Fear and dizziness

[kmarie30]

Hello I am new here. I started having anxiety after and inner ear issue(at least I think) anyways the dizzy is there always when I'm all geared up. I get so restless and can't think straight then I feel these waves of panic starting in my stomach and right up to my head causing the imbalance and my arms shake like crazy its terrifing and its every day!!!I definatley feel it more when I'm anxious. When I take an Ativan it goes away. My anxiety doc gave me lyrica to ease the debilitating anxiety but I'm not sure it's working or the Ativan. If I dont take my 1 mg once every 24 hours I'm right back to shaky nervous and not functional. Does this sound familiar to anyone having this scary sensation in the head? I'm so scared this dizziness and an anxiety will never go away. I want to be normal again:(

[Enzo386]

Hello I am new here. I started having anxiety after and inner ear issue(at least I think) anyways the dizzy is there always when I'm all geared up. I get so restless and can't think straight then I feel these waves of panic starting in my stomach and right up to my head causing the imbalance and my arms shake like crazy its terrifing and its every day!!!I definatley feel it more when I'm anxious. When I take an Ativan it goes away. My anxiety doc gave me lyrica to ease the debilitating anxiety but I'm not sure it's working or the Ativan. If I dont take my 1 mg once every 24 hours I'm right back to shaky nervous and not functional. Does this sound familiar to anyone having this scary sensation in the head? I'm so scared this dizziness and an anxiety will never go away. I want to be normal again:(

I totally understand the dizziness. I was convinced I had an inner ear issue too that started it, because the initial panic attack started with severe light-headedness. This in time turned to a feeling of off-balance. Almost like my body isn't "centered" properly. Over the course of the past few months, I've grown to realize it's all anxiety related, even if I say to myself "I'm not anxious."

When I feel off-balance, my head has a "heaviness" or "pressure" to it. It's scary for sure, and it makes me totally zone out. Nobody notices, but I feel like I'm in a dream half the time this is happening.

With time, you learn to control it. Just take a deep breath, and accept it for what it is. I've found this to be the best. Visualize the anxiety as a wave, and just let it roll over you. Close your eyes, deep breath, and tell yourself it's only anxiety. You'll start to feel better. It doesn't go away overnight, and I still deal with it on and off throughout the day. HOWEVER, I am a MILLION times better than I was a few months ago.

Just keep your head up :)

(Also, I hear you on the wanting to be normal comment. I felt that way for months, thinking I had some horrible problem. You need to realize, you ARE normal, and you DO feel normal underneath this anxiety. It's only your brain tricking you.)

[kmarie30]

Yes the dizzys are the hardest. I find sitting still to be the worst as I feel as though I'm rocking on a boat. The head pressure is the worst and along with the adrenal surges sometimes I think the whole room is about to spin. I have to start a new job next week and I have a hard time inside buildings right now. Maybe just over active visual stimuli. But I get off balance instantly and I for lack of a better word "freak" it's debilitating. I have and am considering taking Ativan daily until this resolves. Maybe once my body and mind feel relaxed for a bit this whole dizzy crap will subside. Being motion sensitive is awful. I'm switched on to every feeling in my body. Like I'm afraid of the floor moving and sometimes I feel like I'm bouncing then I focus on it and fear it's all starting over again. Just fear. Fear I'm going to lose my job my home my mind and that I'm going to get sick and die from every sensation lump or bump. I'm nuts right now this is hell:(

[Enzo386]

Sounds like everything that I went through. Like I said, it's a slow process because you have to retrain yourself to realize that there is nothing to fear. This is your body on overdrive mode, ready to do anything to survive. The issue is, there is no danger. The visual thing I have. Fluorescent lighting really does me in. I agree, I believe it's just an overstimulated brain.

I feel like the problem is those of us that have anxiety issues, for whatever the cause, tend to expect our symptoms upon waking up. The brain is a powerful thing. If you wake up expecting the dizziness, then odds are eventually you'll feel it. I know it's tough, but try to ignore it. Focus on little things to get your mind off the symptoms. They'll slowly subside over time.

The important aspect is time. You need time to heal, and that all starts by relaxing and reassuring yourself that it is only anxiety. If your doctor thought it was anything else, they'd order the proper treatment.

[kmarie30]

I agree the visual disturbances are awful! When I'm sitting still sometimes I expect the room to start spinning or that my eyes are shaking then I start to worry again. I just plain old feel like my movements are limited as to what I can do. If I move my head side to side I feel like it does if even after I stop. I do wake up feeling heavy headed every day. If I take an Ativan it goes away but that could be because it's a vestibular suppressant as well as an anxiety cure. My anxiety doc is convinced its a damaged nerve from an ear thing sending signals to my brain causing me to get overstimulated and to shake and get panicky. I was pretty decent for a week or so but it's back the last few days. I just want to feel physically stable again and mentally. I'm still so scared normalicy is a thing of the past like I was only given 30 years and now I will suffer for the rest of life. I hate it. I miss me and feeling good. Mornings and the worst and waking in the night.

[tb69]

I don't have much to say except your OP and the responses really resonated with me. Anxiety is a crappy thing to have I know.

I plan to formally introduce myself when I get the time and courage up.

Good luck

[rhar]

Just found this thread... I have same daily dizziness and off balance feeling, sometimes it feels like the floor is moving up or down and it freaks me out because I feel like I'm going to fall over!! Has yours stopped??

[Str8crew]

I just found this thread also, and as I read the comments above I cannot believe how they relate to me completely!! I have all the same symptoms and can't wait to be normal again... If possible. I am so thankful I found this forum as I thought I was going crazy!