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Hi! idk if I have anxiety or not, but I suspect I do to some extent. I think I have the stereotypical type, like being scared to present and overthinking stuff, but I’m also a really talky person, so I’m not sure as I haven’t really ever been educated about this. Pandas with anxiety and panic attacks, what does it feel like (if u wanna share)?
Kinda unrelated but I have this thing where sometimes I reallly wanna say something but I can’t. Like my brain half-blanks and my mouth half-can’t say it, if that makes sense at all. I feel lowk stupid saying that like I’m trying to get attention but I think maybe it’s from the Oldest Sister as Third Parent and having some sort of reaction (like idk heightened anxietyish) to living in china during Covid lockdowns.
Sorry if this doesn’t really make sense lol. Have a lovely day
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#1
Hi! Anxiety typically feels like a sick feeling in your stomach when you think about what’s scaring you, and when you are feeling anxious, everything will seem much more scary and important than it should. Hope that helps. I also want to let you know, just because you’ve felt anxious doesn’t mean you have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is just an extension of fear, a leftover from when humans had to fight for their lives 24/7. It’s perfectly ok to feel anxious from time to time, and it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. Work on thinking things through logically and finding things that calm you down, and it should improve. I’d recommend you try to stop worrying about whether you have an anxiety disorder or not, as that only makes it worse in my experience. Hope that helps!
Final score:
3points
Crazy Cookie (Submission author) 7 months ago
Also, I’d guess the blanking out thing is a combination of lack of sleep (it’s a teenager thing) and an anxiety reaction.
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#2
As for an anxiety attack: Your pulse races, you're sick to your stomach, your limbs turn cold and weak. This is from personal experience.
Final score:
2points
#3
It's pacing. Anxiety and panic attacks for me are pacing around with a silent scream, but not screaming, it's holding an apple core a whole meeting because if you get up what if someone thinks your wrong? It's wearing the same outfit every day because what if something different looks weird?
Final score:
2points
#4
anxiety is a normal human emotion, so yeah, you probably have it. It can feel like a lot of different things, so don't freak out. It gets easier to handle when you talk with other people (friends) about it, cuz its not very special or uncommon, so a lot of people can relate. There isnt anything wrong with you.
Final score:
1point
#5
When it's bad I feel very claustrophobic...it feels like I'm not getting enough air or I'm trapped in a small space. My brain then clicks on my "fight or flight" response and I tend to get very emotional or angry if I can't resolve the situation quickly.
When it's not bad it usually just feels like brain-fog and I can't think straight. If I leave it, it will get worse until I start feeling claustrophobic.
It tends to happen more if I've had a long day, or I haven't eaten enough, or something.
When I feel anxiety coming on I usually take a little break from whatever is causing it, get some sunshine, drink some water, have a little (non-sugar) snack and pet a cat. Works most of the time.
Final score:
1point
#6
That sinking feeling when you miss the last step on the stairs... but all the time!
Final score:
1point
#7
Normal anxiety for me is constant pressure in my head, like my head is compressing. Bad anxiety for me is weak knees, light headed, butterflies in my stomach.
Final score:
1point
Red PANda (she/they) 6 months ago
Omg the head pressure, I used to think I had a brain tumor or smthn because I’m a hypochondriac as well 😓
#8
It’s different for everyone. To me, it feels like a pang in my chest that won’t go away. Sometimes it feels like my heart is racing.
This I think is related to my OCD, but I can’t stop thinking about the thing I’m worried about. Even if I try to rationalize why I shouldn’t be worried, it doesn’t change anything. And if I solve one problem, my anxiety grasps another topic to worry about.
During panic attacks, I become hypervigilant, my visual snow can get worse, I can start shaking or trembling, and I can have trouble swallowing. I get this rush of adrenaline and panic that can sometimes come back in like waves.
As for your trouble speaking, id really recommend seeing a specialist, like a neurologist. It sounds like it could be like connnection issues between your mouth and your brain.
If it seems more anxiety/panic related, look up selective mutism. See if that sounds like what you have. I’ve heard people experience it in different ways.
Think about when it started. If it started in a time of lots of anxiety, it could be selective mutism, but COVID also can cause brain damage, so take that into account if you have had COVID before.
But anyways talk to a psychologist or neurologist about it. I’m a psychology and biology nerd, but I’m not a professional.
Final score:
1point
#9
For me, it feels like nothing at all. Didn’t know that I had it till anti anxiety/antidepressants virtually eliminated every health problem I had
Final score:
0points
#10
Constant suffocating and being trapped in your own head for me
Final score:
0points
#11
For me, it's like a repetitive stomach drop when I think about whatever is triggering it (similar to what Klepkip posted), usually with a spike in my heartrate and a sense of dread. When it's really bad, sometimes hyperventilating and crying. After it passes, I'm usually exhausted.
Final score:
0points
#12
For me and Anxiety attack feels like my heart is being squeezed and it becomes extremely hard to breathe. It feels like everything is wrong and it is all your fault and you know there is nothing you can do about it. Then everything feels very heavy until it passes and you start to feel like an idiot for reacting that way. Even though you know that you can't control it.
Final score:
0points
What do you think ?
UncleJohn3000 6 months ago
In my case, the panic attack was correct for pulling me off a steep roof in a wind and rain storm. I wanted to help friends seal their roof leak but my body said "I am going down." And I did. In 6" scoots, each one accompanied by a small scream.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 6 months ago
A mix of a sort of twisty hollow feeling in your stomach, but for me it’s mostly shame. I constantly think about everything I do and how people could judge me for it, I automatically think the worst possibility is the one that will happen, and I think back over and over to every dumb thing I’ve done and how horrible I am for doing it.
UncleJohn3000 6 months ago
In my case, the panic attack was correct for pulling me off a steep roof in a wind and rain storm. I wanted to help friends seal their roof leak but my body said "I am going down." And I did. In 6" scoots, each one accompanied by a small scream.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 6 months ago
A mix of a sort of twisty hollow feeling in your stomach, but for me it’s mostly shame. I constantly think about everything I do and how people could judge me for it, I automatically think the worst possibility is the one that will happen, and I think back over and over to every dumb thing I’ve done and how horrible I am for doing it.
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