I’m curious what physical symptoms other people experience with anxiety that feel the scariest or most alarming.
For me, some symptoms can be really scary because they feel like something is seriously wrong physically.

I'm going on three months medicated with Zoloft and HOLY COW, I wonder if this is how normal people feel every day:

• Activities like exercising don't feel overwhelming.

• It is so much easier to manage my time and schedule than before.

• Sleeping is still a struggle - insomnia has always worked hand-in-hand with my anxiety BUT it doesn't feel world-ending if I don't get enough sleep.

• I feel an inability to cry unless something serious or drastic happens.

• Racing and lamenting thoughts don't replay themselves. I can quiet them with rational pauses and thinking.

I'm sure alot of people here may be struggling still with their anxiety. I know I was very hesitant to try medicine because I kept hearing that medicine makes it WORSE before it gets better. That and I thought Zoloft was only for depression. It has worked miracles for my anxiety, albeit killing my sex drive. But I'm so upset at myself for not asking for help and not trying medicine sooner.

I hope maybe someone sees this who is struggling or going back and forth on the thoughts of "Is my anxiety that bad?" And will take the leap of faith and try the medication. It has been life changing, night and day for me.

Just found out my therapist died before I walked into the movies with my bf. I really don’t know how to feel. I’m not sad, at least I don’t think so. I had been seeing her for 5 months now on a weekly basis. I didn’t really know her, but she knew me. I’m scared that I lost something, someone, that was helping me get better from my issues and now I’m scared I’ll get bad again. Obviously I’m coming from a selfish point of view but like I said, I don’t know how to feel.

Has anyone gone through this? I’m just scared and need advice.

I understand mental coping mechanisms for racing thoughts and panic attacks and such, but how does one cope with the real, DEBILITATING physical symptoms of anxiety. I genuinely feel like I’m going to hit the floor and pass out at various points through out the day almost every day. I constantly deal with EXTREME lethargy and weakness, that legitimately could bring me to my knees. I’m constantly lightheaded and dizzy. These symptoms completely uproot my life. It makes it very hard to go anywhere in public, yet I still do, but I’m constantly having to find a place to sit down, or walk slowly etc. I’ve been checked out and had every test done under the sun, everything comes back completely normal. Idk what to do. How do you deal with this?

hello hello!

this is probably a very specific post but:

does anybody relate to struggling with anxiety regarding how fast life is moving? i am currently at a point in life where a lot is changing (about to graduate, having to apply for university, moving out,..) and to be honest it is terrifying me. i feel like i'll blink and then i'll be 40. also the finiteness of life is freaking me out. has anyone else experienced this sort of anxiety/has advice on how to deal with it??

thanks xx

Hi

What are the one liners you use when you notice anxiety

What my subject says! Every little thing I feel in my body I fear the worst. I’ve had stomach issues yesterday and today feel lightheaded and still not 100% but my brain automatically thinks it’s not normal and something is wrong with me. I’ve been on meds for 15years+ and two weeks ago added another medication. Could be a side effect from the new med, could be symptoms of PMS, but my anxiety is through the roof. I just wish I could switch my brain off

Everyday I feel like I am going to die. But everyday I survive. I have come so far from where I was, I used to worry every minute and panic. Now it is here and there. Listening to my heart beat, every beat instills fear into me that it will be my last. But I need to realize every beat is me still alive. I used to lay in bed in fear all day now the fear comes when I’m away from home. Every car trip the tightness in my chest is there. The hot flash is there but every time I make it to my destination fine. Why do I have to live my life in fear. Why can’t it be like it used to be. To be free of this. This pain and anxiety that shackles my entire being. I am fine, I know I am but at the same time I still have to worry, uncontrollably. I’m growing stronger as time goes on but the darkness is always still there. Begging me to go back to it. But I am strong and I can overcome it. I have to, I still have so much life to live. I am going to die someday but I need to live my life until then. I have come so far but I still have so much further to go. And I will.

I've had periods of feeling a bit anxious in the past but over the last 5 weeks it's different and since starting citalopram I feel even worse but also better in some ways ...I'm so confused by it all.

I have no appetite

Feel sick

Keep taking hot flashes

Altered sense of taste and smell

Excessive yawning

Weird sensation in my mouth

I feel so weird and scared

i just hate that after im home alone i can't relax because i did something akward and others thought im weird or creep, so until the other day i can't relax

having a hard time rationalizing with my health anxiety/cardiophobia tn :(( i woke up suddenly at 2am tonight and shortly after noticed my heart rate was a little fast in the 90s. i normally rest in the 60s at night in bed. idk why this is happening. i ate junk food earlier today which does sometimes speed my rage up a bit but its been a few hours. i checked my pulse again and it was in the 80s so i was a little relieved but shortly after i felt my muscles tensing and my anxiety spiked randomly and boom it went up to 118. i never rest at 118 and im so scared ik its probably anxiety but im still scared. i can never just accept that my heart is healthy. i feel the internal tremors now and i feel the full body shakes coming soon. :(

update its gone down to 78 which is still not my resting but im not as scared. still anxious that it’ll shoot up randomly and cant sleep. ughh

TLDR; Existential "what's the point?" anxiety & depression hit so hard that everything not only feels pointless, but is also physically stress-inducing. I feel like a caged animal; trapped, restless, and unable to enjoy anything. Having bouts of suicidality and yet still going to therapy and posting on reddit because a part of me must still be holding on to hope that things can get better?

I tapered off anxiety medication a handful of months ago* and shortly thereafter woke up in the middle of the night with an existential panic attack; having the realization that I'm going to die one day, life is so short, etc. The pendulum quickly swung from 'make the most of every day, enjoy every moment' to the depression side of 'what's the point? nothing matters'

For months I've been stuck in this hole where every waking moment feels like agony.
I feel like someone has pulled off the horse blinders, pulled back the curtains, etc. on every aspect of life and I'm unable to enjoy anything, and everything feels like a trigger.
(Even something as small as seeing packaging on a product at a grocery store and thinking about consumerism/capitalism etc.)

The more predictable or boring something is, the more triggering it feels (almost like it's reassuring me that I'm right and there's nothing special about life)

• Socializing with friends - which everyone says is key to improving anxiety and depression - feels excruciating because conversation feels pointless (ie: talking about work, or hobbies, or anything, really, has my brain bombarding me with "who cares?" "is this all there is (to life)?" etc.)
  • and when I do engage socially it feels like I'm going through the motions and don't actually mean what I say. Or I laugh or chuckle because it feels like a knee-jerk reaction or habit, not because I'm genuinely happy
• Trying to engage with any form of entertainment (movies, tv, music, etc.) is similarly triggering - especially the worse the writing / acting etc. is
• Same with trying any hobbies or activities; my brain keeps thinking "this is all just a pointless way to waste time"
• Work feels excruciating; I have a job that requires creativity and it's so hard to access that right now. Not to mention the overarching "what's the point?" of everything
  • I also dread having to work each day, but at the same time don't see a point in taking a stress leave because I don't know how I'll fill my day otherwise, when everything feels so pointless and excruciating (other than just staying in bed and sleeping for as much of it as possible)
• I feel physical bouts of stress (like a stomach drop, maybe cortisol?) whenever I think of having to do any of the above; I'm at my most calm and content when I'm either sleeping or napping

Side note: because of living like this for months, and the suicidality that has shown up, whenever people (spouse, family, friends) talk about plans for the future (like plans for next month, Christmas, etc.) I experience that similar bout of stress/panic like ... I might not be here, or if I am still here I can't imagine still going on like this.

Having said all of that, I'm still here typing this, so I think a part of me is still holding on to a sliver of hope that I can change my thinking and/or enjoy life a bit more instead of dreading every hour of every day?

Has anyone experienced anything similar and gotten through it?

(There's also a skeptical part of me that's like ..why am I even asking Reddit? I don't know anyone personally and how many of the comments will just be ai or bots anyway?)

But here I am ¯_(ツ)_/¯

*I've since started a new medication and I think it's helping to shave the edge off of some of the extreme ends of the anxiety and depression spectrums - now I feel regular anxious/depressed instead of completely disassociating - but hasn't helped much in terms of my overall thoughts and feelings.

Edit to add: despite all this, I simultaneously envy people who are just living and enjoying a 'normal' life (enjoying their evening downtime, making plans, looking forward to things, etc.) whatever that means ¯_(ツ)_/¯

I’m a 44 yo male who has dealt with anxiety most of his life. Been diagnosed with GAD but sort of just ignored it and powered through. Now realizing I need to address it. Amongst the reasons why is low libido and ED, which I’m pretty certain is psychogenic in nature.

I’ve been reluctant to take meds for a couple reasons, one of them being sexual side effects, which I’m clearly already prone to. But I’m also wondering if taking meds to get this in check and take the anxiety down would help my sexual issues.

Just wondering if any guys on here had that experience where meds improved their ED and libido. Ladies obviously can’t comment on ED but if you have any experiences with libido improving please share.

I fucking hate when my phone rings and I dont know who it is so I usually let it go to voicemail and then check it. Sometimes if its an employer I go over the job description again and try to find any little thing that will give me an excuse to withdraw my application for example a duty that I dont want to do so I dont have to talk to them.

Its fucking annoying really because I need a job but the anxiety around the whole process is so intense!

I have Social Anxiety. And I am starting my brand new job tomorrow. And I already feel that people are going to be watching me and judging me for what I'm going to be doing.

I met my boss who I already know personally, and she is always such a kind person, so I'm not nervous about her. It's nervousness about my new work colleagues - {meeting new people} that I will be working with.

I’m diagnosed with anxiety and ADHD and I’ve been taking 150 mg of Zoloft and 25 mg of Adderall XR for the past 6 or so years. Recently, the Zoloft feels like it’s been working less and also impacting my sleep/feeling tired throughout the day so my doctor has decreased my Zoloft dose to 100 mg and added 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL. I don’t have depression and have never been diagnosed with depression in the past so I am confused about the Wellbutrin addition because I know that’s what it is usually prescribed for. Does anyone have any experience with Wellbutrin for anxiety or Zoloft/Wellbutrin together? Would love some insight, TIA!

How do you cope with chronic illness which is anxiety? I do have better and worse periods but when I am worse I feel terrible because letting people around me down. I feel guilty that I cannot provide them what they've signed up for. During those periods I am not able to go out (my anxiety is linked to GI issues and nausea) and enjoy simple things such as restaurants, concerts. Going for vacation is a nightmare and even though I try to push through I suffer terribly...

Hello everyone. My mental health has been bad for a while the last year particularly was very challenging. Two months ago I had a traumatic experience and ever since then things have gotten so much worse. I have anxiety all the time. I have horrible negative emotions all the time. I just feel like I will fold on myself and die. Or just anything I do it’s so hard. The only thing I can do is lay in bed. I can’t walked to my neighbors house without a panic attack. Taking the kids to school every morning is a torture. It’s been unbearable. Yesterday was my daughter’s annual camping trip for her birthday. She was so excited. I couldn’t cancel. I thought I will be ok doing it. In the woods. With good friends. Well it was horrible. I was in a horrible panic attack for 6 hours before I finally broke and left. I came home and I have not stopped crying. I can’t get out of bed. I feel so defeated. Like what is the point? I can’t do it. I can’t break the cycle. How do I dig myself out of this whole? Has anyone else felt this way an managed to heal? How did you do it?

Okay, so I’ve been feeling a lot better over the past few months thanks to my treatment (depression and anxiety), and I finally feel like my life has meaning again. The one thing I’ve noticed, though, is that I still have this habit of not replying to messages. I thought it would go away as I started feeling better, but apparently not.

The thing is, I’m a pretty shy person in real life, but once I feel comfortable around someone, I’m funny and \*\*VERY\*\* talkative. Over text, though, I just can’t seem to find the energy to keep a conversation going. The only exception is when someone sends me something really lighthearted that makes me laugh or genuinely gets me excited about something.

But as soon as a conversation requires even the slightest bit of social energy, I find it really hard to engage. And when I do manage to push myself to reply, it genuinely feels like my brain has just run a 20-mile marathon.

The worst part is that when I can’t bring myself to reply, I start getting more and more anxious about it, so I put it off even longer. Then I feel even more anxious, which makes me avoid it even more… You get the idea. It’s a vicious cycle.

I think part of the problem is that I feel like my reply has to be \*perfect\*. If I can’t come up with the perfect response, I’d rather not respond at all.

I feel like this is causing a lot of problems in my relationships, even though I keep telling my friends and family not to take it personally.

Has anyone else experienced this? Do you have any idea why this happens, or any advice on how to break this cycle?

I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thank you! ❤️

I have the kind of anxiety where I get completely paranoid and imagine outlandish things that could never happen as well as anxiety about real things. I’ve been on buspar since 2022 and it’s been amazing but I think it’s not working anymore. I’m on the max dose. Has anyone ever had this happen with buspar? That it stops working? I’m really upset it was doing such a good job of keeping it at bay.

I have a group of friends, but we’re not super close, and sometimes I can’t even tell if they genuinely like me or just tolerate me. I don’t want to drop them because it’s our last year of high school, and I don’t want to be alone for things like prom and other senior-year events.

The problem is that we’re very different people. They’re all really good students who don’t drink, party, or go out much, whereas I’m much more of a party person. I feel like I haven’t been able to explore that side of myself because of my friend group, and sometimes I wonder what experiences I could’ve had if I had different friends.

Halloween is coming up, and I really don’t want to spend another year doing nothing. I asked my friends about their plans, but they all have their own things going on and didn’t really seem interested in making plans with me.
Recently, I made a new friend who mentioned a couple of Halloween parties/functions and suggested I ask my friends and that she’d come too. However, she’s going with her own friend group, and I’m wondering if I could ask to join them instead.

I know one of the girls in her group because we hung out once, and she was nice, but we’re not close. I’m really anxious about coming across as weird or desperate by asking to join them, especially since I’m not part of their friend group. I don’t want to make things awkward or affect their plans, and now I’m overthinking the whole situation and don’t even know if I should ask.

I just really want to go out and make memories during my last year of high school, but I don’t want to invite myself somewhere I’m not wanted. Would you ask her if you were in my situation, or would you leave it alone?

I don’t understand why but all of my worst anxiety has been when I’m not even doing anything.

I’m on my semester break from school and I keep fighting off random bouts of physical anxiety using excercise, yoga and the somatic exercises my therapist gives me. I journal and gym 5x an week and I have had my blood work checked.

I’m diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression,i was told that my psychiatrist believed my symptoms were primarily caused by adhd. I’m on an SSRI and I take concerta when studying but not everyday.

I just wish my anxiety made any sense.

I don’t even have thoughts related to the anxiety it’s just a sudden feeling of like whoah I’m anxious and it’ll be in the middle of doing something like sorting my laundry. make it make sense.

I have suffered from anxiety since I was little and it was especially bad for a period in uni and also for a few months earlier this year. I was prescribed lorazepam to help with panic feelings which is a life saver. My Dr always wanted me to try SSRI’s but being a pharmacist myself I know about the side effects and feeling worse before you get better…

I have had major life events alter my life in the last few months as well as working six days a week so it’s all caught up to me and made the anxiety worse. I also got a new job which is an hour drive away (😭) which makes me feel like I’ve got no time to myself anymore. I live with my boyfriend and his friends in a house 45 mins away from my friends and family so it’s very isolating for me.

On my long drives to and from work all I do is ruminate and then overthink everything including my relationship- which I don’t even know I want anymore. But I don’t know if it’s my brain wanting to have some sense of control while everything else is out of control.

Anyway I saw my GP again today and she’s prescribed me escitalopram as a back up Rx just in case I want to start. The warmer weather is making me feel better and she also gave me two days off work for mental health leave.

What are your experiences with mild/moderate anxiety and initiating an SSRI? I’m worried about feeling worse before I feel better. And that I don’t actually NEED a medication to function everyday - I can still go to work, exercise, eat kinda well. But am I missing out on a fully functioning brain and be able to enjoy my life more? I am moving back towards my friends and family in 3 months which will make my commute to work half the time. I’ve also got counselling sessions coming up.

Any advice much appreciated

so for the last week i’ve been having on and off pressure in my head that ranges from the sides to the back of my head. very occasionally i’ll feel it in the back of my neck for like a minute. also sometimes my scalp has a slight burning sensation but idk if that could be related. i’m just really worried and i know i struggle with anxiety but i’ve never experienced this before and i just feel off. i have a doctors appointment in nine days so hopefully they take my symptoms seriously. if anyone has experienced the same symptoms as me pls let me know what you were diagnosed with (if anything) bc i really could use some reassurance

I have been texting everyone in advance because my parents want me to host a party, and almost no one in the group chats responded at first, so I switched to messaging, and I got 1-2 confirmations, and 10 said Maybe, I'll see. Today, I have 4 confirmed out of the 12-15 invites I sent, and I feel like a loser, especially since my friends' parties in the same group have been crowded and pretty fun, even when doing the same activities I'm doing currently. I asked a couple of people today in person, and most said they forgot and refused any compromises I offered, while others said "maybe". How should I act when I walk into the huge, rented-out basketball court, just to see 4-5 people there?