dazza
08-04-2012, 09:41 AM
Hello there...
Anxiety disorder often brings with it a plethora of the most hideous, shocking, disturbing and darn right frightening physical symptoms / sensations, ranging from arm & chest pains to dizziness and jelly (jello for the Americans) legs.
Whilst most of these are frequently talked about, there are a couple which I've seen people try to write about but have had a job explaining them and, more often than not, are all-too-quickly dismissed.
From my own personal experience and, because of their significance, I think they warrant a thread of their own... so here goes:
Hideous sensation #1: Chest fright
The chest is commonly referred to during anxiety conversations, mostly because of pain / tightness / tingling and numbness it has to endure.
(A very unfortunate state of affairs for those with heart or lung anxiety)
Since I've regained some control of my A/D & state of mind, I am able to experience or oberserve the symptoms with some kind of medical or scientific interest (as opposed to the symptoms having me shit my pants & run for the hills in an instant)
I don't know whether this particular sensation already has a scientific name, but I call it Chest fright.
Chest fright, for me, is a brief sensation of hollowness within the chest and up the throat, normally with a strong heart beat which "feels like" it's in the throat.
It's shocking, quite frankly... and has me stop in my tracks.
I have noticed that this normally occurs out of the blue, and is often the start of a proceeding period of mid-to-high anxiety and other symptoms thereof.
From this, I deduce that it must be similar or the same as the FRIGHT you get (normally) when something makes you jump.
(E.g. someone unexpectedly slapping you around the face as walk round a blind corner)
I'm guessing that this is my overly-anxious brain, signalling or triggering the fight or flight mode.
Hideous sensation #2: Face flush
Notice sometimes that, a sensation of shock may occur, which is instantly followed by a feeling of tingling or "flushing" up what appears to be the outside of your throat, then up your face?
I have noticed this can also happen out the blue for seemingly no reason... but interestingly, I have also noticed this happens during normal day-to-day events of normal mild fright.
E.g. earlier today I nearly tripped over some junk on the floor. While I reacted quickly to correct my balance - I noticed the exact same face flush reaction.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm noticing a lot of anxious, bodily behaviour is also showing itself in real-life situations, proving further the theory of fight or flight mode.
While before I just accepted this as the theoretical truth, I'm now actually experiencing it in a practical sense. Lucky me, huh?
Anxiety disorder often brings with it a plethora of the most hideous, shocking, disturbing and darn right frightening physical symptoms / sensations, ranging from arm & chest pains to dizziness and jelly (jello for the Americans) legs.
Whilst most of these are frequently talked about, there are a couple which I've seen people try to write about but have had a job explaining them and, more often than not, are all-too-quickly dismissed.
From my own personal experience and, because of their significance, I think they warrant a thread of their own... so here goes:
Hideous sensation #1: Chest fright
The chest is commonly referred to during anxiety conversations, mostly because of pain / tightness / tingling and numbness it has to endure.
(A very unfortunate state of affairs for those with heart or lung anxiety)
Since I've regained some control of my A/D & state of mind, I am able to experience or oberserve the symptoms with some kind of medical or scientific interest (as opposed to the symptoms having me shit my pants & run for the hills in an instant)
I don't know whether this particular sensation already has a scientific name, but I call it Chest fright.
Chest fright, for me, is a brief sensation of hollowness within the chest and up the throat, normally with a strong heart beat which "feels like" it's in the throat.
It's shocking, quite frankly... and has me stop in my tracks.
I have noticed that this normally occurs out of the blue, and is often the start of a proceeding period of mid-to-high anxiety and other symptoms thereof.
From this, I deduce that it must be similar or the same as the FRIGHT you get (normally) when something makes you jump.
(E.g. someone unexpectedly slapping you around the face as walk round a blind corner)
I'm guessing that this is my overly-anxious brain, signalling or triggering the fight or flight mode.
Hideous sensation #2: Face flush
Notice sometimes that, a sensation of shock may occur, which is instantly followed by a feeling of tingling or "flushing" up what appears to be the outside of your throat, then up your face?
I have noticed this can also happen out the blue for seemingly no reason... but interestingly, I have also noticed this happens during normal day-to-day events of normal mild fright.
E.g. earlier today I nearly tripped over some junk on the floor. While I reacted quickly to correct my balance - I noticed the exact same face flush reaction.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm noticing a lot of anxious, bodily behaviour is also showing itself in real-life situations, proving further the theory of fight or flight mode.
While before I just accepted this as the theoretical truth, I'm now actually experiencing it in a practical sense. Lucky me, huh?