Do you ever fear other mental health illnesses?

[Seryn]

With physical symptoms we all really fear the worst illnesses but does anyone's anxiety make them fear they have a worse mental illness than anxiety?

Gosh I'm struggling this week. But it's not a physical symptom? I just feel mad, feel like I'm going crazy. I haven't suffered with this since 2014. I was cooking tea last night for everyone and couldn't function properly like I was in a dream and making weird mistakes and felt really out of it. I served sweetcorn and put it on the counter and not a plate?! I then suddenly felt extremely hot and was sweating and like I was going to faint. And then it hit me. Stop. This is a panic attack and panic disorder. You are not going mad. I intentionally slowed down and stopped it within 10mins. I'm a bit on edge today that I got in that mindframe and state again before realising it was panic. I'm exhausted today, I'm teary and I'm startling at any noise. I'm worried my mental health is taking a dip and what if it gets worse and worse and I do go mad or get diagnosed with a really bad mental health condition.

I'm trying to connect the dots. In 2014 this started when I took myself back to study. I loved it but my ADHD means I am an awful student as I can't start tasks like normal people. I've just started a new course. I'm enjoying it loads and I'm good at it, but awful at task initiation. I think it's the cause of my panic subconsciously. I don't want to quit. I need this course (finishes in September) to progress in work. I don't have the luxury not to being a single mum and all the price rises. I have to do it, but I'm keeping an eye on my mental health. I see no direct connection but I don't feel like I'm making much sense to myself right now so maybe it's obvious?

 

[restlessduck]

I remember for at least a week I could hear this distinct ringing in my ears. And it wouldn't stop. It was annoying me so so much. I thought I was going crazy or had tinnitus. I couldn't fall asleep, couldn't focus. It stopped spontaneously and I continued on living. I think it was just a manifestation of my anxiety since I had read about tinnitus a couple of days before. There's times when yeah, I fear other mental health illnesses but it's not as common.

Anxiety isn't taken seriously but it is serious. At least I think so. Anxiety can manifest real symptoms, pain or illusions of symptoms. Anxiety can make you feel helpless, like you're not in control. People who don't have anxiety at the level we have don't understand. A lot of people have told me to "just relax.. breathe" as if that's going to help. They don't understand. They think I'm just "feeling anxious". It's not that we feel anxious momentarily, it's that that's our baseline and it keeps getting worse and worse.

Personally, haven't done it, can't afford to, but if you can go see a therapist about your anxiety. People say it helps. What I do is just note down my symptoms and log my anxieties so that I can look back and read them when I'm anxious to calm myself down. It helps to know that you've already experienced the exact scenario you're experiencing right now, in the past.

 

[Sweet T]

Sounds like some depersonalization. Very common with anxiety. I usually notice it on me when I look at my hands and think they don’t look like mine. I mean I know they are but somehow they look foreign too. I’ve read it’s your brain trying to protect you. I get that almost dreamy feeling too. Things just don’t seem quite real. Unsettling.

 

[Seryn]

I remember for at least a week I could hear this distinct ringing in my ears. And it wouldn't stop. It was annoying me so so much. I thought I was going crazy or had tinnitus. I couldn't fall asleep, couldn't focus. It stopped spontaneously and I continued on living. I think it was just a manifestation of my anxiety since I had read about tinnitus a couple of days before. There's times when yeah, I fear other mental health illnesses but it's not as common.

Anxiety isn't taken seriously but it is serious. At least I think so. Anxiety can manifest real symptoms, pain or illusions of symptoms. Anxiety can make you feel helpless, like you're not in control. People who don't have anxiety at the level we have don't understand. A lot of people have told me to "just relax.. breathe" as if that's going to help. They don't understand. They think I'm just "feeling anxious". It's not that we feel anxious momentarily, it's that that's our baseline and it keeps getting worse and worse.

Personally, haven't done it, can't afford to, but if you can go see a therapist about your anxiety. People say it helps. What I do is just note down my symptoms and log my anxieties so that I can look back and read them when I'm anxious to calm myself down. It helps to know that you've already experienced the exact scenario you're experiencing right now, in the past.

Yes I'm on a waiting list to see a therapist, I have a feeling it's just a NHS councillor and it won't do much but this is the step recommended by Dr first. It's a year wait I think I'm expecting to start 12 weeks from around July. They usually just nod and listen which is nice but it solves nothing I found in the past.

Sounds like some depersonalization. Very common with anxiety. I usually notice it on me when I look at my hands and think they don’t look like mine. I mean I know they are but somehow they look foreign too. I’ve read it’s your brain trying to protect you. I get that almost dreamy feeling too. Things just don’t seem quite real. Unsettling.

Yes I think it was depersonalisation. I feel like I'm on the edge of pure panic when I happens but it's without a cause which makes it feel like a dream? When I first experienced it I totally freaked out but now I no what it is I can calm it very quickly and I'm. It afraid of it. What I am afraid of is that I'm getting to the stage in anxiety where it's happening again, I think I'm worried my mental health is getting worse, ha which in itself could just be an anxious thought!

I'm trying to juggle too much in life, there's nothing I can drop and I'm just surviving not living. I'm not sure how to get off the forever spinning wheel to stop it and calm down. If that makes any sense?!
I have things I need to achieve and because of anxiety I can't and I'm getting frustrated and putting myself down. I could stop but then I've failed and given in to my anxiety.

 

[Jonathan123]

With physical symptoms we all really fear the worst illnesses but does anyone's anxiety make them fear they have a worse mental illness than anxiety?

Gosh I'm struggling this week. But it's not a physical symptom? I just feel mad, feel like I'm going crazy. I haven't suffered with this since 2014. I was cooking tea last night for everyone and couldn't function properly like I was in a dream and making weird mistakes and felt really out of it. I served sweetcorn and put it on the counter and not a plate?! I then suddenly felt extremely hot and was sweating and like I was going to faint. And then it hit me. Stop. This is a panic attack and panic disorder. You are not going mad. I intentionally slowed down and stopped it within 10mins. I'm a bit on edge today that I got in that mindframe and state again before realising it was panic. I'm exhausted today, I'm teary and I'm startling at any noise. I'm worried my mental health is taking a dip and what if it gets worse and worse and I do go mad or get diagnosed with a really bad mental health condition.

I'm trying to connect the dots. In 2014 this started when I took myself back to study. I loved it but my ADHD means I am an awful student as I can't start tasks like normal people. I've just started a new course. I'm enjoying it loads and I'm good at it, but awful at task initiation. I think it's the cause of my panic subconsciously. I don't want to quit. I need this course (finishes in September) to progress in work. I don't have the luxury not to being a single mum and all the price rises. I have to do it, but I'm keeping an eye on my mental health. I see no direct connection but I don't feel like I'm making much sense to myself right now so maybe it's obvious?

YOU ARE NOT GOING CRAZY! That is a very common symprtom of anxiety. I have never regarded anxiaty as a real mental illness as it is possible to recover. The more serious forms of mental illness do require onging treatment, even for a lifetime. Anxiety is an upset nervous disorder, nothing more, and is due to wrong thinking. Anyone on here who writes a legible post has anxiety only. Don't be fooled and bluffed in believing otherwise.
What you did during your panic attack was a good reaction not a negative one. You will feel exhausted because anxiety and especially panic, uses a lot of nervous energy. Try and accept that's how it works and continue to give yourself a boost by thinking positively as you seem to be doing.
You have seen the effects anxiety can cause, and you are acquiring knowledge which is a big tool for the better. The more we know about anxiety the less we fear it.

 

[sudheer]

With physical symptoms we all really fear the worst illnesses but does anyone's anxiety make them fear they have a worse mental illness than anxiety?

Gosh I'm struggling this week. But it's not a physical symptom? I just feel mad, feel like I'm going crazy. I haven't suffered with this since 2014. I was cooking tea last night for everyone and couldn't function properly like I was in a dream and making weird mistakes and felt really out of it. I served sweetcorn and put it on the counter and not a plate?! I then suddenly felt extremely hot and was sweating and like I was going to faint. And then it hit me. Stop. This is a panic attack and panic disorder. You are not going mad. I intentionally slowed down and stopped it within 10mins. I'm a bit on edge today that I got in that mindframe and state again before realising it was panic. I'm exhausted today, I'm teary and I'm startling at any noise. I'm worried my mental health is taking a dip and what if it gets worse and worse and I do go mad or get diagnosed with a really bad mental health condition.

I'm trying to connect the dots. In 2014 this started when I took myself back to study. I loved it but my ADHD means I am an awful student as I can't start tasks like normal people. I've just started a new course. I'm enjoying it loads and I'm good at it, but awful at task initiation. I think it's the cause of my panic subconsciously. I don't want to quit. I need this course (finishes in September) to progress in work. I don't have the luxury not to being a single mum and all the price rises. I have to do it, but I'm keeping an eye on my mental health. I see no direct connection but I don't feel like I'm making much sense to myself right now so maybe it's obvious?

Thank you so much for sharing this—it takes a lot of courage to open up like this, especially when you’re in the middle of feeling overwhelmed. First of all: you are making sense. So much sense. What you described—feeling out of it, the sudden heat, the confusion, the fear of “going mad”—those are classic signs of a panic attack, and the fact that you recognized it and managed to ground yourself within 10 minutes is honestly a huge win, even if it didn’t feel like one at the time.