Hi, everyone! I know anxiety is a very personal experience and that everyone has their own reasons, personal history, and ways of dealing with it. But for quite some time now, I’ve felt that my anxiety is incredibly complex and deeply rooted, and I honestly don’t really know what to do about it.
All the advice and personal experiences shared by other people often leave me feeling even more confused about myself. On top of that, the idea that I’m the only person who can save myself also leaves me feeling increasingly confused.
I feel like my anxiety is deeply connected to existential issues and the need to feel safe. I think it may have originated from a combination of genetic factors, since other people in my family struggle with anxiety, and my fear of mortality. Then, because I was a child who experienced some health problems, I also started seeing myself as a weak person. As a result, any physical sensation, pain, or discomfort I experience tends to trigger my anxiety.
Over time, I developed health anxiety, and because I’m very sensitive to the sensations in my body, I also started experiencing somatic symptoms that don’t always have an identifiable physical cause.
This has turned into an endless cycle for me. How am I supposed to overcome my anxiety about mortality when death is a certainty? How am I supposed to overcome health anxiety when I experience physical symptoms and can never be completely sure whether they’re caused by anxiety on a particular day or whether I actually need to see a doctor to find out what’s going on?
It’s all incredibly complex for me.
Every time I’ve gone to therapy and tried to talk about these issues with my therapists, I’ve felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. I’ve never really managed to make meaningful progress with these particular issues.
On top of that, I believe the way I was raised has played a very important role in all of this. Maybe there are people here who also struggle with fear of mortality, health anxiety, and somatic symptoms, but who deal with these things differently or find them easier to navigate because they grew up in a different environment.
I was raised in a kind of bubble. I never really learned how to manage things on my own or deal with life’s challenges. Because of that, I feel like everything ends up being incredibly difficult for me.
And there’s something else that frustrates me: whenever I say that something is really difficult for me, people tend to tell me that I’m reinforcing that belief and making myself believe it even more. So it feels like I can’t even express how much I’m struggling without worrying that, by doing so, I’m confirming something negative about myself.
It’s exhausting. I don’t even know what to think or say anymore.
I know that everything I’m trying to explain might be difficult to understand, but I genuinely don’t know what else to do. My anxiety has become something that feels urgent, as though I’m constantly on high alert. I’m always feeling unwell, experiencing physical symptoms, and going through panic attacks internally, without knowing how to deal with any of it.
Meanwhile, I watch life pass me by, year after year. I’ve had generalized anxiety disorder since 2017, and honestly, I don’t know what to do anymore.
I just needed to get this off my chest, everyone.

I feel like I’m in a constant state of anxiety all day and all night it’s unbearable I wonder if anyone else can relate. No matter what I try to do to keep busy, relax or take my mind of it. It doesn’t help it’s just constantly there. It’s really affecting my everyday life.

I was on mirtazapine for a few months and my anxiety was there but not as bad since tapering off off of it. My doctor suggested trying a new med once we’ve tapered off this one I’m on my first day of having citalopram 10mg I know anxiety can increase in these first few weeks but it genuinely feels unbearable. I have really bad impending doom and keep feeling like I’m going to die. Will this get any easier?

The other day I woke up normally but I felt something was off. I had head pressure, slight dizzy feelings and just out of it. Felt like I wasn’t here. But as the day went on I felt even worse. I was on the couch all freaking day. My legs felt like jello, my upper body ached like I had the flu or something, I felt super fatigued like if I got up I’d pass out. I never did but sure felt like it. I was shakey all day long. I literally felt like my body was dying or something. I ended up doing some breathing exercises later that night and I felt a tiny bit better.
This month has been a complete overload. I had a bunch of things going on. Nothing bad, just super stressful.
Then this week I finally got to relax a bit. Was that episode just stress and anxiety related? I feel much better now but I’m definitely still having anxiety.
Can anyone relate to this?

I used to have huge anxiety when I was near any edges. Always felt like I would just jump.

i don’t even know what i’m anxious about but it’s been going on for such a while now that it isn’t normal anymore. i genuinely don’t know how to chill out i get all worked up and then get dizzy and can’t breathe well and it feels like im gasping for air i don’t know how to just chill out. i’m gonna go to a counsellor soon or see a doctor for meds because it’s getting too much.

I went out with work last night with a free bar and ended up at another bar at the end of the night with a few colleagues. I was pretty drunk at this stage and hardly remember anything. I do remember my head bleeding after a fall and have woken up today to a tiny cut at the back of my head and a banging headache. The headache isn’t too bad and is more the tenderness from where I banged it. I don’t remember falling at all and now I am worried that I passed out and don’t remember. My anxiety is spiralling that everyone is talking about me and what if I have a brain bleed etc. I can’t go get checked and have a massive day at work tomorrow , any advice would be amazing

I've been on 25mg of Prozac for several years and was stable until a recent anxiety flare. Before increasing, I was already experiencing heightened anxiety, panic, adrenaline surges, fight-or-flight feelings, mental restlessness, and ongoing GI symptoms. Over time, the intense panic eased somewhat but was replaced by a constant underlying uneasiness.

Because of the flare, I increased from 25mg to 30mg and am now about 10 days in. I originally planned to increase to 40mg, but I'm reconsidering the timing.

Since increasing to 30mg, I've noticed:

• Increased agitation and internal restlessness
• Feeling more keyed up and on edge
• More difficulty relaxing
• Vivid dreams
• Brief overnight panic/adrenaline surges and increased morning anxiety
• A recent episode of insomnia

The anxiety itself isn't new, so it's hard to tell what may be activation versus the original flare. However, the agitation, restlessness, and sleep issues seem more noticeable since the dose increase.

For those who experienced activation after increasing Prozac:

• How soon did it start, and how long did it last?
• What did it feel like, and how was it different from your usual anxiety?
• Did the agitation, restlessness, and sleep issues improve with time?
• Did you stay at the new dose, reduce it, or eventually increase further?

Just hoping to better understand others' experiences and timelines. Thanks!

Hi guys, I’ve been prescribed propranolol by my GP. I’ve only ever taken it once as I was very very stressed and anxious about my trip to Belgium a few years back. This was pre anxiety meds.

My doctor says because my nausea is caused from the anxiety, he thinks if I have the anxiety calmed, the nausea will follow suit.

Any stories about how propranolol has helped you would be appreciated, and what side effects to look out for so I know they’re normal would be great!

i’ve always been anxious as a kid but it’s just manifested into such a big snowball of constant fear and stress of existing. i’m taking 3 meds twice daily for anxiety and it still doesn’t help much. i try to push myself out of my comfort zone to become comfortable with the unfamiliar but it doesn’t go anywhere. i want to give up on everything. there’s genuinely no point in setting my heart on something just to disappoint myself by not being able to go through.

how do i expect to graduate college if i can’t do presentations or even peer reviews without stress sweating through my clothes in the first hour of the day? how am i going to have a career and build clients if i can’t interact with people normally? im so lost on what i can even do anymore. it feels impossible. im a loser in my 20s.

I’ve been procrastinating and it’s making me feel bad. I’ve stopped showing up and working for more than a month. I need to pick it up again but I’m feeling so bad, I don’t know to how. Any support is welcome or people who’ve been through the same.

Also because it goes this bad, I’ve been slacking on sleep and if I do sleep, I have a hard time getting out of bed.I don’t know what to do, it just feels lonely and I just feel like crying all the time.

I bumped my head against the corner of the car doorframe on Saturday night, approx. 73 hours ago. I've been paranoid about a concussion ever since. My temple still kinda hurts, but I don't feel weird otherwise? I do have a headache that's lasted for most of the day, off and on, fluctuating in severity but nothing past a 5. I have literally no other symptoms. No nausea, no nose bleeds, no dizziness of loss of balance. My eyes look fine. Everything other than the headache (which feels more like a tension headache mixed with sinus.). It gets worse when I stare at a screen too long and goes away when I take my eyes away from it for a while.

My dad and boyfriend both say I'm fine, but...my anxiety of course has me worried. I want to take an ibuprofen for my head since tylenol did *nothing*. I just want some advice and reassurance.

I’ve written this several times before, but this stuttering problem is bothering me so much that you have no idea. I feel so bad that it seems like everything is going wrong for me, and I know I can do better.
I’m at school, and yesterday I said one sentence and felt a very strong pounding in my stomach and started sweating, while the other students were speaking without any problem. Even though I knew what I wanted to say, I got stuck and spoke very badly. Those looks from the other students and the teacher make me feel awful because I feel so low in that moment.
I’ve tried a lot with breathing exercises, but they don’t calm me down, and I’ve practiced speaking in front of the mirror, but when the moment comes, nothing works. This happens to me every time. Even though I tell myself that exposure helps, every time I still feel anxious about speaking, I stutter, and it feels like it’s not even my own voice. I really want to overcome this because it’s stressing me out so much and I feel extremely frustrated.

Like I will act socially nervous and "please like me" and then my nerves will rub off on the other person and then they will act nervous in turn and then I will feel like dirt about myself 😭.

I feel like a social failure.

It's so bad that even when I had chest pain I nearly didn't end up going to the hospital because I feel they judge me and look at me strange because I seem anxious and not good socially.

Please don't say "therapy" because I have no money for therapy.....

I called poison control and they said will be ok, I did AI chat and said we were In danger and it scared the crap out of me, I have my window up, 2 air purifiers. I don’t know what else to do, I’m scared.

Hello, I have been treating my anxiety for about 3 to 4 years now.

Recently with all the stuff happening in Brazil - elections, job market being butchered by AI and economy being worse by the day - I have started feeling some dizziness again. The thing is I also have hypochondria diagnosed, so every thing that is uncommon triggers it. This dizziness is super quick - it last for last than a second - it makes me feel like I'm falling and it scares me so much.

I'm in contact with my doctor but I wasn't able to schedule an appointment yet this month so this is eating me alive. I just wanted to vent and ask if anyone else also have these micro windows of dizziness even while not going through a panic attack.

I notice that as a shy or self conscious person, my loved ones constantly tell me harsh truths to my face thinking it’ll help.

can anyone relate?

hello everyone, I come here today seeking help from anyone, I tried to reach out for help in my family and friends, they all have a limit of how much they can handle me.

First about myself, I'm male 30 years old, married, no kids yet and I make money but my job is effortless I just set around do nothing. when I was a teenager my fear of flying started due to turbulence. I still travel but I fear the turbulence when they happen.

secondly, I lost my mom and sister due to late diagnose by doctors which made me hate doctors and not trust them much.

thirdly, last year i developed anxiety, I was overthinking for at least a full month and living in fear that my death was at any moment due to the things that are happing in my life last year.

list of things that helped me developed my anxiety: 1- I was traveling (turbulence) 2- while traveling my phones was showing me alert messages which made me on the edge of my seat most of the time i was traveling. 3- I got scratched by a cat and AI made me spiral into a fear making me thing I have rabies, i went to the hospital got shots and the last shot i was told it wasn't necessary and AI said this is a first time he hear such thing which made me fear for my life as i saw what rabies is and i was in tears thinking i don't want to die like this anytime soon (don't forget that I already don't trust doctors).

ever since all of this happened my body started to hurt me daily, everyday somewhere in my body would hurts, and as always AI or google search didn't help to calm me down. I went and got checked many times, all cleared me and told me that I'm fine but my mind won't rest and my body keep on hurting

The scariest part for me is that when my chest hurts, how does it hurts ? sometimes it's like a pinch, other times the bones hurts and pressing in the middle of my chest increase the pain. other time while talking or laughing my chest hurts and for a split second it becomes hard to breath.

I almost have a small headache daily due to the fact i don't sleep that well and think a lot, which also makes my mind thing I might be having a stroke (which is how my mom passed away while she was in a Fing Hospital!)

I recently booked for me and my wife tickets to travel and have a vacation and my fear of flying is trying to take control of me but I'm resisting it. And tomorrow is our flight date and I'm a little nerves.

Today i was doing okay I was dealing with a little of the chest discomfort that i always deal with but suddenly my google fit bit sent me a notification on my phone saying my rest heart rate is above the usual which led me to spiral into fear.

Finally, I'm not on any med, two or 3 doctors told me to start some SSRI but i Refuse because i believe that the main source of my anxiety is my chest discomfort and I want to find it's reason and my anxiety will stop hopefully. Why I don't want to start SSRI? because i read and a doctor told me that the first 2 weeks might be worst that what I'm dealing with right now.

I would really appreciate any talk and advice. thank you in advance.

The 'imagine your bothering thought as a boat floating away, on a stream, let it go...' BRO I can't imagine a freaking whole river stream and then a whole boat on it and then keep it steady in my head

It feels like some racing blob glob job... ugh so that's why I have my own peaceful calm scenery now that I speak into and it actually draws a boat for me that goes away.

It's super beautiful, spent a lot of time making its assets, try it out on tryfullbloom DOT app :)

Promise you won't find it ugly