How bad is your actual ANXIETY?

[Zarrix]

I noticed, reading some of the posts that a lot of people don't suffer a great deal of anxiety (although most exprerience it just a little bit). Is it an integral part of SA? I don't suffer from severe anxiety at all, mainly muscle stiffness, blushing, avoidance behaviour and on a rare occasion, a faster heart rate/ loud beating of the heart and very rarely a headache or mild sickness. However I still feel that I cannot interact with people because of a worry of judgements, like an instinctive action has been programmed into my brain to avoid it.

I mainly have problems face to face, over the phone, and on the internet, I have fewer problems, although quite often I won't be the one to make the first move, as they say =(.

 

[Psychedelicious]

I have noticed a lot of physical effects from my anxiety. I Get headaches usually about 3 sometimes 4 times a week. My heart beat always seems to be going pretty fast, like 105 on average, but maybe that's just my heart. I'm also very very very shaking. I experienced these almost everyday. So I would say that I do have actual anxiety.

 

[bletch]

I don't feel anxiety often because i spend most of my time hiding from situations where I'd feel it.

 

[Scrabbl]

I have noticed a lot of physical effects from my anxiety. I Get headaches usually about 3 sometimes 4 times a week. My heart beat always seems to be going pretty fast, like 105 on average, but maybe that's just my heart. I'm also very very very shaking. I experienced these almost everyday. So I would say that I do have actual anxiety.

everyday? wow. What causes your anxiety? Is it the job?

As for myself I'm like bletch. I manage to avoid uncomfortable situations so I don't feel anxiety too often. But when forced to, e.g. talk to someone I don't know too well, my heart rate probably doubles, breathing speeds up, my voice gets shaky and I get stiff neck, blushing, sweating & swallowing.

 

[stardog]

I don't feel anxiety often because i spend most of my time hiding from situations where I'd feel it.

Ditto.

A lot of people here talk about things like panic attacks, and disassociation, which seem like extreme symptoms, that I've never experienced. The physical symptoms are always there for me, but never overwhelming and I can always manage to keep it under control. It's the underlying thoughts/beliefs that are the killer.

 

[Chiaroscuro]

Yeah - I reckon it just varies from person to person. It's like that anxiety/avoidance test thing. Some have more of the avoidance issues and some have more of the physical symptoms.

But I think they are certainly linked. And someone who avoids certain thiings is quite likely to feel more anxious if they eventually end up facing it.

Zarrix-

I donno, I reckon there are quite a few people on this site with severe anxiety. Maybe some of them are less likely even to post so often. I would imagine there are more people who visit this site regularly who don't even join up or post - they just 'lurk' right? Not saying there's anything wrong with that. But there might be more people with more severe symptoms than you think.

 

[Psychedelicious]

everyday? wow. What causes your anxiety? Is it the job?

Yeah everyday, and all these things are very noticable. The job? What do you mean by the job? I don't have a job if that's what you mean. I guess I'm kind of used to this stuff by now, because yeah it makes me physically sick. Especially with the headaches, they really ruin things for me sometimes. [/quote]

 

[4seasons]

Ever since i got my job its gotten better. I have good and bad days, depending on the situations I get into each day. I get headaches from grinding my teeth sometimes. If I'm in a situation where i feel anxiety my heart will beat really fast, I notice it. For an example today I had to get some stuff for a disabled customer and since i work in the front end I don't know where everything is in the store, so my anxiety sky rocketed and I felt really light headed and stressed out. Thats the first time I physically felt my anxiety. It worked out fine though, so i guess thats something that will help me. Facing situations helps it get better.

 

[Leki]

For me anxiety isn't the problem its avoidance. I think i have suppressed any feelngs of anxiety deep inside by just avoiding difficult situations.

It is really hard to get out of this though i feel like i have seperated myself so much its impossible to kind of get back in. I mean i'm not totally devoid of any anxiety symptoms, i go red occasionally but i find the vacant, zombie like feeling i get in situations much more worrying than any anxiety symtoms i might get.

 

[Danfalc]

It is really hard to get out of this though i feel like i have seperated myself so much its impossible to kind of get back in. I mean i'm not totally devoid of any anxiety symptoms, i go red occasionally but i find the vacant, zombie like feeling i get in situations much more worrying than any anxiety symtoms i might get.

Big ditto on that.. can deffo relate.Anyway back to the origanl post... my actual anxiety isnt that bad.. for me feeling just a bit nervous and insecure is f all compared to the physical symptoms i get.I mean if im just anxious when i go up town id be fine... because its somthing i could choose to ignore.I cant igore the fact i find it hard to walk... the anxiety attacks where i feel like im loosing it ect and the fact i cant talk and shake ect ect

Ive got to admitt tho,i get anxiety everyday most days... even if i hide inside away from everything.I think thats general anxity disorder for ya tho,I sit and worry about sitting in and worrying :lol: Nah i just get that frustrated and depressed and worry all the time... its exausting in itself... and often get severe headaches aswell like someone was saying which are braught on by stress.And i just cant function and feel like a zombie like leki is saying. :? I can never switch off or just feel content or relaxed its not nice.

 

[Zarrix]

It is really hard to get out of this though i feel like i have seperated myself so much its impossible to kind of get back in. I mean i'm not totally devoid of any anxiety symptoms, i go red occasionally but i find the vacant, zombie like feeling i get in situations much more worrying than any anxiety symtoms i might get.

Big ditto on that.. can deffo relate.Anyway back to the origanl post... my actual anxiety isnt that bad.. for me feeling just a bit nervous and insecure is f all compared to the physical symptoms i get.I mean if im just anxious when i go up town id be fine... because its somthing i could choose to ignore.I cant igore the fact i find it hard to walk... the anxiety attacks where i feel like im loosing it ect and the fact i cant talk and shake ect ect

Ive got to admitt tho,i get anxiety everyday most days... even if i hide inside away from everything.I think thats general anxity disorder for ya tho,I sit and worry about sitting in and worrying :lol: Nah i just get that frustrated and depressed and worry all the time... its exausting in itself... and often get severe headaches aswell like someone was saying which are braught on by stress.And i just cant function and feel like a zombie like leki is saying. :? I can never switch off or just feel content or relaxed its not nice.

I can never relax. My friend told me to relax my muscles, I simply couldn't do it. Today, I go the real red face and the butterflies in the stomach when I walked past some one at work. I do remember in the past that I got panicky rather easily as well, maybe this was the cause of it. Not so much any more though.

I think the SP has entered my psyche to a certain extent. Well maybe just attatched itself to it. I just don't say anything that could offend or upset people,or say anything which could be exploited, not face to face anyway.

 

[princess_haru]

I get anxious a lot, especially in unfamiliar social situations. Actually, just social situations in general, lol! My heart beats faster, my mouth gets dry, my head aches and sometimes I feel light-headed. I used to blush a lot but thankfully I don't think I do as much now. I also get hot and sweaty, but I've recently found a really good deodorant so at least that's one less thing to worry about...

The worst thing is the shaking - sometimes I can control the other symptoms but my hands will still shake a little so I have to try to avoid writing or drinking in front of people when I'm like this. Actually, I think the very worst thing is speaking - does anyone else mess their words up when they're nervous? It's like my mouth won't work properly and my words come out all mumbly and jumbled up, I hate it! It's really embarrassing

 

[livingnsilence]

I actually don't mind most of the physical symptoms of anxiety b/c I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I don't even notice my fast heart rate until it goes above about 130 bpm, and my shaking that never stops I've just become used to. I honestly believe the constant shaking, fidgeting, and elevated heart rate are what helps me keep from getting fat. The only symptoms that bother me are the mild nausea a couple times a day, the frequent headaches, and tiredness w/out the ability to sleep well. The physical symptoms of anxiety alone would never get me to avoid things by themselves or ruin my life it's the darn mental anxiety/worrying that gets me.

 

[lonely_world]

My anxiety is so BAD, that i'm very numb inside. I avoid people so much that I am a "hermit", even though I do go out around people, but not with them. Today has been one of those "i'm so lonely I want to jump in a river" kind of days. This "life" seems so unreal at times!

 

[Zarrix]

I think the anxiety inside me is worse than my physical anxiety. Its the 'don't talk to people' mentality that really is bad. However, that being said, the physical anxiety symptoms are a reason for this avoidance.

 

[Stressball]

Until a few months ago, my physical anxiety was so bad, that if someone, anyone said my name, I'd almost always have a sudden panic attack, it was always brief, but it was always awful. Like a bomb would explode in my gut. I'd always fear they were saying it because I did something wrong, like I made a mistake, was in trouble..always bad. Then I had to go on medication. Since then, the anixety has greatly reduced, but its still there. I'm slowly working through it...its so tough, but I have to get through.

 

[Carstuar]

My actual anxiety feels more like shame and discomfort than fear. My heart rate goes up a little bit, but not a lot. I might sweat a bit, but not an unnatural amount. The problem is, I really can't handle that kind of discomfort, so I avoid situations that make me feel that way, and missed out on a lot of opportunities because of it.

 

[Krellian]

My anxiety is real bad. Every time I come out of my house, my heart starts beating real fast, I start sweating and shaking, and I can't get rid of the feeling that everybody around me are watching me, evaluating me. I try to reach the destination as fast as possible, and then return home immediately. But the real nightmare starts when I get into some social situations, like going to a dentist or a hairdresser's. Panic attack is guaranteed.

 

[HideNSeek]

Personally I tend to get a fast/loud heartbeat and sweat a lot in most social situations. I used to blush a lot too, but that's thankfully something that that appears to happen less and less as I've tried to forcefully put my self in more social situations. I've also had the occassional panic attack, although not for over a year now.
Hopefully the sweating thing will go away too so I can focus on getting over the actual fear aspect of the problem without worrying about how sweaty I look or feel when shaking hands etc.