Extreme anxiety almost loss of consciousness...at therapists office.

[Tjalsma]

Hello Everyone,

New user here. I've suffered with anxiety for a good portion of my adult life - I am now 31. Relatively healthy, happy, active, etc. other than my continuous anxiety symptoms.

Anyways, about a month ago I started seeing a therapist. He's been a tremendous help. However, I find myself getting increasingly anxious while at my sessions. This all came to a peak last week. We started talking a lot about my parents, childhood - you know, the stuff that actually is the cause for my anxiety.

While talking about this, I got extremely dizzy. I mean, I am by no means a stranger to dizziness. I've been in a near constant state of dizziness for the past 10 years or so. However, this was a bit different. I started almost losing my ability to focus my eyes and they were jumping around. A weird warmth feeling came into my head - like the blood was being drained from my head and I nearly lost consciousness. I have become somewhat of a professional at hiding my anxiety symptoms. However, this was so bad that my therapist even noticed and asked if I was okay because I didn't look well.

I guess my point is this. I know that deep down, talking about my life and issues I've had increased my anxiety at the appointment. However, this was a somewhat new symptom to me at a whole different level and it's so difficult for me to believe that discussing just these things increased my anxiety to this level - I've never felt that anxious.

He backed off and told me he might've pushed too hard. Our session ended and my anxiety started easing; to the point where I was able to drive within a few minutes.

So, I guess I just need someone to tell me they've experienced this before and it is in fact my anxiety.

Oh, and of course I've had the bloodwork and MRI, etc. done in the past 10 days to make sure I didn't have a mass of spider webs in my head taking over ;) Bloodwork, MRI, etc. came back negative for everything...including the spider webs.

[bonehead]

been there. many of us here have. you'll be ah'ite

[Peak]

Yeah I've experienced almost that exact same thing. Just over a year ago I was seeing a therapist going over my parents and childhood most of which was extremely traumatic and painful and which I'd spent the best part of 40 years trying to bury. One session was particularly traumatic and I was a wreck afterwards. 2 days later my wife and I went away for a city break and by then I was feeling much better, happy even and not at all anxious. As we we taking in the sights all of a sudden my heart started to race (170bpm) and I was getting a very irregular heart beat, I felt really light headed as if I could collapse, I felt sick, I was trembling, my vision was exactly as you describe - jumping around unable to stay focused on any one thing. I ended up taking myself to A&E who did all sorts of tests and other than seeing that my heart was racing and my BP had gone through the roof could find nothing wrong with me and put it down to a panic attack. I was at the hospital for nearly 4hrs but within 30 mins of being discharged having been told I was okay, I felt absolutely fine again and everything had gone back to normal.

It never fails to amaze me just how powerful anxiety can be and how it can cause such dramatic physical reactions even when you don't feel in the slightest bit anxious.