Topic: what physical feelings of anxiety do you get?

I really relate to looking successful and calm on the outside. When I tell people I've got pretty crippling anxiety they normally think I'm over-exaggerating because I don't look like the typical case of anxiety. I feel that no one actually knows how much I'm struggling.

(not looking for sympathy or even empathy, just loving reading that others feels the same and can hopefully find more people to relate to)

I really relate to this.

Feel a lot of pressure to appear cool and calm especially at work.

I’ve had to hide a lot of what I’m feeling over my lifetime, to try and ‘fit in’. Like it’s a matter of survival.

Thanks for sharing.

Hi Mikemd,

I really appreciate your post and can relate on so many levels. I am new to these forums and this is kind of my first step of seeking help and understanding of my own anxiety.

Like you I too feel that no one actually knows how much I'm struggling. With people like you in this space I feel welcome and understood.

Physical sensations and symptoms have kept me from a gym workout in years. I used to lift weights regularly and be in terrific shape. After having my first panic attacks I easily put on more than 10kg in months, but I am less than that now. A combination of a pounding heart, chest tightness, the shakes, and general discomfort meant that everytime I tried to work out the last couple of years I've stopped pretty quickly.

Not sure what happened to me but yesterday and today I have completed two of my best gym workouts in years. Yesterday I was a bit wobbly but today was better. Not saying I am near what I want by any means, but it is an achievement and oh I have missed that delayed onset muscle soreness.

Just goes to show that I can do it and it is possible to live again and not let anxiety control me!

Hi. When I had a panic attack on the bus the other day I noticed that I felt hot, clammy and nauseated.

I also had the fight or flight feeling like I just had to get off the bus. Luckily, I breathed through it and kept calming myself, which helped me get home.

Hi Isabelle,

I too have been getting weird sensations over the last few weeks which was tingling down legs-I’m very active so thought it was back related. But then it moved to front of my legs and arms. It’s now a burning sensation all over. It’s been so bad, I wake from my sleep and it’s really affecting me :(

Have been going back to the gym, which is good. I can lift again.

However, have had terrible insomnia and poor quality of sleep the last few weeks. I also randomly get the shakes and trembles. Nothing seems to trigger it and it can be pretty disabling. I do know that caffeine doesn't help but it doesn't necessarily trigger it. Couple of days ago I had the shakes bad before going to meet a friend. Lo and behold, when my friend came and I relaxed a bit the shakes went away. Very hard to explain, like a mixture of depersonalisation, internal shaking and my legs turn into jelly. Very weird.

Seems like when one symptom calms down another happens. Pretty exhausting.

OMG I am so embarrassed! Had a zoom meeting tonight and out of the blue they chose me to talk about myself for 3-5 mins and I totally freaked, made up some totally unbelievable rubbish and totally made a fool of myself. Now I have to deal with that! I dont have anyone to talk to about it cause I'm the one everyone else comes to talk to, this feeling is such rubbish! It feels like my heart is going to explode out of my chest

i been tapping my right leg really fast and staying awake heaps

lots of energy and words and stuff

on and on.

my anxiety symptoms change and sometimes stay the same. here's a list of my most common ones.

Anxiety Symptoms:

Panic and anxiety attacks
Chest pain
Feeling like I can’t breathe when I’m breathing perfectly fine
Heart palpitations
Tingling tongue and lip from hyperventilation without realizing (psychiatrist told me)
Severe gut pain that radiates
Diarrhea
Headaches
Jaw and teeth clenching
Fidgeting
Racing thoughts
The feeling of impending doom
Severely convinced I’m dying
Dizziness
Nausea
Nightmares
I also suffer from PTSD from late partners suicide which has contributed to my anxiety.

So terribly, excessively sweaty.

Constipated.

Teeth grinding while I sleep - which creates migraines.

Endlessly planning, pre-planning, organising, every part of my day and life in my head repeatedly.

Freeze or fight reactions to simple events and conversations - especially unplanned or spontaneous ones.

Sensory overload - especially in supermarkets, crowds and whilst night driving - which is when I get panic attacks.

AVOIDANCE - physical - of others, especially eye contact.

minimisation - I throw all my stuff away - especially all my clothes - so I can control everything in my space and life to the smallest detail.

Good question.

Usually I just lurk.

Thanks

Hi Bonniebon 95, thank you for your post. Your symptoms are so much like mine, my panic disorder started many years ago with the death of a girlfriend in a car accident. I've managed it over the years with a combination of medication at times but mainly CBT, but with the stress of covid and the anxiety of being vac'd it's very hard to stay calm. I too have that constant feeling of doom and fear of dying which takes all my energy to stay grounded. I am finding the 333 exercise helps me to ground myself when I feel overwhelmed.

I look around and find 3 things outside my window, they might be a bush in my garden birds on my neighbours roof and a patch of blue in the sky and take note of colours etc, then I listen for 3 sounds that I can identify could be my dog snoring, the dishwasher doing its job and a bird singing outside, then I move 3 parts of my body, I shake my hand wiggle my toes and move my head from side to side. I've been using this technique for a couple of weeks now and I think it helps me to stay in the moment when I feel like I'm spinning out. I can really relate to what you are going through and wish you calm and peace, that state of mind that can be often times elusive for we anxiety sufferers, but we keep trying! take care of yourself.

Hi guys,

Lately I've been waking up with anxiety and I'm not sure how to fix it. The lump in my throat, heart palpitations, heated chest, nausea.... Does anyone have any tips on how to reduce this?

Hello Calblue,

Taking a magnesium supplement helps me with sleep and anxiety.

But also there's a thread in the anxiety section here:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/self-help-tips-for-managing-anxiety

there should be some good ideas in there.

Also I really recommend grounding techniques - look some up there's a bunch - keep practising them and they'll start to become automatic responses to panic.

H.

Here is something I have experienced recently, which has led me to thinking about links to other physical feelings.

I hope it makes some sense for people to understand what they may be going through. While anxiety and depression are serious, and no laughing matter, they make us do or think some strange things.

So, i was cutting some wood, just getting into it, getting the job done, minding my own business, when i felt a panic attack coming on. I was pretty sure it was a panic attack, because i had had all of the same symptoms before. The numbness, the ill feeling, the sudden sweating, heart racing, and the shaking all in one go, so my mind was ready to hit the panic button.

I ended up sitting down on a log, and doing some breathing and mind exercises to bring me back into the moment. . Thinking about it, there was absolutely no reason for a panic attack. no triggers, nothing, but after my sit down, it all ended. Crisis averted. I decided to stop the chopping for a cup-o-tea break.

While having a cuppa, and a biscuit, of course i looked up the symptoms to try and find the cause. And as it turns out, i was suffering from low blood sugar. Guess what the symptoms are...excess sweating, hunger, fatigue, nausea, shaking, confusion, anxiety, palpitations.

i just said to myself "seriously, dude, take a Snickers next time!", followed by a shake of the head in derision.

I think the moral of the story is that because of past incidents the body is constantly on edge, and anything that can be remotely construed as the beginning of a new incident the body goes into panic mode. But taking the time out and bringing your focus back can show you the true cause.

Is it within your control or not? is it within your influence or not? are the questions I continuously remind myself of.

Stay strong, keep talking.

Not Batman

Hi Leostar.

first post, high five!

yep, they are not the nicest feelings to have. Some of them can even make you question reality itself, which is quite scary.

acknowledgement of those feelings is a good start. Have you ever tried any cognitive behaviour therapy, or guided meditation? They can help to reign in those pesky feelings.

Talking it through helps too.

Not_Batman

Hey Leostar.

all steps in the right direction, so good on you.

unfortunately there is no quick fix. I wish there was, as im sure most of us do, but this just takes time. However, the techniques you can learn can make it easier to bring the focus back.

Not_Batman