One of the most common symptoms of anxiety disorder is the belief that you’re going crazy.
You have the sense that you are losing your grip on reality and that you are literally on the verge of a mental breakdown. Anxiety disorder can cause a deep seated fear that sooner or later you’re simply going to go mad.
However, despite this overwhelming fear of possible insanity, the fact that you fear it, and are aware of insanity as a state of being, is precisely why you’re not crazy.
Crazy means a lot things to a lot of people, however, for the sake of clarity let’s say that for our purposes crazy means a mixture of insanity and psychosis . Let’s look at insanity first and how it is normally defined. In the United States, insanity is no longer a medical term and, in fact, is mainly used in legal definitions.
You have heard people say that someone is “legally insane” generally meaning that they cannot comprehend the meaning of “right” and “wrong”. They simply don’t understand what it means to do something horrible, like killing another human being, for example.
Under this definition of crazy or insane would you qualify as such a person? If you have an anxiety disorder the answer is no. You have your mental faculties in order, and you know exactly what right and wrong mean. You know the social norms of society and you follow them.
In other words, you don’t walk around with your underwear on your head because you know that society views this as unacceptable behavior. The second and highest level of so called crazy is a mental state of delusion and abstraction known as psychosis.
Psychosis is associated with conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. These conditions fall under the psychotic types of mental illness. These conditions are debilitating brain disorders that can seriously hinder ones life.
When someone is psychotic they may hear voices or have hallucinations. In addition they might have a serious paranoia and a feeling that everyone is out to get them.
When someone is deemed psychotic they exhibit disorganized thinking and strange behaviors of various kind. Their very perception of reality is not what you would call “normal.”
It is seriously distorted and disconnected from normal definitions of reality. Moreover one of the most critical aspects of psychosis that does not affect anxiety sufferers is a lack of insight.
Having a lack of insight is just another way of saying that you don’t know that you are behaving or acting strangely. As an anxiety sufferer you spend a lot of time thinking you’re crazy or on the verge of crazy but if this were true than you wouldn’t know it. You simply would not be aware of the fact that your thoughts and behavior were strange or “crazy.”
When you have anxiety you are certainly filled with dread and worry. You experience psychosomatic sensations that make you feel terrible and make you think that you might die soon. It’s pretty scary sometimes.
But the bottom line is that your level of mental fitness is not the same as someone that is psychotic or crazy – it’s much better.
You have the ability to make sound decisions, you don’t hear or see things that aren’t there, and you know the difference between real and unreal. Even if you experience feelings of unreality, or dream like states, you are still aware of them as such.
Unfortunately if you were to ask someone tagged as crazy if they were actually crazy, they would probably say something like “crazy, who me?” They just wouldn’t know that they were in mental distress the same way that you would be able to know.
As you can see you just don’t fit the profile of an insane or psychotic person. So the conclusion must be that you are not crazy. When you have anxiety disorder will you have tricks of vision? Yes. Will you have strange sensations and worry all the time?
Yes. But despite this your condition is a completely different tier of mental ailment. You have an anxiety disorder and you will not graduate to a greater and more terrible mental state.
You’re an excessive worrier racked with tremendous amounts of stress, but you are not crazy by any stretch of the imagination.
Hey guys, okay so i have a few questions i’ve never written on any boards or anything before this is my first time , please bear with me. Okay so lately i’ve been totally freaked out because i feel as if I’m becoming psychotic and my biggest fear is that I’m becoming schizophrenic or something, that really bothers me it makes me want to puke and my stomach starts going nuts and everything, the reason i feel this way is because i’ve been in the weirdest mental state for about 4 or 5 months now, because i have what i believe to be called Relationship ocd, one day out of no where i began to think i didn’t love my boyfriend which basically brought me into like a huge depression for a while , i would stress about it, cry about it, because it bothered me feeling as if i didn’t love him, and then i just became numb, so numb that sometimes, most of the time till this day i barely feel as if i can feel feelings of “love” , and i’ve fallen into some sort of mental state where i really don’t feel like my old self in anyway, i feel as if I’m another person, and the fact that i feel that way, scares me and makes me think that I’m like schizo or something, i panic about almost everything that seems strange to me or when random weird thoughts/images come into my mind, i get sooooo scared, and i just feel like I’m going to start hallucinating and all of that stuff, i freaked out today because of after images, when i close my eyes i felt as if i could see what i had previously been looking at, I’m just totally scared, and i sort of feel like i need reassurance that i am not going to become schizo and also I’m a 20 year old female , and i’ve read that this is when the disorder develops so I’m terrified that I’m at like the beginning stage of it. .please i need some help i feel like I’m totally killing myself with worrying so much, and if feeling emotionally numb for a period of time normal? does that mean that I’m losing the ability to feel emotionssss ? whats wrong with me??????
Tiffany. My opinion would be your obsessing over the thought that you don’t love your boyfriend anymore but I reality you want to. See right there shows you that it is all in your head. If you didn’t want to love him you wouldn’t. I think that the fact that it scares you so much to believe that you don’t love him anymore that your scathing yourself into feeling that way. Just calm down live life and the love will start to come back and if it doesn’t it doesn’t. You can’t help how you feel but trust me everything will be fine just quit stressing about it. It’s only gonna make things worse And for the alittle part if only you knew what I’ve been going through I have been freaking myself out searching symptoms online or about 24 hours a day almost to fin out why I feel so depressed like I look at my family and just think nothing matters anymore. But after I calm down I’m like why the hell did I think like that. What helps me is. If you think you are crazy your most likely not. Cause crazy people don’t know there crazy and they deny the fact that they are. I’m 19 years old and read the same thing online about where it starts in your 20s and everything and I almost wanted to jump up and run into a wall I was freakin my self out so bad. I have self diagnosed myself with everything in the book like multiple personality disorder to skitzso to bipolar to OCD. But it all comes down to we are over thinkers. I’m an actor and I’m always thinking I’m always wanting to be out doing something and being around people and if I’m not I sit and think about the negative things in life and sink deeper down into my depression, you have to tell yourself that your ok. And stop worrying. It’s gonna take time but in 5 years from now your gonna look back and be like omg I was so stupid Just go with the flow and relax I hoped this helped you
yea, i understand what your saying, it just really scares me, and like even you saying and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t , like scares me, because i want to feel those feelings more than anything,&& sometimes i do when i feel bit better and I’m like duh i totally love him, and then other times I’m just freaking out about it. . i i guess its just the anxiety and depression that makes me feel emotionless at times, but you definitely helped. . i just hate the thought of going crazy or as if I’m in the midst of becoming psychotic omg, its by far the worst thought everrrr! and i know your mind is very powerful and can make you feel what your thinking. but jeeze!
See though by saying you want to means you do. Just calm down go running swimming or something. What helps me is going out with friends and like going on adventures like lately we’ve been going to these haunted cemeterys and doing some crazy weird stuff haha just go out and see what life has to offer. If you have to jump in your car and drive and blare some good country music or whatever you prefer and sing to the top of your lungs and scream every bad thought that’s on your mind. Sounds kinda stupid but I promise it works ha
This is the best blog i have ever read..seriously. I’m going to put this on my favorites to read everytime i start to think this way. It’s such an amazing feeling to know you are not alone, even though you feel so alone. It’s crazy what the mind can do to you, and once you are aware that it is all in your mind you become even more afraid when you should feel comforted. I’ve had anxiety really bad over the past 6 months, i always thought it was a physical reason for it but now i know it’s just mental. Sad huh. I really hope one day this will all go away and i can live my life like i used to…it would be such a blessing. Thank you for this.
Hey after reading some of your comments i actually have the confidence to write something ! I thought i was going crazy like really crazy, If i get ringing in my ears or any thing i think oh no im going into crazy mode ! I use to smoke cannibas but it wasnt regular just a few months, as all my friends had finished school and we thought we would do it over summer, so one night i had a bad experience which i think was a panic attack and ever since i dwell over the fact that i could go into panic at anytime i stopped smoking the crap instantly and i think all the time now! It really freaks me out, as when i had the panic attack i though it was going to last forever and i thought i wouldnt be able to cope with it, thankfully it didnt but ive been left as an over thinker and its destroying me! I use to be a “Jack the lad” or that really loud immature friend that everyone has i feel that ive lost him i really dont feel the same! But when im at work or going out with friends im completely unaware of thinking, so i do know that its simply when i dwell over thinking, one thing that does freak me out is Am i going to have this forever! One tip to other people with anxiety dont self diagnose yourself especially on the internet i almost had my self convienced that i had a change in personality, but when im with my friends im the same guy! im 18 had this for about 3 or so months chin up people 🙂
Andy, I had the same exact thing happen to me but it was with a drug called spice. I smoked it one time, had an awful panic attack and have had anxiety over the thing since. (5 months) i feel like I am losing my mind. Like I am a different person, going crazy, my vision is blurred, i get headaches, dizzy, all this crap! Deep down I know it is all in my head but I cant stop thinking about it. I wake up feeling sick and just dont even want to deal with the feelings of depression and regret. Also, having the “dreamy” feeling a lot. Any advice anyone?
Zach & Andy I get the same feelings I somoked cannabis that I didint know was laced with inbalming fluid I had the first panic attack of my life that lasted 2 days without letting up & a complete break down & couldn’t leave the house for almost 4 months. This was about 6 years ago I’ve seen about 8 diffrent doctors, did a week stay in a mental hospital & had tons of blood taken & tests done everything came back “normal” & I still struggle with unreal feelings, crazy irrational thoughts, odd vision/hearing changes & unreal fear that the panic wouldnt ever go away & I’ll be stuck in my anxiety parallel universe. I’ve tryed tons of diffrent “anxiety” medicines & nothing worked. I take the “rescue remedy” just 4 drops in a water bottle a few times a day & I almost feel like my old care free self again. I also limited my caffeine intake & go to the gym an hour or 2 everyday it’s almost like now I have anxiety because I don’t have anxiety but I read that’s only because I’ve forgotten how to relax & enjoy being calm its so foreign to me but I’m getting better every day I hope this helps you guys.
ok question… dont really know where to start, but i have vision changes and anxiety is on my mind almost all day… i feel like i have a HORRIBLE memory and cant remember my day. i feel like foods trigger my anxiety and i stay away from them… is that normal? should i eat them and not let my anxiety controll me? when i relize that i havent been thinking about my anxiety it makes my heart to start to race and brings my anxiety out is that normal? shoud i feel happy that i wasnt thinking about it?
James,
I’m a 27 year old male who’s been dealing with an anxiety disorder for a little over a year now. And, in this past year I have encountered every single trait/experience that you mentioned. The problem with having an anxiety disorder is the fact that it builds off itself; you think about anxiety because you have anxiety, and you have anxiety because you think about anxiety, it’s an unbroken loop that is very difficult to get the mind out of. Like you, I noticed that eating triggers my anxiety, I’ve never quite understood why but I want you to know that you’re not alone there. Obviously, you shouldn’t stay away from eating, perhaps just make sure you’re eating in an environment that your comfortable in, such as your home, as opposed to a chaotic, busy restaurant. And, like you, my mind was very foggy, and my memory was garbage. From what I’ve experienced, heard, and read these traits are not uncommon. To everyone else, what brought me onto this blog today is that I had one of my worst episodes to date earlier today(I’m pretty sure the winter months causes my anxiety to pique), and came looking for answers and comfort. Just reading the article and everyone’s posts I have found a little of both. I have an appointment to see my doctor in a few days, and think it’s finally time to attempt medication. I’d just like to thank everyone for their positive messages, just knowing that their are others out there going through the same thing I’m going through makes the battle a little more bearable.
Okay so I didn’t think that I had an anxiety problem, and kind of refused to believe it for awhile. I’ve always been anxious about things, my entire life, but never thought It’d develop into a disorder… I’m a 19, almost 20 year old girl.
For about half a year now, a lot of strange things have been going on with my health and I didn’t know what was causing it, the doctors ran every test available and didn’t find anything, and I’ve been going to doctors ever since March and getting no answers… I think that since I didn’t know what was wrong and the symptoms were so weird, I convinced myself that I was going to die. And started trying to accept death, thinking about people that I know who’ve died, etc. And I thought I was fine for awhile, but now I think there’s a problem.
Over Christmas, I was really sad, I didn’t want anything materialistic. I felt guilty and had the mindset “I’m gonna die anyway, why are you giving me these things, there are things more important than materials.” And I was EXTREMELY tired, and had pressure in my head, so I related it to sinus problems. Then I looked up sinus problems on the internet and read somewhere that you can die from a sinus infection and started freaking out and crying both because I was scared and that I didn’t know what was wrong with me and couldn’t CONTROL it. I was frustrated.
And ever since then, I’ve been freaking out over nothing. Getting really scared, just wondering… “what is life?” I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore. I’m so confused, I feel detatched from reality… do I have an anxiety disorder?
I’m on lexapro right now, I started a few days ago… I’m hoping it’ll help me… 🙁
Oh My God The best Thing I Done Was Go On To This Site I Feel Like Im Actually Gettin Sumwer 🙂
Jared That Comment Was Amazing Made Me Think What Am Atually Doing… Excuse My Spellin Im Really Bad … But Anyhow… Wooow Like As U Sed Thinking Ur Going Crazy Is Really Perfectly Normal … People Who Is Actually Crazy An Suffers From An Ofal Lot Denoy That They Are Crazy ….. I Feel Like I Had Every Symtom U Had An Im So Delighted To See Sum1 With The Exact Same Feeling .. Because Everyone Is Induval… Everyone Smile Turn That Sad Face Upside Down .. 🙂 An Tiff Just To Let U No Im With My Partner A While Now Tought Maby Its Becoz Im Dont Love Him Maby Its Because Im Only Nineteen To Young For This Shit… But Yet I Really Love Him An Hes Always Hear … Sometimes I Get The Feeling Where Mabye It Is But Other Times Glad To Have Him An Cudnt Live Witout Him Its All To Do Wit Panic An Worrie .. I Know Its Bad People But When I Feel Down I Always Sey Think Of Them Poor Little Sweet Hearts That Are Battleing Cancer Or Lost Their Parents Or Maby Even Hours To Live I Know Its A Pain In The*** Butt… We Really Do Have It Easy We Just Have To Learn To Control Them Horrible Toughts….Its Not Easy But Never Be Alone Go Out To Mate
LAUGH HAVE FUN, DO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY ..Talk To A Friend,partner mum dad Anybody Just Just reach Out Grab It An Sey Fuck Of An Leave Me Alone .. Excuse My Lanuage Peeps But Im Sure Sumtimes Thats All You Wana Scream … I Have It All An So Does Millions Of Others Where Not Alone… Yap Yap Yap Ellen Relax Haha Got To Go Folks Head Up Smile Laugh 🙂 Peace Love Yas All … Oh By The Way Im 19 From Dublin An Am Normal 🙂 Hehehe <3 xxxxxx
Have had anxiety all my life and in the last couple months it has become almost unmanageable. Yesterday I went to the hospital, everything was normal. Today I was working out and had a brief short pain that was later determined to be just muscle or nerve symptom and called an
Ambulance. I was at my school gym, the emt’s arrived took my
Vitals gave me an EKG again nothing. Im so wound up and embarrassed. The only time I feel peace is when Im asleep. I have a doctors appt to get more tests done to rule out any physical abnormalities and discuss a long term medication most likely SSRI. And of course Im
Worried:( I hate feeling like this it’s awful. I would wish panic and anxiety on my worst enemy. Truly.
Hi Everyone,
I am a 20 year old female in university. I have been suffering from anxiety for almost a year now, and my fear is slowly leading me to think I am becoming schizophrenic. I read about it one day, and immediately since then think I have it. It is to the point where I am afraid to even think in my head because I’m afraid any voice in my head is being schizophrenic.
I have also developed static/snowy vision, which doctors cannot find a cause for. And I always think that this is a hallucination.. I feel like I am going crazy.
Please Help!!!
hgjg
Hey guys so i have been reading everyons comments and they are really helping me,see im a 28 year old girl i had my first panic attack 7 years ago at my grandmothers funeral,after 5 months of suffering i decided to go on medication,so the doctor put me on 10mg,well 2 weeks ago a smoked some weed and it came back all these years later,i was going through hell for the past 2 weeks so they put me on 30mg of paxil and im getting better but i am still having weird thoughts,like if i eat something im gonna have a allergic reaction to eat,if i go out with a bunch of friends and will have an attack,terrified that my parents are gonna pass on and these thoughts are consumming me can anyone relate to these feelings
This site has been so much help through
My recent battle with anxiety. One thing that I still have trouble dealing with is nightmares. I have them almost every night and I wake up in a panicked state which becomes very disheartening as a 17 year old waking up for school everyday already experiencing anxiety. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to help stop these nightmares. I’ve been practicing breathing exercises which seem to help me relax before
Sleep but the nightmares still happen 90% of nights.
This website and everyone else has definitely helped me put things into perspective. Mental disorders like depression and anxiety run in my family, especially in the women on my mom’s side. I have always had symptoms of depression but I always denied it because I was scared. Last summer I was getting ready to become a freshman in college and be about four and a half hours away. I was very paranoid, anxious, nervous, but I thought it was normal since I am very big on my family and have never been gone from home by myself in this big world. Of course I was homesick and I did decide to take 18 credit hours but again, didn’t think nothing of it. In classes I started to feel nauseous, stressed, anxious, like I was going to pass out. I would feel my heart racing all the time. I went to the school doctor and he said I had anxiety and that I should talk to a counselor but I never did, I thought he was crazy! I continued having these experiences and thought I was gonna die or something. One night, I decided I smoke what I thought was marijuana with my friends. I’ve smoked it once before and I have also smoked K2 before once and I was completely fine, just like you’re supposed to feel. Well this was K2 but a different version. I went to my friends form and ate Oreos on his floor. I felt happy, a little tweaked out but other than that all good! That’s when I got to my room, my heart was beating like no other. I ended up falling asleep hoping it would stop like it would before but when I woke up the next morning, it was still beating faster than ever. I tried taking a shower and eating to calm myself down but that didn’t help. I seriously thought I was dying so my roommate called 912 and I went to the ER. They said I was PERFECTLY healthy for an 18 year old girl, they said everything came back awesome and my heart was fine and everything else was just great. The doctor told me it was anxiety and prescribed me Xanax. I can only take it though when I have bad attacks, but not everyday because Xanax puts my body to sleep to the point where I can sleep up to 20 hours a day and being in college, that’s not good! I always felt a pain in my heart and sometimes I would think I’d feel it skip a best and that would lead to my anxiety going up. I have been able to control my physical symptoms more and more than what I’ve done before but I ALWAYS feel like talking to myself in my head and it’s ALWAYS on the right side of my head, too. It’s weird. I have family who work in the medical field and tell me I’m fine but I have a constant fear of dying. It makes me so sick and so scared. Everyone tells me I’m alright but what if the hospital missed something? What if they’re lying to me and I’m really dying.? It’s a constant process going on in my head and it makes me so pissed because I used to be happy and carefree and now I can’t go a day without thinking I’m gonna die. It’s a horrible feeling.
Hey again I have been having a productive life so far. But last night was the worst I have ever had it. I was driving down the road then I got this surge over my body then I thought about life and how we’re all just gonna die anyway then I was like what if I committed suicide and I got really scared just by thinking that. And then like 5 minutes later I was perfectly fine I just wanted to make sure in not going crazy an it was just anxiety I would never in a million years do that but I think just the thought of doing it scared the hell out of me. And how do you get it off your mind? I feel like if I wasn’t thinking about it. I would be fine when I’m out with my friends and have fun plans I’m fine but when I’m by myself I’m like omg here it comes that feeling again and my stomach drops and it’s horrible. I always ask why me I just need someone to comfort me and I will snap out of it. Thanks guys
Hi Ana,let me tell you that a huge part of anxiety is negitive and fearful thoughts,if we didnt have those we wouldnt have anxiety issues,i totaly understand what you are talking about,i was on paxil or 7 years at 10mg it was god sent then just 3 weeks ago stop working so the doc put me up to 30mg,im starting to feel better but im still having them im hoping they will work as good as they did the past 7 years,im not teeling you to go on meds thats a personal decision but it was the most amazing thing for me,50 percent of my friends are on some kind of antianxiety it is very common and you are not alone.just last weekend i had to miss my best friends 30th birthday from this shit,well another friend is turning 30 this sat and im gonna say screw you to my attacks and im going to have some drinks and fun like i always have,you should to hun,i know easier said then done mabey you should go talk to your family doc,let me know how things go
Hi!
Yep, I get similar feelings as everyone. But doesn’t it make you wonder – what is the cause of it??? Why do we have similar thoughts when we have anxiety? Why is that? Surely if we could deal with the main cause (what ever that is) we could get rid of it.
I’m a lot better now, but I still have to think about it and I know deep down its probably not solved because I have to think about it.
My psychologist suggested to go on meds, but as meditation helps me, I really don’t want to go on any. Do all of you take meds or try to deal with it in different ways? Sometimes I get angry with myself for having the anxious thoughts, but I cant help it. Thanks for your answers 🙂
I have been feeling massive stress and anxiety lately. Hadn’t had an anxiety attack in awhile, but lately I have this huge ball of stress in my stomach and can’t get rid of it and finally last night I had an anxiety attack in front of my boyfriend and I just started crying. I felt like my mind was about to snap and I was trying to hold onto reality.
I was thinking of getting some St. John’s Wort…has anyone tried it? I really don’t want to go on meds or anything unnatural…but I need something because I feel I am ruining my relationship by being so emotional.
Everyone seems to say to just stop overthinking things…but it’s nearly impossible to do it seems. I feel like the things I am going through and have gone through would be stressful to most, but it all just seems to build up and become unbearable almost.
I was also thinking of maybe trying hot yoga but it is just so expensive. I really hope St. John’s wort helps…but it’s crazy I even stress about that and get anxiety over possible side effects. lol
See though by saying you want to means you do. Just calm down go running swimming or something. What helps me is going out with friends and like going on adventures like lately we’ve been going to these haunted cemeterys and doing some crazy weird stuff haha just go out and see what life has to offer. If you have to jump in your car and drive and blare some good country music or whatever you prefer and sing to the top of your lungs and scream every bad thought that’s on your mind. Sounds kinda stupid but I promise it works ha
A few weeks ago I had my very first panic attack woke up freaking out one morning got so bad I went to the ER they gave me some valum and sent me home said I was having either a panic attack or anxity attack . I have never had one before till that day . But now three weeks after the attack I keep freaking out that I am going crazy feel on the verge of having another one mind just races all day thinking crazy thoughs it has turned me into a hypercontract I am always thinking I am sick and its serious and I think it so much I have caused my self to get sick with head colds and stomach problems someone help me I have never though like this I am an out going happy person but now I sit at home on the couch all day waching tv and cry over everything .PLEASE HELP ME
Hana. Do not worry those are all sign of anxiety. Its just your fear that’s making you think this way.
Hey guys. Firstly I’d like to say hearing from you all has helped a great deal because it assures me I’m not alone.
The thing with me is, like most of you, for the last few months ive racked my brain pretty much all day, every day battling the notion that something just isn’t right in my mind and I’m going to eventually lose it. My dr prescribed me Prozac and Ativan, the Prozac doesn’t really seem to be helping but the Ativan does do the trick during those really bad moments.
The weird thing is that I could almost pinpoint when I began thinking this way, it was this past November and a question arose in my mind. ” what are you going to think about for the rest of your life”… That pretty much got the ball rolling on overanalyzing my thoughts, which led to depression, and got me where I’m at now with anxious thoughts consuming me pretty much all day.
On top of it my Father passed away last month , and in a strange way I felt the best mentally in the couple of weeks following my fathers death because I had something to think about other than this mess. That’s aggravating in itself because it proves that it’s all in my head but I’m still powerless over it (adding to the notion that im going crazy)
I desperately want to be that happy, carefree guy my wife married a couple of years back once again but everything is telling me that I’m doomed at this point. I have a psych evaluation tomorrow and my first therapy session next week. I’m trying like hell, good luck to you all.
Peace and love.
i hear yall im 15 ive hade for about 2 years itn sucks i cantb hear or enything good enymore i mumble alo t but got all the symtoms and its just getys worse i got deprission with all the time dont eat right and dont really ever feel good.
Jared you sound exactly like me, its a little bit eerie. I moved to college and i was a bit depressed off and on the first year but shook it off for the most part. this year however, just around october 2011 my anxiety hit me full blown and i am constantly worrying off and on everyday about going crazy. anything in my daily life can spark those thoughts in my head again. and i am also 19. i just want my friggin life back, i swear i know EXACTLY how you feel, and ive been going through this non stop for about 4 months now. i would be really happy if you emailed me because im sure you and me both know that talking to somebody with similar experiences is one of the best things for these problems. my email is g.siggs@sbcglobal.net i hope you feel better man!
Hey guys, I just bumped into this article as I started getting anxiety attacks last year at about this time. But last night was probably one of the worst attacks I’ve had in a long time. I actually felt like there was nothing stopping from being one a horrible, horrible person who would do something like hold someone at gun point or just take their life without thinking it. I’m still scared out my mind at the moment like I might lose control and go insane at any time. It’s a bit gut wrenching me typing this comment, as I feel like I’m the only person who felt like that level of control was lost, but I really know that I’m not a monster, and I know what’s right or wrong.
I just get so scared that, what if, I’m not what I think I am…
Ah jesus, I really need help don’t I..?
Hi everyone!
I believe I have anxiety but don’t feel like going to my gp to have it diagnosed,
Anyway just wondering if any of you have thought of trying the linden method?
Look it up on google of you haven’t heard of it!
It does look amazing and I think I may purchase it!
It has a 100% money back guarantee and they say it will cure your problems if you stuck to the method!!
Just thought I’d tell you all to read about it as it has such food reviews and may help you all :)!!!
Sam, you’re not a monster and you haven’t lost control. Even the mildest thoughts that cross our minds during anxiety/panic events are a bit out of whack, aren’t they? After all, we’re basically afraid of… well, not a damn thing! So, remember that you’re starting from a mindset that’s not conducive to appropriately dealing with very normal stimuli. Howver, this does not mean you’re crazy or about to lose control. As you said, you continued to understand that the things you were thinking about weren’t right. You never actually did lose control. We can all sympathize with how scary these thoughts can be, but remember that for you they are an abberation and that they happen only during moments of extreme stress. Lower the stress, deal with the stress better, through whatever means you find most effective, and you won’t be plagued by these thoughts to such a degree.
First I would say that everyone should get professional help if they can. Anxiety, derealisation, depersonalization, and depression, OCD..these things happen and the pro’s know about it and can help.
I read these comments and it has helped me to again know others have experienced what i have, so thanks. I’ve had so many of the symptoms a lot of you have had. The worst is when you question yourself and ask how do I know that they are right telling me I’m not crazy..or even how do I know I know..yada. The thing is, you know, otherwise you would be crazy. YOU KNOW.
knowing your mind is ok, it will help you rationally keep yourself calm. My problem has always come and gone, but it got really bad when I took some e a long time ago. That put me in a really bad place for years, though it was much worse in the beginning. Now im very close to being back tonormal, if not normal.
The point here anyway is that as bad as it was, at the beginning it was horrible for a while with me, it can always get better, and if you keep trying and stay positive it will. Its kind of a self fulfilling loop once you push you mind into accepting it. Now you still may have a physical chemical imbalance that also can get better, but as far as the going crazy part..well your not. Accept that with no exceptions and it will help you tremendously. If you want to talk email me and I’d be glad to try and help sdquest@yahoo.com.
Hello. Lately I have been feeling so anxious. I have been feeling like something bad is going to happen and I am waiting for it to happen. I feel like I am being warned but without any additional information I just feel like I am “running off in all directions”. I have these moments when I just want to run far and fast and hide somewhere… Outwardly I am my old calm, cool and collected self, but at my core I am a fearing, worried, anxiety ridden mess. Although I deny these feelings, outwardly, they make themselves perfectly apparent in my actions. I eat too much, spend too much, have crazy energy and if I have a drink or try to let down a little bit it almost feels like I am in pain from the fear. It is hard to live this way. Any help or advice is much appreciated. Thank you.
I started having anxiety in my later 20s (early 30s now). I had tried cocaine for the first time, my heart was going crazy.. I freaked out went to the ER. They gave me a Ativan drip and some fluids. Ever since that “feeling” I had that convinced me to get to the hospital that day has stuck with me. Ive had 1 or 2 massive panic attacks over the years but usually daily anxiety. My Doctor said out right “You have raging anxiety kido..youre looking for the diseases but theyre just not there.” All of my tests come back normal but I still have that “weird” feeling usually, but I’m getting better.
My wife helps me quite abit by just being there. I’ve also reconciled (somewhat) my fears of dying by reading the bible (Psalm 23)
I’m not trying to convert anyone – I’m just saying what has helped me. I’m not on any meds but i’m considering a supplement called Inositol.
Take care folks
Hey everyone ! Its Tiffany again , okay so I figured I’d write here again just to like update how I’ve been.. My anxiety/rocd and stuff has gotten soo much better , as in I don’t cry all the time or have severe attacks all the time , and I don’t worry as much as I did … But something that still seems to bother me is the weird thoughts, I get these reallly weird thoughts that even I question , like “why in the world would I think that” its scary and it makes me think I’m going crazy, and like during the time that my menstrual cycle is near , I get like depersonalization I think that’s what it is , like I don’t feel myself , I sort of feel out of my body and like a totallly different person , its sooo scary and it freaks me out and makes me wonder whether I’m losing it or not , someone please help I feel crazyyyy 🙁 email me tiffceline23@yahoo.com if anyone wants to talk 🙂
Left you an e-mail,Tiffany. 😉
Thank you so much, everybody who has shared their stories…. This has helped me so much.
I’ve been worried, because mental illness runs in my family. My brother actually might be schizophrenic, he’s paranoid, and we (my sister and I) were all terrified of him when we were younger- sometimes we still are, but then we were sure he was going to kill us. I remember reading Ender’s Game when I was ten and feeling like Peter was my brother, that’s how it seemed to us, we could communicate without words when we had to just because sometimes we had to. My parents finally got wise to what he was doing just after that and started cracking down hard on the violence, so that was better. It’s interesting, though, that’s not when my anxiety started, I didn’t feel anxious at least. I still had something to do, see, it was an external threat, so I could do something about it and so I wasn’t scared.
Anyway, like I was saying, I’ve been really worried at times. I mean, you try to calm yourself down, tell yourself to calm down, but what if you ARE crazy? What then? And of course it doesn’t help if you’re slightly above average intelligence and high estrogen and a rarish
, sensitive personality type (I’m INFP). Also I started having that “dreamy” feeling when I was in fourth grade and it just never stopped. The anxiety didn’t really hit me till I was thirteen, though. Since then I’ve been scared all the time and often in pain too, I’ve learned to ignore it. I’m rarely ever happy- when I am, it’s with the kind of guilty sense that I’m going to have to pay for it later. Nothing is free.
I remember one monday morning at school last year, this girl was telling me about a party she’d been to the previous night. I remember thinking how funny it was, the previous night I’d been trying to protect my sister and 6-yr-old brother from the paranoid one as he threatened us all with a knife and afterwards had a panic attack.
I feel tired all the time. I’ve thought seriously about suicide, but decided it’s too selfish, I can’t bear to put anyone through the loss of a loved one, especially through suicide. I’ve gone from agnostic to existentialist to nihilist. I blame myself for feeling this way when I have no enemies, my parents are still together, everybody loves me and tries to help me. So I don’t tell anybody when I’m terrified for no reason or desperately wishing I could just die or lonely, I get SO lonely (I’ve always been lonely tho- that has nothing to do with anxiety). In fact, I’m scolding myself right now for writing this like I’m the victim, when I’m really the perpetrator. Everybody else is trying to help. I just never got my act together. And that’s not their fault, it’s MINE.
My dad knows I was having some trouble a couple years ago, although he thinks it’s mostly over now. He thinks it was just the onset of puberty, new hormones, high esteogen (as I mentioned earlier), etc. Maybe he’s right. He probably is, it’s probably nothing. It’s NOTHING! it’s nothing, it’s just my complaining. Please don’t read this, it’s just a STUPID UGLY girl POINTLESSLY complaining.
I console myself with the thought that after I graduate from high school I can move away and let everybody forget about me. Then I can (will) drink myself to death before I’m thirty, and nobody will hurt much over it.
If you actually read all that, you’re incredible. Here’s a cybercookie. ;P
Anybody who’s lonely or… or ANYTHING, you can email me at starlesskat@gmail.com
Awesome article! Helped an awful lot with how I am feeling recently!
Thank you!
Please guys I need help.
I would like to know if anyone has ever suffered from bizarre fears/thoughts associated with anxiety. For instance, I am constantly worried about turning into a fly. I know that this is irrational, however, does this mean I am going crazy?
No, I do not take legal prescription medications nor take drugs.
I have been under tremendous stress lately and have also had various bouts of panic because of this.
Any help would really be appreciated.
hi! I’ve red all your comments and seriously, I’m in the same state of mind like you guys. You see, I’m 18 years old and it’s really troublesome for me. well, I admit it, I’m a negative thinker but I want to get rid of it. and these weeks, I’ve been suffering in a state that It’s like I’m getting out of reality, it feels like everything that is happening is just a dream and it’s as if my mind is sleeping?? what worse is, it happens also even if I’m with my friends.. I keep on saying my self “hang on, hang on… this is reality, reality” still I do feel that dreamy feeling .. and sometimes it seems like I keep on talking and talking inside my mind like there are a lot of thoughts clinging on my mind.. please help me.. 🙁
btw, I don’t have siblings and I’m always alone at home but I manage my boredom by watching movies (anime) .. and yea, I have hypertension ..
hi! I’ve red all your comments and seriously, I’m in the same state of mind like you guys. You see, I’m 18 years old and it’s really troublesome for me. well, I admit it, I’m a negative thinker but I want to get rid of it. and these weeks, I’ve been suffering in a state that It’s like I’m getting out of reality, it feels like everything that is happening is just a dream and it’s as if my mind is sleeping?? what worse is, it happens also even if I’m with my friends.. I keep on saying my self “hang on, hang on… this is reality, reality” still I do feel that dreamy feeling .. and sometimes it seems like I keep on talking and talking inside my mind like there are a lot of thoughts clinging on my mind.. what should I do
btw, I don’t have siblings and I’m always alone at home but I manage my boredom by watching movies (anime) .. and yea, I have hypertension ..
Reading a lot of these comments made me feel so much better. I go to a university and for the past 6 months ive had really really bad anxiety. Many times I will go in such a state and think “what if I’m turning schizophrenic?”. and it freaks me out! I have other thoughts as well but im even to afraid to say them because they scare me so bad!What Should I do? I recently just turned 21 a week ago.
Zel…your ok. Even though you may be asking yourself is this reality..you know it is. Interact more with people and don’t obsese on the feeling of unreality..its just a feeling…engage with people and the feeling probably will go away.
Hey, reading this blog makes me feel 100% better. I have been suffering from anxiety for the past 2 months and it is awful. It started when I heard alot of deatch accidents and it made me wonder what if I die? and booom, it crippled form there on…
I have been under alot of stress from all aspects of life and a week ago , me and my boyfriend went on a break. I thought this was part of the reasons of my anxiety as my realtionship was not working but I still have anxiety and to top it off, I am missing my boyfriend and the routine I had with him. Sort of trying to find my new self again…
I had all the crazy thoughts you mentioned and got past them all but now I have the fear of me losing my mind cause still bizarre/ irrational/ out of nowhere thoughts creep in my head like, what is the purpose of life? look at them, they are all happy? what if this and what if that? what if I cannot read anymore or do nothing….
What I say to myself is that it is all anxiety and I do not care, I tell my anxiety to do what she has to do cause I am not giving up, I see it sort of my friend as deep down I know that I am going to get better. You have to fight it and not let it control you.. it does not mean that we are weak actually, we are very intelligent people.
I am in therpay right now but not on any medications.. I took the healthy way, having Vitmain B supplements and fish oil tablets and doing yoga.. I am trying to eat as much as I can even though sometimes I have no appetite.
I am looking forward to my recovery as I know it is coming, with patience.
Please reply!!!
Hi everyone I am a 32 year old father of four kids triplets and an older daughter. I have bad anxiety and I have bi-polar disorder, except I don’t have the “classic” symptoms of bi-polar I used to be a miserable s o b for no reason at all. I could be great for weeks and go to bed one night and when I woke up I just had this irritation feeling that would start from my chest to my head I was short with my wife and kids and I couldn’t control it and there was absolutely no reason for my miserableness I was on the verge of divorce. And I also have ADD. So I was always zoning my mind always racing. One day about five years ago it hit me I had and anxiety attack from hell but I didn’t know what it was, I thought I was going completely crazy, I thought I was gonna die or not be able to control my self and possibly kill someone and the more I thought about it the more and harder the attack hit. I felt it was never gonna end I had to take a week of off work and it was the week of HELL! I couldn’t functions I had no idea what was wrong I couldn’t eat barely drank anything. I agreed with my wife to go and see a psychiatrist. When I would lay down for bed the anxiety would go away. But as soon as my eyes opened and seen the crack of dawn that same intense worry and confusion came back i felt like it was never going to end. I went to see the doc after about a week of HELL. The anxiety did reside but I was still petrified it was coming back. My doc told me it was anxiety and he said that everything that I had gone through was normal with anxiety. So I went to the psychiatrist that he recommended. I was diagnosed with bi-polar ADD and anxiety. I have no reason for my anxiety well I do i just have to figure it out so i can get a grip on it. I know how everybody is feeling with anxiety and the more people I talk to have the same thing some not so much and some people even friends of mine have it bad which I never would of known until I talked about it. I still have it even though I am on medication. Still trying to get things in order but one thing does help and cuts the edge off is keep you mind focused on one thing distract you mind from those dwelling thoughts. It is extremely hard for me because of my ADD but i’m still learning but i do have anxiety most of the day and ever since I found out what the attack I first had was. I know now how to handle it to the point of functioning a normal life. I do know that none of us are going crazy I have bi-polar and schizophrenia in my family and if you think your schizophrenia your not because you wouldn’t know it. I hope I helped someone but I feel more comforted by reading what everybody writes as well and thank you. Just remember your not the only one out there even though you feel that way. I’m just trying to get to the bottom of my worries and if I get there I will share with all. God bless everyone
Jason
Hello my fellow sufferers! I have had anxiety since as long as I can remember. Over the years I’ve had panic attacks and lived in terror of dying. As a youth “spontaneous combustion” was big! I would freak out all the time that I was going to burst into flames. Yes, it’s hilarious and stupid, but very terrifying!
My current main focuses/fears are heart attack, anaphylactic shock, and deep vein thrombosis. There are times when I don’t really think about them. Those are good days. Then there are weeks/months that they consume my life. It is horrible.
I’ve been through therapy several times. Basically it just reminds me that it’s not real. Sometimes I think therapy actually makes it worse! Now I am focusing on not focusing on the impending episode that will leave me dead.
I tend to stay at home and not do anything out of fear. I don’t eat certain foods out of fear. It is robbing me of my life.
I just want to live.
Feel free to email me.
Candice
haha Oh Candice, I thought the same thing when i was younger! “oh crap, I’m feeling hot, what if I just start feeling hotter and hotter until I catch on fire.” Good to know I wansn’t the only one. Oh an I thought i was having a heart attack when I was 13.
I come to this site from time to time just to remind myself im not alone. But tonight is one of those nights and I’m not quite sure what else to do. I just recently turned 18, and my anxiety was to an extreme this past fall and has gotten better, still exists everyday, but still better. I’m not exactly sure what triggered this and I gave up trying to figure it out. My biggest struggle with anxiety is my thought process. I work myself up into thinking the worst possible sinarios and images in my head and it just creates the most intense anxiety constantly. My biggest fear is going insane and hurting people, I’m constantly worrying that I’m going to hit a state of mind where I loose control and start to go insane killing people. This thought freezes me with fear and I just curl up in my thoughts getting lost in this strange negative feeling. Along with my thoughts i struggle with feeling alive, it’s strange because it sounds almost funny when you say it over and over and no one can relate. I can’t even explain the feelings, your just so cloudy and lost in your mind you question reality and your own existence. Ugh, I hate anxiety with a burning passion it has taken my teenage years from me because I let it. I refuse to go on medication because I believe it will do more harm than help. I’m hoping I can learn from others and myself how to live like this. Someday we will all be at peace with ourselves and we will wake up alive and well. This too shall pass.
Sarah, just know your ok. And a lot of people have felt the same way. Go see a proffesional. They can help. The sypmptoms are common and they can help. Your also not going to hurt anyone.
Sara im going through the exact same thing! I got my first panic attack when I was 18, I just turned 21 this month. I also currently go to UNC, a university in colorado. I used to be so scared to even say it at all but I get thought here and then about maybe hurting someone and killing and it freaks me out so bad.i hate having thoughts like that so stumbling on this site had helped be wise I always feel like im alone on this. I used to be so anxiety free last year, but now im relapsing very hard from it and im not sure why. I start thinking so much about everything from the what it’s to questioning religion, to questioning life. It freaks me out!:[ Im planing on seeing a therapists soon here I just need to do it already.please feel free to contact me and talk, its nice to know others who are going through this….
Great article – before I started to get to grips with it, the fear of going mad was one of the most upsetting symptoms of all(and of course only made the panic attacks worse, as fear of going mad is enough to send the body into fight or flight again).
Jon Ronson has some interesting things to say about that in his book ‘The Psychopath test’ – essentially psychopaths are distinctive by their complete ABSENCE OF ANXIETY – you could never be an anxious person and be a psychopath at the same time. So Sara – I really hope that helps you stop having that awful fear…
If you guys are ever up late and feeling anxious, check out my anxiety blog ohvivresavie.blogspot.com – hopefully there will be something there to cheer you up…
I would really like someone to talk to about all this because I’m currently going through the same symptoms. Hauxwella@yahoo.com
I am extremely happy I have found this website. I just really need to talk to people about what i am going through but i seem so embarrased and they would think i am crazy or something. Well first all the other day i just started thinking like all that crazy stuff and things that cannont be answered like why we live? and how we got here and what is the point if we all die in the end and things like this and it has been bothering me for the past 3 days. Also about 2 weeks ago i had this horrible nightmare i could not wake up from easily at all. like in my dream i was laying in my bed and it felt so real and crazy stuff was happening and then there was someone standing over my bed in my dream and they were like hurting me and i forced myself to wake up and i woke up with my forehead hurting and i had a panic attack that day because i was freaking out about it. I also randomly just think how easily it would be to just kill myself or someone else even though i would never ever do that…it scares the shit out of me and makes me so mad for thinking these things. I try my hardest to get rid of them but it is so darn annoying and i just want all these thoughts to go away so bad, it is affecting my life. i also think i might have intrusive thoughts that is a type of OCD. I think these horrible thoughts about things and those also bother me so bad and i just want them to end and i try everything i can. Also i always lately have this fear of dying and it is really bothering me. like being in a car accident and i get all paranoid. I just want everything to end, i want my normal happy life back and all these thoughts to be gone but it is just so hard. I am a 17 year old girl and also an exchange student at the moment which makes it even worse 🙁 this is long but i just needed to get it off my chest and talk to people that are experiencing the same things..sorry if alot of it doesn’t make sense and is all jumbled up.