Is this an anxiety disorder I have suddenly developed?

[SummerMonths]

I would appreciate any advice people can give me as I'm feeling awful but I'm at a loss as to what is wrong.

About 9 months ago I had a funny turn in the canteen queue at work. I suddenly felt dizzy, light headed and unstable and thought I would faint. I didn't faint but I had to run out and sit down and it was terrifying. It happened a lot over the next few weeks so I went to the GP who said it was probably a middle ear infection and prescribed drugs. They didn't help.

It continued to happen more and more, sometimes when standing, sometimes sitting. I became fearful of having to stand in public invase I collapsed. I give lots of public talks at work and have always been fine with that but I became so scared of collapsing that I am now terrified of speaking in public and I shake terribly whenever I have to.

The dizziness/funny spells continued. It feels physical but the GP can find nothing wrong. The fear of collapse spread to make me fear any situation where I have to stand in public: the school run, talking to friends in the park.

I am now starting to fear any situation where attention is on me and I can't disappear quietly. Dinners out with friends, driving the family.

I have no idea if this is physical and the fuzziness, lightheadedness, weak legs are the sign of something wrong physically or whether it's all an anxiety reaction. The weird thing is that I had nothing I was anxious about when it started and now I'm anxious about the episodes but nothing else. It's starting to ruin my life. I don't want to do anything. I'm avoiding important tasks at work and fun stuff at home. I'm often irritable with the kids as I can't handle them when feeling like I might collapse.

Does anyone know what I should do to address this? Has anyone had similar.

Well I am not a GP but it sounds like panic attacks to me related to anxiety. So how do I know? Because I recognise those symptoms, because I have had them.
Sudden onset, sweating, pit of your stomach churning, etc etc. classic Panic attack. Your sleep will be disturbed.
So what can you do? Short term you need drugs. Beta blockers are good because they are non drowsy. Or if it is too far gone then a stronger anti depressant to give your mind a rest from all the thinking and worrying about worrying.
Then a counselling session, you wil be able to get six free sessions on the NHS, maybe some CBt and a ' mindful course for anxiety. Some or most of it will be free.
Then there is exercise, lots of it, ( swimming, running, yoga etc) as vigorous exercise produces lovely natural endorphins.

Best of luck as you are suffering big time. Believe me, you will recover. Hugs xxx

Thank you for that thoughtful post Hole. You are probably right that it's panic attacks but I don't understand why such an intense physical reaction developed about nothing. I really thought I had something physically wrong with me. I will try and see the GP :-(.

Anxiety attacks seem extremely real. They do produce extreme pain.
Usually we know the cause and I certainly knew why I had them.
Perhaps you don't know why you are experiencing, what you are experiencing, consciously. However our bodies work with our minds on a few levels.

You are stressing about something. Perhaps your mind is refusing to acknowledge that you are doing too much.

If you can't, or are unable to respond consciously, to whatever is causing you stress, then perhaps your body responds by making you have panic attacks.
I am not a psychologist but I knew that my physical pain was caused by my mind.
Anyway, you can't go on like this as you will collapse. Your mind will see that you do.
I think it is a wise decision to go to your GP. If they rule all the physical causes and you are not bleeding, vomiting, etc from any orifice, then it is probably panic.
I feel for you but at least you are going to get help. Xxx

Sorry to hear you are having a hard time!

When I developed panic attacks there was no trigger to to the first one and my therapist said that this is often the case. The problem comes afterwards when you start expecting those physical symptoms, which makes the anxiety worse, which is turn makes the symptoms appear!
Avoidance and doing things to make you feel better (for me it was sitting down and drinking water) make you feel better in the short term but in the long term mean you never learn that your fear (of collapsing) never actually happens.
Something I found reassuring to learn is that people don't actually collapse when they have panic attacks, they just feel like they will. One of the symptoms of anxiety is lightheadedness, but actually anxiety is associated with a rise in blood pressure which means that you won't collapse. To collapse, you're blood pressure needs to fall.

Definitely visit your GP and ask to be referred for a course of CBT.

I found the panic booklet on this site helpful - www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic/selfhelp/

Good luck.

I wonder if it started out as something physical (ie an inner ear infection, labyrithitis) but because it kept happening you became anxious and worried about it happening again, so much that now your anxiety IS what is causing the symptoms?

Hey lovely I know this is an old thread but stumbled across it!
Did you find anything that helped your anxiety? Everything you said is exactly how I’m feeling! X