Is this anxiety? Or am I crazy...

[jason787]

Hello all,

So I posted yesterday about my problems but I don't think I fully explained. Basically my anxiety has returned after several months of not having it. Basically it started of with me repeating my name in my mind. It was so annoying as well as frustrating and upsetting. Finally, it stopped but now it's returned in a different form! Every slight muffled noise that I hear, I convince my self sounded like my name. It's not ever 100 percent clear, I'm not hearing voices or anything I can assure that. This comes and goes through out the day. It's definitely worse at times. But what I want to know is, am I hearing things? Or is this just because my hearing is heightened due to my anxiety therefore I am convincing my self. I've been to the GP and he reassured me it wasn't anything serious, but I just don't feel like he answered the questions how I'd of liked him to. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I just really want some advice and answers.

[gypsylee]

Hi Jason,

You aren't crazy. I get this kind of thing when my anxiety is bad too. Not specifically my name but I start counting in my head, or repeating something I've written online to someone, or I get obsessive compulsive urges. I agree with your GP that it isn't anything serious but I understand how it makes you feel crazy. All it is is your mind racing and doing weird things because of how stressed you are. The brain doesn't function properly under those conditions but that's very different to being "crazy". You're only meant to be that tense long enough to fight off a predator or run from it, but us anxious people stay like that because there's no predator in the first place. When the brain has to try and cope with that state for too long, it will do odd things.

Hope that helps,
Gypsy x

[jason787]

Hi Jason,

You aren't crazy. I get this kind of thing when my anxiety is bad too. Not specifically my name but I start counting in my head, or repeating something I've written online to someone, or I get obsessive compulsive urges. I agree with your GP that it isn't anything serious but I understand how it makes you feel crazy. All it is is your mind racing and doing weird things because of how stressed you are. The brain doesn't function properly under those conditions but that's very different to being "crazy". You're only meant to be that tense long enough to fight off a predator or run from it, but us anxious people stay like that because there's no predator in the first place. When the brain has to try and cope with that state for too long, it will do odd things.

Hope that helps,
Gypsy x

Thank you for your response! It did help me and I couldn't be more grateful. You know how sometimes when you're with a friend out, and you think they said your name? But really it was just a gust of wind brushing by or another slightly muffled sound? That's how i feel when my anxiety is at its worst. Every slight sound I hear is like that! I'm always questioning if it was just a stupid small sound I heard or was it in my head? I think it's a mix of me repeating my name in my head, so when I hear a sound that sounds similar to my name, I instantly say my name in my mind and combine the sound and the thought together. Does that make sense? It is really hard for me to explain and I just feel like no one fully understands me and I understand that, but I'm just scared I'll never shake it off. It's causing me to be depressed and frustrated. I'm snapping at my family and friends for no reason! I guess I just need reassuring that this isn't something serious, and I know that I've already been to the GP but I just can't help feeing like I didn't explain fully enough for him to truly understand what I'm going through. Thank you in advance.

[gypsylee]

I really do understand this kind of thing. I went through so many different weird phases with my anxiety where I was sure I was losing my mind.

The other thing that happens with anxiety is you become hyper-aware of everything going on. This is because your instinctual self thinks it's in danger of being eaten by a bear or whatever. It doesn't know there are no bears trying to eat us in 2015! So you become aware of really small things eg. You hear a gust of wind and for some reason your brain goes "was that my name?" I'm not sure why it's preoccupied with that but as I say, our brains do some very weird things under stress. It's quite different to schizophrenia or something though, where people hear actual voices and lose touch with reality. I used to think eventually my anxiety would lead to schizophrenia but now I realise they are very different.

The best thing to do is try not to worry too much about it and just know it's a pretty common symptom of anxiety. It will go away eventually. You might get some other weirdness come along haha, but you learn to ignore it more and more.

[superchick22684]

I want to the thank the original poster and gypsy for their responses to this post. For some time I've though that I was hearing things and was convinced that I was going nuts just like the original poster. I've been too scared to make a post because I was afraid what someone might think. After some time and deduction totally realized that was I was experiencing was due to stress and my depression and anxiety. Thank you guys for once again making me feel less alone about my experiences and symptoms.

[jason787]

I'm glad that I have helped you understand that you're not the only one feeling the way you're feeling which is also beneficial for me to know :). Thank you Also gypsy for explaining the basics and making me understand. I now no what I have to do to try recuce my anxiety. Like you say, eventually it will go away, nothing lasts for ever. Positive thinking and welcoming my anxiety, instead of pushing it away is going to be my practice. I'm forever questioning my self through out the day. Instead, I'll sit back and welcome my anxiety. Hopefully this will be LESS stress full than worrying. Thanks once again, and have a nice day!

[gypsylee]

No worries :)

After writing this I had this weird thing my brain does which I hadn't even thought of because I'm good at ignoring stuff now. I have quite a bad phobia of spiders - I live in Australia where we get these big ass huntsman spiders, and last summer I saw about 3 of them within a few months. Well ever since then I've had this thing where if I look at a white wall or door I imagine a huntsman spider there. I don't even think about it, my brain just sort of pictures the spider. But it only really happens when I'm at my mum's house for some reason. Anyway, this is another example of the weird things anxious minds do which are not crazy, just stressed out.

:)