Of the tons of anxiety symptoms that you have or have ever had are there a few that you really hate?
I have to say that I don’t like any of the symptoms, but if I had to choose between this symptom or that symptom, then I definitely have a preference. Here is my top ten list of most hated anxiety disorder symptoms.
1. Palpitations
2. Depersonalization
3. Urgency
4. Muscle twitching, Numbness
5. Dizziness
6. Head ache, stabbing pains in head or scalp.
7. Easily startled
8. Chest pain
9. Fear of losing control
10. Difficulty connecting with other people.
This list represents the anxiety symptoms I have dealt with the most and also hate the most. They are in no particular order, but they all in one way or another have caused me a great deal of frustration and sometimes anger.
Palpitations I have learned to manage, but it still takes me a few minutes to bring them under control. This symptom, and chest pain, are the worst because they mimic heart attack symptoms so much.
It also takes a few moments of pause and slow breathing to calm down and allow the palpitations to “settle” before I can become relaxed while I wait for the palpitations to pass.
Palpitations notwithstanding, I loath depersonalization and dizziness. These two cause much less fear as I fully realize that they are not harmful, but they can really ruin your time at work or even a movie.
One minute you are reading something, then the next minute you stand up and feel like you just entered Alice in Wonderland. Everything looks unreal and there is a real sense of disconnectedness. The dizziness, well let’s just say that I don’t enjoy walking on unstable ground and that is exactly what it makes you feel like. It’s like walking on a boat with way too many people on one side.
Muscle twitching and numbness are really annoying. Especially because the numbness can effect the sides of your head or your arm, leg, etc. There is no rhyme or reason to this one and it comes and goes with no real warning.
The muscle twitching I can deal with more, but I hate it because it also seems random and effects practically any part of the body. I have even been able to see the twitching under the skin and although there is no pain I also wonder – “what the hell is going on in there?”
Urgency – well it is real obvious why this symptom is hated. I even went to my doctor for a prostate check a few years ago because I was so worried.
Turns out my nerves just had me going like the older gentlemen on the big pharma commercials (no offense to older folks intended). And at night, forget about it. It’s like I’m on a 10 minute rotation with my bed and toilet. Not cool.
When I am not racing to the head I also have plenty of headaches too. And these headaches are special because they can also produce smaller momentary headaches while the larger one is still working overtime. I call those “stabbing pains” and they mostly affect the side and back of my head.
The last three, disconnectedness, fear of losing control, and being easily startled are very lame as well. It does feel terrible to have the sense that you can’t get close to other people, even people you love more than all things.
Losing control, its only hated because when it happens it is usually after you have had a streak of time with no symptoms whatsoever. Being easily scared falls in pretty much the same category as losing control, because being scared by shadows, birds, footsteps, other drivers, you get the point, is your nerves making you feel very much out of control.
It just makes you feel like your on the edge, and the fact that you are jumpy is proof, or at least you think it is, that you are headed for real crazy.
These symptoms are just the tip of the glacier, there are hundreds of possible anxiety disorder symptoms. There are even variations of symptoms you have had in the past.
This all can get you down but remember that although we despise our symptoms there are lots of things we can do to manage and even eliminate these strange and frequent sensations.
Don’t sit in fearful anticipation, instead learn all you can and be proactive about your recovery. It will take time but you can do it.
Update 04/08/12
I wrote this article about 3 years ago when I was still going in and out of anxious states. Now, I don’t have any of these issues.
I’m glad. This stuff you used to get me down and make me believe that I would never improve. But, of course, anxiety has a way of making you think all kind of false ideas.
I’ve learned how to handle my anxiety, to accept it. I mention this just so you know that you can do the same thing as well. I know there might be days when you feel hopeless, angry, confused even. But no matter what anxiety symptoms make you feel, they will never harm you.
I can relate to all of these. I do well when I am able to remind myself: THESE ARE JUST ANXIETY. But sometimes anxiety gets the better of me, to the point where I don’t even believe I have anxiety…I have some fatal condition causing all of this. How can I not believe I have anxiety? It’s right in front of my very eyes! And so: self: this is JUST ANXIETY.
That’s so true Emily. It is just anxiety. You gotta just repeat that to yourself until it’s true.
For me, personally, depersonalization has been so far the worst; you look around, and everything just seems sort of off, unusual, like you’ve never seen it like that before. It makes you question the whole existence of things. It’s truly terrifying, since my main fear is of going crazy. I have to remind myself that this is just a symptom of anxiety, but sometimes the fear itself just won’t accept it. I’ve noticed you don’t have a whole lot information about that particular symptom, an article or a podcast on the topic would be nice. I’ve been visiting your web site for quite some time, you are doing a great job, thanks so much for your help.
Hi Irena, I sure did write about this. This symptom used to drive me crazy, but it’s something you can def get a handle on. Here is the link to the article and podcast: Just paste this URL into your browser https://www.anxietyguru.net/the-anxiety-guru-show-disconnected-ep-7/
I hope it helps.
Paul
Why do anxiety create numbness? Any help Please I’m scared of my left side getting numb it’s on and off
I need help please..
It’s like I KNOW I want these things and this person, I KNOW I love this person because I DONT LOVE ANYONE else and I DON’T WANT TO BE WITH ANYONE ELSE but him but why can’t I FEEL ANYTHING?! It’s like I’m split in half or something! It’s like my wants are completely detached from my feelings towards it.. Is this the DP? How do I go about this? I don’t want to live my life feeling like I don’t want something just because I can’t feel it.. even if I really do want that!! For sure!!
I’m so stressed out about this.. what do I follow? My wants or my feelings? It’s like they’re not in sync.. I feel so broken..
I WANT TO DO THINGS, I want to be with people,I love people, I’m supposed to enjoy things.. BUT EVEN IF I GET WHAT I WANT I STILL CAN’T FEEL ANYTHING.. Which makes me think that I DON’T WANT IT or I DON’T LOVE THEM.. because I don’t feel anything about it or about them.. it’s so crazy I don’t know what to do anymore…Any advice on this?
It’s like out of the blue this happened to me after a health scare. (I freaked out about having hemmorrhoids, I thought it was a cancer or something.. my feelings disappeared right after I calmed down from the freaking out because of the bump. But that’s not the only time I worried immensely about my health. I’ve had quite a few scares even ever since I was a kid.. I’m always so paranoid about my health.. I don’t like it when I feel like something’s wrong with me)
I remember tweeting last Jan 22 “This is the best day ever! Thanks babe! I love you so much!” And then the feeling just “MAGICALLY” disappeared EXACTLY a week after Jan 29 is when I noticed I don’t feel anything or I don’t feel the same anymore… Help! How do I become myself again? Does anyone else feel this way?!
Is this still a part of depersonalization?
Is this simply falling out of love ? But I know myself well enough to know that I won’t stay with a person and deal with this if I don’t love him! I’m the kind of person who is VERY intact with my feelings which is why I’m going crazy and scared now that I can’t feel the things that I used to. What’s happening to me? I want to fix this already! I want things to go back to the way it was before… I want to feel LOVE for him and that’s all I want in the world right now. You can take everything away from me just not my feelings for him because I know I love him… why does this have to happen? I’m so scared. I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want to feel like I’m falling out of love with him because he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me and I will never find anyone like him I can’t let him slip through my fingers right in front of me…
Please help me. I’m desperate..
I even cry and laugh and respond like I have feelings but I honestly can’t feel them! If I’m sad, I don’t know why but I just know I’m sad but I can’t feel it. It’s like I know my feelings in my head and I know how to respond but in my chest..it’s empty.
I wish someone can help me…
It’s been 8 months..
Is being this way even NORMAL for DP sufferers?
Been dealing with anxiety symptoms since early 2010.. never had any problems before but shortly after my grandma was killed in a car accident in Dec ’09, I started having problems. I started having issues with a racing heart beat, chest tightness, just generally feeling like I needed to get out of where I was (usually in the car, whether I was driving or not, my car or not). It eventually got to where I’d have the occasional feeling of my heart skipping a beat or two but I would still be very tense and have a tight chest in the car and couldn’t wait til I got where I was going so I could get the hell out! Been to doctors and told them about but nothing has been found to be wrong with me. So I’ve had to accept that it’s anxiety possibly brought on by the stress of losing my grandmother (who I was very close to). It really all but went away for quite a while (maybe 6months or more) but all of a sudden yesterday on my way home from work, it struck again. Just an intense feeling of needing to be out of my car. My heart pretty much behaved itself but my chest got tight, I was very tense and fidgety and felt generally panicked and I don’t know why. It just hits out of nowhere. I try to calm myself with deep breathing or distract myself with music I like, but it doesn’t help much. I also do sometimes get a slight numb feeling (usually left side) in my arm/leg.. kind of tingly/numb sort of feeling but I don’t actually get numb if that makes any sense… it just sucks. It keeps me from wanting to go on long trips because I never know when it’s going to strike. Sometimes it happens when I’m in crowded places as well, I feel trapped I guess. I wish I could rewind back to a couple years ago before I was affected by this…
i feel every moment of the day like my heart is gonna stop on me i am only 23 yrs old and i have 2 wonderful girls this is what i go through everyday 1. Palpitations
2. Depersonalization
3. Urgency
4. Muscle twitching, Numbness
5. Dizziness
6. Head ache, stabbing pains in head or scalp.
7. Easily startled
8. Chest pain
9. Fear of losing control
and sometimes i feel like i cant eat because i think i will start choking i went to the doctors i did an ekg and i came out normal but i am doing my blood test tomorrow for my kidney/liver making sure everything is good which i know it is but this anxiety is to much and i had it only for a few months know
Please help! I’m having chest pains and small and sharp pains on and off here and there like in my sides or close to my heart or in my lower back. I’ve had anxiety before for 7 months and I got better. But a few months ago I got an abcess and it burst in my mouth and brought back my anxiety but not so bad like before now I have lil problems trying to sleep at night and pains here and there on and off and having fear I might go crazy or die
How true this is, dizziness and chest pain were my greatest enemies but definitely had the rest present from time to time, the many faces of anxiety one symptoms disappears and BOOm another one appears, check out a professional athletes journey through GAD and panic https://www.anxietykey.com thank you again definitely will share.
This website is brilliant! 2 years ago I started having all these symptoms! I genuinely thought I was dying, thought I had MS, ALS was going to have a heart attack. I have 2 sons that I love to bits, a really lovely boyfriend. All this came out of nowhere! Anyway the the first year was horrific, had a nervous breakdown, couldn’t function! Felt like such a terrible Mum, which then made everything worse. I think the muscle twitches were the worst for me, and the rapid resting heartbeat that felt like my whole body was throbbing. Anyway good news is I am feeling loads better,feel like myself, however I still get the muscle twitches but they are less frequent and I have learned to sort of like them. I think acceptance is the best way to start feeling better. The best advice I had from a doctor (after a lot of trips to the doctors) was to “Just be an anxious person, and learn to like yourself again, and try and put it to good use!” At the time I thought ” What odd advice, not helpful” but he kind of put me in my place. I started to try and physically make myself smile and kept working through all the bad thoughts. I think I’ve cracked it. Time is quite a good healer, because if you’ve had 30+ nearly heart attacks then you do learn to trust the doctor and blame it on anxiety. I still have the odd wobble but I just don’t want to waste more of my time on worrying. Easier said than done I know. But you can do it!!! Took me a good year to feel like I was back in the room. Taking the mick out of yourself and your worries helps too xxx
I tend to get muscle tension out of nowhere and shortness of breath. Had all tests run on me, ct scans, you name it, blood work. Found nothing! Just anxiety which is just as scary. It’s the physical symptoms that scare me. Started working out again. It helps a lot! I ask myself will I ever get over this because I don’t want to feel like this. They call it general anxiety disorder.
I’ve been jumpy lately, like within the last several months. I’m noticing that I get startled easily. Something as simple as the bubbling of the humidifier when more water moves from the tank into the system makes me jump sometimes. It’s frustrating, because then my heart gets going, which isn’t relaxing at all.
Hello. I have anxiety and all of them . But the worst for me is the adrenaline rush . Like my heart thinking im running no stop. And my heart goes 180+ bpm and its so scary how the same time vlood pressure is 190 other number i dont remember and everytime i think im going to die and i cant deal with it . Im so tired i just stand up my heart goes 130 bpm . I sneeze my heart goes 160 for sec .. i just feel i wanna rnf my life im so tired so weak