When you say you have anxiety...how does it manifest?

[JacknDiane]

My anxiety just means im on edge the majority of the time

I get a feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’m on edge and can’t settle. I’ll bite the skin off my fingers and nails. I have parental anxiety and was diagnosed untreated when my eldest was around 6m so about 7 years ago. I will be having the best day and then my brain will go BAM what if the teachers are abusing them and then I get this very bad urge to go and collect them immediately.

Thank you for answering
I seem to have more generalised anxiety where I feel im worrying and ruminating all day long.

I have a horrible feeling of dread and fear, and being on edge most of the time. I get a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach sometimes, muscle tension in my back and shoulders most of the time, a tight feeling in my chest, and I stop talking. Oh, and overthinking and worrying is all-consuming. When it gets very bad, I struggle to do the basics: eating, sleeping, drinking, washing, keeping the house clean, etc.

It depends. Ranges from on edge, like you, to frozen on the sofa, too scared to move, unable to eat, vomiting and diarrhea, racing heart beat, crying with what-if thoughts going round iny head.

I feel your anxiety pain. Just had to come home from Spain early (me and my 14yo son) as I had debilitating anxiety. I'd saved so hard for this holiday but when it arrived I was terrified of the responsibility and worried about our connection as mother and son. Three days back and I'm still struggling. All I can say is get some help, meds wise and there's good CBT therapies free on the NHS, which have worked for me in the past. It will pass....

Ive had 2 lots of CBT. Tried talking therapy. Paid to see a private therapist. Paid to go to a roadshow on anxiety and joined their expensive club and forums and private sessions. Spoke to many friends. Have a small collection of self help books by my bed. Follow people on fb. Tried setraline (bad side effects) and citalopram. (No use). Tried hrt (didn't like side effects). Have been at the gp for years for this.

Nothing seems to work. It seems to be how im wired.

Everyone's answers resonate with me here.

I’m a little different in that my anxiety came on after a series of traumatic events that happened in quick succession and though I am having CBT time on its own is helping a lot.

It took me a very long time to assume that nothing bad was going to happen on any given day. That something good could happen without being terrified that it would be gone or that something bad would very shortly happen.

I have found any kind of change or uncertainty much harder to deal with again because of the assumption that something bad will happen.

I think that things that aren’t my fault are my fault and feel shame.

I don’t know if this is a cross over with depression rather than anxiety but I would also have times of being listless. I couldnt do anything, I didnt want to do anything. I would just continue to exist, I would continue to exist from one day through to the next.

I have waves of anxiety since the menopause.
It's not as bad as it was at it's peak.

At that time I could hardly make it out the door as a wave of panic came over me. Id be frozen to the spot, unable to make a decision have a pulsating feeling go over me and feel sick.
Now I get waves of dread and fear when I have no need to feel like this. My stomach goes into knots and I need to wee. Sometimes I go really hot.
I have learned to accept this feeling will happen from time to time.

I have CPTSD and the anxiety I get is a mix of low level rumination and overthinking and negativity about whatever I'm trying to do. I feel a lot of guilt and shame regularly that baffles people who know me because to them it's really illogical but obviously that doesn't help me stop feeling it 🫠

Physically I sweat a lot and feel really warm if I'm panicking or having a panic attack, and I get very nauseous and dizzy sometimes. I usually like to go outside when I'm having a panic attack to feel air on my face and start doing the 'five things you can' technique. I also have IBS and the symptoms are worse when my anxiety is bad, they're so closely linked

I feel on edge, racing heart, very heightened and irritable. I tend to convince myself of problems that aren't there

I overthink all the time and end up just feeling very teary. Even the simplest things. I go to the worst possible scenario in situations.
I was prescribed propranolol to help with the physical symptoms (higher heart rate, tremor etc), but I only just realised I don't actually get those symptoms.

Currently on waiting list for mental health team via my GP surgery (was 36 weeks when I got my letter...down to 34 now!) Started counselling via Women's Aid due to domestic abuse history (2 sessions so far and my counsellor is so lovely) and have my first session booked for Staff Wellbeing Support at work in a couple of weeks' time.

I have intrusive thoughts all the time that catastrophize everything so for example if I cross the road 'someone is about to run you over' will pop in my head or 'you are going to fall' if I am going down the stairs or 'the plane is going to crash'...it is endless and really disruptive.

I think a lot of it has to do with being constantly on edge when I was a child and teen because of a toxic family environment and bullying at school and feeling unsafe all the time.

Three years ago it came to a head when I started having suicidal ideations because I was telling myself my life was over and nothing would ever get better.

Now I take antidepressants and had trauma counselling through the NHS to try to find coping mechanisms.

Menopause caused me crippling anxiety. Thought my insides were falling out. Wouldn’t move from on the bed incase it happened. (This is true). Got the GP to check that they weren’t falling out. Ended up on antidepressants and estriol cream. Now I couldn’t care less if it all falls out or not. What can I do?

I’ve only had one recent and - compared with you all - pretty mild brush with anxiety. I felt like I was permanently late or had forgotten about some really important appointment, and that there would be terrible consequences. It came and went, I think it’s perimenopause related.

Both my sister and SIL have GAD and this thread has given me some insight into how it feels.

A feeling of dread. I get butterflies, it's hard to eat or swallow when it's really bad. I'm restless, on edge, irritable, my dreams are more vivid and although I sleep its very broken. More tearful and just a general sense that I'm not coping and everything is too much. I take propranolol when it's very bad and use grounding techniques which do help. Its got bad over the last year or so for no reason so when stressful events do happen like moving house I feel completly terrible.

I'm managing to do anything as the rational part of my brain is still there telling me that everything is OK but it doesn't make the awful anxiety any less.

From full blown panic attacks (racing heart, can’t settle, tears almost a meltdown) to shutdown (can only sit on sofa - freeze/flop). Day to day is OK if I’m in my normal routine. Can’t travel far, haven’t been on a plane in 26 yrs. Have always been a worrier but having my children put me into extreme protection mode. They are now young adults. One of my DC is autistic (DH is too but undiagnosed) and I wonder if I am as well or whether living with DH has rubbed off on me.
Before I had my kids would travel, holiday etc

I'm also thinking it's perimenopause related as there is a definite pattern to the feelings over the month. I get a constant feeing of panic for a few days after my period ends (twice this month as I had two periods!) which is quite new.