Hello,
Again, not so sure if this goes here, since it isn't exactly related to depression but it is a psychological/psychiatric topic...anyway.
Tonight I am experiencing symptoms of what I suppose is anxiety that I have had before, but not quite like this in a long time. These past few months I have been experiencing anxiety attacks to varying degrees, and have also noticed an increase in hypervigilance when in public or alone at night. This isn't much of a surprise to me, however, since I've always been a bit neurotic (diagnosed OCD as well) and have been busy with multiple commitments that are normally stressful on their own.
Tonight, I have been thinking about my tendency to overspeak and make things awkward, along with a prank I pulled recently at my job that I am very worried may have been inappropriate. When I think of the last one, I feel extreme discomfort that is difficult to locate (at least is in my chest), and difficult to describe, but seems similar to RLS. It feels like a more minor form of something I felt once during a breakup, which at the time was physically painful. I don't want to reach that point, but in the meantime am curious- what physically causes these symptoms? Am I the only one? And what can be done? Deep breathing seems to help, but only goes so far.
Thanks!
jw
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Severe Anxiety symptoms? Does this go here?
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It does sound like an attack of anxiety. When that happens, your body goes into a state where stress hormones like adrenalin are put into the bloodstream, and the autonomic nervous system is primed to deal with a stress situation such as a physical attack, where you might need to fight as hard as possible, or run as fast as possible. Your heart beats faster and harder, you breathe faster, and blood vessels to things that can wait, like the stomach and intestines, are constricted so there is as much blood as possible available to the muscles. There is often a feeling of a tightening in the chest. You may go into a cold sweat.
Breathing exercises can help, and anything you find calming--music, aromas, an enjoyable book or movie or game. If this isn't enough there are anxiolytic medications that can be very helpful when the attack is a bad one--they would have to be prescribed by a doctor.