Is it really anxiety

Hi guys!

Just wondering if anyone can relate. Since February my "anxiety" has been through the roof! 24/7 it feels like its hard to form thoughts, think, I constantly replay things in my mind to make sure I remember... if I forget what I did yesterday or whenever I freak out. I don't feel like me anymore. I cry ALL the time. I'm scared I'm losing my mind. When I do think of things I question myself. Did that really happen? Was that real? What scares me the most is that I don't know how to explain how I feel. Eventually I get so worked up over this that I end up having a panic attack. I feel like I can't breathe, tightness in my chest, hard to talk. Like I said I'm like this 24/7.

I'm on medication and I'm going to therapy, but I'm do afraid that I'm going to be like this forever.

They dignosed me with panic disorder and depersonalisation. I can't control anything. I can't make it stop.

Has ANYONE felt like this before? It even feels hard to walk sometimes... and then I question myself... how do I make myself walk or talk or think, etc. I'm at the end of my rope with this. I'm scared I have some disease that everyone is passing off as anxiety. :'(

 I am sorry you are feeling so terribly. I know how frustrating it can be.I have the exact same symptoms you have when I was in my 20s.  I had depersonalization sometimes I've been driving and things didn't look familiar.

Imagine back then I didn't have the support on Internet so I really felt like I was the only one in the world with this! My parents didn't know what to do.  I also thought I had some terrible disease but I did not. All my test came out normal. It's amazing the symptoms anxiety can produce! I'm now in my 50s and have finally learned how to control this. When I feel anxiety starting to rear up, I can smack it back down.

 I don't want to see you or anyone else going through as many years as I did with this so I'd like to share with you what I have done that has really helped me. I share this with a young man in college on this site and he said he did all my suggestions and feels 90% better! He thanked me  over and over.

 here are my suggestions:  

 As long as you have visited your doctor and  got things checked out, you need to get this anxiety managed.   

 1.  what I did was first of all speak with a counselor. They see this on a daily basis and have the tools to help you manage this. Anxiety and stress is difficult to manage on our own and it really helps to talk to someone else. I keep going even when I start to feel  better because it's like a lifeline for me. Find a counselor you feel comfortable with. Some counselors will use CBT which is cognitive behavioral therapy. That helps you see the anxiety for what it is and it helps you manage it. 

Remember....FEAR  stands for false evidence appearing real.   Which means sometimes when we have symptoms we think they are related to some terrifying disease, when in reality the odds are much higher that they are not.   Our minds  will go to the negative if we let it, so we must be in control.

Don't let fear take you over! Be a fighter for yourself! 

 2.   Secondly, I go to Google or YouTube and look up  hypnosis for clearing subconscious negativity. It's not really hypnosis, you don't get hypnotized it's just a very relaxing meditation. I put in my earbuds and lie down and listen to them. They teach us to separate our thoughts that are negative from ourselves. This is something I think could really benefit you!! They completely  calm down my brain and body to the point where I almost feel like I'm floating. This is such a great thing to do for your brain and overall health. I do this a couple times a day  specially when I'm laying down to sleep. There are many to choose from just pick the ones that you like. There's also positive affirmation ones that are helpful too.  The more you listen the more your mind will believe these positive affirmations. 

 it will just calm everything down when you  are having an acute anxiety attack 

3.   Stay active! The worst thing you can do is sit around and think too much about all this. It will bring on more anxiety. As well as the symptoms. When I exercise my body completely calms down and the symptoms often go completely away. 

4.   Stay social! This helps keep your mind off your worries. The less you are alone the better at least until you manage your anxiety. Just do things that you enjoy. 

5. When  feeling anxious or anytime you'd like, do deep breathing. Breathing through your nose for about five seconds and make sure your stomach rises. Then exhale through your lips as though you're blowing out a candle slowly for another five seconds. Do this as many times a day as you need to. It helps if you're lying down but you can also do  it's sitting. 

6.  Eat healthy! Stay away from processed foods especially sugar. Sugar has an inflammatory response including in the brain. This will just increase your anxiety and can possibly bring on depression. 

7.  If a negative thought enters your mind don't try to fight it off, that will increase symptoms. Instead, acknowledge it and then imagine it floating off on a dark cloud. Those are just some thoughts they are not a part of you  they are not real or true. .  We can't allow them to build up and affect our mental and physical health. 

As horrible as anxiety symptoms are, they CANNOT  hurt or kill you!   I have had them for many many years on and off and now I pretty much ignore them but I do try to stay as healthy as possible and do those five things I listed above. The meditation audios really are excellent please try them and do them often !

 You will be fine  once you get this under a little control.  You will have a long great life and you deserve peace and happiness.

 I hope this helped you a little bit at least. 

Don't let fear take you over! Be a fighter for yourself. Fear is based on non reality

 hang in there! 😃

Thank you so much for your reply. I just started counseling, so I'm excited to get some tools on how to get my life back. I've had anxiety since I was 9 years old. Unfortunately this is the worse round of it I've ever had. Very scarey thinking you don't know who you are or where you are, and scared that I'll forget who my family is. It's no way to live.

Thank so much for your suggestions I will definitely be trying each one!

Great!!  I'm happy you are  going to counseling and trying my suggestions.! 

I've had anxiety since kindergarten but only recently learned how to manage it.   I guess better late than never LOL

 if you can get a hold of a book called mindfulness, finding peace in a frantic world.,   It's great and teaches us how to separate or negative thoughts from ourselves in how to get rid of anxiety. 

 just remember, When  you feel fear, dig in with both feet and keep going!

Be relentless!