Ways to cope with daily anxiety

[Altostrata]

I think that what these lists say is that "anxiety" is a very general term.

[JackieDecides]

for me the basic anxiety symptom is dread - a feeling that something bad is about to happen. and, more generally, a feeling that things are NOT OK. 

 

I have been having it for weeks now. 😔

[Altostrata]

I used to call that "black holes." I had never experienced such a thing before withdrawal.

[JackieDecides]

On 3/2/2019 at 2:07 PM, Altostrata said:

I used to call that "black holes." I had never experienced such a thing before withdrawal.

 

 

thank you for that - it helps enormously to know it's bad and "it's not just me".   

 

 

[Gustl]

What to do with anxiety that goes beyond feelings

 

Much of anxiety coping recommendations, such as Claire Weekes’ (whose advice is so comforting), are about accepting that your body does feel awful and to ‘flow’ with it.  Learn to trust that it is only a bodily sensation and you will in time lose the dread of it.  That has been helpful for some of my anxiety, but I had an actual embarrassing occurrence brought on by anxiety a couple times in my life (many years ago) that have ‘proved’ to me that in some cases, though rare, more can happen to me than just cruddy bodily sensations.  

 

Has anyone else experienced something like this?  Does anything work to help?  I know my fears of this occurrence are largely ‘mental” but I just can shake it.

 

I had been able to ‘forget’ this fear for a number of years while on Paxil, but once my withdrawal symptoms hit my body back in May of this year, and I got back to work in August (I am a teacher-we are back in regular school, not virtual), my WD anxiety whipped my memories back and I fear it every day that I got to work since I am in front of people all the time.

 

Thanks for any thoughts or shared experiences.  

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with existing topic

[Artistic1]

@Gustl Hi. I sympathize with what you are describing. Yes, I've had those thoughts and feelings, too. Particularly what you describe in the last part of your med signature....strong anxiety from the moment of waking up. Depression. And on and on. However, over the past year, that has subsided little by little until it's no longer an issue. There were times when I thought I was going to be in that pit forever, but now I know it's not true. I see an inkling of that realization in your post, so hang on to that.

 

Claire Weekes' book was a comforting book way back when I started this journey. Since then, I've kept reading other sources, all of which help. 

 

Here's what helped me the most:

1. CBT with a good therapist. We used the book, "Mind Over Mood," by Greenberger and Padesky. Available on Amazon. The thought records work wonders.

2. Dr. Amy Johnson on YouTube. She is all about our thoughts and how normal this whole mess can be, and the best ways to deal with it, and her approach is surprisingly easy and effective. She's written a short book titled, "The Little Book of Big Change," but I find her videos are the most helpful. She puts out a new one every Monday on YouTube. Might help to read her book first so you know how the philosophy works. Whenever I'm having a low day, I go and watch one of her videos. Right now, this is my go-to coping tool.

3. Eckhart Tolle videos on YouTube. All about the power of NOW. Lots of stuff on anxiety. He's so easy to listen to, and you can learn a lot. Book = The Power of Now.

4. A paradoxical trick - inviting the anxiety in. Yes, when having an anxiety  meltdown, I invited more of it in. I would lie down, relax, do some deep breathing, and then say to myself, "Bring it on. Let's get as anxious as possible. Let's see what you can do." Believe it or not, I just couldn't make myself get really really bad, and the anxiety started losing its power! it was scary to try this at first, but the more I practiced it, the anxiety just ran out of steam because I had more control. Not the kind of control where you try to get rid of it - that just makes it stronger. Just a control in handling it. Worth a try!

5. A note about trying to "forget" your fear. That doesn't work. It's like saying, "Don't think about pink elephants." Suddenly, that's all that's in your head! You can apply #4 above to this in a different way. Sit quietly for a few minutes, do some deep breathing, get as comfortable as you can. Then let the fear come up. Try to look at it objectively, without judgement. Where is it sitting in your body? Notice what it does when you have it....cause headaches? Puts a pit in your stomach? Just let those feelings be and be with them, then focus on a different part of your body where you're not feeling it. Kinda like meditation.

 

Best of luck!

 

[ChessieCat]

 

This excellent resource has a diagram explained what happens to the body:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/anxiety.htm

 

These can be helpful too.  If you learn the script, or at least the start of the script, you may be able to use it when you notice any signs that the panic is starting:

 

Audio:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes) Female voice - getselfhelp.co.uk
 

Audio:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes) Male voice - getselfhelp.co.uk

 

And the same site has:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/thoughts.htm

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/unhelpful.htm

 

This page contains links to other resources on the same site.  Scroll down to see the list:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/selfhelp.htm

 

This site is by one of SA's moderators who has personal experience with psychiatric drug withdrawal:

 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

 

And SA's topics:

 

"Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms

Change cognitive framing - Redirect - Another Way

[Gridley]

This restorative yoga posture helps me with anxiety.  If (like me) you're not limber enough to get your legs on the wall, hooking your legs on a chair also works.

 

10 minute Restorative Yoga for Relaxation | Up the wall

[ChessieCat]

21 minutes ago, Gridley said:

you're not limber enough to get your legs on the wall,

 

Or have back issues.

[Gustl]

Thank you all for the recommendations.  It’s good to have more tools.  The books, videos, and sites look really good.  In some ways, though, my challenge comes from being more or less a ‘performer’ in my work.  I don’t have the freedom to step away and do breathing exercises or yoga.  My panic moments happen while I am actively in front of a classroom or on stage in front of the school.  These calming activities can help in preparation for these daily times and I have employed some of them, but my reoccurring challenge is that panic and fear of what did happen in the past will happen again when I am up front.  

 

Even as I listened to Dr. Amy Johnson or the First Aid for Panic audios (which I really enjoyed, by the way), there still is a common theme in those resources that goes like this: your panic is just a collection of feelings that will go away and nothing really happens so learn to not fear it.  I have unfortunately had a few episodes where something indeed did happen and while it only happened 3 times in the course of my 45 year life, I find it so hard to ignore it and say, “It won’t ever happen again.”  

 

I don’t know where to go from here.

[ChessieCat]

31 minutes ago, Gustl said:

I don’t know where to go from here.

 

Perhaps seeing a counsellor and learning life skills and coping techniques from them might be helpful.

 

32 minutes ago, Gustl said:

I have unfortunately had a few episodes where something indeed did happen and while it only happened 3 times in the course of my 45 year life, I find it so hard to ignore it and say, “It won’t ever happen again.”  

 

Instead of saying "It won't ever happen again" you can change that to "it is unlikely to happen again".

 

On 8/2/2020 at 6:49 AM, mstimc said:

And one last piece of wisdom from my wife.  She told me that living my life afraid of being sick is just as bad as having a real disease.  That stuck with me.

 

[Onmyway]

4 hours ago, Gustl said:

Thank you all for the recommendations.  It’s good to have more tools.  The books, videos, and sites look really good.  In some ways, though, my challenge comes from being more or less a ‘performer’ in my work.  I don’t have the freedom to step away and do breathing exercises or yoga.  My panic moments happen while I am actively in front of a classroom or on stage in front of the school.  These calming activities can help in preparation for these daily times and I have employed some of them, but my reoccurring challenge is that panic and fear of what did happen in the past will happen again when I am up front.  

 

Even as I listened to Dr. Amy Johnson or the First Aid for Panic audios (which I really enjoyed, by the way), there still is a common theme in those resources that goes like this: your panic is just a collection of feelings that will go away and nothing really happens so learn to not fear it.  I have unfortunately had a few episodes where something indeed did happen and while it only happened 3 times in the course of my 45 year life, I find it so hard to ignore it and say, “It won’t ever happen again.”  

 

I don’t know where to go from here.

One thing that works for me with this is to imagine the consequences if  *it* happens again whatever it is for you. What if you forget your words in front of the class? What if you throw up. Things happen and people get excited about them a few times and in a couple of years even you can't remember them unless you focus on that one incident relentlessly. Very few things in life have the catastrophic consequences we imagine they will.

 

So, chance of something happening is very low and even if it did happen, you'll very likely recover from it. 

 

Also, thinking about them does not really prevent things or help you deal with them better even though anxious people think that it helps them prepare if they can replay all potential permutations of how things would go wrong (my CBT therapist).

[Gustl]

23 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

Perhaps seeing a counsellor and learning life skills and coping techniques from them might be helpful.

 

 

Instead of saying "It won't ever happen again" you can change that to "it is unlikely to happen again".

 

 

This is good.  I just contacted a counseling office.  I went to counseling years ago and it was good, but I reached a point where it seemed like the counselor had nothing really new to give me.  I’m a little afraid I’ll find the same at this new counselor.  I tend to be an avid reader and have read lots of anxiety books and also read sites such as this one.  Will the counselor just tell me things I already know (and I have to pay them for it)?  It can’t hurt to try, though, right?

 

I really like switch from “It won’t ever happen again” to “It is unlikely to happen again.”  That was a good insight and a relevant one that helped me yesterday when I considered it throughout my work day.  

[Gustl]

19 hours ago, Onmyway said:

One thing that works for me with this is to imagine the consequences if  *it* happens again whatever it is for you. What if you forget your words in front of the class? What if you throw up. Things happen and people get excited about them a few times and in a couple of years even you can't remember them unless you focus on that one incident relentlessly. Very few things in life have the catastrophic consequences we imagine they will.

 

So, chance of something happening is very low and even if it did happen, you'll very likely recover from it. 

 

Also, thinking about them does not really prevent things or help you deal with them better even though anxious people think that it helps them prepare if they can replay all potential permutations of how things would go wrong (my CBT therapist).

This is really relevant for me too.  I find I do best when I can speak to my anxiety and say, “Who cares?”  

 

Some days it’s harder to believe than others.  Yesterday I had a really good day because for whatever reason I didn’t have my morning cortisol spike.  I was just in a better mood and not so down.  The rest of the day had a peaceful feel to it.  This morning, though, the cortisol is shooting like usual.  It’s amazing how that can pull me down.

 

[ChessieCat]

dealing-with-emotional-spirals

 

[Onmyway]

12 hours ago, Gustl said:

This is really relevant for me too.  I find I do best when I can speak to my anxiety and say, “Who cares?”  

 

Some days it’s harder to believe than others.  Yesterday I had a really good day because for whatever reason I didn’t have my morning cortisol spike.  I was just in a better mood and not so down.  The rest of the day had a peaceful feel to it.  This morning, though, the cortisol is shooting like usual.  It’s amazing how that can pull me down.

 

You've had a window!!! Hold on to those memories, they help remind you that this is chemical and it shall pass. Things like cortisol spikes and nausea and dizziness can throw us out and send us into a spiral quickly because if we have nausea then we must be disgusting, if we have a cortisol spikes, it must be anxiety, if dizziness, we must be depressed. What I mean is that sometimes physical symptoms cause the emotions because we can easily find things to be disgusted about etc. In the same way that disgust can cause nausea, nausea can cause disgust as well. Physical and psychological are related. 

 

There was a way to reframe adrenaline from anxiety into excitement. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/474909/

 

Hope you get more windows soon!

 

OMW

[Gustl]

11 hours ago, Onmyway said:

You've had a window!!! Hold on to those memories, they help remind you that this is chemical and it shall pass. Things like cortisol spikes and nausea and dizziness can throw us out and send us into a spiral quickly because if we have nausea then we must be disgusting, if we have a cortisol spikes, it must be anxiety, if dizziness, we must be depressed. What I mean is that sometimes physical symptoms cause the emotions because we can easily find things to be disgusted about etc. In the same way that disgust can cause nausea, nausea can cause disgust as well. Physical and psychological are related. 

 

There was a way to reframe adrenaline from anxiety into excitement. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/474909/

 

Hope you get more windows soon!

 

OMW

Goodness, On my way!, Thank you for that encouragement!  That really meant a lot.  I need to celebrate those windows and not just get depressed that they’re short.  It is definitely true that my physical and psychological build off of each other.  I also really enjoyed the article from The Atlantic and look forward to trying to reframe my anxiety.  The reality is that I love my job, but I forget that inside of anxiety and instead dread it.  I’d like to refocus on excitement and try to channel my nervous energy there.  

 

Thank you!

[Johni]

Regards. it is true that I have long spoken on the subject, but I have noticed that there is a difference between withdrawal anxiety and normal anxiety. I started taking cipralex by default due to anxiety. While I know the cause of normal anxiety, there will always be one what if ... the thought started with withdrawal anxiety, at least a constant mild feeling for me. it has no object, it just has. it usually lasts for a few days or 1 week. I don’t know that just because you don’t deal with it and it goes away, or would leave it down by default. that's all i wanted 😊

[UnfoldingSky]

I'm finding deep breathing with my mouth closed helps anxiety a lot.  I have a video up somewhere about this, if you breathe through your mouth it doesn't help anxiety (even with deep breaths. ) I'm surprised the degree to which something so simple actually works. 

[UnfoldingSky]

Here's the video:

 

 

[Scotteves]

Coping with anxiety in withdrawal

 

YouTube video title:  Coping with benzo withdrawal anxiety with Dr. Jenn

 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with existing topic

[curiousnootropics]

Anyone have burning chest tightness (anxiety) during withdrawal?

[ChessieCat]

37 minutes ago, curiousnootropics said:

Anyone have burning chest tightness (anxiety) during withdrawal?

 

chest-pain-and-stabbing-pain-in-the-heart

 

[Ariel]

WD anxiety, a.k.a. neuro-anxiety, is different from normal anxiety. 

We mustn't let ourselves be discouraged if our usual non-drug coping techniques and run-of-the-mill CBT-style tactics don't make a dent. 

Sometimes the best strategies for WD anxiety are distract, acknowledge-accept-float (AAF), distract some more. 

It's very important not to beat ourselves up for "failing" to get a handle on WD anxiety, because it may not be manageable in the same way that garden-variety anxiety is. This is not to say we shouldn't practice coping skills, just that they may not be effective in the ways we're used to. 

 

SunnyRainyDays has written a brilliant description of the experience of WD anxiety, sharing their post here: 

13 hours ago, SunnyRainyDays said:

Normally reassuring and challenging the thoughts with solid proof and facts makes my anxiety go away, but not this one - withdrawal anxiety won’t go away no matter what I do - I just have to sit with it.

 

The neuro-anxiety puts me 24/7 in a flight-or-fight mode. My anxious brain now interprets every single thought and action as “danger”.

I daydream for one minute:

You must have maladaptive daydreaming.

My mind wanders for a few seconds while doing a hour long task:

You must have ADHD

I want to play a video game that has a few drops of blood:

Don’t play it, it will make you violent

I scratch my skin because it itches:

You might go ill and scratch your skin bloody to excess

And so on and on. There aren’t even the “what if you have …” questions that anxiety normally does, but it’s straight out “You (must) have …”

Today I was afraid to leave my house for no reason. The fears come and go as they wish, one day I’ll have them and on another I don’t.

The combination with other neuro emotions that appear from time to time like random hostility out of nowhere make it worse.

 

Weird though that it is afraid of every mental problem but anxiety disorders - if it would be then it would practically eliminate itself by avoiding worrying. But it’d rather be scared of daydreaming, logically. Why is it scared most of daydreaming??? Probably because it’s so common and human that it’s unavoidable, and anxiety hates unavoidable things…

 

I tried reassuring, showing proof that the thought is impossible and stupid, but no matter what I do it won’t even decrease a bit. (I researched the topics my mind is afraid of and it didn’t help - it’s like talking to a moron. It holds to its belief no matter what. I compared the “mental disorders” to myself and even though I fit none my anxiety still insists I probably have it. I even took the official test for Maladaptive daydreaming which you need a score of 40+ points to even be considered a MDer, my score was 17,5, not even the half of it, but my anxious mind doesn’t care and won’t shut up. Each time my mind wanders off my anxiety flares up. Same with every topic. Can’t concentrate once in a while? Danger, very, very bad.) Everything that I do is accompanied by extreme judgement from my anxious mind.

Pity my anxious brain doesn’t notice that most of the problems come from the anxiety itself.

 

All I can do for now is to ignore or distract myself and let it pass along with the withdrawal. Mostly it makes me avoid and not do the things that flare it up, this time facing fears is useless as it leaves me in even more distress.

Yup, withdrawal anxiety is something completely else than normal anxiety and now I know that.

 

SunnyRainyDays' original comment here 

[Nicolas45140]

On 8/3/2011 at 10:25 AM, poodlebell said:

Follow this link to The Linden Method cure for insomnia

Hello 

insomnia is part of the worth symptoms on WD…. Most of reviews says that linden méthod is a Marketer and not worth spending money on his method. 
what would you think ? 
ill be happy to find something to get to sleep better during my tapering journey

[ChessieCat]

5 minutes ago, Nicolas45140 said:

Hello 

insomnia is part of the worth symptoms on WD…. Most of reviews says that linden méthod is a Marketer and not worth spending money on his method. 
what would you think ? 
ill be happy to find something to get to sleep better during my tapering journey

 

Here is a list of Alto's favourite sleep topics:

 

TV or computer use in evening can disrupt sleep: Bright light signals the brain that it's daytime

 

What is the sleep cycle?

 

Tips to help sleep -- so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

Sleep and withdrawal

 

Path to Better Sleep FREE online for everyone from the US Veterans Administration

 

Music for self-care: Calms hyperalertness, anxiety, aids relaxation and sleep

 

Melatonin for sleep: Many people find it helpful

[ChessieCat]

9 minutes ago, Nicolas45140 said:

Hello 

insomnia is part of the worth symptoms on WD…. Most of reviews says that linden méthod is a Marketer and not worth spending money on his method. 
what would you think ? 
ill be happy to find something to get to sleep better during my tapering journey

 

https://getselfhelp.co.uk/sleep-insomnia-self-help/

[Happy2Heal]

this is good for a sudden attack of nerves

 

not sure if it would help a lot during acute WD but might be worth a try

 

unfortunately the video starts with "dramatic music" which could be anxiety producing itself, so I copied the link at 6 seconds into the video to avoid it

 

 

[Heath]

I have read something in a small local paper . How to stop morning anxiety written by a counselor. Iam writing this from memory. 
 

The first suggestion she has and says it may be the only thing needed to ease the anxiety- is get up out bed don’t roll over and snuggle and lay there. Try to do it same time everyday. She says laying there you mind starts thinking and ruminating you get sucked in. Next thing you know you are keyed up. Get up and get going shower and breakfast. She said this is probably the easiest change we can make.  
 

So if you have morning anxiety and gets better as day goes by then this may be all you need! 
 

From my experience sleeping late can also make you feel bad or sad or guilty also. 

 

And I have seen results myself from doing this but sometimes life gets me. 
 

Easiest ?  for someone like me with a 40 year habit of working late and sleeping late. Just do it , right! 💪 

 

GET UP !

[Heath]

On 9/24/2022 at 1:17 PM, Heath said:

I have read something in a small local paper . How to stop morning anxiety written by a counselor. Iam writing this from memory. 
 

The first suggestion she has and says it may be the only thing needed to ease the anxiety- is get up out bed don’t roll over and snuggle and lay there. Try to do it same time everyday. She says laying there you mind starts thinking and ruminating you get sucked in. Next thing you know you are keyed up. Get up and get going shower and breakfast. She said this is probably the easiest change we can make.  
 

So if you have morning anxiety and gets better as day goes by then this may be all you need! 
 

From my experience sleeping late can also make you feel bad or sad or guilty also. 

 

And I have seen results myself from doing this but sometimes life gets me. 
 

Easiest ?  for someone like me with a 40 year habit of working late and sleeping late. Just do it , right! 💪 

 

GET UP !

so I found another article that is almost identical to the one in newspaper. I know everything doesn’t apply to everyone but there are some good information for anxiety. 
Link below 

https://nickwignall.com/morning-anxiety/

[Doctorsrcrap]

Can I ask? Has anyone ever managed to recover from the anxiety that put them on the medication in the first place? 

[KuszaPapieza]

Could this help with mild akathisia? Unfortunately, I don't know if my anxiety that sometimes arises is severe anxiety or mental akathisia.

[Giuly88]

On 12/15/2017 at 1:41 PM, Junglechicken said:

I know that there is a lot of information on the SA site, but thought this [100 Symptoms of Anxiety/Stress] would be an additional useful resource for anyone questioning what's wrong with them:

 

Allergy problems, increase in allergies (number, sensitivity, reactions, lengthier reactions)

• Back pain, stiffness, tension, pressure, soreness, spasms, immobility in the back or back muscles
• Blanching (looking pale, loss of color in the face or skin)
• Blushing, turning red, flushed face, flushed skin, blushing, red face or skin
• Body aches, parts of or your entire body feels sore and achy, feels like your body and muscles are bruised
• Body jolts, body zaps, electric jolt feeling in body, intense body tremor or “body shake”
• Body temperature increase or decrease, change in body temperature
• Burning skin, itchy, “crawly,” prickly or other skin sensations, skin sensitivity, numbness on the skin
• Burning skin sensation on the face, neck, ears, scalp, or shoulders
• Buzzing sensation in the feet, toes, hands, fingers, arms, legs
• Chest pain, chest tightness
• Choking
• Chronic Fatigue, exhaustion, super tired, worn out
• Clumsiness, feeling clumsy, co-ordination problems with the limbs or body
• Cold chills, feeling cold
• Craving sugar, sweets, chocolate, usual craving for sugar and sweets
• Difficulty speaking, moving mouth, talking, co-ordination problems with the mouth or tongue
• Dizziness, feeling lightheaded
• Dizzy, feeling dizzy
• Electric shock feeling, body zaps
• Excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
• Falling sensation, feel like your are falling or dropping even though you aren't
• Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
• Feeling cold or chilled
• Feel wrong, different, foreign, odd, or strange
• Flu-like symptoms, general malaise, feel ill, like you are coming down with a flu
• Flushed face, red face, flushed skin
• Frequent urination
• Head Zaps
• Heart palpitations, racing heart
• Hyperactivity, excess energy, nervous energy
• Increased or decreased sex drive
• Infection - increased infections, persistent infection
• Mouth or throat clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• Muscles that vibrate, jitter, tremor, or shake when used
• Muscle twitching
• Nausea
• Nausea vomiting
• Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
• Night sweats, waking up in a sweat, profusely sweating at night
• No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Numbness and tingling, and other skin sensations on hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
• Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
• Pounding heart, heart feels like it is beating too hard
• Pulsing or throbbing muscles. Pulsing or throbbing sensation.
• Rib or rib cage tightness, pressure, or feeling like a tight band around the rib cage
• Sexual Dysfunction, sexual uninterest
• Shooting pains, stabbing pains, and odd pressures in the neck, head, or face
• Shooting pains in the face
• Shooting pains in the scalp or head
• Skipped heart beats
• Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
• Startle easily
• Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
• The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
• Tightness in the ribs or rib cage area, may also feel like a tight band around the ribs or rib cage area.
• Tingling sensations, anywhere on the body, including the hands, feet, legs, arms, head, mouth, chest, groin area
• Throat or mouth clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• TMJ
• Trembling, shaking, tremors
• Twitching
• Unsteadiness, dizziness, feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom (similar to urinary tract or prostate infection symptoms)
• Warm spells
• Weak - feel weak, weakness, low energy, light, soft, like you may faint
• Weak legs, arms, or muscles
• Weight loss, weight gain

 

Chest (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with the chest area)

• Chest tremors, trembling in the chest, chest feels like it is vibrating
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Concern about the heart
• Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
• Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
• Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
• Heart Palpitations – beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat
• Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or ‘skipped’ beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough
• Pounding heart, heart feels like it is beating too hard
• Rib or rib cage tightness, pressure, or feeling like a tight band around the rib cage

 

Emotions (see mood) (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with emotions, mood, and feelings)

 

Fears (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with fear)

• A heightened fear of what people think of you
• Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
• Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
• Fear of being in public
• Fear of dying
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of impending doom
• Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
• Fear of passing out
• Fear that you are losing your mind
• Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
• Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
• Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
• Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
• Need to seat near exits

 

Head (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with the head)

• Brain fog
• Burning, itchy, tight scalp
• Dizziness
• Dizzy
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
• Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
• Head, neck or shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
• Head zaps, head tremors
• Giddiness
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Shooting pains, stabbing pains, and odd pressures in the neck, head, or face
• Shooting pains in the face
• Shooting pains in the scalp or head
• When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
• Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache
• TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) - clenching of the jaw or grinding of the teeth

 

Hearing/Ear(s) (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with hearing)

• Feel like there is something stuck in your ear, that your ear canal it plugged or blocked, that there is a pebble in your ear that you can't get out
• Low rumbling sounds
• Reduced hearing, frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
• Ringing in the ears, noises in the ears, noises in the head
• Pulsing in the ears, throbbing sound in the ear(s)
• Tickle or itch in your ear that you can't seem to get at

 

Mind (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with the mind and thinking)

• Afraid of everything
• Altered state of reality, consciousness, or universe feeling
• Brain Fog
• Deja Vu, a feeling like you've done or experienced something before
• Depersonalization
• Derealization
• Desensitization
• Difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss
• Difficulty thinking, speaking, forming thoughts, following conversations
• Disorientation
• Fear of going crazy
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of impending doom
• Feelings of unreality
• Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Nightmares, bad dreams
• Obsession about sensations or getting better
• Repetitive thinking or incessant ‘mind chatter’
• Short-term learning impairment, have a hard time learning new information
• Short-term memory impairment, can't remember what I did a few days, hours, or moments ago
• Spaced out feelings, feeling spaced out
• "Stuck" thoughts; thoughts, mental images, concepts, songs, or melodies that "stick" in your mind and replay over and over again.
• Trapped in your mind feeling
• Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
• You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders

 

Mood / Emotions (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with mood, emotions, and feelings)

• Always feeling angry and lack of patience
• Depersonalization
• Depression
• Dramatic mood swings (emotional flipping)
• Emotionally blunted, flat, or numb
• Emotional "flipping" (dramatic mood swings)
• Emotions feel wrong
• Everything is scary, frightening
• Feeling down in the dumps
• Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
• Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
• Feel like crying for no apparent reason
• Have no feelings about things you used to
• Not feeling like yourself, detached from loved ones, emotionally numb
• Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
• You feel like you are under pressure all the time

 

Mouth/Stomach (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with the mouth and stomach)

• A ‘tinny’, ‘metallic’ or ‘ammonia’, or unusual smell or taste
• Aerophagia (swallowing too much air, stomach distention, belching)
• Burning mouth, feeling like the inside of your mouth is burning, or tingling, or like pins and needles, or all of these together or at different times
• Burning tongue, feeling like your tongue is burning, or tingling, or like pins and needles, or all of these, or all of these together or at different times
• Choking
• Constant craving for sugar or sweets
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty talking, pronouncing certain letters or sounds, mouth feels like it isn't moving right, slurred speech
• Dry mouth
• Feeling like you can’t swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
• Feeling like your tongue is swollen
• IBS
• Lack of appetite or taste
• Lump in the throat, tight throat, something stuck in your throat
• Mouth muscles twitching/jumping
• Mouth or throat clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• Nausea
• Nausea vomiting
• Nausea or abdominal stress
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Stomach upset, gas, belching, bloating
• Teeth grinding
• The thought of eating makes you nauseous
• Tight throat, lump in throat
• Throat or mouth clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• TMJ
• Tongue symptoms - Tingly, “stretched,” numb, frozen, itchy, “crawly,” burning, twitching, “jumpy,” aching, sore, or swollen tongue (when it isn’t).
• Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
• Vomiting

 

Skin (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with the skin)

• Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Skin problems, infections, rashes

 

Sleep (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with sleep)

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
• Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
• Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
• Jolting awake
• Waking up in a panic attack
• You feel worse in the mornings

 

Sight (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with sight)

• Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
• Dry, watery or itchy eyes
• Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes
• Eyes sensitive to light
• Spots in the vision
• Flashing lights when eyes are closed
• Your depth perception feels wrong

 

Touch (anxiety symptoms commonly associated with touch)

• Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
• Feeling cold or chilled
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Pain
• Tingling, pins and needles feelings

 

Other anxiety symptoms are described as:

Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition to these anxiety symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:

• Having a heart attack

• Having a serious undetected illness

• Dying prematurely

• Going insane or losing your mind

• Suddenly snapping

• Losing it

• Uncontrollably harming yourself or someone you love

• Losing control of your thoughts and actions

• Being embarrassed or making a fool out of yourself

• Losing control

• Fainting in public

• Not breathing properly

• Losing control of reality

• Choking or suffocating

• Being alone

 

These are some of the more common anxiety symptoms. This list isn't exhaustive.

 

Reference and further information here http://www.anxietyce...-symptoms.shtml

Thank you for this however these symptoms seem to be more withdrawal related symptoms than actual anxiety related as some are too extreme to be.

 

I think in the mainstream medical literature, as withdrawal is frown upon and not recognised, these symptoms are then treated and interpreted as only anxiety related symptoms.
 

Equally, the man made construction of new ‘conditions’ such as fibromyalgia to justify and make sense of a ‘mysteriously emerging syndrome’ that can’t be certainly attributable to a ‘non existent AD withdrawal’ albeit the timing and punctuality of the symptoms onset coinciding with the discontinuation of the drug.
 

I suffered from stress related anxiety often in my life but nowhere near the horrific artificially made chemical CNS disruption caused by SSRI withdrawal. 

[Heath]

Calm app for cell phone is very helpful. I highly recommend!

 

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