What triggers your anxiety?

[worrier123]

Mine i dont even know, when i panic i dont actually know whats its over, i think i now just fear having a panic attack because of the way it feel and the fear etc, all i know is is that when im in the mid panic/high anxiety i feel the worst i think i could ever possible feel and the fear is just indescribable and the thought of feeling this way again or it happening again of course makes me worry and anticipate it happening.

sounds silly but i think my biggest problem is that im in fear of fear! that doesnt really make any sence. but because i think to myself why am i feeling like this why am i pancing and i don have the answers as there isnt anything specifically that causes it, just the fact that i fear panic...so its a visious circl really.

What is it that triggers your anxiety/panic attacks? and what do you do to help youself?

[Brad72]

I could write a book of my triggers but like you the fear of the fear was one of them.

The problem is because the anxiety system is on the sympathetic nervous system quite often it has started before you have even realised, a bit like when you touch something hot and you pull your hand away without even thinking.

I found it was helpful to make note of what I was doing before the attack. Was I watching a show on tv that made me uneasy. Did I have an uncomfortable thought about something. Did I briefly have a weird body sensation.

Another thing to remember is that anxiety is just thoughts and stories that our mind spins. They are not real. They usually have no evidence to support them. They just make you feel terrible and that's the way anxiety like it.

Take the though that anxiety is going to make you mad. Well no one has ever gone mad from anxiety. What about the though that you are going to pass out because the anxiety is making you feel dizzy. Well in my years of anxiety I have never passed out so that thought it unfounded. What about the though that a bad headache must be meningitis. Where is the proof and evidence to support this thought. Has any headache in the past ever led to meningitis...no. You can see where I'm going with this. Once you learn to scrutinise the anxiety thoughts you begin to realise that the thoughts and feeling you are having have no real substance of proof to support them. I also learnt not to struggle with every thought, feeling and sensation, instead I just let it be. It take far less energy to accept it rather than try to push it away.

A good example of this is when you get the flu. For the first few days your anxiety will probably be elevated but then you notice you just feel sick, not anxious because you have stopped struggling and accepted that it's just the flu and are letting it run it's coarse.

I found mindfullness and ACT techniques really helped with this.

[Question]

Mine i dont even know, when i panic i dont actually know whats its over, i think i now just fear having a panic attack because of the way it feel and the fear etc, all i know is is that when im in the mid panic/high anxiety i feel the worst i think i could ever possible feel and the fear is just indescribable and the thought of feeling this way again or it happening again of course makes me worry and anticipate it happening.

sounds silly but i think my biggest problem is that im in fear of fear! that doesnt really make any sence. but because i think to myself why am i feeling like this why am i pancing and i don have the answers as there isnt anything specifically that causes it, just the fact that i fear panic...so its a visious circl really.

What is it that triggers your anxiety/panic attacks? and what do you do to help youself?

Fear of fear drives me crazy. It's like when I'm feeling good, I'm like oh no I'm going to start feeling bad and then boom yup I start feeling bad. I just want all this nonsense to be over and lead a productive, full, life. I'm only 26 and feel 80 years old sometimes.

[Brad72]

Fear of fear drives me crazy. It's like when I'm feeling good, I'm like oh no I'm going to start feeling bad and then boom yup I start feeling bad. I just want all this nonsense to be over and lead a productive, full, life. I'm only 26 and feel 80 years old sometimes.

Mate i think a book called "the happiness trap" would really help you. I certainly helped me with the unhelpful thoughts that seem to plague our anxiety minds. I find now that when I am happy I no longer wait for a bad day. Sure, i still have bad days but every human being does but I now realise that it was just a bad day and not anxiety.

I think to that everyone with anxiety fears the fear. When was the last time you had a pleasant anxiety attack? Never right. Hence why they are so scary. Like I said though the book is really good. Do a google search and it will come up.

[babymuscles]

Fear of love, fear of hate, fear of work, fear of state test scores, ....terrified all the time of not being good enough.

[jon mike]

Being aware of my breathing, busy streets, confrontation, questions? Arguing, anticipation, waiting etc All the same feeling

[PanicCured]

I think fear of fear makes perfect sense. I think what you are describing is adding 2nd fear.

[trotter82]

Mines anything health related if i see a medical programme i get dizzy or sweat usually both. I get uneasy even knowing a health programme is on and feel like i might watch it just to scare myself!
A soap i watch currently has a cancer storyline running and i cant watch it anymore as soon as i knew the story was coming i never watched again.
if i see a story on cancer in the paper or on the news i have a bad time ,i got a pen through the post from a cancer charity and cant use the pen as it scares me how stupid is that:(
its got to the stage where i cant watch makeover shows ect. as often they are renovating houses of people who have been ill or had illness in the family and i find myself worrying ,so im so limited by this stupid condition !!!

[Mccartwheel]

Driving gives me anxiety or being in the car when someone else is driving my car or not being in control of my body.

[helenneedinghelp]

Trotter82..
You do not sound stupid at all, i am the same.
Convinced myself i had a brain tumor, and then everything i watched was about people with them, I got so scared of casualty and all them type of programes i stopped watching. :)
My anexity is health too, along with worrying about my 2 kids.

[Alicia]

I too, do not really know what causes my attacks. I have been a worrier my whole life. I play out worse case senarios in my head all the time. What if I die? What if my son or spouse dies? What if I or someone I love gets hurt, goes missing, etc? I have convinced myself I had many problems (ex: sinus disease, cancer, pregnancy (I have an IUD), tumors, etc), but testing has only resulted a healthy body. Driving has become problematic, but I am usually able to talk myself down. Social anxiety has been a big problem. I constantly have panic attacks when in public. I would just like to know why?