i think im going crazy

[beneath_a_halo]

I just wanted to know (because i cant find ANYTHING on the internet anywhere) if anyone else has had counselling for something but it has actually CAUSED anxiety?
I have been having counselling over the last 3 months because i was in an abusive relationship 4 years ago. i have never really considered myself as an anxious person but over the last 3 weeks my anxiety levels have suddenly hit the roof. i feel constantly sick of nerves, i cant leave the house and if i do i break down. when i have been at work i have been suffering from panic attacks, something i have never experienced before - all these i think are fairly standard anxiety traits. however i have started to get this weird feeling - like nails on a chalk board whenever i have to touch certain things. i cant touch anything metal, cant touch paper or tissue. certain sounds make me feel sick. it has got so bad over the last 3 days that i dont think i will be able to go to work this week. i want to cut my hands off and i have to squeeze my hands into a fist. i just wondered if anyone had any advice to help me through this rough time! as obviously i think it is not a permanent thing because it is related to my counselling and i am dealing with some tough issues that will hopefully be sorted out soon.
I just want some kind of advice on a technique i could use or anything really to help make all this go away! i dont think i can take it if it gets any worse!

[alankay]

I think your anxiety is peaking. Talking about it all can reinforce the fact that you are anxious and worsen it but still talking is best. But maybe you need a short break from talking about it so much. You sound like you are getting hyper sensitive to external stimuli of any kind which is common. Light and sounds often bother anxious folks as their nervous system is kind of "maxed out" already. You may not be sleeping well and are therefore also very irritable, which explains how you feel really....maybe impatient too?? Been there. Have you seen an M.D.? I would an explain all in detail and see if he can help you get this back under control. PM any time. Alankay.

[jessed03]

The adrenaline coursing through your body makes you feel like this. It causes thoughts to race and it causes the body to go into a state of alarm. You're in fight or flight mode. It's the same as putting your car into top gear, when trying to start up and navigate around a quiet back street.

In theory, anything can spike anxiety. Even healthy things. I think it catches people out. They go to councelling, or exercise, or change diet, and it can illicit a respone from the body. The body doesn't recognise this change, and so it PANIC'S. That's not to say these are bad at all, it means the approach needs to be changed. Perhaps the individual was exercising too hard, and the lactic acid was causing anxiety. Perhaps the lack of sugar in a diet change cause blood sugar drops that the body finds scary. Perhaps in your case, as with exercise, the pace is too fast? Perhaps you're going straight into a sensitive area, that has been repressed? You may just be going through the issue though, as therapy tends to work through things and not around them. This can, and often does cause spikes within anxiety. It should still be within a manageble level though, as the last thing we want to do with an overactive nervous system is to overload it again.

You may find it helpful doing what Kev suggested, trying a few natural methods to slightly take that edge off. Just know, with my assurance, that the 'insanity' feeling is false and temporary. Once things can click back into place, everything will become more normal, and that feeling will go. It's something thats been ADDED onto your body, not something that IS your body. It's still something you don't want to be feeling, so I hope you can change your strategy a little to make things more manageble. I personally would try some tea's, they are very overlooked medically when treating anxiety. I'd do some Yoga Nidra too, a combination of breathing exercises and meditation. Mega relaxing. Exercise can help burn off added chemicals. It may help or it may not. I used to have lavendar candles; the smell always relaxed me.

Have you told your counsellor how you're feeling? I think they could probably make some adjustments if they knew how you were being affected.

[beneath_a_halo]

Thank you all so much for replying! i am seeing my GP tomorrow. My counsellor said i was anxious because i was trying to deal with too many issues too quickly that i wasnt ready to deal with. im still feeling anxious and struggling to touch things but i have to remember i am in control and i need to relax.
thanks for the replies they were very helpful!

[Anxionusanthony89]

good luck with recovery :) chin up and push on though... if you fall pick your self back up and keep on going :)

[jon mike]

Hey, try taking some magnesium vitamins, a friend suggested it to me when I was feeling quite similar to this and it worked wonders for me at the time, don't ask me what it does for you but it did work for me :-) also I understand about the whole cutting the hands off thing to, don't worry about it that Will fade in time, try not to worry about it and it Will fade much quicker, remember, thoughts and feelings cannot harm you. Just let them pass.pm anytime x

[stevie]

If you need non-prescription stuff to help you deal with an anxious state, make sure you're stocked with chamomile tea. It also helps (if you are able to) to keep your mind busy. I do a lot of crossword puzzles and online trivia tests. It helps since it takes my mind off it so I calm down a bit. Talking about it is painful, but in the long run, it helps SO much.
I've described being in this anxious state to a friend of mine: it's like a sink that you shut off too tightly, and the presseure built up so now it's coming out all over the place and through the pipes... it'll get better- I promise.
best of luck!

[beneath_a_halo]

I was a bit sceptical about the camomile tea thing, but anyway i decided to cut my losses and try it... can i just say - i couldn't believe how much BETTER it made me feel! honestly thank you all so much for replying to me it has helped me a great deal and i am starting to feel like i am in control again - not letting anxiety control me! im still struggling to touch some surfaces, but generally yesterday was a much better day. i will try the magnesium thing too, and you are very right jon mike, thoughts and feelings cannot hurt anyone! xxx