body. You just blame it on your irrational brain and stop using google to check your symptoms night and day.

I guess that by the time you get a diagnosis things have got so bad that recovering is not as easy as it could have been months before. However, I can reassure you that thing do get better over time. The only big problem in re-establishing a normal life is to get over the loneliness that you have experienced.

GAD makes you isolated. Most people do not understand the disorder. Even your GP often doesn't. If your symptoms are bad, chances are that you spend most of your time in bed at home and if you are out you just can't wait to go back there. Therefore, you begin to develop some social anxiety too and what was normal a few months before, like meeting a friend for a drink (if you are lucky to have kept friends in the process) becomes another big obstacle to your recovery.

Also, I don't know if you have noticed but there are no meeting support groups for GAD. I find that quite surprising. I have not found a single self-help group for GAD sufferers in London. Anyway, I may put this point up as a question for the community and see if anybody knows about one or is interested in starting one. I strongly believe that getting out in the community together and meeting each other would be highly beneficial but that is just my opinion of course.

Anyway, keep in touch and all the best for your recovery. BW

[Sai26 in reply to eric45]

Hi

Thanks for your response. I can relate to most of what you have said especially the google thing! GAD is so hard for people to understand its like they can't possibly imagine being in that much pain. I am starting to accept its the anxiety that is causing this rather than thinking I am dying or have an underlying condition. That just makes the anxiety even worse. I am starting my CBT soon so I am hoping that will help. I have to try and distract my mind as much as I can as my thoughts are causing this pain. Unhelpful, obsessive and worrying thoughts.

I am surprised there are no support groups for GAD. There are booklets and pen pals for contact but a self-help group would be better. I agree it would be beneficial