Does anyone else suffer from anxiety without PANIC attacks?
Hi 
I suffer from self-diagnosed Generalised Anxiety Disorder (I'd like to get professionally diagnosed but my parents won't let me go to the doctors.) It's not just me thinking "yeah i get scared sometimes i have anxiety", it's something that's been affecting me since I was 10, and all of my friends believe I suffer from GAD, including one whose mother is a psychiatrist, and I personally believe I do.
ANYWAY that's not what I came to talk about.
I have only ever had about 4 panic attacks in my life.
More than anything I get anxiety attacks- sudden overwhelming feelings of anxiety. It's not like I start hyperventilating or massively shaking and crying.
Just on a regular basis I feel anxious all of a sudden for no reason- I shake a little, I start feeling a little sick, I struggle to concentrate properly, my heart rate increases and my breathing becomes a bit more erratic.
Anyone else experience this?
Also, got any tips on how to stop these anxiety attacks? I'm kind of having one now induced by hypochondria ugh ;-;
I suffer from self-diagnosed Generalised Anxiety Disorder (I'd like to get professionally diagnosed but my parents won't let me go to the doctors.) It's not just me thinking "yeah i get scared sometimes i have anxiety", it's something that's been affecting me since I was 10, and all of my friends believe I suffer from GAD, including one whose mother is a psychiatrist, and I personally believe I do.
ANYWAY that's not what I came to talk about.
I have only ever had about 4 panic attacks in my life.
More than anything I get anxiety attacks- sudden overwhelming feelings of anxiety. It's not like I start hyperventilating or massively shaking and crying.
Just on a regular basis I feel anxious all of a sudden for no reason- I shake a little, I start feeling a little sick, I struggle to concentrate properly, my heart rate increases and my breathing becomes a bit more erratic.
Anyone else experience this?
Also, got any tips on how to stop these anxiety attacks? I'm kind of having one now induced by hypochondria ugh ;-;
I've been diagnosed with anxiety (or even avoidant personality disorder) by various psychiatrists and have only had a proper panic attack 3 times in my life so it's definitely possible. What you mention about feeling sick, shaking, increased heartrate/breathing etc are all common signs of anxiety. Is there a reason that your parents won't let you see a doctor? There are medications (such as propranolol and SSRIs) which specifically treat anxiety and these can really help people so you shouldn't suffer when there are solutions. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also effective at treating anxiety by altering your thinking patterns to less anxious ones.
Have you heard of mood gym? It's a free online CBT course which might be worth checking out as you can't see a doctor.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Have you heard of mood gym? It's a free online CBT course which might be worth checking out as you can't see a doctor.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Original post by Anonymous
(I'd like to get professionally diagnosed but my parents won't let me go to the doctors.
Just have to say this but you know you don't need your parents permission to go to the doctors don't you? Just ring them up and make an appointment. The doctor isn't allowed to discuss your medical conditions with your parents without your permission.
Mood Gym is awesome!
I agree I don't really get why a) your parents won't let you take care of your health and b) you don't just go anyway?
Is there a reason you tend to tell everyone about your self-diagnosis?
I have GAD but maybe only have a full-blown panic attack (when I'm stable) maybe once every 6 months. However panic attacks really vary in intensity depending on the person. For me, they are so bad I pass out and am ill for a few hours.
If you feel you don't want to go to the doctors you could always use CBT stuff online or go to a library, if it's stable enough without medication then you prob don't really need to see a doc.
I agree I don't really get why a) your parents won't let you take care of your health and b) you don't just go anyway?
Is there a reason you tend to tell everyone about your self-diagnosis?
I have GAD but maybe only have a full-blown panic attack (when I'm stable) maybe once every 6 months. However panic attacks really vary in intensity depending on the person. For me, they are so bad I pass out and am ill for a few hours.
If you feel you don't want to go to the doctors you could always use CBT stuff online or go to a library, if it's stable enough without medication then you prob don't really need to see a doc.
I feel anxious quite often but have only had a panic attack once, and that was because of stress rather than anxiety. I mainly get adrenaline rushes, stomach butterflies and tremors. You're not the only one who doesn't get panic attacks.
Original post by Anonymous
Hi
I suffer from self-diagnosed Generalised Anxiety Disorder (I'd like to get professionally diagnosed but my parents won't let me go to the doctors.) It's not just me thinking "yeah i get scared sometimes i have anxiety", it's something that's been affecting me since I was 10, and all of my friends believe I suffer from GAD, including one whose mother is a psychiatrist, and I personally believe I do.
ANYWAY that's not what I came to talk about.
I have only ever had about 4 panic attacks in my life.
More than anything I get anxiety attacks- sudden overwhelming feelings of anxiety. It's not like I start hyperventilating or massively shaking and crying.
Just on a regular basis I feel anxious all of a sudden for no reason- I shake a little, I start feeling a little sick, I struggle to concentrate properly, my heart rate increases and my breathing becomes a bit more erratic.
Anyone else experience this?
Also, got any tips on how to stop these anxiety attacks? I'm kind of having one now induced by hypochondria ugh ;-;
I suffer from self-diagnosed Generalised Anxiety Disorder (I'd like to get professionally diagnosed but my parents won't let me go to the doctors.) It's not just me thinking "yeah i get scared sometimes i have anxiety", it's something that's been affecting me since I was 10, and all of my friends believe I suffer from GAD, including one whose mother is a psychiatrist, and I personally believe I do.
ANYWAY that's not what I came to talk about.
I have only ever had about 4 panic attacks in my life.
More than anything I get anxiety attacks- sudden overwhelming feelings of anxiety. It's not like I start hyperventilating or massively shaking and crying.
Just on a regular basis I feel anxious all of a sudden for no reason- I shake a little, I start feeling a little sick, I struggle to concentrate properly, my heart rate increases and my breathing becomes a bit more erratic.
Anyone else experience this?
Also, got any tips on how to stop these anxiety attacks? I'm kind of having one now induced by hypochondria ugh ;-;
I think everybody's mode of panicking is different. If I get overwhelmed with anxiety, I cry really easy and can't stop. That's it - no hyperventilation, breathing problems, etc. I just can't stop crying. It took me a while to realise it was a form of anxiety attack and different to being upset. As to how to stop them, I wish I knew!
Re: not going to the doctor's, if your mother is a psychiatrist she might worry about you being labelled. Once you've been formally diagnosed with something you then have a legal requirement to disclose it when asked - the DVLA might ask about it for driving purposes, for example, or travel/life insurers may ask if you've ever been diagnosed with an anxiety condition. No diagnosis = no need to disclose. If you don't disclose it and it's on your medical record they could then use it to wheedle out of paying out a claim, not to mention charging higher premiums in the first place. Which might not sound that much of a big deal when you're young but when you're older and actually need travel/life insurance you could regret it. Maybe ask your mother why she doesn't want you to go? I'd love to get formally diagnosed but the above puts me off.
(edited 9 years ago)
Absolutely yes you can. My Anxiety before I knew what it was started off around 6 years ago. Infact I remember my first ever panic attack to the date (ok i'd had panic attacks before but they were like every few years or even decades which is normal for anyone) It only became an Anxiety disorder the one night I was eating felt as if i'd choked on my chicken (which I hadn't) i'd felt a bit iffy (after a serious traumatic event in my early 20s) and noticed it creep up at around 23 years old. The first time round I had panic attacks so violent for a good part of 1-2 years most persistenly all day everyday I lived on soft foods, soup, toast, mash, basically lost literally all my weight dropped to 8 stone (for a man of 6ft 2 that's horrifying. I convinced myself I had MSm Cancer, was dying, my entire body would get pins and needles (one time I felt so trapped in a taxi journey I took off my seatbelt and wanted to just jump straight out the car (I had to get the driver to stop because I was going to jump out because I felt trapped and restricted) I have had panic attacks so bad I went to A E, had and ECG, Lumber punctures and MRI scans just to be absolutely sure. I became a self medicating drinker (I still am just not heavy spirits daily) Have been and sometimes still am on 120MG of Propanolol. Now I suffer msotly with LSA's Limited symptom attacks. They range for me mostly as heavy tight chest (pressure feeling) pain in chest which I have learned to ignore, palpatations, Sweaty hands, tight thraot, double swallowing, literally cannot swallow, globus and this can go on persistently (which it does jsut some days worst than others) I get shallow slow breathing rather than hyperventalating, weakness on one or both sides, tremors, highly sensitive hearing which I have always had, intuative (I mean I am an Empath so that might be the reason I suffer with Anxiety in the first place) The weird and bizzare experiences I have had to put up with ranging from (I won't leave the house and get angry to I can make it but feel dizzy and *****y ranges daily) Sometimes I have minimal Anxiety other times it's bouts and bouts like a squail line of Thunderstorms. My issue is I don't flight, my mood can turn from perfectly fine to aggrovated, short tempered and paranoid. I have the unforunate issue of I lose my temper when I get Anxiety and yes I smash things up, and my temper is boiling point (I fight basically) Yet I have absolutely no issue with self control on a general basis. I'm an impatiant, easily pissy and take no ******** person as it is (extreme realism) so adding on the I will break your neck i'm having Anxiety stop pushing my trip switch doesn't help. I totally understand Anxiety it is like an abyss a pit of oblivion, a black hole of horror sucking you in deeper and the more you try to climb back out the tighter it takes its hold. I tried fighting Anxiety (IT DOESN'T WORK PERIOD) Then I went **** you Anxiety you want to play games fine lets play! So I invited it in, let it make me feel like all hell on Earth then when it subsided I burst out laughing going is that it? Pfffft like wow is that all you've got? Hit me with something pathetic panic attacks, I'm bigger than you, stronger, my body my rules ***** so I always win 
It hasn't cured my Anxiety but it's damn well helped. I just offered it out and showed it how weak it was and how strong I am.
It hasn't cured my Anxiety but it's damn well helped. I just offered it out and showed it how weak it was and how strong I am.
