When You Can't Figure Out Why You're Anxious

[Dodge]

Just sitting here tonight & all of a sudden I got jittery & anxious and fidgety for no apparent reason. Normally I can point to something that sets me off or is making me feel off - but tonight I couldn't - it's like I just got ramped up for no reason at all. Does this happen to any of you? I mean I know anxiety is part & parcel of the whole PTSD thing but normally I can figure out what's got me on high alert and not feeling so hot...tonight I can't point to anything...which is bothersome in and of itself.

 

[Friday]

Yup. IME That's pure PTSD.

It's honestly relaxing -to a degree- when I can point to increased stresses, or a stressor, or a trigger to explain why suddenly I'm all f*cked up. But, honestly, that's just life stuff interacting with my PTSD. And most of the time? That's exactly what's going on.

But sometimes? It just hits. And for the next 3 minutes, 3 hours, 3 days? I am going to be completely out of commission. Ass. Kicked. Suicidal, homicidal, anxiety up, rage up, adrenaline up, paranoia up, spinning out, despair grabbed, torn apart, gutted, gripped by regret, violent remorse, blown over by the firestorm, suddenly and completely cold, hijacked in any or all of 12 different ways. For no discernible cause. Except that, for whatever reason, my brain has decided to go to DefCon 1, without consulting me. Da Fuq brain? Chill out, you. Tranquilo :banghead:

 

[VioletButterfly]

From my experience, it's PTSD as well. I've determined that it's all the stuff I've got bunched up inside myself behind all of the closed doors. That stuff starts shuffling around and occasionally knocking, subconsciously. It's unnerving. So, I try to distract myself or if bad enough, take a little bit of medication just to deal. On the other hand, it could just be something is off with your body systems - i.e. blood sugar. When mine is off, I find that it triggers and sends me into a floaty-minded state and I feel off-balanced. Just a couple of thoughts. Hope you figure out what might help you deal when situations like that arise. VB

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Some times I get a free floating anxiety that comes out of nowhere and it is getting better now and does not happen as much as it used to. I use distractions to get my me out of my spinning mind and it usually works, but not always. Three years ago it was really bad every day and nothing seemed to help me.

Now I have a different, better psychiatrist and the med cocktail I am on is definately working to stabalize me. i wish you the best with yours.

 

[mamachick]

Sometimes I dont know the cause, but honestly, most of the time I do. My internet was down and was on phone w comcast for nearly an hour. They concluded that my computer airport connection was broke internally and to go to an apple store. Well, near meltdown. Its 7 yrs old and when computer breaks, I dont have money for a new one. So I felt so panicked. This is my lifeline. I messed around and its fine now. For today anyway but fear in back of my mind. Lack of sleep, pain, daily problems put me over the top. I use to have more that I didnt know cause of but I think I have numbed self out enough its stuck way down. I do understand what you are experiening and am so sorry that you are having that expereince.

 

[EveHarrington]

I don't know how someone with PTSD could not have times of unexplained anxiety with no definitive source?

 

[anthony]

tonight I can't point to anything...which is bothersome in and of itself.

I get this all the time nowadays... and I just put it down to PTSD.

 

[NatBird]

This happened yesterday and happens a lot lately.
At the moment it is being in flasbacks a lot of the time. Other times it has been food - some foods cause anxiety in me, eg nuts.
Then there are all the times I don't know. When I'm freaking out about not knowing (which is part of my control kit) I get more anxious.
Sometimes I just notice it, where it is in my body. That process tends to lead me to whats causing it but mostly to what I might be needing to soothe myself.

 

[cupfish]

Definitely PTSD. Your brain sends signals that do not match the reality of the circumstances. It's an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system, PTSD-related, whereby your brain fires DANGER DANGER signals (not necessarily that dramatic) without cause. HATE IT.

 

[watundah]

All the damn time. Usually when I go to bed and the distractions are gone, but always when things are quiet and calm, like elephants through a revolving door. Siggghhh...

 

[techbrain]

But sometimes? It just hits. And for the next 3 minutes, 3 hours, 3 days? I am going to be completely out of commission. Ass. Kicked. Suicidal, homicidal, anxiety up, rage up, adrenaline up, paranoia up, spinning out, despair grabbed, torn apart, gutted, gripped by regret, violent remorse, blown over by the firestorm, suddenly and completely cold, hijacked in any or all of 12 different ways. For no discernible cause. Except that, for whatever reason, my brain has decided to go to DefCon 1, without consulting me. Da Fuq brain? Chill out, you. Tranquilo :banghead:

I don't know whether I have any form of ptsd but this is so spot on what's going on with me now it made me smile despite of how graaanh it is :)

 

[SometimesWriter]

I have the same problem, one thing I just started doing that so far is helping is the SAM app. (Self-help Anxiety Management) I'm sure there are other apps that would allow you to do this but it has an anxiety tracker on it that I can check in with whenever I want. I wake up a lot in the middle of the night with this kind of unexplained fear and the last couple of days I've grabbed my phone and entered my symptoms. It creates a chart for you and there's something about just the act of physically tracking my thoughts and seeing the results that makes me feel I'm doing SOMETHING for myself, even if I can't explain WHY I feel like this.

There are also features on that SAM app that walk you through some calming exercises that aren't too bad. I'm hoping with more time I'll be able to notice the times I'm at my most anxious and I'm hoping it will allow me to gain some kind of insight that can lead to getting my butt back to sleep.

I wish you luck with this, you're not alone!