Can anyone relate to the "Physical" symptoms of General Anxiety Disord!


Question: Can anyone relate to the "Physical" symptoms of General Anxiety Disorder?
I have GAD and experience really bad physical discomfort because of it and hopefully I can get a response from anyone who can relate.

Nervous feeling all day that seems to pass later in the evening and just all over body tension with achy muscles. I seem to startle really easily and find it hard to get myself to move around because Im always trying to get myself to relax. Sound familiar to anyone?

I've tries many medications that were just awful and now I'm starting lexapro. It, of course, is making the symptoms worse at the onset, but I was aware it would and prepared myself to get ready for a miserable few weeks. I was also given Ativan because I have really bad panic attacks and that helps with those, but dose nothing for the "Physical" anxiety and discomfort.

I've been on the lexapro for almost a week and can see a bit of mental anxiety relief, but the physical is so uncomfortable.

Im hoping someone can relate to put me a little more at ease that this is just part of being an anxious person. I started lexapro at only 2.5 Mg's because I am so sensitive and go up to the real dose of 5 Mg's this week.

Thanks for your replies

Answers:

Hello Euro

Do you do any kind of exercise? A good way of getting rid of excess nervous energy, is physical exercise. But if you are not particularly fit, and especially as you are not feeling great anyway, you need something gentle and fun to start. Why not try swimming. It supports your weight, its very relaxing and it can be great fun.

I love listen to relaxation music, meditation and guided meditations cd's. I also love to read, it takes my mind off my own worries, and transports me to another world. So I can totally switch off. I know its not nice, anxiety is one of those things, that seems to grow the more you focus on it. I have found, finding pleasant distractions works best for me. I suffered for many years from extreme anxiety and panic attacks, so I do know how you feel.

Medication does help, but ultimately, all it does is help to mask the symptoms. I realised that if I was ever going to be free of it, I had to look at my life and understand what it was about it, that was making me so anxious. It can be a combination of many things. I know if you have a family, or a demanding job, you give a lot of yourself to that. But you owe it to yourself to think of you. This is not being selfish, its being sensible. If you are not right and healthy, then it will affect your relationships with loved ones and friends as well as your life.

I believe, anxiety comes, when we are overstretching ourselves, mentally and physically. Its the bodies way of forcing you to take notice of it. So many people ignore the warning signs of stress and just plod on. Having anxiety forced me to stop and take stock of my life. I decided I would use it as an opportunity to change my life for the better. Eventually the anxiety went. I had it severely, so I am not underestimating how debilitating it is. But if you see it as a opportunity to change and create a better life for yourself, rather then being the victim of it with no power of your own, it will really help you to overcome it. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

Life Experience



Definitely just part of being an anxious person. I don't have GAD, but I have severe Social Anxiety Disorder that affects me almost as frequently. I was on lexapro for a while, 5 mgs helped a bit but 10 worked really well for me, though I ended up switching to cymbalta because I had digestive side effects.

When you feel anxious it's basically your sympathetic nervous system activating, which is only meant to be triggered in "fight or flight" situations. When it's active for long periods of time you really feel run down, constantly on edge from the adrenaline, that sort of thing. Once you get your mind to relax it can help to keep your body calm too, but there are other things that you can do as well. Meditation and deep breathing exercises help trigger your parasympathetic nervous system (calm down responses), and changing your diet and getting regular exercise can help balance the hormones in your body. When your muscles are feeling particularly tense, try intentionally tightening them, hold it for a few seconds, and then relax them.

Caffeine and nicotine are both bad for anxiety, and a lot of salt and preservatives can stress the body. Getting the sugars that your body needs from carbs instead of refined sugar or honey is a lot better because they don't break down in your system as quickly and so don't flood your body with more than it can handle.

Book my doctor recommended: "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" by Edmund J. Bourne




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