Anxiety symptoms and experiences

[anxious_dave]

Howdy all, was wondering if anyone else has similar issues with anxiety that I do.

I have been on anti anxiety tablets for around 10 months now and they seem to
take the edge off of it. At the beginning of the year I had a panic attack where
my face went numb on and off with my arms and legs then I lost the ability to
speak and write English and could not stop vomiting.

Ended up at the hospital, blood work MRI etc all clean.
The neurologist said it was a panic attack, tho at the time I want panicking
(that I know of). He then put me on anti anxiety tablets.

Since then I have a variety of symptoms that are related to anxiety, my body
twitches every now a then, not in a pattern just now and then my hand will
flinch, or my foot. It some times wakes me up if it's a full body twitch.

For the last 10 years I have been worried that there was something wrong with
my heart as it flutters and skips beats most days. This has gotten a lot better
once I was told that my heart was fine and it was all in my head. It now only
happens now and then and mostly I can just ignore it.

Also, my legs feel wobbly some times, I never fall over I just don't feel solid.
My hands shake more than they used to.

My breathing is pretty bad I breath in hand hold my breath for a split second
and I don't think im breathing correctly unless im concentrating on breathing.

I have held my stomach tense for around 10 years which is now making me feel
strange when I don't hold it tenses and unless im concentrating on it I revert
back to the tense pose.

One thing I have found is that when I am talking to someone for example in a
meeting I feel perfectly fine which leads me to believe that it is all in my
head, but its hard to tell your brain to shut up when its telling you that
something is wrong all the time.

I guess im not really asking any questions, but hopefully (for me) someone else
has the same symptoms and can relate.

If so how do you manage the anxiety? I tell myself to shut up and try to get
on with it but I still grid my teeth a little when im not concentrating on not
doing so.

I was thinking of attending some form of anxiety clinic as over the last 10 months
even though I have not had another panic attack this is still negatively affecting my life.

Has anyone gone to any “Anxiety Center” and did it work or is it a load of rubbish?

Cheers

[Teafrenzy]

Anxiety Centre? I never heard of it..sounds like a place with a lot of picnics and potato sack racing :)

Actually I'm pretty sure an Anxiety Centre is just an organization of psychologists who specialize in treating anxiety disorders. There's really nothing to it other than having one large private company do all the advertising and gather clients on behalf of the psychologists.

Anyways, you have anxiety. Not all the classic symptoms, but nonetheless.

You need a diet/lifestyle change with supplements and if this fails...medication. There are several threads about all of it on here.

[anxious_dave]

Yup, after doing more research its basically a bunch of doctors and a marketing agency.

Thanks for the advice, I will take a gander at the other posts around health and diet.

[gypsylee]

Hi Dave and welcome,

I've got anxiety and a Marketing degree.. I should become a one woman Anxiety Centre. I'm actually half serious but this forum will have to do for now :)

I don't get as many physical symptoms as other people it seems but I can still get anxiety so bad all I can do is lie in my room. When I'm not anxious it's hard to say what even goes on in my head but it's not fun. At the moment I take a few different meds - Prozac, Mogadon (benzo) and Oxycodone. The Oxycodone is officially for pain but let's just say my soul is in pain. I went a few years with no meds and did pretty well but then some stuff happened and my anxiety flared up badly again.

Anyway, this place is pretty helpful. If you ever want to vent you can or you can just read posts (I lurked for a year before posting anything). Anxiety loves to make you feel like you're the only person in the world with it, so it goes a long way to have a place like this with other sufferers.

Cheers,
Gypsy x

[jones27]

Howdy all, was wondering if anyone else has similar issues with anxiety that I do.

I have been on anti anxiety tablets for around 10 months now and they seem to
take the edge off of it. At the beginning of the year I had a panic attack where
my face went numb on and off with my arms and legs then I lost the ability to
speak and write English and could not stop vomiting.

Ended up at the hospital, blood work MRI etc all clean.
The neurologist said it was a panic attack, tho at the time I want panicking
(that I know of). He then put me on anti anxiety tablets.

Since then I have a variety of symptoms that are related to anxiety, my body
twitches every now a then, not in a pattern just now and then my hand will
flinch, or my foot. It some times wakes me up if it's a full body twitch.

For the last 10 years I have been worried that there was something wrong with
my heart as it flutters and skips beats most days. This has gotten a lot better
once I was told that my heart was fine and it was all in my head. It now only
happens now and then and mostly I can just ignore it.

Also, my legs feel wobbly some times, I never fall over I just don't feel solid.
My hands shake more than they used to.

My breathing is pretty bad I breath in hand hold my breath for a split second
and I don't think im breathing correctly unless im concentrating on breathing.

I have held my stomach tense for around 10 years which is now making me feel
strange when I don't hold it tenses and unless im concentrating on it I revert
back to the tense pose.

One thing I have found is that when I am talking to someone for example in a
meeting I feel perfectly fine which leads me to believe that it is all in my
head, but its hard to tell your brain to shut up when its telling you that
something is wrong all the time.

I guess im not really asking any questions, but hopefully (for me) someone else
has the same symptoms and can relate.

If so how do you manage the anxiety? I tell myself to shut up and try to get
on with it but I still grid my teeth a little when im not concentrating on not
doing so.

I was thinking of attending some form of anxiety clinic as over the last 10 months
even though I have not had another panic attack this is still negatively affecting my life.

Has anyone gone to any “Anxiety Center” and did it work or is it a load of rubbish?

Cheers

My anxiety symptoms are more mental than physical but it may help you to know that in my research I have heard of everyone of your symptoms being associated with anxiety.

The way I cope is by using Dr Claire Weekes' approach accept and float.... some days its easy others its impossible.

I am also going to CBT and thinking of trying yoga. I do worry appointments twice a day for 10 minutes each and also meditate at least 10 minutes a day.

I try to exercise at least 25-30 minutes 4 times a week and started eating healthy.

Good luck!

[dontcarewhatusernameis]

I started getting muscle twitches that are probably due to anxiety or ssri use about 7? years ago. It started mainly in my face and neck and usually wouldn't last long very long. The neck twitches can get pretty crazy. I have seen them in the mirror and its extremely noticeable (jugular vein pulses out of my neck). My face checks and eye lids twitch sometimes too. I have also caught that in the mirror before and its usually visible although there have been times I looked and couldn't see it but felt it. Now I get it in my arms and upper legs sometimes. Also very noticeable. Luckily It doesn't happen all that often for me though. Anxiety and frequent alcohol use (day after) seem to make it happen slightly more often for me.

A doctor during a psychical once told me I have extremely bad muscle tension which may be causing it. He said I should try doing yoga or stretching but I could never really get into it.

"legs feel wobbly some times" - I have gotten this also when I have extreme anxiety. I was once at a crowded college graduation (bad situation for me) and they had the audience stand up and when I did I felt like I could barely keep my balance and also like I might black out. I had blackness in my peripheral vision and felt dizzy.

How to manage the anxiety? For most of my life by trying to avoid situation that cause it (makes it even worse longterm). Exposure therapy has lessened my general anxiety overall a little bit and quite a bit about some specific things. Driving is only mild anxiety if its to a place I have already been, I can be around other people with only some anxiety when I don't have to talk to them, I can even talk a little to people as long as its not a social situation, etc. I'm not sure if this applies to what causes you anxiety though.

Exercise also seem to help for me. Walking or running, strength training.

[Kirk]

I could tell you a number of health anxiety related stories about myself, but if I told you them all, it would take too long.