My Anxiety Changes How It Manifests

[Andreas Andersson]

And I'm interested to know if others have noticed this as well.
Over the last 3 years that my anxiety came back and became really strong (ran into the "wall"), I've noticed that my anxiety and the things I feel from it have changed.
6 months ago I had a lot of heart worries, I had skipped beats, lots of rushing. That stopped somewhat, I still get some heart racing every now and then, but now I feel nauseus (spelling) a lot more, so much to the point that I feel that I could quite easily vomit if I just let myself do it. I'm also a lot more dizzy with a lot more neck stiffness and ache.
I did NOT have those problem 6 months ago, at all. These changes have happened more than once, and it feels like my anxiety stops doing one thing when I stop reacting to it, only to find some new thing to do.

 

[MT Johnny]

I get the vomiting type with crying spells and hyperventilation. But I am pretty tense lately and now notice I also have a pretty pronounced tremor in my arms and hands.

 

[desiderata310]

Tachycardia is one I have. In moments of stress my blood pressure runs high. Doesn't matter how much I work on controlling my breathing and relaxation.

Problem always has been that the sympathetic nervous system gets kicked into high gear and I'm usually standing at the edge of the rabbit hole. The climb back out is exhausting.

I'm joining a MBSR group at the insistence of my therapist. I'm not much of a joiner but I'd like to feel better so I'm giving it a shot.

 

[Andreas Andersson]

@MT Johnny
Yeah that's me right now as well, vomiting (like I get an intense urge to vomit), nausea, hyperventilation and cold hands with tremors through my entire body when it gets really bad.

5mg's of a diazepam medicine is often enough to put a lid on it for me when it becomes unmanageable.

 

[Neverthesame]

when I stop reacting to it, only to find some new thing to do

I think you hit it right on the head there. Anxiety is your minds way of warning you that you are in a dangerous situation.

Normally you would never ignore it. But now it gets stuck on, or happens at inappropriate times. It goes without saying that the self-preservation instinct is one of the strongest natural urges in our bodies. Since human beings are creative if nothing else.

Think of a small child trying to get it's parent to pay attention to it. When calling out mums name isn't working anymore, the child will go play near the stairs, or do something else. Something most likely negative, to get the attention it seeks. That at least is how I understand it.

 

[Chava]

My panic has changed too, which always makes it creepy all over again because I can't respond to a consistent pattern. I used to have lots of the super dizzy, sick, feeling like I'd pass out or die feelings. Then rage-like panic, like an adrenaline surge combined with impulse to destroy myself. Then heart arrhythmia and blood pressure spikes. I have less panic symptoms now but seem to have more drawn-out meltdowns that are very difficult but involve less high-anxiety symptoms.

Chronic pain is probably always related because gabapentin calmed some of those nerves right down and I also felt a bit more relaxed. I always take sleep meds. But my doc won't give me benzos (I'd be an addict in a week). I've had to do a lot of slow, challenging work recognizing panic and getting through. But it's slowly better. No more arrhythmias...those were exhausting.

Maybe as we begin to understand one response it loses its edge but the anxiety travels somewhere else because it's still in there..??

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Yep, completely normal. Certain symptoms get worse as others get better, even though we are healing overall. IT is a bit frustrating.