When anxiety convinces you of things.

[Dnel82]

Can anyone chime in and give there two cents as to why anxiety is capable of making/convincing someone that they're dying? The thoughts are one thing but the physical symptoms that follow along with the thoughts can really make a person wonder/worry.

It's sad to think that because this is happening you try and just brush it off. Then there's that "what if." When can one be sure that it's just anxiety? This is the problem with this disorder. You worry yourself to the point that you need reassurance. You go to the hospital and they find nothing. But yet you go on feeling like sh*t thinking you're going to drop dead. You worry yourself to the point you think that the one time you decide to brush it off that'll be the time that something actually happens.

I'd like to believe that if anxiety never caused such intense physical symptoms no one would ever have abnormal anxiety. I think it's the physical part that keeps us stuck in this loop because we dread the sensations the physical symptoms cause on our bodies and this constantly keeps us in an anxious state.

[aldebaran21]

Hello Dnel,

I know exactly what you feel, I have been suffering from severe anxiety the last month because I quit smoking, and every muscular pain, every big cough (totally normal symptom of withdrawal) I feel I want to run to a hospital because I thing that’s it, i am dying. Next thing I know I am next to a panic attack! Trouble breathing, chest pains, you know the hole deal.

The panic attack has happened to me 4 times in the last month, never before in my life. As you say I really feel like sh*t on those days, and thinking I may have another attack scares the hell out of me!

But I try to feel positive, try to think I’m better everyday etc.

I know it doesn’t sound as much, but have you try natural remedies? For example the Linden Blossom tea really helps me sleep and during my worse anxiety it has calm me down a lot.

Also I take garlic supplement (or a natural garlic clove) it really helps a lot controlling your blood pleasure, which help not to feel as bad when the anxiety attack comes, since your heart doesn’t beat as fast.

And i know natural remedies sounds like a lot of bullsh*t, but every help counts and you don’t have anything to loose, not saying that they are gonna magically make all those feelings go away, But I am very positive about them helping you get trough those terrifying moments.

I wish you well man, hope you start feeling better and better each day.

Daniel

[Krn210]

Some of it is because we are naturally “wired” to worry. In a sense it’s easier to worry than to think positively, or even rationally in some situations. We become so accustomed to worrying that when we experience a sensation whether familiar or unfamilar our brains automatically think oh sh*t this is it! This is the time it’s something major! I always think back to what my immediate thoughts were when the sensation happened. If I immediately felt like I need to jump up or leave where ever, or the OH NO thought then I contribute it to anxiety. If it didn’t occur with those immediate thoughts then I “play it by ear” to see if it is something that I need to go to the doctor for. I do agree with you that the physical sensations are what keeps us in an overly sensitive state. Especially when they come out of seemingly nowhere.

[Janco]

I think it's linked to our "fight or flight" response. We get anxious about something and then our body starts to prepare for the fight (that was coming, like a bear or lion) or flight, just run for it.

The problem with our modern society is that we do not fight or run when we encounter a threat, we have to sit behind a computer, in front of a boss, or just take the threat of possible death! (perceived or real) .

Exercise is very important!

My problem was that I had a real heart rhythm problem(AFIB), and then I got anxiety and panic attacks which caused a racing heartbeat, dry mouth dizziness and so on...

Thankfully I/we conquered it. Family, friends, psychiatrist, psychologist and lots of prayers.

I developed a technique #thoughtarrest to help me check and try and control my thoughts.

There is hope! It can go away.

[Tikirob]

We are our brains. If our brains tell us something we believe it. My brain tells me the sky is blue and I see and believe it. My brain tells me the word happy means to smile and I believe that but then there is the case of your brain telling you you are ill and guess what, it keeps you guessing and guessing and guessing.

So a guy walks into the hospital with a bad pain in his neck, his wife has never seen him like this, and they here some discouraging information, turns out the guy has a bad herniated disk. The guy tuns to his wife and says, “I was holding on to the chance it was somatic”, and she says, “let’s be real that rarely happens...” yet here you walk into the hospital and you are that rarity most times and you think the same way, “somatic causes rarely happen how can it be in my mind?” Which gives you further anxiety because although it’s a blessing that it’s not real your mind is sick and telling you some misinformation. What it boils down to is a tortuous fear of death that robs you of time, robs you of purpose, robs you of courage, robs you of joy, robs you of self trust, all in the hopes you will never die. But you want to be vigilant so you can go on being vigilant until your whole life is being vigilant until you are exhausted with the world. Then you see a story about a woman who lost the use of her legs but managed to raise 4 kids, become a doctor, and complete a triathlon and you feel awful, lame, guilt ridden, “I can walk just fine but I’m scared to even eat salad because of, you know the germs”, you challenge yourself to eat the salad, bite your lip, it bleeds and then the next day all day on the Internet looking up HIV possibilities...and in that time someone else has done something productive and guilt for wasting your day on health anxiety kicks in and you stay up listening to your heartbeats praying to God to get rid of your anxiety, to be normal and to have the confidence not to worry.

We have to learn to boss our brains. To say I know your telling me this spot on my skin is a killer but once you get your say at the table it’s my turn and I’m not letting that spot ruin my day, make my day about the spot, all my questions about the spot, I’m going to take your message and sit on it and once I calm down I’m going to get up, take a walk to my favorite spot and focus on the beauty of this world. And who knows maybe the spot is just a spot, but my life is not a spot, not today it isn’t. By the way I, this is the hardest thing you will ever have to do, ignore your own brain, I personally suck at it but I am trying, it robbed me of 13 years and I am sick of it.

[Rilo7268]

I think it can be the power of the mind/body connection. something triggers us, we start to associate our anxiety with that event and then its an endless loop. I had a panic attack I thought was a heart attack, now every time I get some bodily pain/sensation i fear it's my heart.

I think we condition ourselves by associating events with our fears over and over. our nervous systems and state of anxiety are already higher than the average person so it's easy for us to jump to the wrong conclusion. on good days i can think nope that thought isnt true and brush off physical sensations. other times i obsess over what i feel going on in my body.

you're absolutely right that it's the fear of sensations that keeps us afraid. I try to use the dare method to tackle anxiety. I think the key is to accept whatever you're thinking and feeling. let it be and it will pass. easier said than done, but I've found this technique to be pretty reliable.

[Fablegirl67]

Hello Dnel,

I agree 1000% with what you said. It's the physical symptoms of anxiety that perpetuate an endless cycle of fear. That's what is so hard and frustrating about this condition. You have legitimate physical symptoms that are terrifying, and while they are happening it's very hard to believe the good health reported by the doctors. I really understand what you're saying here.