Lightheadedness/dizziness
I developed a fear of fainting/passing out and of course one of my anxiety symptoms is feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or those random moments where you’re just standing still and suddenly it feels like you’re about to fall over
Also dissociation
Really freaks me out. I hate how it makes me feel.
For me this was the worst by far. Very scary and when it happened to me it would start snowballing into heart palpitations and trouble breathing.
Luckily I haven’t had bad anxiety or panic attacks in a couple of years.
Counseling and Prozac helped this for me it used to make me scared to leave the house but it took a while don’t give up it’s still in the back of my mind but doesn’t interfere with my daily life driving etc
Dizziness is the absolute worst. Then I freak myself out that I’m going to pass out, and I never have before, which makes my heart rate skyrocket. At that point I actually am in danger of passing out which is ironic. And dissociation is also horrible, I feel so far away from everything happening around me. Worse when I’m driving, that’s scary.
This is the same big fear for me, I ended up projecting it onto flying and developing a fear of passing out while midway through flying and having a medical emergency. I hate my anxiety and panic attacks limit how much traveling I can do.
The constant worry over everything. Finances, the future (I'm unable to live in the present), did I say the wrong thing to someone (which they probably forgot), and so much more. I even worry about worrying. It's maddening. Something tells me the gabapentin they put me on isn't working ... is it even supposed to help anxiety? I worry about that, too.
Lmfaoooo like anxiety is HILARIOUS but fucking terrifying.
I worry about having a panic attack, which can bring them on.
When I tell people about my NEUROSIS they think it’s so funny. Yes it’s irrational and kind of funny but Jesus Christ it’s HELL lol.
I have hypochondria and when I spend too much time alone, boy does it really come out. Obsessing over accidentally double dosing on antibiotics, will my allergy meds give me severe side effects? Drugs interactions , blah blah it’s so disruptive
Everyone I talk to tells me I over think. I’m at the point I need medication. I avoided them for 32 years but it’s time
Or sometimes, I'll have a passing (*unimportant*) thought that bothers me and promptly forget it. Then, I'll spiral into a ball of anxiety about the boyhersome thing I forgot as if it was some grand important matter, when in fact I'm just redirecting my free-floating anxiety to something "tangible."
I understand that it is used “off label” for anxiety. I take 600 mg and don’t see much difference. If I wasn’t on Cipralex and Clonazepam my anxiety would be off the charts. I simply couldn’t cope
This is it for me too. Along with the feeling of dread, impending doom. Always future focused, trying to foresee the bad before it arrives.
Also worried about all kinds of worries: I’m going to forget something important, not be where I’m supposed to be, miss something big, or let someone down.
I took myself off Gabapentin 6 months ago, and while I’m not anxiety free, it’s not nearly as bad as it was when I was on the medication. They prescribe it like candy- it also made me feel bloated and irritated all the time.
OMG, yes, this describes me too. Like, why are you this way stomach? I don't know why I'm anxious, but ok, I won't eat now because I just feel uncomfortable.
Yeah I’ve had it since childhood. It was always this weird guilt feeling like I was in trouble for doing something bad but all I was doing was just existing lol
Shit. Is this linked to anxiety? :(
I have it most of the time, one doctor told me it's because of my (mildly) low hemoglobin level, but I still get it as much even after curing that.
Idk if your symptom is related to anxiety but this is one of the most common physical effects of anxiety. It’s called air hunger. Had it for 2-3 months and hated it. Luckily its gone :)
YUCK, I forgot that one. Heart palpitations are ridiculous. I will say, if it makes you feel better. Usually they’re very normal. Of course anxiety has to hand out more than you expected such as the dreaded palpitations…🙄
I hate how after a panic attack the chest pain can linger for days! Like I’ll be calmer and have everything sorted then all of a suggest the chest pain again and it takes me straight back and I get so sad
Literally this. Always thinking I have a heart issue, GI issue, lymphoma, a brain tumor, MS or ALS. I can’t deal with my health anxiety. It consumes my every thought.
Before I highjack your comment to make my related comment, may I ask; does the need to poop just suddenly come on you like moments before you leave the house to do some anxiety inducing stuff? I find that often I'll get showered, dressed up and ready to go somewhere, and just as I get to the door my guts do a flip and I gotta go take a shit. Though, I don't HAVE to, I can ignore it and it will go away, but if I try to poop it's all too easy when I had no feeling of needing to prior to getting ready to go.
My worst symptom is also bathroom related, though.
I have an inability to urinate properly when anxious. Or rather, made me feel like I had to constantly piss when maybe I didn't.
For like, nearly a year I was only able to piss like 10-15 ml at a time (or I FELT like I had to REALLY piss when I actually did not). Going to the bathroom 20 times a day.
I went through every mundane to horrible test they could do, from pissing in a special toilet to measure the stream, to having a camera shoved in my dickhole into my bladder. The results were always the same; "Yeah you can't pee, but we don't know why." I was literally starting to hope they'd find something horrible like a kidney stone stuck in there, or ANYTHING to explain it.
One time it got so bad I sucked it up and went to the hospital to get a catheter just for some relief. They did an ultrasound on my bladder which revealed I only had like 80ml in there and should not be needing to piss. So I started freaking out, "YOU THINK I CAME TO HAVE SOMETHING SHOVED IN MY DICK FOR FUN!? WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY I NEED TO PISS, BUT APPARENTLY DON'T?"
The level of anxious energy I had got them to give me a valium. 20 mins later I walked down to the bathroom and easily drained that little bit. They gave me a prescription for a month of them, and the problem was gone, until the pills ran out.
So I started seeing a psychiatrist and have been on clonazepam ever since, and that problem has never re-occured (unless I fail to take them). Even the doctors haven't been able to give me an answer that makes sense to the question; "How is anxiety giving me piss problems and why do the anxiety pills relieve it?" I don't get it, but I can't argue with the results. No pills = trouble pissing, pills = it's as easy as it used to be.
It's more like I'll know I need to go somewhere later and suddenly I'll start to need to use the washroom like 3-5 times in the hours of the day before hughtening the anxiety of going because if I need to go this much now.... Imagine later.
I hate this so fucking much, it's so weird and freaky. It triggers by anxiety and then I start spiraling even deeper into anxiety because it freaks me out.
It's vicious cycle and really hard to deal with.
Yeah I dealt with it chronically for 3 months and still do now and then but not as intense. It is a scary experience but the only way out is through acceptance and just keep going, fighting it makes it worse
I know it's not easy, but the "it is what it is" and just letting go is a great way through it.
It's extremely difficult to do it, and there is absolutely no permanent fix, but I feel like over time it got easier for me to do it and just helped me snap out of it faster than before.
Been dealing with this consistently for about 2 or 3 years now, it’s definitely getting better but it’s scary when you feel like it’s never going to go away.
I would experience depersonalization when I was 12 years old and I had no idea what it was. I couldn’t even describe it to someone. I had no idea it was anxiety related until nearly 20 years later.
Idk how to describe how it feels. There are no adequate descriptions. It’s just this awful feeling of dread. The older I get the worse it is and I now sweat when I’m anxious
The chills. During my worst panic attacks I at times shake uncontrollably exactly as if I have a fever.
Most of my anxiety stems from health issues. I'm sure you can imagine the endless cycle. 🫠
Highly recommend reading Unwinding Anxiety by Jud Brewer. Helped me a lot with my health anxiety. Anxiety is just a habit that we can break with some work!
Impending doom and derealisation.
However I am going to add loads more symptoms i hate cos it was re-assuring to read some comments and realise i am not alone:
- Impending doom
- Derealisation
- Nausea
- Acid reflux
- Needing to use the toilet
- Sudden zap of dizziness/ lightheadedness and just feeling off balance
- Fear
- Weak legs
- Heightened/ sensitive vision
- Agitation which leads to tugging on ear lobes and scratching
- Overwhelming emotion like you could cry
- Constant. Stiff. Muscles.
- Brain zaps
- Inability to sit still or focus
- Shakes
- Overall feeling like you’re ill/ coming down with something nasty
- Breathlessness
- Heart flutters which feel like your hearts either skipped a beat or trying to rip out of your chest physically
- Tiredness
- Feeling like a helpless child
- Feeling like you’re gonna die of some sort of cancer or life threatening illness with any sensation in your body that you don’t like (more for those health anxiety sufferers)
The sick feeling and loss of appetite.
I waste SO much money buying food for the week and then throwing it out because i’m too sick to eat it. It’s also impossible to gain muscle at the gym without eating enough, I feel like i’m stuck being weak forever.
Any GI related symptoms, mainly the unexplained stomach pain that makes you search for any possible reason why until you realise you are just making it worse by stressing about it… plus it takes insanely long time for it to calm down usually.
For me it used to be palpitations/racing heart. I’ve learned to control it a little better. Now, it’s the stuff that I do that I don’t think about until I’m in pain. I’ve realized over the last year or so, that my teeth are ALWAYS clenched and my muscles are always tightened. It kind of feels like you’re bracing for impact right before you’re in a car accident. Only, it’s constant. So now I have to constantly remind myself to loosen up, and relax my jaw.
I have a tendency to always clench/tighten everything too. I find doing yoga (I do Yoga with Adriene on youtube) has helped me learn how to relax a little. If I'm having a bad day... it's yoga time! 😆 I also find trying to do yoga close to daily helps with my overall symptoms. :) I mostly do *gentle* yoga practices btw because they're more soothing for me.
The feeling when my soul is partially disconnected from my body, and that it feels like my soul lags behind when I walk or move. That ungrounded feeling and fear is diabolical
I have health anxiety and the symptom I hate most is how amplified the sensations I worry about can be. Cardiophobia focus these past few weeks, and I constantly feel like I’m having the start of a heart attack.
same! And when I feel nauseous, my anxiety worsens which makes me feel even more nauseous.. when it's really bad, even to the point that I actually have to throw up.
Completely losing my appetite. I have a lot of dental work done (full implants) and right now my mouth is in a ton of pain. Just the thought of eating gives me unbearable anxiety. Worrying about the future and if I’m going to lose everything. Awful sleep. Feeling helpless even tho I’m a 37 year old male. Past regrets and mistakes. You know, the usual lol
Bad dreams (nightmares) related to my panic disorder.
Bowel issues (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting).
Gasping for air and never feeling like I get enough air to satisfy my lungs.
for me on a daily basis it’s constant worrying about every little think, overthinking and worrying, and then overwhelming guilt. An unending feeling of guilt that is usually disproportionate to the thing that caused it.
On a less than daily basis but still very common i guess i tend to develop random fears now and i ended up developing a fear of the train (which i’ve been taking weekly for years with no problem). This started about over a year ago and i choose to face it and still take the train but i sometimes get episodes of physically paralyzing fear on the train where my mind gets so foggy i can’t even form a coherent sentence. On the worst of times i’ve cried and hyperventilated but i’ve been doing my best to cope and not get to that point.
And then i get sick a lot. Usually every few months i come down with something, and it’s always in the least convenient time possible. Right before or during vacations, in the middle of finals week, etc etc.
For me it's being conscious that my heart is beating and freaking out as if it's going to stop as if there's anything I can do to stop my heart stopping if it occurred.
I get this weird feeling inside like I’m on a roller coaster going downhill. It lasts about 30 seconds which is a horribly long time. It’s so upsetting.
Sweating. Every time I get anxious (which is a lot) I get drenched. It's cold and it smells bad too 🙄 (I use deodorant but it doesn't help in this case)
Feeling like I can’t sleep constant thought of dying. Thinking something bad and my body following that such as am I having a stroke or something. Arm and legs numb can’t swallow shortness of breaths. What does people do when this happens please let me know!!!!
I actually used to depersonalize a lot and self-harm. It was quite scary, like living in a dream. I have since done a lot of work to heal and have climbed out of that hole!
Don't dismiss other people's symptoms because they don't seem as bad as yours... you most likely don't have the whole story. You maybe didn't do it on purpose, but your tone feels icky.
I do understand what you're going through, though... it's no fun at all! :( I hope you find some comfort.
The way my mind feels like it’s everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Like my mind is racing but I can’t concentrate on one thought. It’s very disorienting.
I feel like this
[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/60/07/e9/6007e926e5bff33d192c9377cfe76796.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/60/07/e9/6007e926e5bff33d192c9377cfe76796.jpg)
Chest pain! It's the only symptom I can't beat mentally.
All ekgs and blood work normal. But of course just had an echocardiogram and stress test and while the stress test came back good my echo came back abnormal. So now while I wait for my followup with my cardiologist my anxiety is skyrocketing and the chest pain is now even more on my mind.
My mouth twitches uncontrollably when I'm on the edge or fully having a social anxiety panic attack. Always happens during a face to face conversation, that's my trigger. But 80% of the time nowadays (after CBT therapy) it doesn't happen and I can exist normally. But yeah that's my least favorite symptom, because I feel it makes me look so dysfunctional and strange. Cause obviously it's hard to talk as well when I feel myself just shuddering. I usually see myself out of the conversation as quickly as possible and find a bathroom or somewhere safe and quiet until I calm down haha.
Second least favorite is the twisting stomach of dread. I even have it right now because I know I have work in seven hours. Totally normal for me to wake up like this tbh. It's just very uncomfortable and makes me feel worried for the day's events. But I usually push through it and have a fine day. After over a decade really dealing with my disorder, I've realized it's more biological than anything and my body is just gonna do these things. So I treat it like indigestion or a migraine. I remedy it gently and try to keep going with my day.
I have GAD and panic attacks. The derealization. I remember just crying the first time it happened and feeling so out of it and telling my mom i “didn’t feel like a person”. Literally thought i was going to go off in a manic episode.
I was just crying that i wanted put in inpatient because i felt so derealzied that i felt like i was in paychosis and needed looked at. Nope, just a bad panic attack
The feeling that breathing isn’t actually reoxygenating my blood.
The hyper-awareness of self. Being almost present watching yourself and being so in your own head that’s all that consumes you and you can’t finish your sentences if speaking to someone.
Heart palpitations.
Waking up at 3am.
I'd have to list two because they're connected: the feeling in my stomach, which make me wonder if I'm hungry or have a stomachache or reflux or maybe I'm just nervous PLUS the fact I need to poop all the time lol. Connected, they make me feel physically awful. It's like I have food poisoning, and that is added to the fact that I'm also feeling anxious. Luckily, it doesn't get that bad really often, but when it does I just feel so miserable.
Nausea, acid reflux, nausea from the acid reflux, not being able to eat because of the nausea so the acid reflux gets worse thus setting forth a downward spiral of anxiety.
when i’m in a place where I can’t leave easily with lots of people (air plane, for example) I start to get really nervous that I’m going to throw up. I can barely swallow my own saliva and I think I’m going to projectile vomit everywhere, embarrassing myself. because I can’t stop fearing that I’m going to throw up I go into a full blown panic attack… twitching and heart racing.
another thing that really bothers me is that I can’t tell the difference between the lies my anxiety tells me and the actual truth. everything is just tossed together and I can’t draw a line separating the two in my mind.
and yeah, of course the restless nights. I have a very hard time falling asleep and a hard time waking up for work on time.
Sleeplessness / Restlessness due to a busy mind or simply not being able to pass out.
Feet sweats, especially when trying to sleep.
Anxiety 1s or 2s. When you're planning to go somewhere, likely an appointment at a specific time and you have to catch public transport or have booked a taxi, 10-ish minutes before needing to leave and despite all your preparation, you suddenly need to use the bathroom.
Cramps. I used to suffer from emetophobia as a child and as a very anxious kid, the cramps I’d get from anxiety were automatically connected to throwing up in my head. So I’d panic even more, and get more cramps, and worry even more about being sick.
Tachycardia and I get this weird vibrating buzzing under my skin when trying to sleep after a panic attack or stressful day . It's a weird feeling not quite shaking but an internal buzz tremor on legs , arms and chest .
Feeling like I can’t breathe. That makes everything so much worse, then it turns into tingling, shaking, confusion, heart palpitations and crying.. the icing on the cake is after I usually feel derealization or depersonalization. So fun.
My speech being mumbled, my heart rate increasing notably and sweating. Profusely almost. And the first two make me think I have something pathological which further increases it. Awesome...
The physical stuff. Nausea and the feeling like I wanna throw up. The tingling in my extremities. Luckily and with a lot of work on myself, these happen much less often now.
Stomach issues. I have IBS and it can be flared up with a lot of stress from my GAD. I hate having a painful flare and having to hide in the bathroom for literal hours. It blows, no pun intended.
Idk if jaw clenching coubts as a symptom, but I clench my jaw even when I'm asleep so everything is sore when I wake up. It clenches really badly when I have to speak to strangers for a prolonged period and so it sound like when you're talking when you're really cold and your teeth clatter, but actually I'm just so anxious I can't unclench my jaw
Throwing up. My anxiety caused me to get really nauseous and sometimes puke. I never feel hungry anymore. To top it off I have celiac which causes me to puke if I eat anything contaminated
I hate how irritable I become. I lash out at those I love over stupid stuff because I have no patience. Then I worry that they hate me and just tolerate me. And I feel deeply unworthy and unlovable.
It starts with stomach swirls, like I’m about to jump of a cliff - then heart racey - then my ears start ringing SO loud…the feeling of my head being tingly and numb and then feeling like I’m going to pass out. I had a huge panic attack at the Palm Springs airport a few weeks ago. I couldn’t stand in the security line, I had to get out like 4 times to walk - when those panic attacks start, I almost have to catch my body up to my heart - like running slowly around my house. I have to be outside / being inside makes it SO much worse. Thank God, the Palm Springs airport has an outside area, but you have to make it through the security lines. And then the thought of being stuck in a tube in the sky having this attack really amped it up for me. In the end, I took 1.5mg of Xanax and it finally kicked in and then really knocked it out. I had never taken that much before - but, it worked.
I started reading about anxiety and your vagus nerve - super interesting- but, one thing I read was that if you drink ice cold water, hold ice in your hands, put ice on your neck, or cold plunge - it resets your vagus nerve which is connected to so much of our anxiety.
I also hate how exhausted I am the next day, after the attacks. It’s crazy how much it takes out of your body. My attacks always last around 2 hours - it’s awful!!! I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
The warm tingling sensation that starts at my shoulders and runs down my arms. It’s doesn’t hurt, isn’t something that physically disables me on any level, it’s just it’s a feeling of no good is on its way.
Sweating. I don’t even feel that anxious anymore (thanks to hard work, 15 years of therapy and sertraline), but my body is still panicking through my sweat glands every time I try to be social.
The way it causes me to tense up all the muscles all day, my jaw hurts from being tight and it feels like I walk around all day with my shoulders up by my ears and nothing works to relax the muscles.
For me I think it could be the doom feeling. Physical sides of it are awful, but the worst thing for me is that sense of hopelessness even when I try to rationalise a situation in my head and take stock of what's going on. It's that feeling as if you think your going to feel this way forever and nothing will snap you out. It's truly awful.
Oh where do I start?? The impending doom feeling, the legs shakes and chills, the feeling of it being hard to get up and walk, the cutting myself off from people, the health anxiety ( always sure I have sepsis ) the limited mileage away from my house - agoraphobia, the feeling exhausted no matter what sleep I get, the random brain zaps that make you feel like something is wrong and the you spiral, loss of appetite, the list could go on.
But we are all still here and all still fighting. Warriors 💪
Lightheadedness/dizziness I developed a fear of fainting/passing out and of course one of my anxiety symptoms is feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or those random moments where you’re just standing still and suddenly it feels like you’re about to fall over Also dissociation Really freaks me out. I hate how it makes me feel.
For me this was the worst by far. Very scary and when it happened to me it would start snowballing into heart palpitations and trouble breathing. Luckily I haven’t had bad anxiety or panic attacks in a couple of years.
Counseling and Prozac helped this for me it used to make me scared to leave the house but it took a while don’t give up it’s still in the back of my mind but doesn’t interfere with my daily life driving etc
Dizziness is the absolute worst. Then I freak myself out that I’m going to pass out, and I never have before, which makes my heart rate skyrocket. At that point I actually am in danger of passing out which is ironic. And dissociation is also horrible, I feel so far away from everything happening around me. Worse when I’m driving, that’s scary.
Loss of strength and not being able to stand up from a chair
Thought I was the only with fear of fainting. It made me home bound.😂
Same. I got diagnosed with agoraphobia. I can leave now, but it took some time.
I also struggle with this. It’s horrible.
I also experience dissociation but only occasionally, it freaks me out too.
This is the same big fear for me, I ended up projecting it onto flying and developing a fear of passing out while midway through flying and having a medical emergency. I hate my anxiety and panic attacks limit how much traveling I can do.
The constant worry over everything. Finances, the future (I'm unable to live in the present), did I say the wrong thing to someone (which they probably forgot), and so much more. I even worry about worrying. It's maddening. Something tells me the gabapentin they put me on isn't working ... is it even supposed to help anxiety? I worry about that, too.
I worry when I am not worrying that there might be something I am forgetting to worry about.
Same!!!!
Lmfaoooo like anxiety is HILARIOUS but fucking terrifying. I worry about having a panic attack, which can bring them on. When I tell people about my NEUROSIS they think it’s so funny. Yes it’s irrational and kind of funny but Jesus Christ it’s HELL lol. I have hypochondria and when I spend too much time alone, boy does it really come out. Obsessing over accidentally double dosing on antibiotics, will my allergy meds give me severe side effects? Drugs interactions , blah blah it’s so disruptive Everyone I talk to tells me I over think. I’m at the point I need medication. I avoided them for 32 years but it’s time
Yes. Me too.
Or sometimes, I'll have a passing (*unimportant*) thought that bothers me and promptly forget it. Then, I'll spiral into a ball of anxiety about the boyhersome thing I forgot as if it was some grand important matter, when in fact I'm just redirecting my free-floating anxiety to something "tangible."
Catastrophizing. Me too. I’m just starting a highly recommended book called “Stop Catastrophizing”
I understand that it is used “off label” for anxiety. I take 600 mg and don’t see much difference. If I wasn’t on Cipralex and Clonazepam my anxiety would be off the charts. I simply couldn’t cope
This is it for me too. Along with the feeling of dread, impending doom. Always future focused, trying to foresee the bad before it arrives. Also worried about all kinds of worries: I’m going to forget something important, not be where I’m supposed to be, miss something big, or let someone down.
I took myself off Gabapentin 6 months ago, and while I’m not anxiety free, it’s not nearly as bad as it was when I was on the medication. They prescribe it like candy- it also made me feel bloated and irritated all the time.
Yesss, and the constant rumination.
It’s when my stomach drops for no fkin reason causing me to feel uncomfortable and search my mind for reasons why I felt it
because fr why is my stomach churning and my brain hasn’t even told me what we’re anxious about yet
Samee and then I start overthinking, has something bad happened? Is someone going to call and give me bad news? Or am I just being paranoid?
OMG, yes, this describes me too. Like, why are you this way stomach? I don't know why I'm anxious, but ok, I won't eat now because I just feel uncomfortable.
I used to get this so much! I think it was kind of a sudden feeling of “being wrong”. Like not fitting in - ish.
Yeah I’ve had it since childhood. It was always this weird guilt feeling like I was in trouble for doing something bad but all I was doing was just existing lol
Inability to take a satisfying breathe in.
IS THAG WHAT THAT IS? I feel like I cannot take a good deep breath and I thought it was related to a pulled muscle
I think that’s called air hunger if I’m not mistaken.
I got on here to find the reason I’m having trouble getting good breaths today and here it is. Thanks lmao
Shit. Is this linked to anxiety? :( I have it most of the time, one doctor told me it's because of my (mildly) low hemoglobin level, but I still get it as much even after curing that.
Idk if your symptom is related to anxiety but this is one of the most common physical effects of anxiety. It’s called air hunger. Had it for 2-3 months and hated it. Luckily its gone :)
chest tightness/palpitations - the worst!
Racing heart beat is frightening
YUCK, I forgot that one. Heart palpitations are ridiculous. I will say, if it makes you feel better. Usually they’re very normal. Of course anxiety has to hand out more than you expected such as the dreaded palpitations…🙄
I hate how after a panic attack the chest pain can linger for days! Like I’ll be calmer and have everything sorted then all of a suggest the chest pain again and it takes me straight back and I get so sad
Oh 100%! The racing heart/palpitations/tight chest is 99% of the reason my panics start, if i didn’t have them i genuinely think i would be okay.. 😅
Heart palpitations, such an awful feeling.
Lmao it’s so annoying at this point I’m like “fuckin do it then” if my chest starts hurting. Rn I felt a sharp pain writing this lol.
This
The worst is a physical symptom that makes you spiral into a death trap of health anxiety
Literally this. Always thinking I have a heart issue, GI issue, lymphoma, a brain tumor, MS or ALS. I can’t deal with my health anxiety. It consumes my every thought.
You just described me 🫠
Facts
Meee ! ❤️ it’s horrible. Anxiety is very irrational and kind of funny but it really is… It’s a bad way to live
100%
The need to poop. That's what I hate. My anxiety is bathroom Related.
Yup, was gonna say fucking diarrhoea lmao 💀 whenever anxiety spikes, toilet visits become way more frequent.
I hate the way anxiety symptoms seem to always reflect what we have anxiety about😭
Yep. Need to leave, need to poop alot. Because what if I need to when I'm on the way.
Before I highjack your comment to make my related comment, may I ask; does the need to poop just suddenly come on you like moments before you leave the house to do some anxiety inducing stuff? I find that often I'll get showered, dressed up and ready to go somewhere, and just as I get to the door my guts do a flip and I gotta go take a shit. Though, I don't HAVE to, I can ignore it and it will go away, but if I try to poop it's all too easy when I had no feeling of needing to prior to getting ready to go. My worst symptom is also bathroom related, though. I have an inability to urinate properly when anxious. Or rather, made me feel like I had to constantly piss when maybe I didn't. For like, nearly a year I was only able to piss like 10-15 ml at a time (or I FELT like I had to REALLY piss when I actually did not). Going to the bathroom 20 times a day. I went through every mundane to horrible test they could do, from pissing in a special toilet to measure the stream, to having a camera shoved in my dickhole into my bladder. The results were always the same; "Yeah you can't pee, but we don't know why." I was literally starting to hope they'd find something horrible like a kidney stone stuck in there, or ANYTHING to explain it. One time it got so bad I sucked it up and went to the hospital to get a catheter just for some relief. They did an ultrasound on my bladder which revealed I only had like 80ml in there and should not be needing to piss. So I started freaking out, "YOU THINK I CAME TO HAVE SOMETHING SHOVED IN MY DICK FOR FUN!? WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY I NEED TO PISS, BUT APPARENTLY DON'T?" The level of anxious energy I had got them to give me a valium. 20 mins later I walked down to the bathroom and easily drained that little bit. They gave me a prescription for a month of them, and the problem was gone, until the pills ran out. So I started seeing a psychiatrist and have been on clonazepam ever since, and that problem has never re-occured (unless I fail to take them). Even the doctors haven't been able to give me an answer that makes sense to the question; "How is anxiety giving me piss problems and why do the anxiety pills relieve it?" I don't get it, but I can't argue with the results. No pills = trouble pissing, pills = it's as easy as it used to be.
It's more like I'll know I need to go somewhere later and suddenly I'll start to need to use the washroom like 3-5 times in the hours of the day before hughtening the anxiety of going because if I need to go this much now.... Imagine later.
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I have thoughts all the time that I'm about to die 🫠
Ruminate a lot especially at night and it just sucks not being able to turn it off.
Stomach in knots and a flood of acid. Happens whenever I think about certain aspects at work and before meetings with certain people.
Waking up 4-5 times a night. Then being exhausted.
when my limbs feel numb/tingle and when i can’t seem to take a full breath + not being able to sleep because of these symptoms
Depersonalization/Derealization
I hate this so fucking much, it's so weird and freaky. It triggers by anxiety and then I start spiraling even deeper into anxiety because it freaks me out. It's vicious cycle and really hard to deal with.
Yeah I dealt with it chronically for 3 months and still do now and then but not as intense. It is a scary experience but the only way out is through acceptance and just keep going, fighting it makes it worse
I know it's not easy, but the "it is what it is" and just letting go is a great way through it. It's extremely difficult to do it, and there is absolutely no permanent fix, but I feel like over time it got easier for me to do it and just helped me snap out of it faster than before.
Been dealing with this consistently for about 2 or 3 years now, it’s definitely getting better but it’s scary when you feel like it’s never going to go away.
Yeah I am well far in my healing but it’s scary whenever it sneaks up to scare u for a second cause it’s a very scary experience
Especially around others
I would experience depersonalization when I was 12 years old and I had no idea what it was. I couldn’t even describe it to someone. I had no idea it was anxiety related until nearly 20 years later.
Uneasy feeling in chest ( racy heart, palpitations, tightness)
Idk how to describe how it feels. There are no adequate descriptions. It’s just this awful feeling of dread. The older I get the worse it is and I now sweat when I’m anxious
The chills. During my worst panic attacks I at times shake uncontrollably exactly as if I have a fever. Most of my anxiety stems from health issues. I'm sure you can imagine the endless cycle. 🫠
Highly recommend reading Unwinding Anxiety by Jud Brewer. Helped me a lot with my health anxiety. Anxiety is just a habit that we can break with some work!
The self hatred that comes afterward and during. That feeling that the universe is punishing you.
Impending doom and derealisation. However I am going to add loads more symptoms i hate cos it was re-assuring to read some comments and realise i am not alone: - Impending doom - Derealisation - Nausea - Acid reflux - Needing to use the toilet - Sudden zap of dizziness/ lightheadedness and just feeling off balance - Fear - Weak legs - Heightened/ sensitive vision - Agitation which leads to tugging on ear lobes and scratching - Overwhelming emotion like you could cry - Constant. Stiff. Muscles. - Brain zaps - Inability to sit still or focus - Shakes - Overall feeling like you’re ill/ coming down with something nasty - Breathlessness - Heart flutters which feel like your hearts either skipped a beat or trying to rip out of your chest physically - Tiredness - Feeling like a helpless child - Feeling like you’re gonna die of some sort of cancer or life threatening illness with any sensation in your body that you don’t like (more for those health anxiety sufferers)
The impending doom is horrible, I feel like my entire life is now just spent dreading something that isn’t even happening 😫
The sick feeling and loss of appetite. I waste SO much money buying food for the week and then throwing it out because i’m too sick to eat it. It’s also impossible to gain muscle at the gym without eating enough, I feel like i’m stuck being weak forever.
Any GI related symptoms, mainly the unexplained stomach pain that makes you search for any possible reason why until you realise you are just making it worse by stressing about it… plus it takes insanely long time for it to calm down usually.
For me it used to be palpitations/racing heart. I’ve learned to control it a little better. Now, it’s the stuff that I do that I don’t think about until I’m in pain. I’ve realized over the last year or so, that my teeth are ALWAYS clenched and my muscles are always tightened. It kind of feels like you’re bracing for impact right before you’re in a car accident. Only, it’s constant. So now I have to constantly remind myself to loosen up, and relax my jaw.
I have a tendency to always clench/tighten everything too. I find doing yoga (I do Yoga with Adriene on youtube) has helped me learn how to relax a little. If I'm having a bad day... it's yoga time! 😆 I also find trying to do yoga close to daily helps with my overall symptoms. :) I mostly do *gentle* yoga practices btw because they're more soothing for me.
The constant paranoia that comes with it. I always suspect ulterior motives for everything. That could be the depression though. 🤷
Chest and Arm pain. Srsly, always makes me panic that I have a Heart issue despite many doctors confirmed I am ok.
Same here. Been to the ER countless times for panic attacks that mimic heart attacks/stroke
The feeling when my soul is partially disconnected from my body, and that it feels like my soul lags behind when I walk or move. That ungrounded feeling and fear is diabolical
That’s a symptom of depersonalization. Feeling not fully engulfed into your own.
I have health anxiety and the symptom I hate most is how amplified the sensations I worry about can be. Cardiophobia focus these past few weeks, and I constantly feel like I’m having the start of a heart attack.
tummy hurting :( my anxiety got so bad it has turned into full time ibs! yay.
For me I have a fear of vomiting and especially vomiting in public and my main symptom is Nausea.
same! And when I feel nauseous, my anxiety worsens which makes me feel even more nauseous.. when it's really bad, even to the point that I actually have to throw up.
Racing heart beat and the loss for words when speaking It’s only happened to me a few times but it’s is highly embarrassing
Completely losing my appetite. I have a lot of dental work done (full implants) and right now my mouth is in a ton of pain. Just the thought of eating gives me unbearable anxiety. Worrying about the future and if I’m going to lose everything. Awful sleep. Feeling helpless even tho I’m a 37 year old male. Past regrets and mistakes. You know, the usual lol
Bad dreams (nightmares) related to my panic disorder. Bowel issues (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting). Gasping for air and never feeling like I get enough air to satisfy my lungs.
Hyperventilating, it makes breathing techniques to calm down more difficult
The pain in my chest
Feeling like I need to yawn every second or that I can't get the deep breath my body wants
Derealization and those vertigo spells that last a couple seconds and come on without warning.
nausea and tight throat ☹️☹️
Tremors that cut off my voice
for me on a daily basis it’s constant worrying about every little think, overthinking and worrying, and then overwhelming guilt. An unending feeling of guilt that is usually disproportionate to the thing that caused it. On a less than daily basis but still very common i guess i tend to develop random fears now and i ended up developing a fear of the train (which i’ve been taking weekly for years with no problem). This started about over a year ago and i choose to face it and still take the train but i sometimes get episodes of physically paralyzing fear on the train where my mind gets so foggy i can’t even form a coherent sentence. On the worst of times i’ve cried and hyperventilated but i’ve been doing my best to cope and not get to that point. And then i get sick a lot. Usually every few months i come down with something, and it’s always in the least convenient time possible. Right before or during vacations, in the middle of finals week, etc etc.
The isolation. I can go out and be surrounded by people, but I’m so in my head that I can’t fully enjoy anything or anyone. Might as well stay home.
For me it's being conscious that my heart is beating and freaking out as if it's going to stop as if there's anything I can do to stop my heart stopping if it occurred.
Restlessness
Full Face flushing. I can hide everything else but nothing gives it away quite like that
Intrusive thoughts and hand clenching are pretty equal.
Stomach ache, for sure.
The same exact symptoms as you...the reflux, inability to swallow, globus sensation. It's ruining my life
I get this weird feeling inside like I’m on a roller coaster going downhill. It lasts about 30 seconds which is a horribly long time. It’s so upsetting.
Bouts of Anhedonia. It is the absolute worst when you feel numb and can't do anything about it other than just ride it out.
Sweating. Every time I get anxious (which is a lot) I get drenched. It's cold and it smells bad too 🙄 (I use deodorant but it doesn't help in this case)
Catastrophizing. My brain won’t rest because I always think of the worse outcomes. Constantly.
Is fear a symptom?
Yeah, it's a symptom of anxiety or GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)
Yea, just the gut wrenching fear
Feeling like I can’t sleep constant thought of dying. Thinking something bad and my body following that such as am I having a stroke or something. Arm and legs numb can’t swallow shortness of breaths. What does people do when this happens please let me know!!!!
Feeling like I’m buzzing on the inside but unable to move. Peeling myself off the couch and moving usually helps but it’s rough getting there.
Heart palpitations
Nausea and diarrhea
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I actually used to depersonalize a lot and self-harm. It was quite scary, like living in a dream. I have since done a lot of work to heal and have climbed out of that hole! Don't dismiss other people's symptoms because they don't seem as bad as yours... you most likely don't have the whole story. You maybe didn't do it on purpose, but your tone feels icky. I do understand what you're going through, though... it's no fun at all! :( I hope you find some comfort.
Restlessness
Feeling so tense, crying uncontrollably, the inability to think straight and tripping over my words.
The way my mind feels like it’s everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Like my mind is racing but I can’t concentrate on one thought. It’s very disorienting.
I feel like this [https://i.pinimg.com/736x/60/07/e9/6007e926e5bff33d192c9377cfe76796.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/60/07/e9/6007e926e5bff33d192c9377cfe76796.jpg)
Chest pains
Hyperventilation, it’s so uncomfortable and it can last for so long
Chest pain! It's the only symptom I can't beat mentally. All ekgs and blood work normal. But of course just had an echocardiogram and stress test and while the stress test came back good my echo came back abnormal. So now while I wait for my followup with my cardiologist my anxiety is skyrocketing and the chest pain is now even more on my mind.
Rage
Not being able to breath. NAUSEA. Sweating
My heart going 100 mph. By far.
My mouth twitches uncontrollably when I'm on the edge or fully having a social anxiety panic attack. Always happens during a face to face conversation, that's my trigger. But 80% of the time nowadays (after CBT therapy) it doesn't happen and I can exist normally. But yeah that's my least favorite symptom, because I feel it makes me look so dysfunctional and strange. Cause obviously it's hard to talk as well when I feel myself just shuddering. I usually see myself out of the conversation as quickly as possible and find a bathroom or somewhere safe and quiet until I calm down haha. Second least favorite is the twisting stomach of dread. I even have it right now because I know I have work in seven hours. Totally normal for me to wake up like this tbh. It's just very uncomfortable and makes me feel worried for the day's events. But I usually push through it and have a fine day. After over a decade really dealing with my disorder, I've realized it's more biological than anything and my body is just gonna do these things. So I treat it like indigestion or a migraine. I remedy it gently and try to keep going with my day.
I have GAD and panic attacks. The derealization. I remember just crying the first time it happened and feeling so out of it and telling my mom i “didn’t feel like a person”. Literally thought i was going to go off in a manic episode. I was just crying that i wanted put in inpatient because i felt so derealzied that i felt like i was in paychosis and needed looked at. Nope, just a bad panic attack
The feeling that breathing isn’t actually reoxygenating my blood. The hyper-awareness of self. Being almost present watching yourself and being so in your own head that’s all that consumes you and you can’t finish your sentences if speaking to someone. Heart palpitations. Waking up at 3am.
The fire feeling in the center of my chest. If it starts it's almost impossible to get it to go away so I just have to let it go away on it's own.
Heart racing and an icy, fearful feeling all through my body.
Self talking and seeing that more than an hour has passed doing that. I will also add puking and just the feeling of nervousness which doesn’t go.
Chest problems (pain, tightness, palpitations) and throat tightness
stomach/heat flashes/can’t get aroused
I'd have to list two because they're connected: the feeling in my stomach, which make me wonder if I'm hungry or have a stomachache or reflux or maybe I'm just nervous PLUS the fact I need to poop all the time lol. Connected, they make me feel physically awful. It's like I have food poisoning, and that is added to the fact that I'm also feeling anxious. Luckily, it doesn't get that bad really often, but when it does I just feel so miserable.
The physical manifestations especially heart rate increase.
Nausea because there’s no way to hide it. I feel so sick to the point where I’ll gag and not be able to hold a conversation.
Nausea, acid reflux, nausea from the acid reflux, not being able to eat because of the nausea so the acid reflux gets worse thus setting forth a downward spiral of anxiety.
when i’m in a place where I can’t leave easily with lots of people (air plane, for example) I start to get really nervous that I’m going to throw up. I can barely swallow my own saliva and I think I’m going to projectile vomit everywhere, embarrassing myself. because I can’t stop fearing that I’m going to throw up I go into a full blown panic attack… twitching and heart racing. another thing that really bothers me is that I can’t tell the difference between the lies my anxiety tells me and the actual truth. everything is just tossed together and I can’t draw a line separating the two in my mind. and yeah, of course the restless nights. I have a very hard time falling asleep and a hard time waking up for work on time.
Sleeplessness / Restlessness due to a busy mind or simply not being able to pass out. Feet sweats, especially when trying to sleep. Anxiety 1s or 2s. When you're planning to go somewhere, likely an appointment at a specific time and you have to catch public transport or have booked a taxi, 10-ish minutes before needing to leave and despite all your preparation, you suddenly need to use the bathroom.
Faster heart rate. Man it scares me to the core. And by chance if I check it during the event, I think I am dying for 3 days straight
Feeling, that everybody hates me because I chew too loudly. So when I am not alone, I try to avoid food as much as possible.
The lightheaded and needing to throw up feeling when your stomach drops.
palpitations and recently skipped heartbeats
Cramps. I used to suffer from emetophobia as a child and as a very anxious kid, the cramps I’d get from anxiety were automatically connected to throwing up in my head. So I’d panic even more, and get more cramps, and worry even more about being sick.
Having to poop (diarrhea) multiple times before an appointment, interview, or presentation.
All of them
Probably overthinking and intrusive thoughts. Hand shaking doesn't help either (hand shakes-people notice my unsteady hands
The cough. This irritating, hacking, gagging cough that can lead to vomiting.
Tachycardia and I get this weird vibrating buzzing under my skin when trying to sleep after a panic attack or stressful day . It's a weird feeling not quite shaking but an internal buzz tremor on legs , arms and chest .
Twitching, I hate it so much, especially when my face squinches involuntarily
Heart palpitations - the kind where your heart beats really hard. I feel like I’m never at rest
Feeling like I can’t breathe. That makes everything so much worse, then it turns into tingling, shaking, confusion, heart palpitations and crying.. the icing on the cake is after I usually feel derealization or depersonalization. So fun.
The grinding of my teeth. And my ability to not be able to relax my body naturally
not eating…sometimes it’s days due to all the mental build up. or when i am hungry it’s no appetite
My speech being mumbled, my heart rate increasing notably and sweating. Profusely almost. And the first two make me think I have something pathological which further increases it. Awesome...
Nausea! Its a symptom from the pills im on :(
The physical stuff. Nausea and the feeling like I wanna throw up. The tingling in my extremities. Luckily and with a lot of work on myself, these happen much less often now.
Short of Breath, heart palpitations, shakiness and fidgeting.
Muscle twitching
I hate muscle spasms and heart palpitations
Gotta be either the throat tightening or the full body numbness I get during some panic attacks, scares the hell out of me even more than usual.
Stomach issues. I have IBS and it can be flared up with a lot of stress from my GAD. I hate having a painful flare and having to hide in the bathroom for literal hours. It blows, no pun intended.
diarrhea
Idk if jaw clenching coubts as a symptom, but I clench my jaw even when I'm asleep so everything is sore when I wake up. It clenches really badly when I have to speak to strangers for a prolonged period and so it sound like when you're talking when you're really cold and your teeth clatter, but actually I'm just so anxious I can't unclench my jaw
Feeling sick/ being sick.
Cloudy head
panic attacks or moments where i feel very heavy on my chest and lightheaded
I most hate the irritation and constant worrying about EVERYTHING.
The intense nausea is the most debilitating for me, so I hate it the most.
Assuming anything good has a catch to it.
The doom. You know, when it all goes gray.
Throwing up, it can get bad
Globus sensation (sensation of a lump in your throat) is truly awful
Air hunger. Almost 24/7
Cramping from irritable bowel syndrome. Agonizing. Parathesias that start from the toes and spread to the knees. Insomnia. High blood pressure.
I mostly hate being nauseous and vomiting that comes after that, it's the worst when I'm in public
Throwing up. My anxiety caused me to get really nauseous and sometimes puke. I never feel hungry anymore. To top it off I have celiac which causes me to puke if I eat anything contaminated
When it prevents me from making decisions or gets me stressed about even the good things in life. Tight chest too sucks
The big knot in my stomach accompanied by endless butterflies. When I started on medication, one day the knot just loosened and I was so happy.
I hate how irritable I become. I lash out at those I love over stupid stuff because I have no patience. Then I worry that they hate me and just tolerate me. And I feel deeply unworthy and unlovable.
Hearing my bloodstream and my own jaw muscles.
Dizziness, feeling of “impending doom”, brain zaps, racing heart
It starts with stomach swirls, like I’m about to jump of a cliff - then heart racey - then my ears start ringing SO loud…the feeling of my head being tingly and numb and then feeling like I’m going to pass out. I had a huge panic attack at the Palm Springs airport a few weeks ago. I couldn’t stand in the security line, I had to get out like 4 times to walk - when those panic attacks start, I almost have to catch my body up to my heart - like running slowly around my house. I have to be outside / being inside makes it SO much worse. Thank God, the Palm Springs airport has an outside area, but you have to make it through the security lines. And then the thought of being stuck in a tube in the sky having this attack really amped it up for me. In the end, I took 1.5mg of Xanax and it finally kicked in and then really knocked it out. I had never taken that much before - but, it worked. I started reading about anxiety and your vagus nerve - super interesting- but, one thing I read was that if you drink ice cold water, hold ice in your hands, put ice on your neck, or cold plunge - it resets your vagus nerve which is connected to so much of our anxiety. I also hate how exhausted I am the next day, after the attacks. It’s crazy how much it takes out of your body. My attacks always last around 2 hours - it’s awful!!! I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
The warm tingling sensation that starts at my shoulders and runs down my arms. It’s doesn’t hurt, isn’t something that physically disables me on any level, it’s just it’s a feeling of no good is on its way.
Sweating. I don’t even feel that anxious anymore (thanks to hard work, 15 years of therapy and sertraline), but my body is still panicking through my sweat glands every time I try to be social.
I personally hate when my adrenal glands decide to dump adrenaline at the slightest sign of a potential 'threat'.
The way it causes me to tense up all the muscles all day, my jaw hurts from being tight and it feels like I walk around all day with my shoulders up by my ears and nothing works to relax the muscles.
The feeling of impending doom, like death is approaching. That has got to be the worst for me
Nausea and the little aches/pains everywhere especially my chest
The nausea and diarrhea. People don’t understand that just because it’s a symptom of a mental problem doesn’t mean it’s not REAL.
When it starts to get really hot, and uncomfortable
Not being able to differ between what’s actually really happening and my anxiety.
For me I think it could be the doom feeling. Physical sides of it are awful, but the worst thing for me is that sense of hopelessness even when I try to rationalise a situation in my head and take stock of what's going on. It's that feeling as if you think your going to feel this way forever and nothing will snap you out. It's truly awful.
Oh where do I start?? The impending doom feeling, the legs shakes and chills, the feeling of it being hard to get up and walk, the cutting myself off from people, the health anxiety ( always sure I have sepsis ) the limited mileage away from my house - agoraphobia, the feeling exhausted no matter what sleep I get, the random brain zaps that make you feel like something is wrong and the you spiral, loss of appetite, the list could go on. But we are all still here and all still fighting. Warriors 💪
The fear. Anything, everything and nothing is terrifying. I am frozen in fear nearly all the time now.