Welcome back to my blog, thank you for joining me.

The thought’s and opinions in this blog are my own, based on my personal experience, I am not a doctor nor do I have any medical expertise, this blog is simply my view on Anxiety based on my own experiences.

This week I want to talk about what Anxiety feels like to me.  I say ‘to me’ because I am aware that what it feels like to one person may not be the same as what it feels like to another.

Having lived and dealt with Anxiety for many years, I have become all too familiar with how Anxiety makes me feel and the effect and impact it has on me.

My Symptoms of Anxiety.

Anxiety takes me on a journey, if the thing that has triggered it was a pre-planned event, that I have had time to think and worry about then there is the build up that comes first, this can begin days in advance and get’s worse as the day draws nearer.

• Feeling sick

• Feeling ill or unwell

• Unsettled and or nervous stomach

• Feeling emotional and constantly on the verge of tears

• Distracted with my thoughts and find it difficult to concentrate

• Continuously trying to seek distraction by keeping busy

• Being forgetful and clumsy because I am continuously distracted

• Unable to sleep

• The feeling of being on edge

The symptoms I get when I face the thing that has triggered the

Anxiety.

• Racing heart

• Unsettled and or nervous stomach

• Feeling sick

• Feeling on edge

• I become fidgety and seek comfort in repetitive behaviours, for example drumming my fingers on a surface repeatedly or fiddling with my necklace or rings (This is something I wasn’t even aware that I did until someone told me I was doing it)

• Dry throat that makes me feel as though my throat is closing up and I am unable to breathe

• Feeling of overwhelming fear and impending doom

• The overwhelming urge to “Get out” or leave

• The feeling of pure panic

• Feeling dizzy and like I am going to pass out/faint

It appears I would always know when I was experiencing anxiety with all the symptoms I have listed above, but sometimes I simply wake up feeling sick and wonder if I am ill. Its not always clear if what I am feeling is anxiety or if I am actually unwell. I know this will sound strange but, in some cases I am completely unaware of anything that could be causing me anxiety.

Is this something you can relate to or are you always aware of what is creating the feelings of Anxiety?

Live outside society’s boxes

Every condition or illness comes with a list of symptoms and that is pretty much how most of us self-diagnose, before we’ve even seen or spoken to a doctor.

I have come to realise from reading other blogs and listening to people describe their own journey that, a hundred people could sit down in a room and all have the same diagnoses of Anxiety but our symptoms, triggers and the cause behind it will not be the same. We may have the same diagnosis but that doesn’t mean it will affect you, and or show in you the same way.

Every journey in life is unique, every one’s experiences are different and the reactions and lessons we take away from those experiences won’t be identical, making it impossible to be the exact same as anyone else.

There are definitely commonalties with people who live with Anxiety and there are commonalities with some of the symptoms but I believe it to be only that… a commonality.

The point I am trying to make is that just like with appearance, size or gender etc, as a society we tend to label, categorise and put ourselves or each other into a specific box, it’s the same with Mental Health Illnesses. No one should be forced into being the “stereotype”

Every one’s life experiences are different, everyone is unique.

The lessons we take from our experiences will be personal to us.

There is no right way to have, deal or live with anxiety or any other Mental Health Illness, we all do the best we can with the tools we have.

I don’t want to be put into a box that says she has Anxiety so she must behave like this or do that or have gone through this.

It’s time to stop looking for the right box to put one and other into and just be happy, content and free to be exactly who we are outside of any boxes.

We need to Love and except people for who they are, the kindness they show, the love they give and the actions they take and not judge them by the illness they have.

Share a smile not a judgement
&
Lead with kindness
💚❤️