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what physical feelings of anxiety do you get?

annabay
Community Member

hey there, what physical symptoms of anxiety do you experience?

I often feel very alone in my experience of having physical chest (what I think are heart) spasms and was wanting to create a space for everyone to list their physical feelings that come hand in hand with anxiety so we can all feel less alone.

hope everyone is well.

797 Replies 797

44Max44
Community Member

I thought I'd add to this with the symptoms I've experienced, which has been quite a lot.
- What I suspect is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (or just digestion problems)
- Heart palpitations
- A slight dizzy/unbalanced sensation
- Headaches
- Nausea, trouble eating
- Lump in the throat sensation
- Tight chest, sensation that it's hard to breath
- Trouble getting to sleep, and wanting to sleep the day away when I wake up
- Aches and pains in various places
- Eyes feeling like they have something in them that I can't get out
- Nervous twitching
- Tingling sensation in limbs
- Disassociation/derealization (only once or twice)
- Stomach/abdominal aches
- Used to have to open my eyes often while getting to sleep to make sure I hadn't gone blind
- Difficulty/hesitation swallowing for fear of choking

& more...


A lot of symptoms, I know, and I've probably forgotten a few.
In my experience, there's no limit to what anxiety can make you feel, especially when it comes to health anxiety.

Hope this helps anyone. 🙂

SxZ
Community Member

Hey guys, it's my first post on the forums.

My initial anxiety was related to a traumatic prescription reaction in my late teens/early twenties that caused long-term altered sensation to my entire left side (it's not a functional issue, just a dulled sensation). Since then I've experienced a myriad of anxiety related symptoms related to that particular period of anxiety over the following months, including: numbness, fatigue, full body aches, panic attacks with hyperventilation, feeling like I want to run away regardless of where I am, repeated episodes of dissociation, chest pains, dry mouth, headaches etc.

I injured my back training a couple of months ago, which meant having to rest from rigorous activity. I've had multiple emotional breakdowns related to my back pain and frustration at having to stop my regular physical activity. My gut has been playing up terribly; GERD type symptoms, bad abdominal tenderness, persistent aches in my legs and arms, perceived muscle weakness, belching, constipation, recurring intestinal cramps etc. which has only led to further anxiety about my health.

Just wanted to see if anyone had dealt with similar symptoms. It's nice to have been introduced to a community of people who can share their experiences within a welcoming and safe space. Anxiety can often feel like such an isolating condition but it's nice to know you're not alone.

Jill_G
Community Member

Hi Tayla

I certainly can relate to some of your symptoms especially the nausea and dry reaching. I had it fir so long like clockwork every morning....thank heavens it got much better even though occasionally l still get it out of the blue.l tried for so long to fight it and couldnt understand why it wouldnt stop. I hated these symptoms so much and wanted it to go away. I finally decided through help of a physcologist and plenty of research that acceptance was the key. I no longer let it control me and stopped fighting it and with lots of other strategies it did slowly get better. I still feel trembles sometimes and now just accept it until it subsides. I hope everyone is doing ok.

Hi Everyone

Just saying a huge thankyou for sharing your physical symptoms of anxiety! By doing so you are helping many others not feel so alone with these awful symptoms/feelings!

Hey Max....Thankyou for being a part of the forums...and your helpful post....I hope the proboitics are helping!...I know that they are helping me out since you mentioned them on another thread...Thanks heaps!

Hey SxZ....A big welcome to the forums and thankyou so much for being a part of the discussion 🙂 I have posted my own symptoms on this thread.....earlier..I feel your pain and anguish with your symptoms...I really hope you are doing okay....especially with the panic attacks and hyperventilation. Only if you wish I hope you can stick around the forums....Thankyou so much for the super kind post too!

Hey JillG.....Thankyou for sharing your pain as well as you have...You are helping so many others that choose not to post and read only....(approx 70% of the 'hits' to the Beyond Blue forums are from people that are comfortable reading posts)

JillG mentioned "acceptance was the key. I no longer let it control me and stopped fighting it" Thankyou for this JillG as acceptance of our symptoms does help us find peace.....Great post

my kind thoughts

Paul

Just a question I would like to ask everyone, do you anxiety symptoms completely change?

2 weeks ago I was having headaches, tightness around head and neck, burning feeling all over body and twitches, and by the end of the week, I was having nausea and digestion problems, but when I did, all the above symptoms either went away, or significantly reduced! The digestion issues lasted about a week, then went away, but when they did, most of the initial symptoms came back! Its frustrating!

Jill_G
Community Member
Yes l did. I was getting random strange symptoms alot then they would come and go. My stomach issues lasted a long time. ..l get weird smells alot...this one is the most frustrating because l dont quite understand why it happens.

Hey That Guy....and wave to JillG

You are spot on about the symptoms changing as you and JillG mentioned above..

Just from my own experience with these awful anxiety symptoms....Yes they can and do fluctuate....a lot!

The headaches....the digestive issues can all be indicators of how anxiety...(or ongoing stress) can effect us..

Have a good weekend everyone..

Paul

Mendel
Community Member
Hi Everyone,

Thought I would make another post on this thread.
The past couple of weeks have been quite good for myself in terms of anxiety and where I have been at, my symptoms of unsteadiness, headaches, blurry vision etc., really became something that was in the background and never my main focus.
But the last 24 hours have been rather tough, thrown back into it all again and it just crushes all hope of progress and feeling good.
One of the biggest issues I have with my anxiety is that if I start to feel good, I then start to think about how my anxiety is starting to feel a bit better or that I am starting to move past my issues, and it almost acts as trigger as I start to fear it may return.
I think that feeling of hopelessness is an anxious symptom in itself.

Just want to acknowledge the power of these forums, and that coming back on here again with my recent anxious thoughts, it helps. So thank you all for that.
The power of knowing you are not alone is massive for a lot of people.

We are here for each other.

Stay strong.

Mendel

Hi Everyone and to Annabay...who wrote this very helpful thread topic!

Hey Mendel....Thankyou so much for helping others with your additional support above

Mendel wisely mentioned ' I think that feeling of hopelessness is an anxious symptom in itself' Yes...when we feel vulnerable (or fearful of upcoming anxiety) we can sometimes leave the gate open for more anxiety

The more frequent we see our doc...the less hopeless we feel...(just my own experience) I do hope you can pop in and say hello on the 'Do You Like Yourself' thread..The copy and paste link is below

www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-well/do-you-like-yourself-your-thoughts-are-...

"Just want to acknowledge the power of these forums, and that coming back on here again with my recent anxious thoughts, it helps. So thank you all for that. The power of knowing you are not alone is massive for a lot of people"

Your kind feedback above is greatly appreciated Mendel

Paul

 

Pablo61
Community Member
Anxiety symtoms can sound like a casserole of nonsense sometimes.
The truth is that you're not alone with some of the bizarre ways physical anxiety symtoms present themselves in our bodies.
I was 13 years free of this crippling thing we call anxiety, but it's back!
No matter how strange some of the symptoms may sound some of us can relate to it.
We are all in this together, I'm glad I found this forum.