Let’s face it; taking the time to really understand anxiety symptoms is boring. There just isn’t anything sexy about the autonomic nervous system.
But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s important. If you can wrap your head around how your anxiety symptoms spring to life then you’ve won.
Remember that scene from The Matrix when Neo is standing in a hallway made of green numbers? That’s true badassery. And that can be you.
Truly understanding how anxiety symptoms work paves the way towards ultimate freedom from fear, worry, and every single part of abnormal anxiety that’s made your life suck.
But why symptoms? Well, isn’t that what this is all about? I know that symptoms are only a reflection of emotional angst, and maybe bad genes, but not for you.
For you they are everything when it comes to feeling bad.
So, instead of trying to take you on some transcendental trip, I’m just going to roll up my sleeves and explain the nuts and bolts of how anxiety symptoms work and why this is so crucial to feeling better.
I get so many emails from my anxious brethren about their latest ache, itch, or twinge and it saddens me, really.
But I get it. So in today’s episode of the Anxiety Guru Show I lay down the law on how to smash your fear of anxiety symptoms.
And as a bonus I even discuss anxious parenting and how to defy your fear of death. Good stuff.
Don’t forget to comment below!
Learning this is exactly what got me out of severe anxiety. I am a very technical person, and like to be in control, and have an understanding of what is going on. So as soon as I learned the “technicality” of what was going on, (it did take me a long time to master this) I was able to free my-self of the thoughts of doom. Like you said, instead of feeling anxiety, and then worrying yourself into a panic attack, you can say to yourself that it is just my anxiety, something is stressing me out, take a breather.
Hey!
I’m a bit on edge today so the podcast helped.
Thanks for doing this.
Me again; I know all this but somehow it seems I need to have it repeated to me everytime I feel bad. What’s up with that?
I suffer from Anxiety 24/7 im so over it. Yesterday I was at my parents all good went down to supermarket pulled up and I could not physically get out of the car,I I sat there and did deep breathing telling myself I can do it, but I just couldn’t. I drove around so I stopped at an other shop got out and made it to the front my legs would not physically work. This is my major problem with anxiety is my legs. They go very heavy and weak jelly like and feel so off balance. And I get this off balance nearly every day. Please can you tell me is this anxiety and why this symptom. TIA
Hi Sarah, I think for a lot of people it’s because they are sensitized. Their anxiety gets triggered easily due to all the stress that they’ve been under. So despite all the good information they learn they stay stuck on the physical sensations. Getting through this requires patience and a lot of repetition.
Jodie I have this very same symptom. My legs feel weak actually I feel very fatigued almost like I can’t take another step. It usually hits when I’m about to panic I actually feel the adrenaline rush..it scares the hell out of me and I have to remind myself its only the effects of adrenaline. Claire Weekes writes in her book that even when people that have asthma would receive a shot of adrenaline they would grow weak in the knees. She calls it jelly legs. If someone told you you won a million dollars you would grow weak in the knees too. Its the little shots of adrenaline we give ourselves that keep us in this state. We become afraid of the state we are in..we have to remember that our bodies are only doing what they were made to do.. Fight or flight response…
Paul whenever I have a relapse I pull my Clare Weekes CD in my car out and you’re podcasts and I listen to them over and over and over again. I swear I know Claire Weekes by heart. But I have to do this every time as a constant reminder.. I have suffered with this since I was 9 years old on and off. I am now 57. Its been a roller coaster of a ride. I do think some of it is genetics everyone in my family suffers with it in some form or another. Thank you so much for your podcasts and Gd Bless you
Intellectually I agree and understand all that guru Paul says. Emotionally not so much. Anyone else feel like two different people trapped in one body? At times when I am “normal” I simply cannot understand or relate to the anxiety ridden crazy person that I become. I can remember being young and not being afraid of anything. The other self is afraid of everything! I know Paul says you need to find something that makes you calm, drink some water, take a walk, whatever it is that lets you gather yourself together. I have nothing. I am afraid of all of those!
Yesterday, I had a great day. (One day in the last forty years. Nice record.) I was able to listen to three podcasts and calmly relate to everything Paul said. Today I am on the edge of negative.
BTW for Jodie: Why not? Everything you are afraid of will haunt you until you are no longer afraid. My symptoms circulate. When I drop one another reappears. Being afraid is why your symptom shows up in the first place. If you beat one, another will show up to keep you on your toes.
Hi Paul, I just listened to this podcast today & immediately felt I had to tell you how much it helped me. I’ve been a long-time listener & this one was really awesome. You mentioned at the start how long it took you to do, so I wanted you to know how much your time & effort was appreciated. I’m so glad it made it to air! I had just had a massively challenging day with my anxiety yesterday, so this one was spot-on & very needed. I’ll be definitely listening to this episode more than once! Thank you so much for all you do, for your honesty, your sympathy & understanding with how crippling anxiety can be & for providing positive, helpful & productive solutions. You’re really doing a very good thing & I look forward to listening every chance I get. Thank you 🙂
Awesome Podast Paul. I’ve listened to it twice. Wuite simply, I’ve been experiencing another setback this week. But, this time, I know what is going on, and I’m just letting the sensations just be. Sucks right now, but I will get through it (it doesn’t help that my vertifo symptoms have acted up all week as well.)
Anyway, I was intrigued by what you said about parenting. I’m not a father yet, but I question my abilities as a parent if I cannot control abnormal anxiety. Funny that the good things in life cause your anxiety to spike. For example, when I first met my (now) fiancee, I was a mess. When I bought my first house last year, I was a mess. And then, I think about becoming a father. I have to care for another life! Holy crap, now that’s scary. Of course, I won’t know until that time comes.I shouldn’t focus on the future right?
Anyway, great podcast.
Thanks Arturo. I’m really glad that you enjoyed the podcast and hope some of the content sticks with you.
Paul
Great stuff Paul,
I’ve suffered from palpitations for last 9 years, (I’m 33 male)
I probably have had them my whole life but it was one day that I really was like…” Did my heart just stop for a second?””
And then it started…am I having a heart attack??omg omg omg lol, I ended up going to the ER and was a total wreck, told the nurse in a panicy voice”um um… My heart just stopped and then started up and then stopped…what is going on????”
Long story short, I went to a cardiologist and they told me everything was normal… I was like WHAT?????
I told myself.. No way…. Took me like forever to find out that I was a suffer of anxity… Never knew what it was or what it felt like but now after 9 years I knew I suffered from anxity for a lot longer then 9 years… More like 20
I still have my problems with anxity and it just sucks But I stumbled across your pod casts and I just wanted to let you know that your doing a good deed…. Your helping people tremendously…including me!!!
Im not educated one bit nor have I gone to get help, (affraid of hospitals and doctors)
But now that I’ve listend to your pod casts,I’m starting to get educated on it.
So I thank you…..
Love you guys,
George xoxoxo
This really is “the meat and potatoes” of anxiety. I have come a long way with my recovery from anxiety and much of that I can credit to Paul.
Getting hung up on symptoms takes you no where. Yes they’re scared but they are only symptoms. Once you realize that and you can say to yourself “oh that’s just anxiety, I’m fine” you will be much better off.
I still have moments where I start to panic but I am able to talk myself down instead of ramping up my fear. If you do the work and don’t keep dwelling on symptoms, you WILL improve. Stop feeding the beast!
PS we miss you Paul! Hope everything is going well.