My anxiety differs

[Jay1985]

To others it seems

I don't get full blown attacks where I can't breathe, my chest doesn't get right really

I get attacks whenever I feel a muscle ache, or a pain near the lymph nodes, and start assuming the worst

My attacks seem to be a period of worry and stress, that something is wrong

Does anyone else have similar to me?

I don't wana be alone with this

[vicky]

I have exactly this. I don't have panic attacks (not as yet anyway), but I am taking zoloft for anxiety. A friend of mine described it to me the other week as she'd been through something similar, she said its the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack. I don't know if that's medically correct, but it makes sense to me. With my anxiety, since it was triggered I am constantly assessing my body. Any ache or pain is confirmation that I have a serious disease. What are probably normal every day aches and pains, I now see as a symptom of my bogus disease and I can't distinguish between the two anymore. My anxiety has caused me a lot of random body pain, which the doc is sure is anxiety, like you I feel I am different to others as most people seem to have panic attacks. Like others have said before, anxiety can manifest itself in several ways. I am starting to feel better on the medication, I've not googled for a while and my life is slowly gong back to normal, but my body still jumps to attention whenever I feel something and I think 'what if?', to me, each ache or pain is confirmation of my 'disease'. With me I'm afraid of cancer, even saying that scares me, which is why I keep writing 'disease'. What symptoms do you get? Most days I feel better, so then I'm reassured that's it's anxiety, but then I will feel something, and panic mode will set in again as I think 'oh it wasn't anxiety then, I do have something!' I do remember reading somewhere though that although you may be feeling better, your body may not, it takes time to recover. Does anybody agree with this?

[suz245]

Yes i can totally relate to you... I am exactly the same any physical thing happens i overanalyze it am online looking for what ive got... I too live under the black " what if" cloud its a normal behaviour for people who are anxious ... My anxiety was well under control for 22 yrs on clomipramine but i had to stop them as they were affecting my heart rythym... That was 14 months ago and let me tell you ive been fighting and struggling against OCD and severe anxiety all this time 5 different meds later im still in the black hole i was... Im so exhausted my body is so weak ive been in bed and barely able to walk or stand for 2 weeks now... Uncontrolably shaking tremors muscle spasms.. Nausea diahroea i came off duloxetine a week ago and started fluoxetine ( prozac) and i feel like im dying im so physically unwell i dont know whats happening to me i sleep with rosary beads around my neck coz im convinced im going to die... Im so afraid and mentally tired that death seems like a welcome rest... X

[Jay1985]

As awful as it is for you guys, I'm glad we can relate

I keep feeling my lymph nodes doing strange things , and convinced myself I have HIV, even though I've been cleared of this, twice

Also been tested for everything else sti wise & clear

And a blood test for everything ... Clear

The thing is I play alot of sports, and do get body pains and aches as a result, but convince myself it's something else

I've been told my anxiety problems are ones that will heal in time, and that I'm not a full blown anxiety sufferer, I hope this is the case, things have been slightly better recently