Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
Hi everyone, I am back with a bout of extreme anxiety again.
I always suffer from a generalized anxiety, for years, but about twice a year (out of the blue) I get a sudden onset of what appears to be some type of EXTREME anxiety. It usually lasts a few days, but has lasted up to a month. It seems to come every August????
My symptoms appear, not for better words to come on in a sort of "Aura." For instance this time, I got up Monday morning and just felt a tad anxious, a kind of uneasy feeling. Then on my way to work, BOOM, I felt an incredible sense of doom, anxiety, like I was just going to????????, well that's just it, I don't really know just what is going to happen, nothing never does, but I But the feeling is so intense, that I feel like suddenly I might not be able to drive, but don't want to pull over, the thought of sitting at a red light increases the intensity. Then I think, I need to turn back go home, but of course need to go to work so continue on. At work, (dental receptionist) I can barely focus calmly, but need to hold my composer.
From there it calms down at times, but comes in waves...Uggg, I end up with a headache,
The struggle you would not believe just to get through the long day. I fear taking meds, in part due to my anxiety does go at bay for months at a time. I do have Xanax as needed, and did take a half today, it did just so so in helping me.
At any rate, do any of you have anxiety as such as my symptoms, and do any of you go into remissions. My doctor find it odd how my symptoms come on for no apparent reason, and dismiss just the same.
I fear at times I have some very odd disease, or imbalance. I do know I have had it for 40 years, but still fear what it is, and fear also What if this time it never goes away...Oh its dreadful..
I try to explain it to friends, family, my husband but its hard to explain to folks. Even doctors have different opinions.
Any ideas or input is welcome.
Thanks Patty.
I always suffer from a generalized anxiety, for years, but about twice a year (out of the blue) I get a sudden onset of what appears to be some type of EXTREME anxiety. It usually lasts a few days, but has lasted up to a month. It seems to come every August????
My symptoms appear, not for better words to come on in a sort of "Aura." For instance this time, I got up Monday morning and just felt a tad anxious, a kind of uneasy feeling. Then on my way to work, BOOM, I felt an incredible sense of doom, anxiety, like I was just going to????????, well that's just it, I don't really know just what is going to happen, nothing never does, but I But the feeling is so intense, that I feel like suddenly I might not be able to drive, but don't want to pull over, the thought of sitting at a red light increases the intensity. Then I think, I need to turn back go home, but of course need to go to work so continue on. At work, (dental receptionist) I can barely focus calmly, but need to hold my composer.
From there it calms down at times, but comes in waves...Uggg, I end up with a headache,
The struggle you would not believe just to get through the long day. I fear taking meds, in part due to my anxiety does go at bay for months at a time. I do have Xanax as needed, and did take a half today, it did just so so in helping me.
At any rate, do any of you have anxiety as such as my symptoms, and do any of you go into remissions. My doctor find it odd how my symptoms come on for no apparent reason, and dismiss just the same.
I fear at times I have some very odd disease, or imbalance. I do know I have had it for 40 years, but still fear what it is, and fear also What if this time it never goes away...Oh its dreadful..
I try to explain it to friends, family, my husband but its hard to explain to folks. Even doctors have different opinions.
Any ideas or input is welcome.
Thanks Patty.
Best wishes
I'm on meds now (SSRI), and that calmed down the general anxiety, but hasn't changed anything regarding the random extreme anxiety. When I told my therapist about this, she told me "You should try to anticipate when it's going to happen so you can take your ativan beforehand." I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud after she said that, because I CAN'T predict it, it happens for no reason.
I wish I had some helpful advice, but unfortunately all I can say is that I relate and feel your pain. The best thing I've found for me is when it happens, to just keep repeating "This is just anxiety, nothing bad's actually happening" until the wave subsides. It doesn't always work but a lot of times if I say it enough it does help.
I would suggest to anyone experiencing body symptoms to check in with your doctor. There are so many things that could cause anxiety symptoms.
For me when I had your exact same symptoms....it was just anxiety!
When I had anxiety it too would come in waves. It all depends on what is going on in your life, what triggers you and how you have been treating yourself....(exersice and diet wise). I love how you expressed it as being in remission...haha! I know when you are experiencing anxiety it sure does feel like you have some dreaded disease...right?
Alas....I can assure you there is nothing wrong with you if you have anxiety. In fact, your body is reacting quite perfectly to the information it is receiving. Negative, scary, what if thoughts is what creates those awful sensation that have been nick named anxiety. Really those sensations are truly the bodies wonderful protection in the case of real impending danger. If in fact there really was impending doom those sensations are what would allow you to run or fight off what ever was lurking.
All of this information is in my 12 week post on my journal page if you need a refresher. I even go over why you get scared why driving. Spoiler alert....again it just negative scary thoughts that can be corrected with just a bit of work.
By the way....I'm 51 years old and have been free of anxiety for 4 years. I had anxiety for as long as I can remember and I still overcame it. You can too!
My best to you!
My other suggestion is that there is something else in your life at this time of year that is triggering the anxiety, perhaps an unresolved conflict from your past or you are simply beginning to stress about the holidays coming up. Only you know what the problem might be. Spending some time doing journaling or talking to a therapist might help you get to the bottom of it.
Believe it or not, I don't have any known allergies. None!
I do get migraines though, also on a cycle. Every 8 weeks, like clockwork, even though I am past menopause. My neuro states it still could be hormonal, but I don' t know how that could be. I have a few neuro issues, but have also had them for years, with no changes, and find no change with them in these bouts of anxiety.
I encountered anxiety attacks at age 18, I contributed that to emotional stress. Clear cut symptoms such as a racing heart, feeling faint, felt like I could not swallow, fear if driving. Mostly physical symptoms, in addition to obsessing and depression.
Then in my late 20 I stared with some of the overwhelming, (heady stuff, feeling as I do now, like I am going to go blank, or just freeze with anxiety came on too.)
I have had therapy...lots!!!! I tried some anti depressants, those increased my anxiety, and I have had test after test...since my early 20's revealing some of this and that...but all in all I am healthy.
I am, and a bit wiser now, with age, and have just learned to live with general anxiety, and rarely get the "classic" anxiety physical symptoms anymore, however still do get this overwhelming uneasy inner mind anxiety.
When I am this bad off, its hard for me to be still, watch TV, read, I feel like I mite just go blank, its such a horrible feeling...truly! My days don't feel to carry on normal, or smoothly, sort of like a dream or should I say nightmare.. At home I pace, sort, clean, do anything to run from the feelings. Then I end up exhausted!
I do tell myself, it will go away, I have had it before, nothing is going to happen, but fighting it off takes a toll on me.
If it is hormonal, I wish there was a test to just detect what? I have been told it could be so many things...one psychiatrist said, maybe seizure, or inner Akathisia, my therapist states its anxiety, my family doctor claims for some odd reason I get odd symptoms in a cycle, adding this to the list. He just is not sure why. I also get severe heart palpitations in cycles, they come on for a month, then might go away for a year, and I am good to go..(chuckle)
I do lead a stressful, but also happy life. My husband and I have ups and downs, he suffers depression too, and is not the most understanding person, but we carry on, living in a small town, have a daughter with three young grandkids, that we love and enjoy.
Our house is in renovation, but put on hold due many things, we both work full time, and he had eye surgery, I could go on and on...but the honest truth is, deep inside I feel that my anxiety for what ever reason or rhyme has a mind of its own.
It seem my severe anxiety does not come on due to a present stressor, food, trigger, allergy, or other. Maybe a chemical imbalance, but what would cause that to just happen out of the blue too????? And why August? What is so special about August?
The past three August, I have worked new tough jobs, so surely if I state this or would tell a doctor this, they would say.. A haaaa! that's it!
I sub at the schools during the school year, and find jobs for summer. Last year I worked at a crisis home for teens, the past two months I have worked full time 9 hour days at a dental practice overseeing 100 patients a day signing them in, with a long drive to work as well.
But with that said, it also has come on when I am on vacation, going to a football game, and so on...hummm, does sound a bit like anxiety right?
So, in regards to figuring it out, what causes it...why it comes, goes, has many faces...but one really mean one at times, such as now.
Patty.
Have a wonderful day, and thanks to all of you again.
Patty.
I will keep in touch as well as try to be more supportive to others when I feel I can help. I am kind of a fair weather poster, sorry about that.