Is it natural?

Is it natural to try to deny the fact that I have an anxiety problem (coming from someone who has not been diagnosed yet).

I keep telling myself that I am making it up. That the only reason why I am getting this way is because I keep thinking about feeling like this.. so I am going to feel like I have anxiety.

I keep telling myself that it will go away.

I always doubt myself....

I guess it's natural, just as it's natural to deny things we don't like to hear. When someone we really care about dies, especially suddenly and tragically, sometimes we can't believe it, even when we know it's the truth. It's just a stage we go through. I think your telling yourself you're making it up might also be a symptom of the anxiety itself, though.

I am still telling myself that no it's got to be something else like I it's my heart even tho I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and have had all the tests to make sure it's not my heart. Apparently Maven is right about it being a symptom of anxiety I have been told that a few times I am always looking for assurence that it's not my heart....the thing is the physical symptoms like my heart beating loud and fast or it feels like it jumps in my chest and the chest pains makes me always second guess my docs diagnoses that maybe she's wrong and that it's something else. So I dwell on it and worry causing my own anxiety, if it wasn't for the physical symptoms I would be fine.

It seems to me that I worry about having anxiety to the point where I think I am only having anxiety because I don't want anxiety. And that if I stop telling myself I do, it will go away.
Even though I will be doing nothing and get the symptoms or I know I worry about the stupidest things. And that I check that I still have my keys five paces down the hall.

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chichi said:
So I dwell on it and worry causing my own anxiety, if it wasn't for the physical symptoms I would be fine.

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Yeah.. I tell myself that too. But in all honesty, if we have these troubles, then we do have it. Our symptoms are proof. If they did go away, than that means that we don't have the anxiety or we won't feel that way.

I think it comes down to accepting it though.

I can get my self all wound up just thinking that a situation is going to cause anxiety.

I've accepted that its there; unfortunately, other than medication I haven't done much about it - so I guess another stage is acceptance, then probably action to use tools we learn.

Then again I'm not sure I've learned tools - hum that may be denial or I just don't want to do them?

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untold27 said:
It seems to me that I worry about having anxiety to the point where I think I am only having anxiety because I don't want anxiety. And that if I stop telling myself I do, it will go away.
Even though I will be doing nothing and get the symptoms or I know I worry about the stupidest things. And that I check that I still have my keys five paces down the hall.

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chichi said:
So I dwell on it and worry causing my own anxiety, if it wasn't for the physical symptoms I would be fine.

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Yeah.. I tell myself that too. But in all honesty, if we have these troubles, then we do have it. Our symptoms are proof. If they did go away, than that means that we don't have the anxiety or we won't feel that way.

I think it comes down to accepting it though.

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omg
i have chest pain sometimes too and my heart feels like it's gonna come out of my chest.. it usually happens when im in bed.. which makes no sense since i'm pretty calm then.

but i do think its in my head and that im causing myself to feel this way..

maybe it is that you need to accept it..

i just dont know.

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes
Well you just might find
You get what you need

I know for myself the anxiety always increases when I try to fight it or push it away. The more I try to stop it..the more intense it gets. I am trying to learn to ride it out and let go. Mine is not so much chest as it is breathing....
Snow

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snowflake_48888 said:
I know for myself the anxiety always increases when I try to fight it or push it away. The more I try to stop it..the more intense it gets. I am trying to learn to ride it out and let go. Mine is not so much chest as it is breathing....
Snow

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I agree. That's what I try to do too -- ride it out -- and not freak when I feel an attack coming on. My main symptom is an inability to swallow. I try to remind myself that I'm not going to choke, and it will pass... I just need to let it go. It has been working for me.

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untold27 said:
Is it natural to try to deny the fact that I have an anxiety problem (coming from someone who has not been diagnosed yet).
I keep telling myself that I am making it up.

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I think it's absolutely natural to deny having an anxiety problem. I denied it and pushed my way through life for 37 or 38 years. But I was STRONG. I could HANDLE this. I had a life to live, and that involved constantly having to go outside my comfort zone. And I CERTAINLY wasn't going to see a doctor about something as foolish as...ummmm.....I'm uncomfortable around people. No way....I'd always been a SURVIVOR!!!

And then, guess what happens? After denying it for long enough and continuing to place yourself in those stressful situations (but really, what's so stressful about walking down the sidewalk?? Jeepers!).....well, you tend to lose your coping skills. And then the REAL fun begins. If you thought you were anxious before, baby, you ain't seen nothing yet!!

No, you're not making it up. It's for real. But yours might be caused by hormones or your thyroid or even just that dang adrenaline that likes to surprise our heart unexpectedly. Then again, it could be a neurotransmittor.....or even family genetics that you just simply can't walk away from.

Get thee to the doctor. I know....it's humiliating. It took me until I was almost 40 years old to FINALLY awkwardly tell a doctor about my headcase! I felt humiliated. But you are the best judge of yourself.....and you really are the one to know if there is something not quite right in your world. It just takes a lot of courage to admit that to a doctor. But it's also the first step towards recovery as well. You may never get fully back to the way you once were, but believe me, you certainly can improve your quality of life.....and you'll be kicking yourself in the butt (is that possible??) that you didn't take care of this sooner when you really DID know. Admitting it is tough, although it does NOT make you a weaker person. In fact, it takes a heck of a lot of strength to admit something to a professional that you haven't even wanted to admit to yourself.

It's a process. Take it step by step. Go visit a doctor and just see what they suggest concerning your symptoms. Seriously, you really don't want it to get out of hand.....and there's a good chance that it will if you keep putting it off for another day and another day.

Good luck and God bless,
Sandy

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SandyWeb said:
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untold27 said:

And then, guess what happens? After denying it for long enough and continuing to place yourself in those stressful situations (but really, what's so stressful about walking down the sidewalk?? Jeepers!).....well, you tend to lose your coping skills. And then the REAL fun begins. If you thought you were anxious before, baby, you ain't seen nothing yet!!

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You're speaking my language, Sandy. I was in denial for quite a while. I know that feeling you describe oh so well. Even when I got to the point where I was afraid to leave my flat, I STILL had a whole lot of trouble admitting that I had an anxiety problem... because I was too damn strong and competent and independent... to have an anxiety problem. It couldn't happen to me!!! I didn't start getting better until I admitted it and sought treatment, though.

this thread reminds me of myself so much. ive been on here and you all haev given me such good advice, yet i am still so scared/too damn proud to go and speak with someone professionally. i keep thinking that its just what im goin thru with grad school being so stressful etc, and even had an hours talk with my boyfriend where he tried to get me to see that i was triggering myself, and i just needed to relax. i understand where he is coming from but its hard for me to relax...i get anxiety when i dont have enough to do, which is ironic because as a grad student im usually run off my feet. but it means that i cannot relax cuz when i do, i freak out that im not doing something or not being productive. weird huh! and also its always worse atn ight, like when im laying in bed. so anyways now my bf is still at work (he has ADHD and sometimes is at work so late) and that makes me unnecessarily upset, and then i get nervous that im annoying him, and oh gosh its just a freaking crappy cycle! does anyone else have this problem with not relaxing like this? it seems so weird cuz shouldnt it be stress that is making me anxious? its like im stressed out about not being stressed out....uh ya, that doesnt make sense! anyways, im rambling so ill end it here. thanks guys for listening/reading

That's the way my anxiety is too. I'm calm and cool when I'm busy, busy, busy at work. Other people get stressed out, but people are always amazed by how focused and calm I am in those situations. When I went to do a live interview with the lead singer of my favourite band, my friend (and interview partner) was freaking out before he showed up, but I was calm, cool, and collected. I'm usually like that in situations most people would find stressful. Job interviews, for instance, don't bother me at all.

My anxiety sneaks up on me when I'm NOT busy and NOT under any immediate pressure. Once I got over agoraphobia and went back to work, I didn't have panic attacks when things were stressful at work. Instead, I had panic attacks when I was alone in my office or on the bus and my mind started to wander.

I'm still trying to LEARN how to relax... because it gets exhausting trying to keep myself busy all the time to keep the anxiety at bay. I use distraction techniques to keep my mind occupied when I'm trying to fall asleep... so I won't panic. I hope that someday I'll get to a point where I can just BE rather than always trying to keep my mind busy.

I'm SO much better than I used to be, though. CBT and meds helped a lot. I'm really glad I got past the denial and got some help. I hope you can do the same.