anxiety symptoms even when i'm not anxious about anything?

[pb1990]

hey guys,

i was diagnosed with anxiety last year over the winter after graduating from high school. i was having panic attacks a lot and i just didn't know how to control it, and i thought something was seriously wrong. i was going on webmd a lot and checking out every little symptom and was convinced i had schizophrenia. it was weird, i'm not proud of it.

my doctor put me on effexor, and after a few months on it i just stopped taking it, because it was such a low dose and i felt good without the medicine. i was doing good for a while but when i went to college i kind of saw all of the old familiar symptoms coming back: tingling in the hands, shaking, sweating a lot for no reason, just kind of a feeling of dread that i'm going to die of some rare disease.

my question is, do you ever get symptoms of a panic attack or overanxiety about something, even if you're not really worrying about anything at the moment? i don't know, it just worries me. my mom wants me to start taking the effexor again but i think it's a problem i can get over myself (not a slight to anyone who takes medicine).

sorry for rambling

[totfit]

First of all medication is helpful for many and if you need it by all means take it. That being said, I also have and have always had anxiety that is unrelated to situations. I have had situational anxiety, but have more often just has the anxiety without a known stimulus. It became really active in College. I did ok in High School I think because I was so busy with sports, work and academics. The sports dropped off and I started having problems. A lot of the time this translated to obsessive acts sexually and bulimia.
I also immediately developed problems with alcohol. I have never been able to drink. It seems to have the opposite effect of me as some. This was a major problem for about 10 years.
I guess I didn't really recognize the underlying culprit, anxiety for quite some years. I think that I just kept trying to pin the problem externally. I have successfully take lexapro. I took it a bit over a year at one point. I didn't like the parts of me it took, though it was quite effective with the anxiety. Now I do not take anything. I concentrate and a good diet with little simple carbs. I exercise: run, bike, walk, swim whatever. I also take supplaments: 5HTP, Sam-e, B Vitamins and a multi. I also try to stay well hydrated. Now I still have some anxiety, but it is for the most part manageable. I was more relaxed when on the Lexapro, but I was also a lot less motivated. I guess this short or this long answer is that yes my anxiety is also non-situational.

[pb1990]

First of all medication is helpful for many and if you need it by all means take it. That being said, I also have and have always had anxiety that is unrelated to situations. I have had situational anxiety, but have more often just has the anxiety without a known stimulus. It became really active in College. I did ok in High School I think because I was so busy with sports, work and academics. The sports dropped off and I started having problems. A lot of the time this translated to obsessive acts sexually and bulimia.
I also immediately developed problems with alcohol. I have never been able to drink. It seems to have the opposite effect of me as some. This was a major problem for about 10 years.
I guess I didn't really recognize the underlying culprit, anxiety for quite some years. I think that I just kept trying to pin the problem externally. I have successfully take lexapro. I took it a bit over a year at one point. I didn't like the parts of me it took, though it was quite effective with the anxiety. Now I do not take anything. I concentrate and a good diet with little simple carbs. I exercise: run, bike, walk, swim whatever. I also take supplaments: 5HTP, Sam-e, B Vitamins and a multi. I also try to stay well hydrated. Now I still have some anxiety, but it is for the most part manageable. I was more relaxed when on the Lexapro, but I was also a lot less motivated. I guess this short or this long answer is that yes my anxiety is also non-situational.

same exact thing with me. i played soccer and lacrosse in high school and as soon as i went to college and didn't play sports anymore the anxiety started up. it seems like whenever my mind's off of a type of disease i could have or what's wrong with me i'm fine, but as soon as i'm bored and have nothing to do my mind wanders a little bit. i think i'll be fine, i just hate the idea that a tiny symptom like tingling fingers could mean the anxiety's back, i could have tendinitis (i play drums and guitar), or it could mean i have multiple sclerosis. there's such a wide range of things there and i automatically assume i have the worst one.

[Piglette130]

pb1990, I know how you feel. I also feel like my anxiety comes from nowhere sometimes. I just wake up with a panic attack and I'm not worried or stressed about anything. This is what makes it hard when people say "medicine is bad, go do therapy" I am starting to try therapy, but sometimes I have anxiety with no explanation, so obviously medication is the way to go for me. Hang in there, and remember some days will be harder than others, but nothing is permanent.

[Robbed]

I just wake up with a panic attack and I'm not worried or stressed about anything. This is what makes it hard when people say "medicine is bad, go do therapy" I am starting to try therapy, but sometimes I have anxiety with no explanation, so obviously medication is the way to go for me.

The fact that you experience 'free floating anxiety' (ie anxiety without provoking thoughts or events occurring beforehand) does NOT indicate that either your anxiety is an incurable biological condition OR that you NEED medication. Despite what those who promote traditional CBT (ie 'TEA forms') or the pharmaceutical approach would have you believe, anxiety DOES escalate from time to time without anything to provoke it. It's just the way your mind and body act when in a high stress state (anxiety disorder). The best thing you can do in these sorts of situations is to just accept the way you feel at the time, and let it pass. If it's not apparent what thoughts caused you to feel the way you do, then don't try to figure out what made you anxious. Doing so will only get you further entangled in anxiety. Just accept it, and try to go on with whatever you were doing as best as you can. Practicing this over the long term WILL eventually reduce your levels of anxiety.