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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

Kindra
Community Member

Hi there

Thank you sharing your experience, its really comforting knowing others are going to through this too. I too feel this as well. Its harder especially when youve been trying so hard to improve yourself but it comes back and it gets frustrating. I feel like this is something i need ot accept and manage for the rest my life.

Kindra
Community Member

Hi everyone

Im new here.

thank you for all your epxeriences, its been actually so comforting to see other people are going through wha ti am experiencing.

I have never had this before in my life, only depression. Anxiety is like woh, wow. anxiety is intense and debilitating. I had my first panic attack when i felt a heart palpatation during my lecture at uni. Im studying nursing so im hyperaware of all the physical symptoms and what they could mean. So I really overthought it and thought i was having a cardiac arrest or arrthymia. I ran out of the lecture theatre and took myself to the ED. All tests were fine. Months later nothing. Then I had one at my new job, it was embarrassing and i felt ashamed as i always tried to keep this strong mentality that i can do anything, and i dont need help because in my belief i think that if i need help then I've failed and i will lose my job ( been fired for 5-7 jobs when I'm younger which gives me alot of stress and shame). I was fine. I started to have more anixety but it settled during COVID. It came back like a freight train, particulary with uni stress and relationships stress. After my exams i went for massage then that afternoon i felt pain my right rib cage, i over thought it and it got worse. My panic attack got out of control and i was convinced i was dying or going into arrest. Most scary moment of my life. I made my sister call the ambulance. They came and i felt so embarassed, ashamed my ego telling my off being ashmaed of me. I was fine ECG normal. So after that my anixety continue to be extremely heavy. 2-3 days are good per wek others are really really hard. I am about to start my new job as a new grad nurse and im terrified this anixety will impact it so much, ive worked so hard to get this job and get where i am. I really want to help people its my passion

What im doing to help myself

Meditating

Mindfulness

Redirection of thoughts, acceptance

Deep breathing

Exercise

Listening to podcasts

Reducing coffee intake

Appreciate the little things in life

Being financially smart (trying)

What I'm wondering..

Should i go on medication? I really dont want to, im afraid too

See a therapist again i havent gone because ive been too busy.

Me to!!

I literally can’t swallow anything my mouth is dry and the nausea is terrible which freaks me out!
bad health anxiety

stingingb33
Community Member
Does anyone else ever feel that they need to live life to full 24/7
If I'm not doing anything I get really anxious, I see others around me that are content
But I always thinking more, more, more...
Especially by people that hurt you, I see them glide through life and I'm always wondering what am I doing wrong

The strangest feeling i have had was kind of like a numbness along the top of my scalp. The numbness wasnt like a pins and needles feeling it was more of a specifically located chill that moved to warmth an back and forward rapidly.

thats the best way i can describe it. It was strange. Not a nice feeling, but not a bad feeling.

ecomama
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hey Kindra and Laralollypops (and anyone else I've missed!)

A huge warm welcome to the Forums!! 😀😀🤗🤗

I encourage you to start your own threads if you wanted to, it really helps to explain any / all issues you may be facing or have faced in the past, then members can pop on and give specific support.

I've been diagnosed with C-PTSD so that's pretty much screeching anxiety (I call it stratospheric) with full surround sound and visual reliving of traumatic events and even repeated physical manifestations of injuries that I couldn't seem to escape from.... that was THEN...

BUT I'm all but "cured" now. Zero PTSD stuff any more at all.

It took a LOT of work to heal myself and I had the support of MH professionals along the way.

I wrote that to share that there IS HOPE!

The healing process may involve different things for each person (clearly I needed MANY therapies I mostly did myself), but it is possible.

Some things that help EVERYBODY include:
* radical self-care
* healthy food
* healthy amounts of movement
* good sleep
* mindfulness yes ofcourse, "doing a 30 min" mindfulness clip is fine, bringing mindfulness INTO your 'moments' throughout the day can be transformational.
I did this with the help of my Counsellor when she told me to take "The 5 things" anxiety calming strategy and DO EACH ONE MINDFULLY. This saturates one's whole life.

There are probably more basic ones but from those we can branch into what works for us as individuals.

Bestest wishes
Love EM

isabelle21
Community Member
Hi all, for the last 8 months I have been experiencing the strangest symptoms in my legs (thighs and glues)... I feel like my legs are going to collapse on me... they feel jelly but also frozen at the same time... and it'll come on randomly whilst also not knowing what triggers it. It is definitely different from post workout muscle soreness too. There's an element to this strange sensation where I feel like I am "out of body"... like everything feels disconnected. Anyway, I spoke to the GP and she had no idea and the physio gave me stretching exercises... so let's see... it's so stressful and making me so anxious. I wonder if the anxiety is showing up in this way... it all seems really odd to me and I of course am thinking of worst case scenario meaning I have MS... I am almost convinced I do and I feel sick to my stomach 😞 I would love to know if anyone else has experienced something similar?

JonA
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
Anyone else had full on fainting experiences?

I had all medical checks (MRI, CAT scans / tilt tabl and heart / blood pressure fine no underlying medical condition.

Apparently, according to my psychologist it relates to the fight flight response and the body goes a step further to faint, where you think your going to die (alike any panic attack) and the body prepares by shutting down to save you perceived pain.

I found this helpful in understanding but would love others input into what helped you?

FYI - medication is a must and serious

Kat_k
Community Member
Hi there everyone, I hope you're all doing okay
I've been prompted to come on these forums a couple times but only really got on here today
I've been lurking other peoples similar posts and wanted to share
My topic per say is on similar symptoms to my own that are completely debilitating
I've done all the relative tests ECG, stress echo blood tests and everything is "clear and healthy"
I have days, weeks, months even where I'm totally fine and my symptoms are mild
And then BAM out of seemingly nowhere
•Heart palpitations
•Stinging burning pressure in chest
•Stabbing pains in chest
•Exhaustion lethargy
•All over aches
•Feeling numb
•Feeling like I'm not in my body
•Dissociating
•Migraines
•Nausea
I realise that's a pretty broad spectrum of basic anxiety or panic attack symptoms
But these for me are so intense they are debilitating I can't eat i struggle to sleep (for fear I won't wake up)
And spend most of my days inside so that I don't have to deal with the real world
That being said COVID hasn't exactly made that easy

I just want to know if anyone else can relate or wants to share their own struggles
I don't want to feel alone
And I want to be able to relate to others and know if it ever gets entirely better
I'll continue to browse your posts as I've already started to find a small amount of comfort from some of you
So thank you for sharing

Hi there I know exactly how you feel and it's horrible iv had it for about 4 weeks,I'm also doing physio iv been using magnesium spray on my legs I don't know if it's helping it not.i just want it to go away I live with so much anxiety and now this is making things out of control 😔