Sometimes anxiety is only trying to be helpful.

[Jeff1943]

I'll give you a few examples, there may be others. Agoraphobia is a common symptom of anxiety disorder. It can keep people prisoners in their homes for years, fearing to venture outside. The reason for this is that our brains know we're experiencing anxiety and senses we're in danger. So to protect us our brain makes us agoraphobic to ensure we remain in the safety of our home, our comfort zone.

Of course, this is far from helpful, it's a phobia we can do without, thank you very much. It may have been helpful when sabre tooth tigers and dinosaurs roamed the earth but not now.

Then there's derealisation (DR) which is a feeling of not being present where you are, as if you're watching everything on a big screen TV, like you're 'not there'. I used to experience it mildly when my anxiety was bad and for some reason still feel it sometimes in supermarkets with strong fluorescent lighting. Once again, this is anxiety trying to protect us from the reality of the tense, stressful world we live in. Our brain senses anxiety and is trying to distance us from the things that make us fearful.

But once again, anxiety's helpful attempt only makes things worse: derealisation is a most unpleasant feeling, nature's cure is worst than the original complaint.

There's also the way that when we have high anxiety every worry and threat is magnified many times over - to the point of feeling death is imminant. Here again anxiety in its clumsy way is only trying to make us avoid everyday problems because it thinks we can't cope and wants to protect us from the danger of failure. And once again it's a case of anxiety's cure being worse than the complaint. With friends like that who needs enemies?

I mention all this because it's important to understand why we feel the way we do, at least it overcomes our bewilderment. The answer to all these manifestations of anxiety is the same: accept them for the time being, accept them as calmly as possible, until we can function almost as well with anxiety as without it. When that time comes we have lost our fear of anxiety and our over-sensitised nerves return to normal.

Constantly living in anticipation of a panic attack causes far more fear than the panic attack itself.

[Agora1]

Thanks Jeff1943, it's a good reminder for us all as well as an awakening for others just experiencing anxiety for the first time. It's a very important post to read over a couple times, until it sinks in.

[gemfire]

I love the way you explain this. You sure have a way with words and understand this disorder. I especially like the last sentence. That was me about 20 years ago!

[carolyn982]

Thank you so much, Jeff. I really enjoyed reading your post. It's amazing how anxiety has so many different symptoms and manifests in different ways. One day you think you're familiar with the symptoms and then the next day you feel sick and dizzy and think you're going to pass out and worry about that and then you realize it's also probably anxiety! It is such a vicious cycle. I think I might go and read a little Claire Weekes now. It's also strange how when you're a kid, you think of anxiety as just being nervous- feeling jittery. It didn't feel like you were sick, or feeling strange... oh well.. we just must keep going and deal with it.

[Hopeful-Tinkerbell]

I agree MollyStark! He should write a book. I’d buy it! I just gone on here in a moment of self loathing and anxiety. His words are so encouraging!

Thanks again Jeff!

[Jeff1943]

Thank you for your kind words but that book is already in existence, Claire Weekes wrote it and I just repeat and apply what she wrote.

[Omerald]

Is it normal to experience them all at the same time ?

[Jeff1943 in reply to Omerald]

We all usually experience more than one symptom of anxiety so: agoraphobia+derealisation +exaggerated nervous symptoms together is not unknown. But the cause is always the same, anxiety takes many forms but it is always still anxiety.

[Omerald]

I have anxiety / depression and I worry about mostly everything especially when I’m still and not active , this is scary. I can’t sleep at night b/c of running thoughts in my head, is affecting my health I get headaches I’m always tired and I suffer from acid reflex and it gotten worst . I feel like I’m dying little by little..I need help

[Jeff1943 in reply to Omerald]

Omerald, all this is classic anxiety order, your nervous system has become over sensitised and is causing the bad feelings and bad thoughts.

The solution is to stop flooding your nerves with fear hormone due to worry and stress about the symptoms of anxiety and the best way I know of to do that is the Acceptance method developed by Doctor Claire Weekes in her first book 'Self help for your nerves'. This explains in simple terms how we get sensitised and offers a method that allows us to recover our shattered nerves and regain normal thinking and peace of mind. The book is available new or used from Amazon and I recommend it.