Is it really just anxiety/panic attacks?

[wejust22]

I've gone to the doctor several times, and the only he says I have is anxiety and high stress. I don't really believe this is true, but it might be, so that's why I'm asking some fellow anxiety sufferers.

Over the past few years I have definitely had the regular panic/anxiety symptoms.
Racing heart, extreme panic/fear, hard to breathe, tensed muscles, chest pains etc.

These past few months though, I've been getting entirely new symptoms. One of them is depersonalization/derealization. Though I'm not 100% sure this is what I have. What I usually feel though is a loss of self and my surroundings. I feel feverish (my head feels warm like after exercising for a long time) and I don't know who I am. It feels like I'm in another reality, time slows down, things look faraway/closeup and I can't concentrate. It feels like I'm a ghost or something.

I feel these feelings a lot, usually once per day for about half an hour so, though sometimes I've felt this way for several hours.

I really don't like it. It feels like I'm dead.

Another big symptom I've been getting is EXTREME, I mean REALLY intense tingling and numbness in my hands, feet, and face. What usually happens is I start to feel a little lightheaded and then the tingling occurs. It is VERY intense, to the point that I can hardly even move. It feels like petrification. Everything gets COMPLETELY numb too. I'm not exaggerating, these feelings are very intense. After this I get EXTREMELY faint/dizzy/lightheaded and my vision starts shaking/vibrating. My breathing is very shallow and fast, my pulse is shallow and fast as well. It feels like I'm gonna have a stroke or seizure or die. This doesn't happen a lot, maybe once every two weeks or so. It's happened at a concert, on the bus, and in the classroom.

The last symptom I've been experiencing is very disturbing and difficult to explain. The best way I can put it is trauma/disturbance on my mind. It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does it last for several hours. It's not a panic feeling. It just feels like an extreme disturbance to my mind. I think very bizarre thoughts and I'm very tense. It feels like my mind is being taken over or something. I can't really explain it. I just feel very disturbed and insane. Extreme paranoia would be a good way to describe it. I'm scared to talk to anyone. I feel like everyone is against me. My thoughts feel like they're being raped or controlled by god or something.

I've wondered if I have schizophrenia or dissociative personality disorder or something of the sort. Not only do I have the symptoms I just described, but there's a slew of other things as well. I fit many of the symptoms of depression, social anxiety, and personality problems. I also have a past of being abused and bullied as well as night terrors. Not only that but I went through a phase of extreme social isolation this summer. I have no friends. Of course my stress level is ALWAYS on the highest notch.

I don't do any drugs anymore, but I did smoke a lot marijuana last year and drank a few times, but that's it.

I went to my doctor and he said it's probably just anxiety and to see a counselor. I really want to see one too, but my parents won't pay for it. I need help very badly I think, but I don't know how to get it (for free).

Someone please help! I really want to know what is going on with me. It's getting very scary.

[motif]

hi,
I was having almost all symptoms you've mention and doctors were saying it's anxiety and stress - they were horribly wrong, honestly I think most of them have no idea how human body works....

In my case it was candida overgrow which cause all the symptoms.
Check it out if you don't have any digesting problems like celiac or candida, it makes all the difference, trust me. I went through hell for 9 months and now starting to feel much better thanks to no sugar diet, can you believe it that none of the MD jerks even suggested that?

[Carla]

Hello!
I am really sorry to hear the way that you are feeling. It all sounds to me - who suffers with anxiety and who has had derealization, plus what seemed and seems a new symptom of anxiety every week! - that it is all related to anxiety. However, you need to get back to the doctor and make him listen to just how bad you are feeling and if you are not impressed with him then go and see a different doctor. Have you told your parents how badly you are feeling? I live in the UK and the doctor/counselling set up within the NHS is very different here...Are you in the UK? If you are in the USA then maybe others on this forum will be able to help with where you could get counselling from without paying for it? Are you at college? Do you go to church? If so there will be certain people in positions there who you can confide in confidential to. Let them know how you feel. They may be able to help. Maybe your parents are assuming you dont feel as bad as you do. Let them know just how bad it is. You do need to get help to get through this. This forum is really good in my experience and it has helped me an enormous lot. Other people who are not suffering with anxiety/depression just dont seem to grasp how bad it can make you feel. I think as with a lot of other illnesses the only people who can truly help and understand are those who have gone through/going through the same. We can be of a certain amount of help on this forum I am sure but you do need to get some counselling and help. Did the doctor prescribe any medication for you? I know how awful it is when you are suffering so much and yet you cant seem to get the help you need. You are not alone in this tho and lots of people on here will be able to relate to you. You will get better. You just need to firstly get that help. Tell your parents you feel worse. If they cannot support your counselling then could your doctor be able to suggest other alternative ways for you to get the counselling. Do you have other members in your family who could help you? You will get better and how you are now is not how it is always going to be. Once you are better you will be able to make new friends and life will seem so much more better. For now, concentrate on looking after you. Personally I wldnt touch drugs or alcohol. I used to drink socially, but I found it made my anxiety spiral. Drink and drugs will just mess with your mind. Smoking pot can be associated with anxiety problems - I have read this. I am not sure how true it is personally. Whilst you are feeling as you do you need to be the healthiest that you can be in order to help yourself. Make sure you are eating as healthily as possible, getting enough rest and relaxtation plus exercise too. It is not going to cure you totally but it will help somewhat. I hope you find the way to get some counselling. Do you take any prescribed medication at all?

[anna_0range]

I understand where you comming from.

I had alot of those same symptoms suprisingly. And yes, i thought i was skitzo also.

Are you on medication? Because somtimes certain medications can make you feel like you are out of reality or soart of just make your feel like a zombie. If not. Im not suprized your having this. Its a comming symptom of anxiety. My fiance feels this way alot.

Secondly. What kind of drugs where you doing? Pills?
I was highly addicted to Topamax and colonzapin. Also. I did smoke weed and drank alot. Every night of my life was litteraly a party.

I stoped doing all this because i wanted to evolve as a person and move on with life. Mature.

After i stoped doing all this stuff i went through major withdrawls. Wich consisted of numbness in my face, fingertips, arms....To the point where i didnt want to move. Night terrors. And i was extremly paranoid all the time! I thought i would hear people in other rooms when i was hope alone.....

All of this slowly led to me getting very bad anxiety.

If your starting to get symptoms of anxiety now see if you can get your insurance to cover seeing a therapist. This forum helps alot too. ITs helped me ALOT! Because your going to slowly spiral and you can get a panic attack. Wich believe me, it stinks!

See if you can start doing things like cardio or yoga..They have dvds like that, that you can rent from the library. Try walking maybe a half hour to an hour a day. Those kind of things will help you out. And ofocaorce if your not eating healthy you really should start.

[brittypixi]

i saw an episode of oprah the other day and what it taught me is that if you dont agree with what the doctor says, if you still have that gut feeling something else may be wrong, then you NEED to look for another doctor, doesn't matter if you have seen this doctor forever, get a second opinion. the woman on the show went to a bunch of different doctors and the last doctor realized that it was a giant tumor that none of the other doctors had diagnosed. now i don't think you have a tumor haha so don't worry about that, but if your feeling as though you think something else is wrong, please get a second opinion.

[wejust22]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I'm not on any medication at the moment, in fact I've never had medication ever!

To the drug question: I mostly smoked marijuana. 2 or 3 times a week until June 08, where I stopped completely (it was relaxing, but it didn't get me anywhere). I got drunk a few times and tried DXM (cough syrup) a few times, so pretty much the regular "teen" drugs. Again, I haven't done anything since June and the symptoms I described didn't starting showing till August (though I've had regular panic attack/anxiety symptoms for years) so I don't think it's withdrawal or anything.

I'm really not sure what's causing all this. I thought it might be low blood pressure or my diet but I exercise daily and eat very healthy!!

I know it's not schizophrenia because I don't have hallucinations or delusions, just extreme paranoia.

I probably don't have dissociative identity disorder either, but I do have some social and personality problems.

A major problem is that my anxiety comes and goes. I'll be paranoid and panicked for a few weeks and then the next few weeks I'll feel completely fine!

I wish I could find what's wrong, or rather what's causing all of this. It's been happening for years now, and the symptoms seem to be getting worse and worse over time!

[anna_0range]

It is possible that the anxiety gene runs in your family.

Somtimes there isnt anything spacific that causes anxiety.

Its good that your eating good and have been exersicing...Maybe you should try eating less meat and dairy products if your not vegitarian or vegan..

Try eating in ways that will keep your blood sugar low. If you keep it moderatly low you wont spike as much adrenelin.

When you exersice try doing more cardio exerces because it works your whole body.

AND, it wouldnt hurt to try and do things like yoga or meditation.

Ive found that meditation really does really help alot with the anxiety.

[Aaron]

Try eating in ways that will keep your blood sugar low. If you keep it moderatly low you wont spike as much adrenelin.
How about try eating in ways that will keep your blood sugar stable. If you blood sugar gets too low or drops too quickly, adrenalin will be pumped into your blood as an emergency response (increasing sugar content in your blood to try to "balance" levels out). For people who have no panic disorder, this is okay every now and then- if you have panic disorder, the chances are much higher that you/your body will interpret the increase in stress hormones as cause for PANIC. So, that being said, keep your blood sugar stable. Read up on hypoglycemic diets (less refined sugars/carbs, more protein, make sure you're taking in enough Chromium and B vitamins, as these help keep blood sugar/insulin levels more balanced).

Peace,