photo credit: Kevin N. Murphy
Now, if you have anxiety disorder, or a related condition such as panic disorder, what are some of the symptoms and sensations you might experience? Let me just say that the list is long, very long. The number, frequency, and type of symptoms you experience will vary. But there are a few that are very universal. Here is a short list of some of those dreaded symptoms.
- Palpitations
- Racing thoughts
- Cold or Hot sweats
- Dizziness
- Malaise
- Urgency
- Depersonalization
- Obsession
- Depression
- Muscle twitching
- Heart Burn
- Concern about heart health
- Concern about general health
- Shaking
- Insomnia
- Sensitive skin
- Vision ‘tricks’
- Hyperventilation
- High blood pressure
- Always checking heart rate (pulse)
- Fear of going crazy
- Fear of dying
- Headaches – Vice like tension around the head
- Numbness
- Joint pain
- General sense of fear and worry
The list goes on and on. The ones I listed are my all time favorites. These are the ones that I endured the most. But, I also have had tricks of hearing, and bunch of other strange symptoms. I would go to my doctor every 2 months. They would do blood test, EKG test, stress test, and other medical exams and never found anything.
Once I had a chest x-ray done and swore that I had cancer. That’s the thing about anxiety I hate the most, it seemed to manifest itself in me in so many different ways. Sometimes I would get hit by more than one symptom at a time and swear that I was done for. Of course, nothing serious ever happened.
Learning how to manage these symptoms takes practice and time. I will share with you what works for me in future posts and also take a closer look at the symptoms themselves. What are some of the symptoms that you deal with that I didn’t list? How do you deal with them? I encourage you to share your experience(s) because you might end up helping someone in the process.
hello..i would like to start off by saying thanks so much ur websit has help me so much and im so thanksful..
iv been suffering with anxiety attcks for 5 years now…but seens iv been on ur sit things have become a lil bit better…understanding wot anxiety can do to u and noing that it cant harm u makes it a lot better 4 me..
i get the hole 9 yards..but seens been on ur sit has help me so munch..once again from me to u thanks….
Hi, i think i have been having panic attacks a few years ago, but i got a really bad one about two months ago. I ended up in the emergency room and was told that i had an allergic reaction to antibiotics. I did different tests for my heart and all the results were good. I am doing alot of reading and research to end this, but everyone is talking about acceptance. I am trying my best to accept my fears and bodily sensations. It is had sometimes though. Reading that it does not harm you is really helping me. The insomnia, heart palpitations in the morning and acid reflux is no help though.
Thanks for all the information.
Hi, I had a panic attack 5 months ago, was rush to the ER because I’m pretty sure I was having a heart attack and was thinking this is it, since then my life turned upside down, all sorts of symptoms that I never felt before showing up, everyday there’s a new one, I feel really sick and can’t even sit and relax for ahwile, I quit smoking the same day I was in the ER “cold turkey” , ECG and Xray was fine.
I have most of the symptoms in your list but I have a few scary ones that wasn’t on the list,…
1.constipated for over a week
2.constant excessive sweating from head, face and neck, I have to wear a towel around my neck even in sleep
3.hot flashes like my body is about to explode, happened one time but after that my skin especially my ears is hot to touch, its like it was rub excessively
4.all sorts of different types of chest pain, crawling numbness lower part of my sternum spreading slowly on the sides left or sometimes right, sharp pain left nipple area, far right of my pectoral.
5.muscle tension or sharp nerve pain in left arm bicep/tricep area and also at the right arm, sometimes its the forearms, hands and fingers.
6.back sharp pain and shoulder blades
7.pressure sensation in forehead or behind the eyes
8.ear rings out of the blue, like a high tone and goes away fast, leaving an ear fullness sensation
9.mild ear ring sensation that feels a bit dizziness
10.dry mouth when waking up
11.I’m mostly fine in day time but when the sun is going down.. symptoms shows up and gets more intense
before this happened I have no knowledge about anxiety/panic attacks, I guess that’s why the 1st few months was very hard like hell to me, reading about it and hearing from other sufferers made me a bit calmer, it made me a bit agoraphobic, I tried to fight it off by going to malls a week straight and was gone,, when something hurts or twitch I accept its anxiety by doing this everyday I at least get to taste a bit of the normal life a day or two, my problem now is I’m still getting this symptoms even though I know I’m not in anxiety mode…
Did you also experience some of this or knew anyone with it?
I forgot to mention the excessive sweating lasted more than a week and at the same time I was constipated was scared to eat more ended up losing appetite and losing weight big time accompanied with itchy rushes.
Hello my name is Wendy and am 13 weeks pregnant and developed an anxiety disorder…I had my first panic attack about 2 months ago…freaked me out but didnt think anything about it…..buuuut 2 weeks later I had another similar episode and God nows I been on a spiral from than 🙁 My symptoms include dizziness, sometimes heart racing, but the scariest of them all constant pain or ache on my left arm!! Ive been to the ER about 4 times to always find out blood work is normal EKGs normal …..but I feel like I can never stop thinking am going to have a heart attack ….. I dont want to feel like this anymore …. And reading your articles are helping me understand some of the things I feel… Am just done with all of these symptom’s…