More than anxiety? Help.

[Skizo]

I really need an anxiety expert opinion about this;

I have for the past month a kind of heavy head or pressure in head feeling along with light dizziness and difficulty concentrating, these are just the constant 24/7 symptoms I get, I sometimes get many other physical symptoms but they usually go away.

The head pressure/light dizziness are sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker but they never really go away.
Had one day when the head pressure was extremely strong, and have had a few days where the dizziness is strong.
Also have a pressure in the ears feeling.

So please , do you think it is anxiety or is a brain tumor more likely?

[Skizo]

Just in case, I'll make an entire list of strange feelings I've been having for the past month;

Dizziness, heavy head or pressure in head, tight throat and neck, blocked throat, suffocating feeling, shortness of breath, pins and needles feeling/burning on the forehead, hands and legs going numb, sweating, small fever, face numbness, stuffed throat, muscle twitches, difficulty concentrating, weakness, tiredness, panic attacks, small headaches, eye pain, etc....

Now I'm sure SOME of these are anxiety related but not all...
Also, the symptoms get stronger in a classroom setting, I was at school and the headaches kicked in and it is nearly impossible for me to study like that.
I've been checked for; blood pressure, blood analysis, Lyme's, encephalitis, sinusitis, ears, eyes, skin.... - all of these were fine.

[Skizo]

Dizziness, heavy head or pressure in head,

Very common with anxiety . Most people get this in one form or another . Many people that get this also refer to it as DP DR .


What is DP/DR, and CAN I GET OVER IT??? And yes, I have smoked weed, and some of the trips were horrible. Also I haven't smoked that much around 10-15 times only, and the guy who I smoke with smokes like every day and doesn't have problems.



tight throat and neck, blocked throat, suffocating feeling, shortness of breath,
Often referred to as lump in the throat . Again very coming with anxiety . Focusing in on your breathing with fear will make you take faster shorter breath which in itself can cause dizziness .

That seems logical


pins and needles feeling/burning on the forehead, hands and legs going numb,

Very common and one of my main symptoms . I believe it is cause by the body removing blood from the limbs . It is a inbreed thing and is something we have not over come from the cave days . If we were in a fight and was to have a finger cut off then the body prepares for this by removing blood from there. Again can be caused by to fast breathing .

Okay...


muscle twitches,
One of the most common and i know what one of your google searches will bring up on this and no you dont have it . It is bought on by misfiring of nerves .

That doesn't happen very often but has happened a lot on some nights.


difficulty concentrating,

Bit hard to do when you are so focused on how you feel . Try writing with one hand and reading with other . Hard isnt it . Thats because the brain can only fully focus on one thing.

Sure..



weakness, tiredness,
Body that is stress is like a body running on high all the time. Any wonder you feel tired .

Logical...


panic attacks,

Stress - anxiety - super anxiety ( panic attacks ) the the way it works it builds from one to the next . Panic attacks only last so long because the body only has so much of the chemical that it takes to panic . It is again a inbreed thing to make the mind and body focus and remove itself from danger . You can not have a panic attack without having anxiety unless it is one of a few things which you blood test would have picked up straight away .

I've had about maybe 10 panic attacks this year, and never before in my life, could this also be cause by my weed smoking?



small headaches, eye pain, etc.... Nothing odd , could be related . Again when the body is in flight and fight the eyes become very focused . Which can cause eye strain , blurred vision , head aches .
The eye pains are random and last a few seconds only, and the headaches kick in only in the classroom.



So please , do you think it is anxiety or is a brain tumor more likely?

Anxiety 1000000% but if it make you feel better and it may help then see your doctor but just remember what i said . You will find something else to worry about then until you get your anxiety in check .

First step in recovery is accepting . Ask yourself this whats better you have a brain tumor or you have anxiety that can be reversed and fixed . Now just stop and think about it logically without first panicking about it . Of course it is the latter but because of your anxious brain and the fact that a anxious brain slows the logical part of the brain down you panic thinking the worst . Very important lesson anxiety will trick you into many things and you need to learn to take a breathe and let your logical part kick in . Its a bit slow but it is still there .

At my worst i panic about everything . Then when i went to a doctor i was told my twitching may be something nasty and i was told to get a test . This doctor then said Oh its nothing to worry about :) Good thing the anxiety got better by then . I am yet to have that test because i know that deep down that twitching is just my nerves misfiring because i am stressed .

cheers kev :)

Thanks a lot for your reply, so just a question - should I keep on taking my antidepressant (ciraset) and xanax? What else should I do?

[jessed03]

I've gotta agree with forwells, anxiety creates such bizarre symptoms, for months I was convinced I would drop dead at any moment, literally, I had a death note written out. I would cry when left alone, because I knew there wouldn't be anyone home to call an ambulance when (if) I collapsed of a brain hemmorage. I had the most bizarre head pains, chest pains, eye pains, my neck was so sore I couldn't move it. I feel you, it's terrifying, it's just so bizarre to feel that way, that it just creates huge alarm. I think getting some blood work done from your doctor is a great start, to check you don't have any deficiencies or problems, and once that comes back clear, you'll have more belief that there isn't anything wrong, and it will allow you to focus on getting to grips with the mental and physical excersises needed in order to gain more control.

Read the book 'Hope and help for the nerves' by Claire Weeks, it's an amazing book, and you can get it cheaply on Amazon, it goes into far more depth than a forum ever could, and will really give you a great detail as to whats happening and how the physical sensations you feel are being caused, and how to move forward. You can get it for so cheap on Amazon, it really is essential reading. Education is just your best friend against this illness.

How long have you been on the med's by the way?

[Skizo]

Been taking my AD for 2 weeks now... the head pressure and dizziness is still there tho.

The weird thing is how it all started, I was just sitting in front of my computer, doing nothing, I had no stress... and suddenly, I had a small headache and then my head felt heavy, I went outside to breathe some fresh air but that didn't help, so later that day I also had a panic attack, in which I had extreme dizziness and my face went numb, the first time I've felt face numbness during a panic attack, so that freaked me out even more...(I was almost convinced that I had blood poisoning and that I would die, its almost as if the panic I attack that I had a month ago still hasn't calmed down). On the positive side tho, there have been a few days in the past month when the head pressure was gone or almost gone but then the dizziness would be stronger. So I haven't had even one normal day in the past month.

There was also one day when the head pressure was EXTREMELY strong, like I felt my head would explode. and there have also been a few days when the dizziness has been so strong that I couldn't even walk straight.

Right now the head pressure and dizziness are mild and I also have a sore jaw for some reason....
and I complete sense of unreality, life feels kind of surreal...

[Skizo]

Yea but still, how do I get over DPDR and are the dizziness/head pressure related to that? I've researched a little bit and I see that there is no cure.... :(

Also about the sore jaw, is this related to TMJ or anxiety?

Also I have to admit that I do have psychological problems but I feel like there is more to it than just that... if my mind can bring my down like that can't it bring me back up again?

[Skizo]

k I hope so... the dizziness/heavy head feeling is becoming very annoying , especially for my social life.

[Skizo]

It's just so f***ing hard.....

I have this dizziness and heavy head feeling and tension feeling all the time and I have long school days too now... I'm so tired of all of this, it feels like I can't live my life at all anymore I'm just a walking zombie...

My social life is also degenerating now because I'm not as happy and outgoing as I used to be anymore.

I feel so empty and my head feels heavy and dizzy all the time.... My life is just f***ing worthless :(

I'm beginning to think that I will never feel normal again, it's been a month of hell and it doesn't seem to go away :(

it ain't supposed to be like this... I'm supposed to be young and happy but instead I really feel like dying. Why is this sh*t happening to me?....

[everybodypanic]

I've really gotten dizzy and felt like my head was a bowling ball at the same time when I've been really gripped by anxiety. The face going numb thing happens to me too. Your doctor can't refuse to get you checked out for something worse if you really demand it, and if it would make you feel better, go for it. Sore jaw definitely sounds anxiety related to me, I have major TMJ issues and I often catch myself clenching my jaw even when I think I'm alright.

I really don't think a brain tumor is likely. Brain tumors usually present very differently, everything from wild personality changes to excruciating headaches beyond just stress headaches, problems with speech, vomiting, seizures, and serious lack of coordination just to name a few. But I'm not a doctor and like I said, no harm in ruling it out to help you cope.

[Skizo]

Thank you for your reply... still I just... I simply cannot believe that anxiety is causing all of this... I feel like I am losing my mind completely... I feel unreal and my head feels kind of heavy or tension-like all the time... its so weird. I don't even remember what it is like to feel normal anymore. Also I get this lump in the throat all the time. Also I get like pressure in ears or ears get locked...

It's a comforting thought to think that it really is just anxiety/stress/depression and it is fixable... but it still seems so unbelievable to me, I have symptoms 24/7... I feel really bad in the morning, then it gets a little better during the day, and starts going downhill again as the night approaches... but I feel more careless during the night so it isn't as much of a problem than it is in the morning... I wake up and instantly feel bad and that creates a panic in the morning...

At times I forget about it and just go on with my life but at times its so frustrating and scary that I just feel like losing my mind.

[everybodypanic]

I'm sorry, I really empathize with that. One time, ten years ago, in transition from an MAOI back to SSRIs, I was literally out for 3 weeks. My anxiety and agoraphobia were so bad I stayed on the couch curled up. And I barely even remember anything of what happened. I had to be sedated all the time with lots of klonopin. I felt a lot like you describe when I started to actually get more stable again, just awful 24/7. But it gets better. I promise.

As far as your meds I saw you asked someone earlier in the thread about whether or not you should keep taking them- stay the course, but it might be time to seek something new or play with dosages a bit. I tried 5 different drugs before we were able to settle on Celexa as my steady and I've been on it a long time now.

[Skizo]

If I just knew what is actually causing all of this and how to fix it, I could handle it easily... but I'm completely in the dark and that is just the worst....

And my mind simply refuses to believe that it is just anxiety.

Also what are your recommendations for me about AD's?
I've been using ciraset (SSRI) for about 2 weeks now....

[everybodypanic]

I know. Anxiety is a clever beast. Plays tricks on us. But, I think one of the keys to putting your mind at easy will be getting all physical ailments ruled out first. Do what you can to have that done. Then maybe you can have a better plan of action as to how to cope.

[Skizo]

That's what I've been doing for the past month... I've had my blood pressure checked, blood analysed, checked for Lyme's, encephalitis, sinusitis, had my eyes and ears and nose and skin checked... all were fine. I even went to a so called miracle healer who was supposed to make me feel better with his hands , lol....The only thing left to do is a complete CT scan...
I will also take some stress relieving massage soon.

[jessed03]

The AD's take about 8 weeks to fully work Sziko. Hopefully what will happen is things will settle down in a few weeks. What you feel now may be partly down to the anti-depressant causing rebound anxiety, which is very frequent, but very short term.

Have you read any of the books recommended? Read Dr Claire Week's book, it will help you understand what is happening, and why, and how to proceed. Once you see the science behind what is happening, and why, it makes much more sense. You're in a state of panic and when in a state of panic, the mind doesn't just respond to a simple "this is anxiety" otherwise the state of panic wouldn't be very effective. However, once you understand the psychical things happening within your body that make these symptoms occur, things will become a lot clearer. Once the CT scan comes back good, you have a complete bill of health, and you need to take serious steps towards lowering anxiety levels, and not towards finding a "cure". There is no "cure", there are only many steps to be taken, that lower levels of stress, causing symptoms to reduce, and the body to heal. Sadly theres no medicine, reassurance, or mantra that will make it go away. I feel your time would be far better spent in therapy than through scans.

You don't have to expect this to go away instantly, it won't, it has to be slowly unlearnt, the mind has to relearn the art of thinking, and this takes time. You feel awful because there's a fire alarm going off in your body 24/7. Everyone posting here has been where you've been. We've all been 100% convinced we're dying, or will faint or have a disease. We've all sobbed, and wept, and screamed and panicked because of it. I walked the street convinced I would drop dead any second from a brain problem. I was totally convinced, I wouldn't go anywhere that was 20 minutes from a hospital. But people get better, and they get better through education firstly, and secondly from making the necessary steps based on that education to make very slow changes to ourselves. You'll get there too, as long as you make the effort to seek the correct treatments and listen to advice from people who have recovered. I know it's so tough buddy, but you can get there. :)

Massages are nice though. It's amazing how much stress and tension the body accumulates that we don't even know.

[kellyzac]

hi, all of this sounds like me! i get alot of muscle tension in the face and neck mostly my jaw and the roof of my mouth! Once you accept these symtoms are anxiety some of the fear of them will go to its horrible i know and yes every panic attack i had used to throw a new symtom in one i hadn't had before just to panic me more! Anxiety is horrible nobody can truly understand unless they have been there just how bad it can feel, but you will feel better soon! My meds didnt truly kick in for about a month and you should soon start to calm down!

[Skizo]

hi, all of this sounds like me! i get alot of muscle tension in the face and neck mostly my jaw and the roof of my mouth! Once you accept these symtoms are anxiety some of the fear of them will go to its horrible i know and yes every panic attack i had used to throw a new symtom in one i hadn't had before just to panic me more! Anxiety is horrible nobody can truly understand unless they have been there just how bad it can feel, but you will feel better soon! My meds didnt truly kick in for about a month and you should soon start to calm down!

I have kind of a "stuffed head" feeling all the time. Also I get that face/neck tension too.. I don't even really know what provides temporary relief to that.. also, I have this lump in my throat pretty constantly that is reminding that I still have anxiety for some reason...
Also the lump in throat is connected to my AD, it always comes after I take my AD.

its the stuffed head feeling... its just so constant, its there 24/7 and never goes away :(
even if I had a small break from it , it would make me feel a lot better, but its just so constant and its scaring me...
my forehead/scalp feels kind of numb/sore... or tense... I'm not that good with english so I can't explain it so well..

Also I've become so unorganized because of it... my room is a total mess and I don't feel like cleaning it, also I'm not even taking care of myself as much any more.. I just feel like doing nothing...

[kellyzac]

you should prob check with a doctor about your head if it is really worrying you! You need to try relaxation tape or cd to try and relax your muscles i know it sounds abit silly but tense muscles just builds up you need to try and concentrate on relaxing everyday at some point it really does help! the lump in the throat is horrible i know but once i accepted it was my anxiety causing it and told myself it wasnt going to hurt me in started fading and now i only get it from time to time. once you accept these things are anxiety related it takes some of the fear away and therefore gets abit easier to cope with.

[Skizo]

I'm just sooooooo f***ing tired all the time........ ughhhhh-.-

And ofcourse I have checked with many doctors, they subscribed me to AD's.....

[Skizo]

Dude have you accepted it as being only anxiety yet ??

I can send you to a sit for you to read that will explain everything if you like .

It is a paid site but only a small fee about $8

As Kelly said you need to start doing something for it . Yes you may not want to but i am sure you dont want to live like this either .

cheers kev

I have 75% Accepted it as anxiety/stress/depression... but not entirely because the head feelings are just so weird and annoying, my head feels "warm" or kind of "stuffed"/"tension" or heavy/tired all the time...or w/e... i cant find the right word.. its especially my forehead which feels kind of numb/heavy
IDK.... well' if you think that site will help me you can redirect me there...

And I am doing something - I'm taking my AD's and will go take a massage soon. Also I have been going to a sauna.

[kellyzac]

you need to a 100% accept it is anxiety for it to go! I get that the head thing is bothering you it would me to but i think with everyone you have something that scares you yours is your head mine is my throat closing up i dont no why and i cant explain it but thats what gets me! Nothing will work instantley i know you wish it would we all do but its about a build up of things so keep working at relaxing everyday and tell yourself you will feel better soon because you will and honestley it will work believe me.

[jessed03]

I have 75% Accepted it as anxiety/stress/depression...

You're getting there :)

Like I mentioned in my last post, half the battle is knowledge, with knowledge comes power as they say. Really understanding why and how anxiety works is the first step. Some great material has been offered on this thread, I hope you manage to read some of it. It takes time, it sounds like you're heading in the right direction. It's all a process of re-training. Did your head symptoms start at the same time as the AD? I've found for me personally, breathing exercises are excellent at sorting out head issues, as they can often arise from over breathing, and an imbalance of oxygen and co2 caused by rapid heart rate stemmed from over breathing. We'll be able to post some if you like.

[Skizo]

Thanks for your replies but I still have some things on my mind...

About the things I've been doing to try to get rid of these feelings, its basically my face and mostly my forehead which feels kind of numb/heavy/tired... like when moving my eyebrows its like numb/heavy all the time...
Also about the things Ive been doing ;
I started to exercise like a madman, I've never exercised like this before but now I did 110% of my abilities every single day, I went out and ride my bicycle like crazy, even keeping up with professional cyclists....
Also, I went to a sauna and sweat there for 30 mins, thinking that it would reduce my stress, but it actually made my face/scalp much worse than it was before.... did I f*** something up by doing that? (I don't know what is physically causing these feelings so I don't know how would sweating in high temperature affect it either)
Also I've oiled my face a lot to make the pain go away, before there was this kind of burning/pins and needles kind of feeling in the forehead, that is gone but it just feels numb/sore/heavy now..

Also I was kind of in love when all this started.... could this be related?

[jessed03]

Thanks for your replies but I still have some things on my mind...

About the things I've been doing to try to get rid of these feelings, its basically my face and mostly my forehead which feels kind of numb/heavy/tired... like when moving my eyebrows its like numb/heavy all the time...
Also about the things Ive been doing ;
I started to exercise like a madman, I've never exercised like this before but now I did 110% of my abilities every single day, I went out and ride my bicycle like crazy, even keeping up with professional cyclists....
Also, I went to a sauna and sweat there for 30 mins, thinking that it would reduce my stress, but it actually made my face/scalp much worse than it was before.... did I f*** something up by doing that? (I don't know what is physically causing these feelings so I don't know how would sweating in high temperature affect it either)
Also I've oiled my face a lot to make the pain go away, before there was this kind of burning/pins and needles kind of feeling in the forehead, that is gone but it just feels numb/sore/heavy now..

Also I was kind of in love when all this started.... could this be related?

Do you have much tension in your head? Do you frown a lot, or wrinkle your brow? Do you find yourself clenching your jaw? You asked earlier about TMJ, if you're having jaw problems, there's a very real possibility that the muscles in your face are incredibly strained and making you feel rough. It could also just be from high anxiety, high anxiety just effects the body in different ways, and there is no rhyme or reason to it. When there is so much tension, and it's not released, it has to be stored somewhere, and this effects breathing and muscle tightness, which then affect things such as dizziness, headaches, vision, muscle aches and tension. It sounds a lot like stress has accumulated there.

As for love, theres a very real chance it could be related, love makes us incredibly stressed and tense at times, but it follows the same pattern as all stress. If it isn't managed in an effective manner, and is raised to high and remains unchecked, the body will shout STOP!

Can I ask, have you actually been practicing breathing exercises, and muscle relaxation like has been recommended? It won't happen instantly but you may find over time that symptoms are reducing. Google facial relaxation exercises. See if they help, if they do great, if they don't it's something to eliminate.

[Skizo]

Really kind of hard to explain but I think u are right about the tension thing... its kind of like "warm" all the time, the face/scalp... like it feels like you would feel right after a very rough exercise and sweating.. its the face region of nose/forehead which feels like numb or heavy...
Could be stress tension but it's just so constant and stable... IDK what am I supposed to do, it's there all the time even when I'm relaxed.
its really weird and annoying and its constant..and I can't take this anymore.

[jessed03]

If it's a constant, it may be worth seeing your doctor, just for a check up. My father had something very similar, and it turned out it was caused by his blood pressure. But on the other side of the coin, I've had the exact same thing, and it was caused by anxiety, but it only started when I took an anti-depressant, so I waited, and it didn't go, so I had to stop them and try another one, and once I did that it went 95%.

[Skizo]

You should read my previous posts, I've been checked at all kind of doctors...
Could be caused by my AD but I don't really think so, maybe my psychiatrist or massage expert will know more about it.

[Skizo]

Basically its the kind of face/forehead numbness/buzzing you would feel when drunk (w/o any other effects of being drunk), I don't know a better way to put it.

[jessed03]

I thought you were checked by doctors in general, I didn't think you meant for this specific ailment.

In that case it sounds certainly like a product of anxiety and tension, and hopefully your massage expert will help release some of it from your body.

In the meantime, I would definetly focus on what forwells recommended, and don't expect some quick fix, but make many changes to your lifestyle and your mental focus, and time will hopefully reduce the symptoms.

What you describe is a nasty symptom, but is actually common with anxiety, and are usually a sign that steps need to be taken to reduce it considerably, as these things only occur when it's at a very high stage.

[Skizo]

I thought you were checked by doctors in general, I didn't think you meant for this specific ailment.

In that case it sounds certainly like a product of anxiety and tension, and hopefully your massage expert will help release some of it from your body.

In the meantime, I would definetly focus on what forwells recommended, and don't expect some quick fix, but make many changes to your lifestyle and your mental focus, and time will hopefully reduce the symptoms.

What you describe is a nasty symptom, but is actually common with anxiety, and are usually a sign that steps need to be taken to reduce it considerably, as these things only occur when it's at a very high stage.

I hope so..........Weird thing is that I don't feel consciously anxious at all... I feel rather calm, but I guess my subconscious must be completely freaked out by something.

[jessed03]

I hope so..........Weird thing is that I don't feel consciously anxious at all... I feel rather calm, but I guess my subconscious must be completely freaked out by something.

Possibly. I guess anxiety sort of builds up in the body, and takes a while to come out. We don't realize how stressed we are at times. Does taking a pain killer like asprin or ibuprofen help, or make it go away? A lot of people on here have similar problems that they find are down to rapid heart rate, which is maybe why exercise didn't go so great? It makes the co2 increase giving a fuzzy bubbly tingly sort of feeling.

When do you go for a massage? They may find something that can be worked out. Maybe some shoulder tension or something. I hope it sorts out anyway, I can't really offer any other suggestions, sorry, other than to follow the advice of forwells and put your body into relaxation mode for a bit, and see it resolves itself. I guess the mind controls the whole body, and when it isn't working as it should be, strange things like this can go slightly wrong. I hope someone else can bring some of their experience to help.

[Skizo]

I hope it will resolve ofcourse... Can't live like this forever. I have taken my AD for 2.5 weeks only so... maybe that hasn't fully kicked in yet either.

[kellyzac]

hiya, i used to get muscle tension constantley in my legs even when i felt i wasnt anxious it did go away it could be your subconsious mind! have you tried a relaxation tape ? because that works with your consious and subconsious mind and like everything it wont happen over night but stick at it! Your ADs prob havn't fully kicked in either yet mine took a bout 4 weeks. have you tried putting your head over a bowl of hot water or going in a steam room?

[Skizo]

Yes I went to a sauna. That made it a lot worse actually.

[cali-iso]

Hey Skizo I have had the same symptoms for almost a week now and I think they are completely a result of anxiety- I started to get sharp headaches and a feeling of pressure and fullness in my head, and that feeling of almost being drunk when you are completely sober. My body aches too and I just feel tired in general. It's so hard not to google it and instantly find ten things that could be wrong with you- I went to the doctors as well about two weeks ago and they ran a lot of the same tests, bloodwork and blood pressure etc., and I think even knowing they were fine helped me realize this wasn't some out of control disease but a result of anxiety. I think if you need to go to a doctor to rest your mind then by all means do it, sometimes it helps. I also have made a resolution to not look online for disease and injury information unless it's something drastic (i.e. I've got a temperature over 102), because it only feeds into my worries. I completely understand what you're feeling though- it's so hard to be 100% sure it's anxiety, because that's the nature of anxiety! You are always worrying about that 1% chance it's something else. I'm a neuroscience student too, which makes it worse (try reading about brain tumor symptoms all day and not concluding you have one haha), but I recognize that stress actually worsens our health, so getting to that 100% will actually be good for your body.

[Skizo]

Thx for replies..

It's kind of weird ... it isn't like painful or anything, but its like numbness/buzzing in the forehead/nose area, the kind you would feel when being drunk... along with slight head heavyness/tiredness. Tomorrow I will speak with my psychatrist about it and see from there... but I am starting to believe more and more that it is anxiety.

[jessed03]

Hope it goes well Skizo. I'm glad a few others have shared their experiences, it feels awful going through something when it feels you're the only one. Obviously though I'm not glad people have to experience it.

What are the medical doctors and psychiatrists like where you live? Let us know how you get on :)

[Skizo]

I highly doubt that I'm the only one, even tho I haven't heard of any examples of others ;D this forum is kinda small so... I bet there are many people with same symptoms, and the psychiatrist is pretty professional and seems to care... so I feel kind of calm about it all, I'm a strong guy;D

[Skizo]

It's so f***ing weird and annoying... I can't find the right words to explain the feeling I have... I just hope someone understands me, it's really hard to find the correct words to explain... :( and still no improvements -.-

Even the psychiatrist didn't really understand my feeling because I just don't know how to explain it correctly :(

In short, I would describe it as constant face/head stiffness.

It's like the entire forehead/nose area feels stiff and warm/buzzing... also scalp/temples/cheeks, but less than forehead/nose...... like I said it is similar to the face stiffness/numbness you would feel when being drunk.
Also, when I cringe my nose/face, the feeling becomes stronger.

also head feels heavy, like there is a rock implanted in my head...... :S
And I get jaw stiffness all the time too.

maybe you can get that feeling when you are very tired or very anxious and stressed, but I have this like all the time.

I'm sooo tired of it in every way and feeling so hopeless and like crap totally ...


It isn't normal, something has to be causing this.... and really it is ANXIETY that is causing this thing?? I'm sorry but it is just not believable... >.<

[Skizo]

Ain't getting better.... I've taken AD for a month now... I still have all the same symptoms, it's just that I'm starting to get used to them by now... Still I get heavy head feeling and a lot, and the face skin is like tight... like when I cringe my face its like the skin is really tight... I get dizziness all the time -.-
Also weakness and tiredness very frequently.

God it's so frustrating... How can anyone really tell me that it is anxiety? It's all physical , 0 mental.. I feel mentally totally fine..
Also my psychiatrist is a dumbass and sent me to a shrink -.- which was totally pointless and unnessecary.

I feel like nobody understands me, not even you guys.....
There still hasn't been a single moment when I'd feel totally fine... :(

Also it's really hard to socialize with people when I feel like a zombie...

It's like I can't relax or feel good at all... not for a single moment.

[Taylor]

St. Thomas Aquinas has a quote that goes something along the lines of, "Humility is the art of saying true things of yourself."

I was kind of like you when my anxiety started in March. I had a panic attack and I thought it was due to a reaction to anti-leukemia medication I'm on. I had another in April and thought the same thing. Then I started having trouble sleeping, then I would wake up with panic attacks. And yet I still continued to say that it was a physical problem. I suppose I felt justified since I'm on that medicine with a lot of side effects, so I could claim it was a physical problem.

Then slowly it got worse during the night, I woke up in a panic and called the ambulance and went to the ER. Then during the days I was having more problems with suddenly having anxiety creep up on me, and I would have mini panic attacks and stuff like that at work, have to go to the bathroom to get my heart rate to go down, and so on. It was bleeding over into my life, even when I didn't feel anxiety, and this summer was super depressing in retrospect--even though I'm getting married in November and had a few other great things happen to me this summer.

Finally I became anxious almost all the time, or worried about anxiety. But I just said, "well, yeah, I guess it's anxiety, it's no big deal, I'll just fight this hard and just say no, it will go away on its own."

Finally about a month ago today actually I had gotten some great news about my leukemia while I was at work. And before I knew it I had spiraled out of control with the excitement (I didn't know that could happen) and ended up calling an ambulance at work because of a panic attack!

I took the following day off and I realized: I need help. I can't do this by myself, I have a REAL PROBLEM with anxiety and handling things mentally this year. So I began coming on forums, bought Sam Obitz's book so I could do TEA forms, some meditation iphone apps, and am seeing a counselor. I am not cured, that's for sure, but after admitting I needed help, I am a lot better already. I have good moments and bad moments, but not good days and bad days.

The reason I say all of that, even though this is your post, is that you're halfway there but you've kind of started from the end point it seems. You're going to see some professionals for help, but you don't want to admit to yourself why you're going--because you have anxiety. In a sense you have admitted it to yourself since you're seeing people, but you also haven't if you think it's just physical problems.

Trust me, you can look up side effects for Tasigna (my leukemia meds) and see, there are a lot of physical things I could blame anxiety on and say it's physical, not in my head. But in reality I know that it really is anxiety I'm dealing with, and it's a beast, but now that I have fully understood and believed it, the lion has become just a really pissed cat.

[jessed03]

Skizo, I understand you dude, I really do, I know it sounds like I don't. but this plagued me for around 8 months, daily. It made life hell, I felt like I wasn't in the real world. Things were blurry, and foggy, I had a tight pain around my temple, it wasn't a headache, it was just a numb, aching feeling, like somebody had wrapped a tight belt around my head.

The truth is, anti-depressants can make this feeling worse. They don't often cause it, but doctors don't tell you, because they don't often know, but these feelings you describe are worsened significanly on them. If you find in a week that things dont resolve, try another one. It's funny what horrible things a little pill can do. I'm not anti-drug. Anti-depressants helped me through the lowest period of my life. But they can have some truly nasty effects when you get the wrong one. Think about it anyway,

Secondly, What makes you think anxiety isn't physical too? People define it as a mental illness, as it's easier to write a prescription for a tablet, than address fundamental changes in a persons life. Perhaps the reason you feel good mentaly, is because your mind is passing every bit of stress over to your body to deal with. I would never have gotten over head symptoms unless I corrected my posture, and my breathing. These things are utterly monumental, I'm talking seriously important. And the irony is nobody EVER thinks they need help or change on that aspect, and it's overlooked. Hold your breath. Tell me how your head feels. Dizzy, achey, sore, off balance. The same happens when you don't breath properly. When your muscles are tense, you breathe way too many of the wrong gasses in, and your head becomes a melting pot of severe tension.

The thing is, you've been offered some great advice in this thread. I know it's easy to look at it, and think nobody understands, or we haven't given you an 'answer', but maybe people here have seen the bigger picture. Have you read any of the books I recommended? Have you checked out the site forwells recommended? Really pracriced breathing exercises that were recommended? Practiced relaxation exercises like you were recommended again and again?

Taylor has said (far more poetically) exactly what everyone else on this whole forum has said. Complete education is the key. Once you completely understand what is happening, and why, you realize it isn't some lion your fighting, that is dominating your existance, it's just a cat that's getting under your feet. At the end of the day, whether you want to fight a lion, or a cat, it's absolutely down to your own mind.

[Skizo]

Thanks for your replies people, I will take your advice seriously and report back to you after my next psychiatrist appointment, a few weeks from now.

Take care everyone!

[Skizo]

Actually I need to complain a lil more....

I honestly don't have the money or desire or time to go down the road of starting to try out all kinds of different pills, hoping that something would help me.... -.- There has to be another way...

I just feel sooooo tired of it by now, I am so weak.... Its still like my scalp/face is tight or like something is pulling my skin back... and I get this dizziness and soreness... and I am feeling so weak by now that I can barely go to school, and socializing is really really hard.

I seriously need to get this sorted out.... I don't know what to do....

About the posture thing, well that might have something to do with this for sure, it all actually started one day suddenly when I was just lying on my chair infront of my computer, my posture is really bad, I'm just kind of lying on the chair most of the time...

But seriously.. How long do I have to suffer??

[Skizo]

It would be great if I could accept it as anxiety, but can you really reassure me that it is just anxiety?...
And what am I supposed to do with my AD... Been taking it for a month but I am still not feeling good..
I think I would be in the same state even without taking my AD...
I am unable to relax and feeling like crap all the time... its basically the skin on my face/scalp that feels so weird, as well as dizziness and weakness...

I just feel like a zombie now... could my AD be making it worse? .. I honestly am very skeptical about the whole pharma business and I don't trust my psychiatrist at all. I know about how evil all these medications really are and I hate taking them...

[jessed03]

It would be great if I could accept it as anxiety, but can you really reassure me that it is just anxiety?...
And what am I supposed to do with my AD... Been taking it for a month but I am still not feeling good..
I think I would be in the same state even without taking my AD...
I am unable to relax and feeling like crap all the time... its basically the skin on my face/scalp that feels so weird, as well as dizziness and weakness...

I just feel like a zombie now... could my AD be making it worse? .. I honestly am very skeptical about the whole pharma business and I don't trust my psychiatrist at all. I know about how evil all these medications really are and I hate taking them...

I started prozac, for 6 whole weeks I was in an utter state of brain fog. The whole time, I felt I was underwater, looking up at the world. If I went for a walk, I'd develop a fever. Every other day going to the shops, I'd return with a fever, going to work, back with a fever. I'd also have back pains, not spasms, but the feeling someone was whipping me. In the end I stopped, and it went away with in 2 days, I was physically back to normal. If you've been checked out, and you feel your anxiety level really is low, I would definetly consider having a conversation about the AD. Of course get doctors advice. AD's can give very nasty symptoms. Doctors can be very stubborn though, they think they know your body better than you.

Try to join any dots you can really. Is it worse after eating certain foods? It may be blood sugar, or food issues. Worse after exercise? It may be breathing related. Worse since you've started the AD?

Sadly a lot of detective work needs to be done by the patient, as doctors really don't always wanna go the extra mile.

Hang in though, I've had things like that that have bugged me for months, but you keep working it, and you chip away, and before you know it you've found something, or have a lead, and can slowly get to the bottom. I know it's hard though.

[Slammed Vdub]

I can relate to all of those symptoms, especially the Head pressure and heaviness. Does it feel like theirs a super tight headband around your forehead pushing down? And i just got diagnosed with OCD with continuous thoughts about my health by my therapist. But i refuse to take medicine. You are NOT alone with these symptoms. All anxiety, even though it may seem like they cant be.

[Skizo]

I can relate to all of those symptoms, especially the Head pressure and heaviness. Does it feel like theirs a super tight headband around your forehead pushing down? And i just got diagnosed with OCD with continuous thoughts about my health by my therapist. But i refuse to take medicine. You are NOT alone with these symptoms. All anxiety, even though it may seem like they cant be.

No it feels like the face skin is numb/buzzing/sore/tight, hard to explain.... very much like being drunk. Also on and off is head heavyness, dizziness, weakness...... And at the first week or so of this I had extremely horrible burning sensation behind my forehead, that was total hell, couldnt even sleep.. now that is gone and it just feels numb...

[Skizo]

I feel like ... 15-20% better than a week ago, and 50% better than a month ago..
Still far from normal tho...

It is hard to 100% focus my vision for example, I have constantly slight dizziness, but the face/head feelings have lessened (not totally gone tho) so I feel better.
Also the tiredness and weakness has become less frequent.

[Skizo]

well to give you an update about my story - I am getting a lot better now, The only thing I still have is like thick/heavy face/head skin pretty often but overall I feel about 90% normal. Not 100% yet but its getting there. I'm glad August is over, it was a total hell for me, by far the worst month of my life. September was pretty bad too but was gradually getting better and for the past few weeks I've been feeling almost normal again but it gets worse for very short periods, but I can handle it now.

It definitely is better while being out, I would say when I am outside and socializing I feel 90%+ normal but while sitting in front of the computer it gets a bit worse about 80-85% normal.

I am actually very confident while communicating with people, I would say I'm the most confident person in my class actually, I am very active and talkative everywhere.

[kellyzac]

Really great to hear!!! These things take time and im sure your other symtoms will fade (head).

kellyx

[PanicCured]

I think there is something more going on here than just anxiety. I doubt it can be serious after you have had all those tests, but saying it's anxiety, take anti depressants and see a shrink, just doesn't sound like the whole picture to me. You are talking about a weird face feeling. To me it is sounding like a type of bell's palsey.I am not diagnosing you as having that, but it is reminding me of that. Some type of facial nerve deal. Bell's Palsey usually goes away in a few weeks. There are facial nerves that can cause weird stuff. If you are taking anti depressants to take this problem away, my suggestion is to possibly reconsider. Unless you are depressed. My guess is you had a facial nerve problem that went away on it's own if you are 90% better.

Here's my suggestions: Go see a neurologist. A doctor who specializes in nerve problems. Get acupuncture for this problem, since acupuncture works great on neurological conditions. But you have to find a very good acupuncturist to get very good results.

This are just my gut feelings. I could be wrong. But I am thinking some nerve type thing that isn't serious but very annoying. Anxiety makes it worse, and the worse you feel the more anxiety you feel. Did you have a facial injury or were around very strong winds or breezes of some sort on your face right before this happened?

I am not a doctor. I may be wrong. But research a bit and see if anything I wrote can offer some help for you.

Good luck!

[Skizo]

Nah its nothing that bad... I feel like I just want to get over the whole thing and let time heal me to 100% , since I'm still feeling a little bit weird.

The next challenge is getting off AD's, I am not somebody who gets easily addicted to things so I think I can handle quitting them pretty well.

[Skizo]

I'm feelin 95% normal now, I'm starting to work out again and when I am back in shape I should feel 100% okay ..
I'm slowly getting off the AD's aswell, Im taking half a pill each day for 2 more months and then thats it - this means I can start drinking again, hooray!:D

We'll the horror is basically over now, December has been pretty good without any setbacks or panic attacks or any symptoms , I'm not 100% but I think that's because I haven't been exercising and working out for a pretty long time.

After all what can I say, I still don't know what was causing the living nightmare of August, I'm guessing it was some kind of random complete mental breakdown, triggered by I have no idea what...

Remains a mystery....

[alankay]

Great to hear!