Are Anxiety Symptoms Real or am I Just Imagining Them?

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Are anxiety symptoms real or are you actually just imagining them? All of us with anxiety issues but especially us with health anxiety have to deal with the physical sensations that this disorder comes along with. We often go from one doctor appointment to the next and get test after test done. We have plenty of symptoms that worry us and that we associate with different diseases or illnesses. A racing and pounding heart is associated with heart attack, numbness and tingling is a stroke, twitching a sign of MS and the list goes on and on. The sets of symptoms even vary… We could get some reassurance from a doctor and feel great for a moment but the very next day we experience completely new symptoms that resemble a completely different disease. This often makes us wonder if the symptoms are just in our heads?!
I am certain that close to all physical sensations we experience are real. It is just the perception of them that creates this fear in us. Under high stress we enter fight or flight mode. This is a state that mentally and physically prepares us for danger. We are on standby just waiting to react to something dangerous. If you then notice sudden dizziness for example your already alerted mind will react heavily to it because it was already prepared for something threatening. Anything that seems out of the ordinary will be focused on and analyzed for possible danger. This intense focus on the symptom will magnify its intensity. What started out as light numb feeling in your fingers can then suddenly feel like you have lost all feeling in your hands. Your mind will now confirm that these escalating symptoms are the source or the reason for why you feel the way you do – suddenly you are having a full blown panic attack with symptoms everywhere!
Most of the physical sensations you experience are a direct result from your bodies stress reaction. In response to stress (threat) your muscles tense up. This tension can create plenty of symptoms like a tight chest, numbness, tingling, headaches, fatigue, sore muscles, back pain, arm pain, shooting sensations and so on. I always like to think of it as following: In fight or flight and or high stress mode our body is basically one huge symptom. Whatever illness we worry about we will be able to find symptoms that resemble it…. Our hypersensitive mind will then blow these sensations up which further fuels stress and round and round it goes.

[AuthenticMentalHealth]

If you’re reading this and you suffer from anxiety you are NOT alone❤️

[DennisvanLeeuwen]

Symptoms make me anxious. I don't feel anxious but still the unsteadiness off-balance feeling is there.

[elmerhouston]

Ever since my first panic attack a couple weeks ago I’ve been afraid of those feelings coming back. I’m always looking for signs of it coming and end up stressing myself even more now.

[zodiakfreak]

I am so incredibly happy I stumbled across your channel !! 30 years living with anxiety. Trying to break free !

[mattmccall]

I’ve been to the emergency room 7 times in the past year and half also several visit’s to my Dr, physiatrists sleep clinic and they all said anxiety, my wife has been saying for 3 years but I just wouldn’t believe it due to the physical symptoms, I watched this video and you’ve listed all my symptoms and just wouldn’t believe that this could all be anxiety this video is starting to make me believe that it’s anxiety thank you

[peepeepoopoo]

Look for symptoms that it’s going away and motivate yourself for every little thing and get yourself exited for everything takes practice but you will and for sleep imagine a world and role play by yourself it was 8 months of endless suffering for me but after 2 months I started to heal it has been 6 months and going

[enochmalupo]

Can you start a podcast? Or upload on soundcloud? For some reason your voice is just calming! I think it’s knowing you’ve been through it. I’ve had 3 good days so I’m continuously keeping calm

[praywithme-godanswerspraye]

God please help me deliver me from this fear!! Dozens of dr visits. That’s me I went to two drs, visits today!! I’m so tired of this!!!

[sheridan]

That itchy feeling of needing instant relief is how I found you. I find your channel and the comment section very helpful. Thank you 🙏

[Sol-jzst]

Thank you so much for this video. I get tingling or numb sensations on both my legs, sometimes on my arms or my back, even my head. I have seen many doctors and had several tests (MRIs, EMG, to name some of them) and the doctors say there's nothing wrong. I have recently found out my vitamin d is really low, but my neurologist says it could be anxiety. I can't think of anything else, this feeling is there every day, sometimes I feel it many times throughout the day and it is driving me crazy. I Google about it all the time because I need to understand, to know what is happening to me. I cry a lot, I am scared and it is difficult to trust the doctors when this feeling is constantly there. I have seen a psychologist and she is trying to help but since I still think there is something wrong with my body the doctors haven't found it is really hard ...

[joycenoel]

Thank you for always mentioning the burning sensations. You are the only one who talks about this and it’s not common for a lot of people. I thought something other than anxiety was wrong with me until I heard you talk about this along time ago! Happy to see you back!

[mayra.veronica]

my thumbs twitch. My muscles twitch from anxiety and its funny you mention MS because thats exactly what im obsessing with right now and its making my anxiety so high I feel adrenaline rush all over my body and my gut

[melinoegreenwood]

I get in such a state with these symptoms that I feel like I want to scream like a loon. The sweating and skin tingling is a nightmare, I've scratch myself till I'm bleeding all because my skin is so sensitive I can feel dust floating in the air. Thank you for showing me I'm not a freak❣

[chanel]

I just wanted to say thank you for making the YouTube videos
I had no idea what was going on with me and had the exact ER visit you had and the exact same situations as you. After I watch one of your videos most of my symptoms went away instantly and I thought everything was OK but then I realize that it was something I had to work on because they of course came back when I was stressed again or triggered. Even after watching your videos I thought again that something was medically wrong with me after talking to my doctors and him telling me I was OK. What I will say is that sometimes when I think I’m gonna have a panic attack or when the symptoms get to be over bearing I watch your videos and they help me realize that everything is OK. Sometimes I wonder where my life would be right now and I never stumbled across your videos there are a bunch of videos on YouTube in regards to anxiety but for some reason I gravitate to yours more than others.

[leah]

Thank you, this made me feel a bit better. I was convinced I had MS or something to do with nerve damage because I had electric shock and numbness in my hands

[wrenhaslett]

I just feel off. Constantly. And the times when I don’t feel a body sensation I get scared and that feels weird to me… feel like I can’t win either way sometimes.

[maguifreitas]

Can Chronic stress cause tingling in the body???

[thatsluda]

My chest stings, and then my head goes numb and feels pressure along with my hands and legs. Then I get beyond lightheaded I can’t even stand. The doctors checked me out and said I’m normal and healthy idk what to do

[Daniel-vuqu]

3:29 Helped me alot. I started getting dizzy at work (guessing because I got anxious without realising), so I went to the doctor and I was even more anxious in there I got a higher blood pressure reading because I was freaking out, so I was certain I had some heart problem.. Long story short, I was told that I'm fine by the doctor, but I still had light-headedness, so I started thinking it was diabetes or something else, then I discovered this video and these symptoms sound just like me.. And the more I tell myself that I'm just having anxiety when I'm dizzy, the spells start getting shorter and shorter. Thank you for making this 😊

[amethyst]

I'm really struggling with ignoring the physical symptoms . It's a daily challenge. The most worrisome is my heart and the shortness of breath. The shortness of breath stops me from being able to do most of the things I want to do. I just can't get my mind off it. Then there's my stomach always in knots and full making it harder to breath. I'm just really sad😔. I'm not giving up.