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Odd anxiety with psychical pain

Dcm48

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I would like to know if there are people who experience the same symptoms as me. Symptoms of anxiety characterized by physical pain. Dealing with anxiety by tensioning part of the body. I have diagnosed social anxiety and have had it for a long time but about two years ago the main symptom became physical pain, headaches and dizzyness cause by tensioning of my forehead.

I am always with anxiety but I can deal with most of it just fine. I've narrowed down the reason why. It appears that when I am in motion I am able to deal with my anxiety and not start the tensioning process. However when I am sitting I cannot stop it. Something to do with task concentration.

The symptoms starts simple but the tension keeps building and I cannot release it. I forget how to relax at all. The tension builds up so much that I lose the ability to focus on what I am doing. The tension leads to pain and dizzyness. It happens every day and within half a hour to a hour. After that period of time I am done for. The only way I can get relaxation is resting in the toilet area, away from others. After relaxation the process I described above starts over again.

After discussing it with my doctor, we came to the conclusion that I am always wearing a mask for others and for self protection. I am having some decent success with attempting to take the mask off but the pain is still there. Apparently it has something to do with task concentration as well. I have been trying this recently with some success but then it happens again. I am starting to lose hope in a way. I don't understand why I am having so much physical pain. I feel like a anxiety-free mind in a anxiety ridden body sometimes. I would like to emphasize this. Reading other stories on here I hear a lot about anxiety that is conscious. As far as I know I have very little conscious anxiety. I am always first to lead the team, make presentations and whatever. But my subconscious anxiety is horrible. That's why I said I feel like I am stuck in an anxiety ridden body. It feels like a physical illness to me. I see myself as a decently intelligent person, but whatever I try to think of, I cannot discover the cause of my anxiety.

Does this sound familliar to anyone? I have tried a lot of things, could expand on it. am in in treatment but it isn't really going anywhere. Thanks
for reading.

Dcm
 
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guitarman65

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Dcm, when me anxiety flares, i feel tension coming up from my chest to my neck and lower jaw...i also get dizzy and that dreaded "dreamy" feeling (among other symptoms) for many hours. Dr said its Derealization and possibly Depersonalization, from my anxiety. Dont know if that is similar to your situation, but sounds close to me. I didnt believe all my symptoms were from anxiety until 3 drs told me at the same time in an ER a few years ago, when i went in because of a real scary panic attack. Medication and staying in my "safe zone" is what has helped me the most. Still fighting the good fight against it...i dont have another option...hopefully you will have some relief...we all deserve it :)
 

Dcm48

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Sounds sort of similar but it seems to be less of a mental thing with me and more physical. Imagine standing outside and looking towards a bright sun, naturally you would start tensing your eyebrows and forehead as a result of the bright light. You would feel your muscles there. Now imagine that your muscles are locked in that place for hours at a time.

It it physical or mental for you? Like do you feel that there definitely are anxious thoughts or just that your body is anxious? My biggest learning moment was that I found out I was always wearing a mask for others and could never be myself. Naturally then your muscles are tensed, to pretend to be more attractive, more attentive to other etc.
 

guitarman65

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I think in my situation, its mental AND physical. My anxiety (mental) makes my upper body tense (physical) when i tense up, it also affects my breathing and vision. Those drs that talked to me told me they think the anxiety is the cause of all my physical issues i described. Funny how the mind can do that!
 

Kelculator

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Oh, mine are definitely physical, and of course very mental as well. I have had week long palpitations, overwhelming dizziness, difficulty in breathing, pain in the jaw, etc.
 

triceps

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It's just the nature of the beast. When our anxious minds decide which physical symptoms it wants to put us through, it knows we'll react as if the symptoms point towards something worse and that makes us more anxious. It's a vicious cycle that feeds upon itself and will morph into other symptoms when we're able to accept that the current symptoms are anxiety-related and our reaction to those particular symptoms subsides.
 

Rosy

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I think anxiety brings on all those symptoms. I get physical symptoms as well. usually mine are in my arms and and head. I also get the labored breathing and sometimes palpatations. It seems to run a cycle. I try to busy myself. Mine don't come every day, thank God.
 

Hurt&Hopeful

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Yep, I've given myself some massive headaches from anxiety tension. So sorry you're dealing with that. Last year, my therapist had me try simple yoga to release some of the tension in my body. I'm truly TERRIBLE at it, but that doesn't matter - it seems to help release some of that tension, which for me concentrates around my neck and shoulders. Have you ever tried it?
 

Rosy

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I've never tried yoga. I must do that. I don't know if I could stay still that long in an anxiety attack.
 

Hurt&Hopeful

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@Rosy Okay, you ready? :) Here is a really easy one that I found on a particularly bad day last year, and it's designed to help calm down panic attacks. it is LITERALLY all laying down - you can do it on your bed, in your pajamas. :) It puts the body into positions that help with deep breathing and letting the tension out.
 

Rosy

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Thank you H&H I'll have my grandson bring me headphones. I need headphones cause my computer isn't loud enough and I can't hear very good in one of my ears. lol I will check this out and tell you what I think.
 

Hurt&Hopeful

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Thank you H&H I'll have my grandson bring me headphones. I need headphones cause my computer isn't loud enough and I can't hear very good in one of my ears. lol I will check this out and tell you what I think.
Nice! There may be others (and better ones), but this is easy and calming. I can NOT do hard yoga poses (yet!!) but I have done some trauma-focused yoga with a therapist and my body symptoms always go down. Good luck!
 

Rosy

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Nice! There may be others (and better ones), but this is easy and calming. I can NOT do hard yoga poses (yet!!) but I have done some trauma-focused yoga with a therapist and my body symptoms always go down. Good luck!
I'll let you know what happens.
 

triceps

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Nice! There may be others (and better ones), but this is easy and calming. I can NOT do hard yoga poses (yet!!) but I have done some trauma-focused yoga with a therapist and my body symptoms always go down. Good luck!
Hi H&H and Rosy. I thought H&H injured herself to the point of surgery doing yoga? Rosy, I'm sure H&H would've told you as a disclaimer before getting you in your PJ's and trying yoga.
Got my truck delivered and I feel alot better. Tomorrow will be another tough day with my trip to the accountant's. I've known her over 25 years but I still get shook going over there. That goofy anxiety makes me so irrational.
 

Hurt&Hopeful

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Hi H&H and Rosy. I thought H&H injured herself to the point of surgery doing yoga? Rosy, I'm sure H&H would've told you as a disclaimer before getting you in your PJ's and trying yoga.
Got my truck delivered and I feel alot better. Tomorrow will be another tough day with my trip to the accountant's. I've known her over 25 years but I still get shook going over there. That goofy anxiety makes me so irrational.
Hahahaha if I injured myself doing THIS one, that's just natural selection. Seriously just breathing exercises...

That's awesome, triceps. You got this!!
 

Rosy

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Hi H&H and Rosy. I thought H&H injured herself to the point of surgery doing yoga? Rosy, I'm sure H&H would've told you as a disclaimer before getting you in your PJ's and trying yoga.
Got my truck delivered and I feel alot better. Tomorrow will be another tough day with my trip to the accountant's. I've known her over 25 years but I still get shook going over there. That goofy anxiety makes me so irrational.
I don't have PJ"S so I'll have to do this in pants or shorts. lol, I'm old so I can't do many positions. I may do the lotus position and try that. lol So glad you are feeling better. About tomorrow, that will go fine too. I am sure you will get through it okay. Let us know when you get home how it went.
 

Rosy

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Hahahaha if I injured myself doing THIS one, that's just natural selection. Seriously just breathing exercises...

That's awesome, triceps. You got this!!
Hey, breathing I can do. lol I'm going to play around with it and see how it goes. Anything is worth a try if it help this crazy anxiety.
 

triceps

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Hahahaha if I injured myself doing THIS one, that's just natural selection. Seriously just breathing exercises...

That's awesome, triceps. You got this!!
And you're doing great with all you're dealing with. Could you please not break any more scar tissue? Scares the heck outta us.
 

triceps

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I don't have PJ"S so I'll have to do this in pants or shorts. lol, I'm old so I can't do many positions. I may do the lotus position and try that. lol So glad you are feeling better. About tomorrow, that will go fine too. I am sure you will get through it okay. Let us know when you get home how it went.
Hi Rosy. Has your husband noticed that you don't own PJ's? Oh that's right, you wouldn't have been wearing them until after sunset. Did you just not replace the last set after they wore out?
 

Rosy

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Hi Rosy. Has your husband noticed that you don't own PJ's? Oh that's right, you wouldn't have been wearing them until after sunset. Did you just not replace the last set after they wore out?
lol I don't wear pj's just thin night gowns. I have been known to wear them during the day too. lol After sunset isn't the only time to relax.
 
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