Symptoms

[tasia723]

So anyone feel physical symptoms like throat hurting, feeling off balance? Throat closing? Is this normal with anxiety? I have obsessive thoughts and it makes it 1000 times worse! I feel hot and feel like passing out! How do you calm yourself down?????

[needtogetwell]

Refocus, refocus, refocus.

Tell yourself nothing is wrong and believe it!!

It sounds so simple and it is....it's also hard to do. Practice practice practice, it will become second nature,

Cheers!
~Pam

[tasia723]

Thank you so much.....I am completely new to this it's only been a month or so since it started and the only thing that seems to really help is halls......as weird as it sounds halls make me feel like I can breathe.....I am trying to push through this without meds

[needtogetwell]

Thank you so much.....I am completely new to this it's only been a month or so since it started and the only thing that seems to really help is halls......as weird as it sounds halls make me feel like I can breathe.....I am trying to push through this without meds

I don't think that is odd at all!!!!!
You have no idea how much Vicks Vaporub I go through when my anxiety kicks up and my chest hurts and I can't breathe!

If it makes you feel better....do it!

[patches6996]

The throat issues were my first symptoms of anxiety. They did go away with time, but only when I stopped worrying about them. Read this- it helped me A LOT

When you suffer from anxiety, your body is constantly stimulating your sympathetic nervous system. This leads to an increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, and muscle tension, and in some people that muscle tension can cause the throat to feel inflammation. In many people, that feeling is described as a "lump in the throat." It may be referred to in medical circles as:
Globus Pharyngis
Globus Sensation
Globus Hystericus
When anxiety causes the lump in your throat it isn't dangerous. But when you have anxiety, it can feel very frightening. In some cases you may even feel as though you're choking, or that you're at risk of choking, and the anxiety may make it hard to swallow.
How to Tell the Difference Between Anxiety Throat Lumps and a Health Problem
If you're concerned that you may have a genuine health problem, you should consider seeing a doctor. In rare cases, a lump in the throat may be something more serious, such as a type of cancer. Or it may be something less serious but still health related, like gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD). Interestingly, some believe that anxiety may contribute to GERD.
Yet in many cases the cause is nothing more than anxiety, and what's worse is that the anxiety often makes people focus on worst case scenarios – possibly even more than those that don't have anxiety throat lumps!
Only a doctor can tell you if it's anxiety and not something more serious. But some signs that it may be anxiety include:
There is no clicking sound or severe pain when swallowing.
The experience comes and goes, and is more common when you're feeling high anxiety.
You have suffered from a panic attack or recent very stressful situation.
In these cases, it's still possible for the cause to be health related. It's also possible for stress and anxiety to cause a constant lump in the throat that doesn't go away and may even cause a tad bit of pain.
Still, the most common cause of throat lumps is stress and anxiety, and many of those that suffer from anxiety symptoms or severe stress experience a lump in the throat.
Rest assured that when anxiety causes a lump in the throat, it's not dangerous and it cannot stop you from breathing or prevent you from swallowing. It may feel as though you need to swallow multiple times to get the food down, but it's still just anxiety, and it can be treated by curing yourself of that anxiety.
Fast Cures for a Lump in the Throat
Unfortunately, the only way to stop the lump in the throat is to reduce your anxiety. There are no specific treatments for anxiety throat lumps, because they're caused by the activation of your body as a result of your anxiety.
There are a few tips you can try:
Drink Water – Drinking water can reduce this lump feeling in two ways. First, by drinking water, you're able to feel the water going down your throat which may calm down some of your worries. Second, there are some indications that hydration in general can reduce the lump sensation.
Jogging – Jogging may not be ideal if you're having a panic attack or feel like you're having problems breathing, but if you just feel stressed, jogging is an amazing help – more than most people realize. It's not just for health – jogging actually releases chemicals in your body that reduce stress, and may relax your throat muscles.
Herbal Solutions – Herbs like passionflower, kava, and valerian can be effective at reducing stress and anxiety. Make sure you research any of these herbs before you decide if it's the right choice for you.

[needtogetwell]

Good info! I've got my anxiety beat 99% of the time. Don't reach for the Vaporub unless coming down with a chest cold... But the old friend is never far away!

[tasia723]

I don't think that is odd at all!!!!! You have no idea how much Vicks Vaporub I go through when my anxiety kicks up and my chest hurts and I can't breathe! If it makes you feel better....do it!

My best friend went through so much Vicks! She would constantly rub it on her nose and breathe I never really understood until I started having the attacks and found my own method on how to breathe so to say.....

[tasia723]

The throat issues were my first symptoms of anxiety. They did go away with time, but only when I stopped worrying about them. Read this- it helped me A LOT When you suffer from anxiety, your body is constantly stimulating your sympathetic nervous system. This leads to an increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, and muscle tension, and in some people that muscle tension can cause the throat to feel inflammation. In many people, that feeling is described as a "lump in the throat." It may be referred to in medical circles as: Globus Pharyngis Globus Sensation Globus Hystericus When anxiety causes the lump in your throat it isn't dangerous. But when you have anxiety, it can feel very frightening. In some cases you may even feel as though you're choking, or that you're at risk of choking, and the anxiety may make it hard to swallow. How to Tell the Difference Between Anxiety Throat Lumps and a Health Problem If you're concerned that you may have a genuine health problem, you should consider seeing a doctor. In rare cases, a lump in the throat may be something more serious, such as a type of cancer. Or it may be something less serious but still health related, like gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD). Interestingly, some believe that anxiety may contribute to GERD. Yet in many cases the cause is nothing more than anxiety, and what's worse is that the anxiety often makes people focus on worst case scenarios – possibly even more than those that don't have anxiety throat lumps! Only a doctor can tell you if it's anxiety and not something more serious. But some signs that it may be anxiety include: There is no clicking sound or severe pain when swallowing. The experience comes and goes, and is more common when you're feeling high anxiety. You have suffered from a panic attack or recent very stressful situation. In these cases, it's still possible for the cause to be health related. It's also possible for stress and anxiety to cause a constant lump in the throat that doesn't go away and may even cause a tad bit of pain. Still, the most common cause of throat lumps is stress and anxiety, and many of those that suffer from anxiety symptoms or severe stress experience a lump in the throat. Rest assured that when anxiety causes a lump in the throat, it's not dangerous and it cannot stop you from breathing or prevent you from swallowing. It may feel as though you need to swallow multiple times to get the food down, but it's still just anxiety, and it can be treated by curing yourself of that anxiety. Fast Cures for a Lump in the Throat Unfortunately, the only way to stop the lump in the throat is to reduce your anxiety. There are no specific treatments for anxiety throat lumps, because they're caused by the activation of your body as a result of your anxiety. There are a few tips you can try: Drink Water – Drinking water can reduce this lump feeling in two ways. First, by drinking water, you're able to feel the water going down your throat which may calm down some of your worries. Second, there are some indications that hydration in general can reduce the lump sensation. Jogging – Jogging may not be ideal if you're having a panic attack or feel like you're having problems breathing, but if you just feel stressed, jogging is an amazing help – more than most people realize. It's not just for health – jogging actually releases chemicals in your body that reduce stress, and may relax your throat muscles. Herbal Solutions – Herbs like passionflower, kava, and valerian can be effective at reducing stress and anxiety. Make sure you research any of these herbs before you decide if it's the right choice for you.

Thank you so much! That makes me feel so much better! I love this forum it really helps me and makes me understand what is really going on with me!