What do you find to be the worst symptom of anxiety?

[Mandy26]

Personally, I find the worst symptom to be the quickened heart beat. It's such a horrible feeling to not be able to control (not at first anyhow) the most important thing in your body, and for it to effect your body in its own way.

[Hidden]

Hi Mandy26

Totally see where you're coming from but for me personally it's the shortness of breath that does me in, the feeling that you're suffocating (which leads to the fast heart beat). I know that if you do pass out your breathing returns to normal but that doesn't help stop it.

Take care

Aurora (^-^)

[Mandy26 in reply to Hidden]

Hi aurora. I hate that too. Anything that disrupts breathing. X

[Shaymocha111 in reply to Hidden]

Yep shortness of breath

[Bramwell]

Prodding and poking my body and generally looking for signs of illness is the worst bit of my anxiety.

[Hidden]

I hate the fact you don't want to do things and no motivation, preferring to stay home, thus creating a loneliness x

[cinling in reply to Hidden]

I agree.

[hamish1]

Depersonalisation and this fog on your mind. I also find i get frustrated very quickly and feel this urge to just run away. I also seem to get all hot and feel tingles running down my back.

[cinling in reply to hamish1]

I have that HOT flash that runs down my back too. I want to run but there is no where to go.

[Hidden in reply to cinling]

Omg I get that hot flush it scares me!

[Chellebells]

Depersonalisation/derealisation.. the brain fog thing. The general feeling of panic too. xx

[Hidden]

Hi, I lost my voice for a year. My therapist said I had lost the will to talk to anyone! But for me the worst has to be the constant worry and the panic it feels like hot pins travelling up my body then goes into my head and that's when the foggy-ness and shaking starts, and the shortness of breath it feels like I'm trying to breathe through a quilt.....hate it. X

[Mandy26 in reply to Hidden]

Ah I really hate this too. It's kike the very first intense stage of panic setting in x

[agora]

When I was at my lowest it was the terror that even though I was alone in my bed I could not get away from the paralysing fear coursing through my body. I was afraid of hurting myself, my loved ones.

[Hidden]

Awful isn't it, I've been told to just sit with the feeling and allow it to come and pass, and not pay any mind to it but its so hard, like you say it's so intense. at the time I feel like its all I've ever known or will know, all of the things ive learnt mindfulness, breathing techniques they all go out of the window when you feel like your dying lol and then somehow I pull myself through it realise the worst hasnt happened and i also haven't died sleep because im so exhausted, then plod on and wait for the next one, urgh I just can't seem to break free. X

[GlobalJ3]

All these replies make me feel relieved that it's not just me that goes through all this! So as horrible as it sounds.... i'm glad to be hearing this off other people. As it's easing my anxiety. I had a year's worth of anxiety last year, and then i didnt feel any sort of anxiety/panic for 5-6 months, and now its' back all of a sudden.. Don't know why. But i know that i've been through it all before and i can actuly get through the other side. So, i'm alot stronger handling it this time round. Still a pain though.

[veganese]

Dizziness and loss of balance affect me worse. Years ago when I first experienced anxiety ( I had many years after when I didn't), I had palpitations and breathing trouble but i don't get those now, only very occasionally palps and I don't fear them as I do dizziness. This tells me something. It does comfort to know other people have the same reactions.

[Orangelady1 in reply to veganese]

Thank god someone else gets loss of balance feeling, I thought it was just me! Why does this happen, this is all just hit me for the first time, and I don't know where it has come from? Thank you, hope you are keeping ok.

[veganese in reply to Orangelady1]

Hi Orangelady. I hold a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders. Also find myself clenching my jaw and across my nose is tight. I think it affects my balance system, eyes get tired/strained. I just got a book in the post today called At Last a Life (Paul David). I'm hoping to follow his advice and stop fighting or constantly worrying about my symptoms. I'm so sick of this. I'm supposed to be going on holiday in 4 weeks time with my daughter and grandchildren but dreading the flight. I think this is why I've felt worse over last week or so.

[Bleachedndeadly in reply to veganese]

I had the feeling drunk thing for about 10 weeks. It made working (I'm a prison officer) so hard. I ended up taking 5 weeks off. I had no idea what it was

[KimMc2002 in reply to veganese]

I am with you! The dizziness is the worst for me, and the more I worry about it the worse it gets! Some days it feels like everything is spinning

[veganese in reply to KimMc2002]

Mornings are worse for me. I'm exhausted before lunchtime. I hate this dizzy eye thing going on right now. I am aware that I have tension in my face, jaw, teeth and base of skull. I've been trying to consciously relax my muscles but within seconds they're tense again. I have to go for naps (1 to 2 hrs!) and then I sleep all night. Thank goodness I have no sleep problems!

[Jacq1969]

Hyperventilation and globus, hard enough when you can't control your breathing but the feeling of a lump in my throat seems so real even though i know it is just my anxiety causing it!

[Normal63 in reply to Jacq1969]

I had this a couple of years ago, and now it’s back😭I hate it, makes me miserable went to cardiologist said everything was good with my heart, but still get this buzzing feeling in my chest, feel like my breathing is shallow. Not taking any meds for this either, hoping it will pass. What gets me is, I have no reason to stress or be depressed about 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️So why do I have this. 🙏🏻For all of us suffering.

[Mandy26]

It's interesting to see how anxiety can effect people differently. Some of us fear the mental aspect and others the physical aspect.

[Hidden]

The worst symptom for me is feeling sick and stomach pains. It often stops me in my tracks when I've been having a good day, and I instantly feel panicked and lose confidence in what I can do!!! Frustrating!

[Emby in reply to Hidden]

I know exactly how you feel.I have the same problems,been to Docs 6 times in the last 5 months,had endoscopy,stool sample and blood tests all fine.Told it's all due to anxiety,believe it for an hour after I've seen the Doc,come home and it all starts again,feel sick,left side abdominal discomfort.Now convinced it's something horrible.and starting to withdraw from family and friends and events as I'm so worried about how I'll be on the day,so avoiding making arrangements at all. Not a good way to live! Hope you feel better soon.

[GlobalJ3]

Worst symptom is experiencing a typical harmless random pain in either my head, chest or.. left leg.. and then jumping straight onto "Oh my god, is this a brain tumour?!" ... or "... pain in left leg? that means?.. stroke?!" .. and then all these paranoia 'puzzle' pieces comes together in my head full of anxiety.. and then 2-3 minutes later. There i am. Either in a bubble of hazy foggy anxiety.. or full-on panic attack. All over a little .. random niggle. Which end's up being nothing in the end. Hate that.

[Ugliebettie]

Constant underlying dread of the day ahead ... I look forward to getting back to my bed before I'm even up in the morning.

[LadySaabra]

It's the feeling sick, I'm emetophobic - makes my anxiety so much worse, horrible cycle - feel sick get anxious feel more sick get more anxious...I probably would not have a problem with anxiety otherwise

At least I know my trigger I guess...

Good luck all

[nannyann23]

My worst symptoms are the very hot sweats that sweep over me ( its not the menopause -been there done that ) and a constant 'lump' in my tummy which prevents me waning to eat which in turn makes me shake cos Im hungry also the waking up early 5am ish and everything races round your brain and you never get back to sleep. Even going to bed is no pleasure as it get anxious about these thoughts before ive even slept. Makes the day so long. Then some days for whatever reason the pain goes about mid afternoon and I feel 'normal' and can catch up on eating and everyday living like normal people do.

[Psychgrad]

I have several much hated symptoms! Panic attacks when you want to run away are awful, the hot flushes ( does anyone else get these??) where I come over feeling really hot, the throwing up and the constant knot of tension in my stomach. Psychologically, the despair and the questioning of how can I live a normal life i.e. get a car, job, house, career etc.

[Rose-Mary]

Palpatations, health anxiety, feeling very isolated, very low energy, the pointlesness of it all. Continual fear of something ad happening to me or loved ones.

[mallet-head]

My worst symptom is the constant stomach churning/nausea and feelings of dread/fear.

Don't know what it is I'm supposed to be afraid of, but my sub-conscious certainly seems to think I'm under threat from something or other, and kicks off good style!

regards, Mallet-head

[Glitch01]

I hate the feeling of depersonalization, the heaviness in the chest, shortness of breath, and the uncontrollable thoughts of dread during a panic attack.

[cinling]

Feeling out of control. It scares me to death.

[JJbyte33]

headache not being able to think

[Maggie-cassidy1988]

Go to be the sore head and eyes am going throuth a stage a thi k am going to go blind sorry if a fell silly

[Hidden]

I'm afraid of the anxiety and I keep getting worse and the pills don't want to take them.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

You have to realise that they're one and the same. Anxiety is the fear you feel and the fear you feel is anxiety. Try to control one of them and the other will fade.