ANXIETY DISORDER

[metmoo]

i found this on google went through the list and 99% of these apply to how i feel so will see gp with list and see what help he can offer
here goes
This is for everyone who is uncertain as to whether or not they have anxiety. As someone who was once convinced they were going crazy, had a brain tumor, going to have a stroke, etc., this list should help comfort some of your concerns about what you are feeling. Courtesy of anxietycentre.com:

Body:
Burning Sensations throughout the body
Chronic Fatigue
Electric shock feeling
Excess of energy, you feel you can�t relax
Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
Feeling cold or chilled
Hyperactivity, excess energy
Increased or decreased sex drive
Muscle twitching
Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
Startle easily
Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
Trembling or shaking
Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
Warm spells
Weak legs, arms, or muscles

Chest:
Chest pain or discomfort
Concern about the heart
Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
Heart � beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or �skipped� beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough

Fears:
A heightened fear of what people think of you
Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
Fear of being in public
Fear of dying
Fear of losing control
Fear of impending doom
Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
Fear of passing out
Fear that you are losing your mind
Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
Need to seat near exits

Head:
Burning, itchy, tight scalp
Dizziness or light-headedness
Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
Head, neck or shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
Giddiness
Shooting pains in the face
Shooting pains in the scalp or head
When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache
TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) - clenching of the jaw or grinding of the teeth

Hearing:
Frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
Low rumbling sounds
Ringing in the ears, noises in the ears, noises in the head

Mind:
Deja Vu, a feeling like you've done or experienced something before
Desensitization, depersonalization
Fear of going crazy
Fear of losing control
Fear of impending doom
Feelings of unreality
Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
Having difficulty concentrating
Obsession about sensations or getting better
Repetitive thinking or incessant �mind chatter�
Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders

Mood / Emotions:
Always feeling angry and lack of patience
Depression
Dramatic mood swings (emotional flipping)
Emotionally blunted, flat, or numb
Emotional "flipping" (dramatic mood swings)
Emotions feel wrong
Everything is scary, frightening
Feeling down in the dumps
Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
Frequently feel like crying for no apparent reason
Have no feelings about things you used to
Not feeling like yourself, detached from loved ones, emotionally numb
Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
You feel like you are under pressure all the time

Mouth/Stomach:
A �tinny�, �metallic� or �ammonia�, or unusual smell or taste
Aerophagia (swallowing too much air, stomach distention, belching)
Choking
Constant craving for sugar or sweets
Constipation
Diarrhea
Difficulty swallowing
Dry mouth
Feeling like you can�t swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
Feeling like your tongue is swollen
Frequent upset stomach, bloating, gaseous
IBS
Lack of appetite or taste
Lump in the throat, tight throat, something stuck in your throat
Mouth muscles twitching/jumping
Nausea or abdominal stress
The thought of eating makes you nauseous
Tight throat, lump in throat
Tongue twitching
Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
Vomiting

Skin:
Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
Skin problems, infections, rashes

Sleep:
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
Jolting awake
Waking up in a panic attack
You feel worse in the mornings

Sight:
Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
Dry, watery or itchy eyes
Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn�t there, stars, flashes
Eyes sensitive to light
Spots in the vision
Flashing lights when eyes are closed
Your depth perception feels wrong

Touch:
Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
Feeling cold or chilled
Numbness
Pain
Tingling, pins and needles feelings

Other symptoms are described as:
Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition to these symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:
� Having a heart attack
� Having a serious undetected illness
� Dying prematurely
� Going insane or losing your mind
� Harming yourself or someone you love uncontrollably
� Being embarrassed or making a fool out or yourself
� Losing control
� Fainting in public
� Not breathing properly
� Choking or suffocating
� Being alone

[lucyellensmum]

hmmmm, that'l be me then

[lucyellensmum]

metmoo - do go to the doctor, they definately can help. The first step might be ADs. I was given citalopram (a relative of prozac) and it works really well. I was a total wreck - now im only partially screwed up

[littlewoman]

Dying, yes. That's my big one. Who will love my children syndrome.

[anxiousmax]

Yep me too then!

[worriedmum08]

God all of them are me.I get this really bad feeling up left side of head and face and ear like is on fire and weird feelings in my head. Does anyone else get this?Its like you hv been hit with something.

[MrsMacaroon]

had most of them at some point.

[LovelyDear]

why do so many of us have anxiety? is the human body so imperfectly designed that the chemistry can go wrong that often? it puzzles me. and then i begin to wonder why i think my own state of mind matters anyway - which is what my CBT counsellor would say - the way i feel doesn't actually affect anything at all, so just ignore it. Hard to do though. I find prozac works wonders, however....

[worriedmum08]

True lovelydear.But have you had the feelings i mentioned above before?

[littlewoman]

I sometimes get a burning ear for no darned good reason, if that's any help, WM.

[worriedmum08]

Im the same its weird as. I hate being anxious my latest one is i constantly hv a sore throat n is like i always hv a cold and my back hurts all the time so now i think i have lung cancer wish i didnt hv these thoughts.

[hickey83]

how long does the burning sensation and fatigue last for though? does it just come on or can it last for a bit???

[honeymoonmum]

God i have most of these-when i hear people say they feel anxious about something it really annoys me because unless you have suffered severe anxiety you have NO idea!!! I know its all on a scale from feeling slightly nervous to blind panic but all those horrible feelings listed at once is like hell. I find the more you worry about a symptom the worse it gets - thats the nature if the beast. Distraction distraction distraction and citalopram is my best advice to anyone!!!!!

[DustyTV]

OMG

This is me, all of it

[NKe6c0b95X11bc80a0782]

Hi -Has this happened to anyone else, cos I feel really frightened about what is happening to me? A week ago I had a migraine (i have only ever had 2 of these before, along time ago) and that evening I suddenly started getting pins and needles in my hands and feet, a feeling like everything was closing in on me and that I was dying. I was so scared that my husband called 999 but they could find nothing wrong with me other than a fast heartrate.I asked them to take me to hospital as I feared something was really wrong, but the A&E dr said that I had had a panic attack. 3 evenings later, the same thing happened, out of the blue, and this time I was convinced I was going to die. Paramedics came and said that I was having a panic attack and could find nothing wrong. The rest of the night was awful - pressure on my chest, pins and needles, falling feeling, terror, crawling feeling in my head, racing heart, trembling etc so I saw a GP the next day who said I was suffering from anxiety. For three days I could hardly eat and had to keep fighting off these episodes. Most of the symptoms have improved now but I still shake from time to time and feel it all coming on again, as well as strange sensations in my arms and legs. I've had an ECg today which was fine but I'm still worried something is really wrong.Can anyone help? I'm desperate for reassurance.

[honeymoonmum]

HI NK

You are having classic panic attacks. I get the awful feelings of terror, pins and needles, what feels like heat rising up through my head and body as if it will explode-feel like i just need to get the hell out of ...... well, since it happens all the time that is the problem you cant get out - its like claustrophobia in your own body. I also get horrible feelings of unreality and detachment before and after attacks and this feeling is what scares me most-think im going mad or will be stuck like that forever. Im on medication now but its not yet kicked in fully and fighting off the panic alot yesterday and today. Its awful. HAve you seen your Gp about medication?

[llucie13]

hi im new to this...but i can relat to everything ive been reading ..especially the felling closed in youself and feelings of not being detached and everything looks unreal....also scares the heck out of me.ive stopped drinnking 45 days ago..does anyone think this could be the cause of my anxiety?

[BeachBunni]

I'm not usually on these boards but was having a nosey when I spotted this thread. I had anxiety disorder that started about ten years ago when I witnessed a friend that nearly died during an epileptic fit. Most of the above symptoms described me and it was an absolutely horrendous time of my life.
I was put on medication, had to try a couple before I found one that suited me, and did CBT (which tbh I didn't think helped much but won't knock it as I know some people do find it invaluable).
I do get slight reoccurences, esp during stressful periods of my life or when I'm feeling low but nothing as bad as it was. My last full-scale panic attack was about six months ago now although I still worry a little bit about choking and swallowing (though not to point where I'm spitting out my own saliva like I used to). I'm not longer on any medication.
I suppose what I trying to say is it does get better. If you think you are suffering from this please seek help from your gp.

llucie - did you drink a lot before you gave up?? were you maybe using alcohol as a sedative affect for anxiety in the first place??

[fancyflo]

I suffer with a lot of the above, infact im supprised to see so much of how i am listed.

Checking for toilets, jaw pain, irregular heart beat, sudden drowseyness, can't concentrate also etc..........i used to have panic attack years ago, but now i feel in a a state of constant stress and worry.Normaly worse at times of the month.

I have been drinking tons lately as it eases the stress and numbs things out. My OH thinks i have a drink problem, it's not the drink i want, its the feeling iyswim. Im currently learning to drive, which isn't exactly helping, so if i do go to the doctor i wouldn't want anything that would make me even more drowsey. Would there be anything any of you know of?

I feel so desparate, no one understands.

[NKe6c0b95X11bc80a0782]

Hi fancyflo, I was recommended a book by Dr Claire Weekes called self help for your nerves. I've found it really helpful. Also have you checked out nomorepanic website? Hope you find something that helps. Try and find a gp that will arrange some support/cbt for you rather than fobbing you off with medication, especially since you are learning to drive. Good luck.

[fancyflo]

ok, thankyou.

[cacciani]

just wondering about how any of you broached the subject with husbands/partners as keeping these feelings to myself seem to be making them worse, especially the sense of being overwelmed by everything

[NKe6c0b95X11bc80a0782]

talking about how you feel definitely helps, with your partner and your friends. I'm sure you'll find them very sympathetic. Maybe show your partner this thread and all the symptoms listed at the beginning and also get him to read up on the internet about it. I am amazed at how many people have this problem as it easy to think that you are the only one having these feelings. My gp says it is very common. Have you talked to your GP?

[cacciani]

thanks for the advice. going to see gp this week so will bring it up then.

[fancyflo]

Do you know how much money & time ive spent at the dentist trying to get rid of this "tooth ache" bloody waste of time! Ive not told my OH, his great in lots of ways but wouldn't understand at all.

[teenspirit]

This is me too and has been on and off for the last 13 years - it all started after the sudden death of my dad. I have been on ad for all this time and at the mo post second baby 16 weeks and in another blimp
When I go under I never quite believe that all my symptoms are anxiety and feel sure I am going to die.
Thank you for posting this I will re-read until I convince myself I'm fine just anxious.
Last night I had a huge panic attack and i'm really struggling but I have been worse and I know i'll be better
Good luck everyone - I will keep checking in with this thread.