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...
Week One....INTRODUCTION
I have had several people from this site interested in learning the tools that I used to overcome anxiety and depression. I feel the best way to do so is to make posts here, once a week.
I remember years ago a psychiatrist telling me that the only reason we have anxiety and depression is because of the way we think....unfortunately, she never trained me or gave me any tools on how to change my thoughts. Therefore, nothing changed.
Through several different programs I was fortunate to learns these tools. I also learned that the process of learning them needs to be done slowly (hence the weekly postings). This give our brains time to absorb new ways of thinking. I suppose I can relate it to trying to learn a new language. It is virtually impossible to do so in a day, a week or even a month. It takes time for your brain to change from a language that it has always known to a new language. The same goes for retraining our anxious brains.
When I had anxiety and depression I felt I would never overcome this condition. I promised myself that if I ever found a way out that I would help others to find their way also.
I have been free from the anxiety habit for over five years now and I am looking forward to these tools helping you too!
My best to you!
WEEK ONE...SYMPTOMS
This weeks post will be simple.......BUT, I want you to realize that it is one of the MOST IMPORTANT posts I will do. Over the next week, I want you to do nothing but note what your particular symptoms of anxiety are. In order to do so, I want you to REALLY SLOW DOWN and notice every body sensation that you experience. What I am looking for are actual physical body sensations. (We will discuss the thoughts we have in week three)
Once you have your list.....please e-mail it back to me under this heading so I can see them. Also, separate and put the body sensation that you feel first when presented with a stressful situation.
Example:
For me, when I was in a stressful or anxiety provoking situation, I would first notice that my heart would pick up the pace, then the muscles in my arms and legs would begin to feel weak. I would get the sensation that I couldn't get enough oxygen. I would loose complete track of my thoughts. I would become light headed. My whole body would shake. If I was talking to someone, I would feel my bottom jaw quiver. I would have chest pains and heart palpitations. I wouldn't be able to swallow or eat anything. I would experience bouts of diarrhea and stomach upset. Racing thoughts plagued me.
Therefore, I would post the following:
My first symptom that I notice when stressed or anxious is.......Racing Heart
Muscle Fatigue
Breathing Issues
Memory Lapses
Body Tremors
Facial Tics
Chest Pains
Palpitations
Loss of Appetite
Digestive Disorders
Racing Thoughts....(I know this one is not a body symptom....but so many of us experience this sensation when anxious).
Remember to make a conscious effort to slow down this week so you notice all of your body symptoms. When we slow down we notice more of what is going on around us and within us. Breath slower, talk slower, walk slower and react slower. This may feel awkward at first, but, it will help you center on this weeks concept, which is very important,.....noticing and learning your body symptoms! We will be building on this next week when we discuss...Panic Attacks.
My best to you!!!
I have had several people from this site interested in learning the tools that I used to overcome anxiety and depression. I feel the best way to do so is to make posts here, once a week.
I remember years ago a psychiatrist telling me that the only reason we have anxiety and depression is because of the way we think....unfortunately, she never trained me or gave me any tools on how to change my thoughts. Therefore, nothing changed.
Through several different programs I was fortunate to learns these tools. I also learned that the process of learning them needs to be done slowly (hence the weekly postings). This give our brains time to absorb new ways of thinking. I suppose I can relate it to trying to learn a new language. It is virtually impossible to do so in a day, a week or even a month. It takes time for your brain to change from a language that it has always known to a new language. The same goes for retraining our anxious brains.
When I had anxiety and depression I felt I would never overcome this condition. I promised myself that if I ever found a way out that I would help others to find their way also.
I have been free from the anxiety habit for over five years now and I am looking forward to these tools helping you too!
My best to you!
WEEK ONE...SYMPTOMS
This weeks post will be simple.......BUT, I want you to realize that it is one of the MOST IMPORTANT posts I will do. Over the next week, I want you to do nothing but note what your particular symptoms of anxiety are. In order to do so, I want you to REALLY SLOW DOWN and notice every body sensation that you experience. What I am looking for are actual physical body sensations. (We will discuss the thoughts we have in week three)
Once you have your list.....please e-mail it back to me under this heading so I can see them. Also, separate and put the body sensation that you feel first when presented with a stressful situation.
Example:
For me, when I was in a stressful or anxiety provoking situation, I would first notice that my heart would pick up the pace, then the muscles in my arms and legs would begin to feel weak. I would get the sensation that I couldn't get enough oxygen. I would loose complete track of my thoughts. I would become light headed. My whole body would shake. If I was talking to someone, I would feel my bottom jaw quiver. I would have chest pains and heart palpitations. I wouldn't be able to swallow or eat anything. I would experience bouts of diarrhea and stomach upset. Racing thoughts plagued me.
Therefore, I would post the following:
My first symptom that I notice when stressed or anxious is.......Racing Heart
Muscle Fatigue
Breathing Issues
Memory Lapses
Body Tremors
Facial Tics
Chest Pains
Palpitations
Loss of Appetite
Digestive Disorders
Racing Thoughts....(I know this one is not a body symptom....but so many of us experience this sensation when anxious).
Remember to make a conscious effort to slow down this week so you notice all of your body symptoms. When we slow down we notice more of what is going on around us and within us. Breath slower, talk slower, walk slower and react slower. This may feel awkward at first, but, it will help you center on this weeks concept, which is very important,.....noticing and learning your body symptoms! We will be building on this next week when we discuss...Panic Attacks.
My best to you!!!
-
My day...today...misplaced my debit card...didn't realize it until I got to the register after shopping to a full cart. Used a different debit card and pulled apart everything looking for missing debit card before I left parking lot. Got home, dropped keys. So now I have a missing debit card, missing keys. A full cartload to unload and put away. I got everything put away.Dumped purse for a...
-
I don't really know how to label this but I having a rough week and I can't say it's one thing.... I have a lot on my plate which is nothing new and I try to cope in many positive ways and do but I still have my moments.My kids more so my daughters talk to me about everything which I know it's cause of comfort and we are close.... however I really struggle with the venting about their dad which...
My symptoms during an anxiety attack usually happen in this order.
- Warm sensation washes over me where I feel like I might faint.
- Dizziness & Lightheaded
- Racing heart
- Heavy breathing (throat tightens up)
- Shaking (legs mostly)
- Tingling in lips and hands
- Sometimes heart palpitations
- Sometimes diarrhea
- Climbing stairs feels like an entire workout
- Exhaustion
Adventure - you posted on 6.4 am I too late to start, have I missed the weeks up until now.
I don't want to post my symptoms if I have missed the boat so to speak.
Very inspiring this is.
Thanx
Gwen
You have definitely not missed the boat. So hop on...we are only on Week Two.
Welcome aboard...haha!
Thank you for putting this together AdventureGuide, it is so helpful.
I had never experienced anxiety until 18mths ago due to ongoing emotional stress & trauma. I developed severe anxiety and adrenal exhaustion. Recently I have had a relapse due to similar events.
The first symptom that I notice when anxious is:
- Severe insomnia (no sleep at all)
- Perfectionism (acute anxiety after submitting work)
- Complete loss of appetite
- Racing Heart
- Palpitations
- Muscle Fatigue
- Self doubt
Your comment also helped me to bring up a thought that I want to mention to everyone. You said that you have been dealing with anxiety for 18 months now.
I just want everyone to know that I started having issues with anxiety when I was still a teen. I am now 53...(ahem...a very young 53...haha...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!). Anyways... I didn't learn the tools you are about to learn until I was in my 40's. Therefore, I just wanted everyone to know that it doesn't matter if you have been dealing with anxiety for 2 weeks, 2months or 40 years!!!! Learning what anxiety is, what you are doing to purpetuate it and most importantly how to make it stop will work the same no matter how long you have had it hanging around.
I am excited for all of you and the journey you are about to take.
My best to you all!!!!
Thank you for your response. I was first diagnosed with anxiety & adrenal exhaustion 18 months ago. It took about six months to really get on top of it all and I was doing well.
About a month ago a stressful situation set off insomnia again. A few days ago I had a full panic attack which has brought all symptoms back in full force.
The guide is really helpful. Thank you!!
Lack of concentration
Crying
Emotional
Withdrawal
Fear
Worry
Problems with memory
Can't relax, on edge
Thank you for sharing.
Welcome and I am glad you are joining us.
I know myself well living with anxiety today and have overcome depression, and I have overcome many symptoms of GAD and PTSD on my own without any support, including nervous breakdowns, however, I'm looking forward to gaining more self-knowledge by reading your weekly guides and sharing my personal experience with it.
"Knowledge is Power, and Empowers When Used"
My first physical symptom that I notice when I am feeling stressed/anxious is body tension from my head to toes, which starts and persists at the back of my head, neck and between my shoulder blades.
Muscle tension, muscle aches, muscle soreness
Fatigue
Frequent Urination
Dry mouth/nose/throat
Oh boy, so my symptoms are so inconsistent .... sometimes they happen, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they're triggered, sometimes they're not. So.... here's a list of weird crap that im feeling that I pray so hard is ONLY anxiety
Feeling like i'm going to pass out, or fall asleep involuntarily
nausea
random pains (nerve pains or muscle pains, or cramping) could be in my chest, legs, neck, back, .... anywhere really.
cold sweats or just regular sweats
seeing static/other visual disturbances
my nearsightedness getting worse
eyes crossing and a tightness or pressure in my head that makes me feel like i'm about to have a seizure or something
uncontrollable shivering
heart racing or skipping a beat
numbness, mostly in my left arm but sometimes other places
stomach pains and nausea
dizziness/ a sensitivity to taking off or stopping in a car, going down or up in an elevator.
Adrenalin rush, like a i wanna just grab something and squeeze it or punch something but somehow i just don't have the energy to.
A constant and over whelming and debilitating fear i'm going to die.
god... there's probably more im not even remembering .
Learning and understanding what anxiety actually was helped me to make sense of what I was experiencing (we will be going over this next week). Once I understood what these feeling actually were... I was then able to work on what it was that I was doing to ignite them. Just like you....I still look for "gaining more self-knowledge" in all areas of my life. There is nothing better then stumbling across something that you previously did not know and having that wonderful..."Ah-Ha" moment. I'm glad you are joining us and I look forward to your comments.
Raspberry....Welcome! Before I comment....I just want to make sure that you (or anyone who is experiencing symptoms that may be unusual) are completely checked out by a Medical Doctor (MD) for any medical issues that may be causing these symptoms.
OK...with that being said...I had pretty much every symptom that you described here...and it was anxiety. Next week, you will see the reason for these symptoms. "SPOILER ALERT"....these symptoms are actually there to HELP you. I know, I know...this is kinda hard to believe but, it is true!!!
I'm glad that you found us!!!
The time in my life right now is very stressful. So in a way this new wave of more severe anxiety makes sense. A year ago I moved from Oregon to Va at 20 years old to escape an abusive relationship with my mother. I had to start a job and adjust to being in a world where I knew no one and had no comfort besides my boyfriend whom I moved in with. We are living with his parents and I don't get along with his mother well. My mom has mental health issues of her own and is/was very reliant on me. I still worry about her back home.