can anxiety trigger a brief catatonic state?

I have an anxiety disorder and I've been noticing that lately especially that when hit by triggers I go into a brief catatonic state, then I feel very delirious for a while after that. It's sort of like being paralyzed by fear. The worst one was last week and I don't think I even was able to think for a few minutes. I really don't know how long I was frozen, but it couldn't been more than a couple of minutes or so. Last night, it happened again, but I could think, but the thoughts were so overwhelming that I couldn't do anything else but sit and stare and think.

My brother suffers from severe anxiety and he does this too. He has also passed out from being too anxious. Usually whether he passes out or as we call it zones out the longest it's ever lasted has been about 5 minutes. I don't know if it helps to know you aren't the only one this happens to.

It does, thanks! Does your brother come right out of it or is he a little out of it for a while afterwards?

He is definitely disoriented when he first comes out of it. Usually it only takes about 1-2 minutes and he shakes it off and seems ok.

I don't know about you but his main trigger seems to be ANY type of confrontation. Even if he's not involved he can't be around it. Or if he's put on the spot about something. Two days ago all I did was ask what he wanted for dinner. He thought I was going to get mad if he said something I didn't want to fix and bam just like that he zoned out for like 4 minutes. I had to reassure him that it's ok for him to have an opinion. I feel really bad that he gets so anxious. I'm sorry you deal with that also.

That's different from me...I'm usually disoriented for a half hour or an hour or more. I haven't found anything to bring me back other than self-harm unfortunately.

My main trigger is sexual things (at least that are real—on TV, for example, it bothers me but I don't freak out. My worst "zone out" was over going through some stuff and finding (and touching) an unopened condom and lubricant. I think it was the fact that I touched it...I don't know. Is it weird that kept them anyway (they're not going to expire any time soon)? I don't want to get triggered again, but I felt too guilty to throw them away.

I don't think it's weird that you kept them. But please never feel guilty about taking care of yourself. If you had thrown them away even though they are perfectly good it would be entirely understandable.

When I mentioned that my brother has passed out from anxiety it's usually triggered by girls. He's 26 and a virgin because he's so terrified of meeting people/being intimate with someone. You two are different in he can watch stuff on TV and (I'm horrified to know this but we are very close) I do know that he does self stimulate so to say. However, the thought of someone else touching him will send him into a full blown zone out or he will pass out cold. Maybe he sees someone touching him as a type of confrontation I don't know.

I wish I had some advice to offer but I haven't even been able to find a way to help my brother. Sorry I'm useless on the advice.

I've read that the "fight or flight response" to a perceived threat now also includes "freeze". Maybe this is what's happening. I'm not qualified to say, but maybe do a bit of research about it and/or ask your T or Pdoc if you're seeing one.

Bluey

Your brother is similar to me, but I don't have a problem meeting people. But then I'm a musician, so I have been conditioned to perform, act, and interact with other people. But yes the thought of someone touching me or me being forced to touch them etc. makes me anxious and it has led to moments of me "freezing" or just not being able to calm down. However, when it actually happens, I do freeze. Not necessarily to the point that I can't move at all, but I feel powerless.

I've heard about it being an "official" response and it's happened before at varying degrees. It's just that the freezing has gotten worse recently and to get out of the freaked out/delirious state the only way to work is self-harm. I've tried other stuff, but that's the only thing that will work.

My mom has full on fainted from anxiety. I don't as badly.

I typically go through the "fight or flight" but on occassion when it's a real threat I freeze. Especially when it comes to the opposite sex. When it comes to men even if there isn't a real threat but a man approaches me and touches me, a lot of the time I freeze up. I hate that because I just want to cuss them out for touching me without my permission but I just freeze.

It's common but I'd still say to bring it up with your therapist, they may be able to help you take charge in these situations

I hope you are feeling better. I used to have extreme anxiety to the point where I hit a peak and feel as if my body becomes weak and limp. If I'm standing up, I will fall to the floor and "faint", as I would call it. I would be very conscious of what is going around me but will be unable to speak coherently. Even after coming out of that state, I will be disoriented for a little while after.