Peak
07-04-2016, 07:59 AM
I have been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder a few years ago but have had it for far longer than that. I know most of the causes of my anxiety and I have had CBT, counselling and some medication over the years. I certainly wouldn't say I'm cured, I still get anxious and often it feels like I get anxious for no reason. However when I do get anxious I now know enough to keep my thoughts under control, put them into perspective and most times this is enough to stop things spiraling out of control.
The bit I don't yet have control over, the bit that I don't yet understand is some of the physical symptoms I get. I've had loads over the years from rapid and very, very irregular heartbeats lasting from seconds to hours at a time, tunnel vision, uncontrolled sweating, shakes, stomach problems , feeling light headed/dizzy etc etc etc.
I've been seeing a counsellor now since February and she has really helped me understand the sources of my anxiety and right now I feel quite calm and more in control then I've felt in years. However this weekend, and this is becoming increasingly common, I've felt 'breathless'. By breathless I mean that I keep feeling like I need to take a deep breath. I'm not panting or out of breath, I can still do everything physically but I never feel like I've got enough oxygen and this can make me feel anxious because it feels like I'm suffocating. I also frequently feel the need to belch and when I do this often gives a moment of relief from feeling breathless.
I've seen my GP about this in the past, a few years ago now, and she just dismissed it as being anxiety and at the time I would say that I was anxious so that all fitted. So I guess my question is, even if you are 'cured', understand, have come to terms with your anxiety, and you don't feel anxious, can you still get the physical symptoms related to anxiety? If the answer is yes, how on Earth are we supposed to know when our symptoms are just anxiety and when it's something else, I don't want to bother my GP and more than I have over the years (which is a hell of a lot) but equally I don't want to ignore something that perhaps I shouldn't.
The bit I don't yet have control over, the bit that I don't yet understand is some of the physical symptoms I get. I've had loads over the years from rapid and very, very irregular heartbeats lasting from seconds to hours at a time, tunnel vision, uncontrolled sweating, shakes, stomach problems , feeling light headed/dizzy etc etc etc.
I've been seeing a counsellor now since February and she has really helped me understand the sources of my anxiety and right now I feel quite calm and more in control then I've felt in years. However this weekend, and this is becoming increasingly common, I've felt 'breathless'. By breathless I mean that I keep feeling like I need to take a deep breath. I'm not panting or out of breath, I can still do everything physically but I never feel like I've got enough oxygen and this can make me feel anxious because it feels like I'm suffocating. I also frequently feel the need to belch and when I do this often gives a moment of relief from feeling breathless.
I've seen my GP about this in the past, a few years ago now, and she just dismissed it as being anxiety and at the time I would say that I was anxious so that all fitted. So I guess my question is, even if you are 'cured', understand, have come to terms with your anxiety, and you don't feel anxious, can you still get the physical symptoms related to anxiety? If the answer is yes, how on Earth are we supposed to know when our symptoms are just anxiety and when it's something else, I don't want to bother my GP and more than I have over the years (which is a hell of a lot) but equally I don't want to ignore something that perhaps I shouldn't.