Is your anxiety all chemical, or is it compounded by worry?

My anxiety started out all chemical.  But now that it's gone on for so long, I find that I'm adding worried thoughts to the physiological anxiety and just making it so much worse.  It seems like when the brain is in fight or flight, you look for things to be scared of.  To be fair, I am recovering from Covid, which is a scary thing.  But even though it's pretty obvious that my symptoms are getting lighter and lighter and that I'm not going to die, I still can't shake the worried thoughts.  That's the last thing I need, since I already have enough physiological tension for anyone.

Worrying is one thing I’m good at, so it definitely compounds the chemical anxiety. Hypochondria+benzo WD=a bad time.

Same as Ronin.  Though, I think my "normal" anxiety would be manageable without the benzo-excited cns. 

 

With wd, i was terrified my cold this week would become bronchitis, pneumonia, or a sinus infection.  Its going away. 

 

But, every day I find some new thing, physical symptom, to obsess over and think is going to turn into the worst possible thing.  These are thoughts so I know it's not just chemical.  I feel like when the chemical anxiety is going my thoughts are reasonably calm, I just feel anxious.  When the two combine it can ramp to panic pretty quick

I worried myself into a panic attack today that was so bad it left me shaking and trembling for quite some time after.  Such a miserable day it has been!

 

Thanks for your input, guys.  Makes me feel less alone.

Hello guys,

 

Indeed the worries will definitely make your anxiety much worse than it is. The theory is quite simple, but hard at the same time :

if you choose to accept the anxiety ( no matter what form) and leave it be, then there are big chances that the anxiety (in time) will diminish.

 

But if you put your thoughts to it and "fight" it every time, then the anxiety will always win it's a fact.

I know it is not easy, but you can start by this small example : if you have a broken leg, would you worry over and over on it and try to fix it your self by walking and running on it, to try to make it better. No ! You know that broken leg will heal itself over time and you let it be.

The same example is always with anxiety, when it comes, let it be, accept it, observe it and do nothing more, you will get this in time, but this is the road to letting your brain understand that it's not a real danger and in time it will heal.

 

Try "At last a life" by Paul David. It's absolutely the best idea / book for anxiety. I would say the real cure.

Of course if you suffer from withdrawal from benzos at this point, things become more complicated, but the theory is the same, it really helps to understand this. 

 

 

Sage I understand completely.  I can work myself up into the biggest mountain of anxiety very quickly its just ridiculous!  I actually slapped myself across the face the other day and told myself to get hold of myself.  If anyone had seen me they would have hauled me off!!!  You are not alone.

 

Sage I understand completely.  I can work myself up into the biggest mountain of anxiety very quickly its just ridiculous!  I actually slapped myself across the face the other day and told myself to get hold of myself.  If anyone had seen me they would have hauled me off!!!  You are not alone.

 

 

OMG you sound like me! lol  A couple days ago I was such a mess.  It was so good nobody was here to see! 

Sage I understand completely.  I can work myself up into the biggest mountain of anxiety very quickly its just ridiculous!  I actually slapped myself across the face the other day and told myself to get hold of myself.  If anyone had seen me they would have hauled me off!!!  You are not alone.

 

 

OMG you sound like me! lol  A couple days ago I was such a mess.  It was so good nobody was here to see!

 

Sage this anxiety is just crazy!!!  Lex recommended the book At Last A Life by Paul David... I just put it on my kindle and am reading it.  I really think it is going to be a great help you might want to check it out.  I figure its worth a try I can use all the help I can get.

 

Hugs❤

Sage I understand completely.  I can work myself up into the biggest mountain of anxiety very quickly its just ridiculous!  I actually slapped myself across the face the other day and told myself to get hold of myself.  If anyone had seen me they would have hauled me off!!!  You are not alone.

 

 

OMG you sound like me! lol  A couple days ago I was such a mess.  It was so good nobody was here to see!

 

Sage this anxiety is just crazy!!!  Lex recommended the book At Last A Life by Paul David... I just put it on my kindle and am reading it.  I really think it is going to be a great help you might want to check it out.  I figure its worth a try I can use all the help I can get.

 

Hugs❤

 

I put a sample of it on my Kindle.  Will be reading it tonight.  If it's good, I will definitely buy the whole thing.  ((((hugs))))

All chemical and frankly feel that it continued for 32 years. Recently I decided to taper xanax (chemical) finally stopping a week ago. My anxiety is there but not as wild as in past years. I feel I was experiencing cravings when my body wanted more Xanax and I resisted. It disguised itself as anxiety. Now that I’m off, I feel better and more stable & rational.

In other words I’ve been stoned for 32 years. It feels so so better! I still have underlying nervousness. Who isn’t nervous now a day.

Stay safe and Peace.

All chemical and frankly feel that it continued for 32 years. Recently I decided to taper xanax (chemical) finally stopping a week ago. My anxiety is there but not as wild as in past years. I feel I was experiencing cravings when my body wanted more Xanax and I resisted. It disguised itself as anxiety. Now that I’m off, I feel better and more stable & rational.

In other words I’ve been stoned for 32 years. It feels so so better! I still have underlying nervousness. Who isn’t nervous now a day.

Stay safe and Peace.

 

So happy you figured out it was the Xanax!  So many people going through life thinking they have a disorder and it was the drugs the whole time. 

Guys. What Paul David is saying in his book, explaining basically his 10 years struggle with anxiety, as from someone that knows this deeply as we d, it's just gold.

 

Main understanding of the book : Don't fight anxiety, because anxiety will always fight back harder, accept it, observe it and let it just be there. When you respond and fight anxiety you are in a constant circle, but if you accept it (as uncomfortable it may be), in time, your brain will learn to heal and understand that is not a treat.

 

Don't get me wrong, it is not easy, but once you understand and you can easily start to let it be there, with no fight, you first get a small relief, a relief that will grow more and more, until the healing will start. It will take time, it's different with each person, but this is the best approach.

 

Note: Ofc we need to take care of tapering our drugs / poison's in the meantime as well.

Just about everything causes me anxiety and I never used to be this way.  It's from my damaged nervous system.  I was never like this until drugs royally messed me up.

Just about everything causes me anxiety and I never used to be this way.  It's from my damaged nervous system.  I was never like this until drugs royally messed me up.

 

Me too, Becky.  I'm 8 years out from my last dose, but the hypersensitivity never really went away completely.  I have a much harder time with stress and illness than before.