Anxiety Disorders

Hello everyone! Welcome to the r/Anxiety monthly check-in thread. We want this to serve as casual community chat for anyone who wants to get or stay involved without having to make a full post. Plus you can use this as an easy way to give us feedback on what you like and don't like about the subreddit.

Our mod team also maintains an official mental health Discord server for people who prefer realtime community, venting, peer support and off topic chat. We hope to see you there! Join link: https://discord.com/invite/9sSCSe9

Let us know what's on your mind! This includes (but is not limited to) any significant life changes/events that have happened recently; an improvement or decrease in your mental health; any upcoming plans that you're looking forward to (or dreading); issues you're dealing with in your own local or extended community; general sources of stress or frustration in your daily life; words of advice or comfort you want to share with everyone; questions/comments/concerns you want to share with the moderators and community regarding the subreddit.

Thanks and stay safe,

The r/Anxiety Mod Team

Hello friends!

We have noticed an increase of posts related to politics lately. We wanted to give a friendly reminder that posts need to focus on the anxiety-aspect of the situation.

As outlined in Rule 8 (No Grandstanding): Our sub is not the place to promote your ideology or political views. While everyone is entitled to their beliefs, we will not accept attempts to pressure others or to hijack the thread's conversations.

We have always intended for r/Anxiety to be a safe, politically neutral space for users, and we wish to keep it that way. We will be removing and locking threads that go out of hand with the political aspects of things.

Political anxiety is more common than you think around election time. If you are having trouble with political anxiety, there are ways to cope with the stress. Here are a few examples:

Timeout: Social media, including the news channels, are designed to have a negative tilt to collect views. They want you to keep coming back for more. It is an excellent idea to differentiate between thoughtful and stress-inducing, sensationalized material. It is okay to find out about news after it breaks. By waiting for accurate information and thoughtful analyses, you will be able to provide informative content for yourself. Limiting the use of social media to once or twice a day will be beneficial. If your political anxiety is still too much to handle, it might be time to take an extended break.

Control: The majority of what is happening in national and global politics is out of our personal control. Turning our attention to ourselves, our friends, families, and local communities can help us be empowered and productive. Engaging in activities you enjoy, such as hobbies, exercise, and time with friends, can be a healthy distraction. Practicing self-care through wellness techniques and programs can also help keep your anxiety in check. Here are some websites that provide helpful information and tips on self-care:

Mental Health America: Taking Good Care of Yourself

NHS: Self-Help Therapies

ElCamino Health: Emotional Self-Care

Community: Connect with individuals who provide a safe space for understanding current events. Sharing what you are thinking and feeling with trusted peers can mitigate the negative effects of stress. If you are having trouble finding individuals to talk to about these matters, r/Anxiety has a Discord that is open to everyone to discuss various topics, including these.

Engage: The feeling of helplessness can be stressful and discouraging. Getting involved with a local political party, volunteering with a community group, or participating in activism can help you feel a sense of accomplishment, power, and purpose. These activities also connect communities of like-minded people, which helps to alleviate stress.

Thank you all for being a part of this wonderful community. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to make a comment in this thread, or send us a modmail.

Super nervous hence why I’m writing this out. I’ve never been before and I’m overweight but I’m also desperate to make a change. I’ve been doing a lot of swimming lately so I took the plunge (lol) and bought a gym membership so I can exercise with the gym equipment. I’m probably just going to spend 30 minutes on the treadmill but even just getting on the bus to go is an achievement for me. Any gym goers here with advice? Or just general advice.

Ive been seeing this nurse for a couple of years now. She initially put me on sertraline, after me telling her about my social anxiety and rumination.

Ive done it all. 15 years on and off therapy, citalopram, sertraline, hypnosis, cold water therapy, exposure therapy etc... Nothing seems to have shifted this crazy adrenaline response i get when im anxious. I live a life where im pushing myself out of my comfort zone often. Nothing seems to be working. I must say, when im not anxious im a lot more ballsy and glass half full. So the above has worked in that sense, but nothing for this strong surge of adrenaline that i get when i feel like im the center of attention. My arms and legs go numb, heart races, sweating...

But yeah, she told me that the sertraline is helping my anxiety more than i think. Even though we only catch up 1-2 times a year? and while talking to her today i was visibly shaking like a leaf. As we went through my previous notes nothing had positively changed in my life. Then she tried to convince me to stay on the drug and said how im just going to have to accept that this is who i am and live with the anxiety. So basically shes saying i should give up and carry on taking sertraline which from the start, isn't making me any less anxious.

In the end I told her im stopping the sertraline. Im going to go down a different route as i dont agree with what has been said. It pisses me off because i know for a fact there is light at the end of the tunnel. She could be saying this type of thing to so many people who dont know better. If i was a child and she told me that i was going to have to live life shaking like a leaf and not able to get any words out whenever a stranger talks to me then i would have probably gone down a bad path.

Dont know if im just batshit crazy at this point or if this Nurse is fucking clueless?

If anyone else has had a similar experience with a mental health nurse, please dont give up. It is absolutely possible to change your brain and subconscious response to things. Yes, i get that Anxiety is a part of life which is healthy...but if it's at a level where its ruining your happiness in day-to-day life, dont let anyone convince you that you will never get past it.

Hello there! I [22M] think it would be good to share my stories as someone trying to tackle his health anxiety. Mainly, to bring some peace and let you fellas know that you're not alone in this!

-Back in November '23 I had a big freakout when I discovered a lump in my right femur. Doctor ordered an xray and found an exostosis, wich is literally jut an extra piece of bone. Doesn't hurt, is harmless. He said I probably had it for years but didn't notice it because it's close to the knee and hard to see/feel when sitting down and that there's a lot of people that have one without even noticing. BUT OF COURSE, I THOUGHT OF BONE CANCER. It took me an extra three visits and tests to bring some sort of peace. It all went downhill from there.

-In January '24 I was close to some final exams. I got a dull and moderate ache in my lower right abdomen, along with random gurgling and diarrhea/constipation. I was convinced I had appendicitis and visited the ER. No fever? No nausea? Not even sharp pain when pressing your belly? They did some blood tests, all nice and clear. They sent me home. Two days later I visited my lifelong doctor for a second opinion, who said "Kid, if you had appendicitis, you'll either be in excruciating pain or in a delirium caused by a 40°c (104° F) fever and sepsis. Try to relax about it". He diagnosed me with functional dyspepsia triggered by stress and anxiety. It comes and goes (I have the exact same pain now) every 2 months when facing stressful situations. (OF COURSE I still think I'm gonna die when they start). They usually last to up to 2 weeks.

-After some peaceful weeks trying to relax myself, i got a random dizziness out of the blue in May '24. It was paired with random vision issues (blurry vision and floaters) and chest pain right where the heart is. I thought I was gonna die. My doctor took my BP during a stress episode and it read 180/90, wich makes no sense for a phisically healthy guy in his 20s. He said I was having a panic attack (yay!) and got me into a soft benzo to mellow the symptoms. OF COURSE it took me blood tests, a visit to the ophthalmologist, an EKG, and a Echocardiogram (plus a couple months) to understand that it was indeed anxiety and not some valvulopathy/blood clot/heart attack. JUST NOW (July) I'm no longer suffering from chest pains and my vision and dizziness are slowly getting better (of course, there's some awful days in between when all progress seems to go away). My BP is excellent; 115/70.

• Random neck, head, leg, pelvis, back and arm pains, tingling, numbness: This had me convinced that I had some kind of brain tumor or MS (The Anxiety-Sufferer's conditions by choice). Had them for 3 weeks straight, now they just come and go with bad postures or not drinking enough water, just like it was before. Imaging shows all good but a clear cervical tightness, that probably causes the back-of-the-head pains and the dizziness (going to PT soon!).

-Waking myself up with shortness of breath or thinking that I couldn't breathe: This was one of the reasons that triggered my anxiety attack. There was a moment where I slept just 2 hours in 2 days thinking that I was gonna die in my sleep. It's almost gone by now and I'm currently capable of going back to sleep if it happens.

-Overall grumpy and inactive: Physical symptoms, although not tied to a disease, are very real. When I was suffering from them I was not in the mood for anything. I used to walk 10km (6.2 miles) every day and that came to a halt because of how crappy I was feeling. Saw my only 2 friends almost all days and some months ago I went 3 complete weeks without even texting them. I'm slowly going out more often.

-UNABLE TO USE MY BRAIN! That's how I feel. Picking up my favorite books, studying or working are impossible tasks for me sometimes. Slowly getting back to it.

-Slurred speech/difficulty finding words when worn out or stressed: This had me thinking I was having a stroke. Such a bizarre thing.

-Bad reflexes and coordination: paired with the dizziness and visual issues, it was a shitshow. Getting better; using a racing simulator helped me a lot to regain my confidency.

-Sense of imminent death: This is one of the most brutal things. Full acceptance of the made-up fact that you're going to die instantly or in the short term. It becomes more present when alone/going to sleep. I'm still workikg on this one (as you can see, I'm alive so far).

-Random spasms: Mainly when going to sleep or when sitting down. They freaked me out at first and had them almost daily. Now I rarely have them and they make me laugh a little.

-DODGING THE FACT THAT I HAVE ANXIETY AND LOOKING FOR REASSURANCE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH/EXAMS: I just can't get over the fact that all this crap is caused by something so abstract, so intangible. Going to take the big step forward and try to get some form of therapy.

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That's all I can think of. Feel free to ask anything! Thank you all and especially to u/Eirwynzure wich motivated me to do my own post about former and ongoing symptoms.

Remember; this too shall pass.

Hi,

2-3 weeks ago I finally said Fuck it. I've been house bound for almost a year, literally barely could take a shower without having a panic attack.

About 6 months ago I could barely eat, I booked a virtual appointment with a doctor who prescribed me with Zoloft 50mg and it's been awesome.

I am not back fully at 100%, but about a month ago I told myself it's over, I won't let anxiety rob me of the summer and started going outside for walks. Each time I went out with the ''Fuck It, if I die or going insane, then so be it'' mentality I was able to be outside longer, walk further than my comfort zone.

I think i'm on a path to recovery. I havent flew since Covid because of my anxiety, and out of nowhere, last night, I booked a non refundable trip to Jamaica, leaving tomorrow morning 5AM. Just to challenge myself. If I ''die'', rather feel like i'm dying in Jamaica than at home.

I know the flights will be a super rough experience, I already accepted the fact that anxiety is coming with me, I won't fight it or turn back around at the gates, no matter what my body says, i'm bringing those feelings with me, knowing this is path of the recovery.

If you have any questions, I'd be glad to try to answer some of them. This is just a rant session. Lol.

As of the last few years I have had lots of issues with catastrophizing- my anxiety and ADHD run my brain 24/7, always with high intensity.

What are some ways that have helped you stop catastrophizing?

I’m sure this post is everywhere on this sub but working has become genuinely hard in the past couple months. I work a decent hospitality kinda job, at a resort, typically retail type stuff, but having to speak to people and explain things really make me anxious and makes me perceive my social anxiety much more than usual. I stutter bad, I can’t form sentences too well and end up rambling, and the environment is loud and that makes me anxious even more. I’ve tried communicating this to my bosses to try to see if anything can be done, but they haven’t listened or don’t care. I feel so scared and sick every day I go in, I get bad stomach pains each morning that are linked to anxiety, and they get worse each time I go in.

I’m seriously thinking of quitting because I genuinely don’t know how much more of this I can take. I’m just not sure what to do anymore.

Going back on Lexapro. I cannot take this. I have been not well for almost an entire month.

I got a viral illness and was sick for a few weeks

The developed numbness and tinging and now I have painful stomach cramps

I went to the ER three times. Im a little upset they just did some blood work and sent me home. They didn’t even bother to do any imaging just said to give it time.

I feel like they don’t care and will just let me die. Im convinced there is something very wrong with me like vascular eds or blood clots and they won’t catch it

What I mean by that is, taking birth control because your cycle makes your anxiety far worse, and gives you a slew of other symptoms (PMS).

Did hopping on birth control help among other things? I’m having a hard time distinguishing my PMS from my GAD symptoms. Never went to a gyno though, so that is first on the list before anything.

Personally, I twirl and knot my hair. It can get bad- to the point I have to cut the knots out. I have been doing this for years, and it is extremely difficult to stop. That being said, I was curious to know if you anyone else has similar/anxiety-induced habits?

For 3 months i was struggling with ocd, i was having never ending anxiety and panic attacks, literally with every symptom you could think of. i would wait for my days to come to an end slowly by constantly checking the time. Waiting to “reset” and when i noticed i was waiting for a “reset” everyday, i knew things were really bad. It was over the intrusive thoughts, and getting stuck with them and obsessing over them. I really couldnt stop them they were out of my control, so i checked myself into a mental hospital. jumped on 20mg of lexapro. I’ve been on it for a week, starting my 2nd week.

Im already worried about being medicated my whole life, because what i experienced had worsened and i thought things were going to get better on their own. This is the most relief i’ve felt in a long time, i feel at least okay. But when it’s time to get off.. will my ocd thoughts and anxiety/panic attacks all come back? am i going to have to stay on for the rest of my life?.. It was that severe. i was always stuck in my room scared to go out, constantly shaking, headaches, nausea, heart was going crazy, chest pain, brain fog, blurry vision, auditory hallucinations, sweating…

in these 3 months i was having intense thoughts not even knowing that i wasnt the only one and it was ocd the whole time. I went through the most. my thoughts came in waves every week of like “Not feeling real”/existential/reality not making sense/asking too many questions/asking why im here. Fear of going crazy, schizophrenic, psychosis. Health anxiety, thinking my heart was going to stop, thinking i was diabetic. When i graduated my brain fully convinced me my family was going to die soon, and i needed to start life immediately to help everybody out in the house. I think the worst one had to be when i started to think i was a danger to people, i thought it was going to kill, r word somebody, i thought i was a pedo. Now the only thing im stuck on is false memory ocd shit, but its not as bad because im medicated :p OCD is a trip, at some point i even thought it took my gay away. I know who i am as a person, everybody knows my beliefs are strong and im like literally harmless. Looking at everybody around while i explain these thoughts that i was having and them just being in shock is so sad to me. I was never ever like this, i never went through thoughts this heavily before april of this year. I guess i sort of feel discomfort with the thought of being medicated :( i always hated taking pills.

my anxiety has been getting worse (specifically repetitive thoughts that won’t go away) and i’ve been considering bringing up trying meds to my doctor but wanted to see what has worked for others. i’ve tried different ssri’s in the past and they didn’t help with what they were supposed to be treating or the anxiety.

Hey guys I saw a bunch of posts about anxiety and body vibrations.

I have this too, i also think I have muscle inflammation. Anyways I called the ambulance on myself yesterday when I was dizzy and thought I was going to die.

I feel a lot better today and my pain is much lower.

Question- if i put my body into high stress and anxiety (nerve pain, pain etc) and now I am more calm could it take time for my body to adjust and thats why I still have body vibrations at rest?

I decided to take a bike ride and then work out outside in the afternoon in a t-shirt, when it was cold. I usually go to the inside gym, but this had a noticably better effect on my well-being. Just a tip, if someone wants to try.

Hi!

So I've been having chronic nausea for 3-4 years, ( in my upper stomach and chest. )

( seeing a doctor soon lol )

and I've also been having constipation. Lack of interest in foods and drinks, stomach growling / Gurgling in my upper stomach and under chest? I feel sick constantly daily.

I'm starting to realise that maybe stress or anxiety or something Is possibly in my gut? I've also had other symptoms but for right now I'm a lot more focused on treating these first, since my other symptoms aren't bothering me.

( waking up couple of times from my sleep, googling symptoms, feeling sick constantly, headaches, asking for reassurance about my health, forgetting stuff and more ) so none of those are bothering me.

but the chronic sick / nausea feeling is, ( can anxiety actually cause chronic nausea? because somebody told me it can. and I've saw other people suffering with it on here. ) and realising that I was possibly a emetophobe a few months ago doesn't help lolll😭🖐

Is there any gut / stomach foods or drinks I can have? I live in England so Idk where to start? I think it may be in my gut or stomach or something.

Whenever I get really anxious I like automatically shake the more anxious I get the worse I shake it can get so bad that it I can’t even pick things up with a spoon because by the time I take it a few inches out of the container everything has fallen off. I can be really bad at work as well and it’s really embarrassing I’ve learned to face my fears no matter how much I worry about them but the shaking is still there and I feel really stupid. I have feelings for this girl and we are super close I took her to work and her dad was outside doing something I waved because he knows who I am, then tried to text her I couldn’t even hold my phone in my hand my entire upper body was violently shaking because I was thinking about him being there I had to put my phone in my lap and could still barely do it. Any advice would be appreciated this is so embarrassing 😅

Does anyone else have this pracrically non stop? Ive had severe anxiety 24/7 for months. Tingling hands started couple months into it and it hasnt let up since. Itd not there in the morning but increases throughout the day.

Anyone?

Does the gerd cause health anxiety, or does anxiety worsen/cause gerd… it doesn’t help when it makes me think I have heart or lung problems…

For last few weeks , I was really stressed and anxious cuz i am hypochondriac.

And I was stressing over my " symptoms" .

Somehow that lead to loss of appetite in me .

Is this normal ?

it’s 7am now and i’ve been wide awake all night because i was so anxious about how i felt like something was really wrong / off but i didn’t know why. Everything that i usually enjoy doing at night made me feel like i was dissociated from reality and i was on the verge of a panic attack all night long.

It got to a certain hour (abt 4am) where i realized that i probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at all for the whole night / morning and that just made it 10x worse and made me feel 10x more abnormal. I really wish i didn’t feel so ashamed and off rn but every single thing is making me feel disconnected, ashamed, and off. I spent all night trying to write down how i was feeling and looking for support and i feel like since i was so hyper fixated and desperate to find something to make me feel better that i feel like i haven’t actually been aware of reality all night like i don’t even know how it’s almost 8 and i’ve barely looked up from my phone all or done anything besides frantically trying to explain how im feeling all night. Man that’s making me feel so weird and anxious.

I just want to feel normal and not so ashamed/ self - loathing, but i just want to cry. I feel like i was in an anxiety black out all night and im just now realizing how longs it’s been which is making me feel really uncomfortable and anxious. Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep soon and feel better after that but it sucks so much rn I really hate this feeling.

If anyone has any kind words or advice i would appreciate it so much. thanks for reading <3

So for just over 2 years now my husband has been dealing with severe anxiety/panic attacks whenever he’s driving. Not riding, because after a short while he refused to ride at all anymore, and will only drive. It’s become a huge problem but he doesn’t seem to want to see anyone and get help, yet he’s showing no sign of progress. He’ll take these anxiety gummies he buys and that’s all.

At this point we don’t go anywhere anymore. We have kids that want to go on trips and he doesn’t even entertain the idea anymore. We just had a new baby in the family, and we haven’t gotten to see them yet because they’re 3 hours away and he can’t do the trip.

He does travel a bit for work, but what would be no more than 1 hour drives to his job sites, are always at least doubled because he won’t take any highway/interstate anymore either. Absolutely not. And this is the case when we do try to go anywhere as a family as well, always back roads which for some trips easily doubles the time. It’s become so frustrating.

I’ve been patient. I try to suggest things, but bringing up the topic can trigger him too, so I don’t even like bringing it up now, but I’m at a lost, I don’t know what to do to help, especially if he’s not willing to accept it. He thinks this all started after a bad high a few years ago. I’m not sure. His attacks get so bad when I’m riding with him, if he sits still too long in the car it’ll happen, and he’ll be constantly tapping the gas no matter if there’s room for him to move. He brakes a lot very quickly and I can see him gripping his chest and contemplating pulling over, which he does sometimes too. And like I said we have kids so as time goes on and he’s not getting better, I don’t even want to try to ride with him, because I’m afraid the safety of all of us is at risk.

Any advice is appreciated, thank you.

I wanted to know your average Bp because I feel like my systolic is a little high and diastolic is high.

Hello everyone!

Due to a combination of panic attacks, physical tension and symptoms (GI problems and globus sensation; the latter hardly any more but still fear of it) my psychiatrist prescribed me opipramol. At the same time I have ADHD, which is why SSRIs etc. are not supposed to be so good. I live in Germany and I think it's quite popular here and is considered "mild", plus you can take it for a short period of time - what do you think? does anyone have any experience with it?

My anxiety is so bad that i have manifested physical symptoms. From rabies, meningitis, brain tumor, breast cancer, skin cancer to thyroid cancer. my pain migrates from one to another and its debilitating. Its like my mind is purposefully looking for things to point out and say oh! This is cancer. i checked with my physician and she said i am completely fine but told me to get a THS test. now im feeling pain in my thyroid and ear. Im tired, im so tired. i cant even be anxious about it anymore. It sucks. My mom is refusing to appoint me to a therapist, literally everyone is moving forward with their life while im stuck in this vicious downward spiral and its eating me out from inside out. No one is out there to reach out their hand, if they do they do not understand. How do i manage this on my own?

Does anyone else struggle with anxiety once the sun sets?

I don’t know why I’m like this but as soon as 6pm rolls around I get this huge wave of anxiety. Every. Single. Night. It’s been like this for about a year now and I hate it! I used to love the night time back when I was in high school, I looked forward to those quiet hours of darkness when everyone else was asleep and I could snack, listen to my music and hang out by myself all night watching movies and reading fanfics lol. Now I dread it want to be asleep by 8pm every night so I can avoid nighttime as much as I can.

I have my routine pretty set in stone and as long as I follow it after dinner time so I can properly wind down and get some sleep, my anxiety stays pretty manageable for the most part. I just miss actually enjoying the nighttime like I used to lol. Does anyone else struggle with this?

I went swimming the other day in a river for fourth of July and now I'm worried about brain eating amobeas. I knows it's incredibly rare and stupid and mostly affects teenagers and kids but fuck I won't feel better until like a week or two passes. It's keeping me up today idk why I'm so worried about it.