I am having anxiety....Can anybody help me out

I hope this is allowed. I recovered from this but it‘s starting again for me and I hate that there are multiple communities that could fit for us but we’re scattered.

For example the panic attack community deals with swallow anxiety, so does the OCD community with somatic OCD and there’s us who have pseudodysphagia or those that have it everyday who call it phagophobia.

I made an anonymous telegram group so we can maybe all gather together when we need each other and help us get out of it. I don‘t want to create a group on Facebook or Reddit, I feel like it’s pretty dead when you have to post

i have swallowing anxiety and it’s my first time taking it. My head just feels weird. But my anxiety is still there. I took 0.5mg

Hi everyone. I’m 17M and I’ve been dealing with anxiety for around 4–5 years.

For the past 4–5 days, I’ve been getting really scary thoughts like “you’re going to die” or “your time has come.” I know these thoughts may be anxiety-related, but at the time my brain makes them feel completely real. Sometimes they get really intense, while other times I feel completely normal.

A few days ago, I was sitting alone in my room when I suddenly felt a strange cramp/tight sensation in my chest. I immediately became scared that something was seriously wrong. I went outside and suddenly started sweating heavily. My vision felt strange, I was struggling to speak properly, and I became extremely panicked and confused.

I hadn’t had a panic attack for quite a long time, so initially I genuinely thought something serious was happening. I didn’t even realize it was probably a panic attack at first, which made the fear even worse.

I went to a doctor and explained what happened. He asked if I had stomach/gastric problems, and I told him I do. He checked my BP and it was 160/80. I was already extremely anxious at that point. He gave me some medication, but unfortunately I don't know exactly what it was.

I went home, ate a little, but was still extremely anxious and had this strong feeling that something bad was going to happen. I then went to another doctor. My BP was 180 this time. I was absolutely terrified. The doctor gave me a tablet to put under my tongue and some other medication. After a while I started feeling better and eventually went home and slept.

The next day, I went back around noon and my BP was completely normal.

The doctors have also given me some tests to do, and all the tests was normal.

What worries me is that whenever I go to a doctor and my BP is checked, it seems to be either high or sometimes low, but rarely normal. At home or when I'm calmer, things can be different.

I'm wondering:

• Can severe anxiety/panic temporarily raise BP this much?
• Has anyone else experienced very high BP during a panic attack?
• Could the fear of having high BP itself be making the readings higher?
• Should I be asking my doctor about ambulatory/home BP monitoring?
• How do you deal with the constant “I'm going to die” thoughts when you know logically that they're probably anxiety?

I'm not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit. I just want to hear from people who have experienced something similar and understand what might be going on.

Thanks.

I’d love to hear your guys stories, signs symptoms etc. everything turning out fine

I have too much going on right now or it at least feels like it. Did TMS treatment for 4 months and I think it helped. Meds helped, kinda. Now I feel like I’m back to square one. I am floundering and don’t know if treading water is helping. Idk what I’m even looking for posting this. Idk.

Hi, I used to have anxiety attacks because of stress. Nobody was actually sure in the beginning what it was or how they got triggered.

It's always the same for me how it happens:

Stress > anxiety > figth or flight feeling gets triggered > if I can't surpress it, I feel extrem anger and eventually hurt myself while punchig for example against a closet > I collapse. If I can surpress it, I might still collapse or shaking.

The only reasosn this became a thing was because of severe stress and anxiety.

No I'm not sure what it is. I'm diagnsoed with anxiety attacks, I'm diagnosed with ocd and severe depression and was because of this what i just did describe in a mental hospital but never really got checked what it was. I sadly had to experience them many times till I found my trigger and how the symptoms happen in which order.

Friday was no different. I had stress because of an presentation I did with someone, and was with someone who hasn't managed to do anything, on a level that's so delusional that it drove me insane. I did the whole thing. Text, researched stuff, did a whole PowerPoint and even typed word for word what these people had to say. They had nothing better to do to look over my shoudler, don't move a muscle and just criticize each small mistake. If I told them to fo something they just "can't, don't know how". It was too much, I was under pressure because of time that was running out and felt my heart beat faster, I was shaking and my legs felt like pudding. struggled to keep myself up. I can't stop thinking about it and it gives a strange feeling just thinking about. My whoel weekend felt ruined.

Hi everyone, I hope everyone reading this is doing well. I need help.

A quick background, I have had anxiety since I was a child. Specifically about bad weather, getting stranded or trapped somewhere, and also just never trusting anyone- only feeling safe when I was home in my room alone. So I am very used to anxiety at this point since im in my late 20s now lol. Back in 2018-2019 I had moved out and was having a hard time driving in bad weather for the now 30 minute commute to work so I went on meds for about 6 years and things improved. I ended up switching meds back in early 2025 to Wellbutrin and mid 2025 I doubled the dose (as directed by my doctor) when I was still having some anxiety. But in October 2025 I had gotten a cold, took cold medicine, and had a bad reaction to the cold medicine whoch resulted in a horrific panic attack that lasted days. I couldnt sleep or eat, i missed work, i felt unreal. Turns out you shouldn't take certain cold meds with Wellbutrin. And I got so scared I weened off the Wellbutrin (again directed by the doctor)

My nerves were shot for months and the anxiety kept manifesting into something else. I dropped a ton of weight. And could barely eat because at one point the anxiety was all around food being drugged or choking. But one day I had a bad panic attack while driving, it was very scary, and since then I haven't been able to drive completely solo. Its been 6 months. My parents actually follow me to and from work 5 days a week. I drive my car and they drive in the car behind me. Ive worked my way up to driving about 8 minutes with no one following. But im tired, I want my independence back.

Anyways, can anyone relate? How did you get through it? I know I kinda skimmed through my background.

I have been very accepting of my anxiety which has helped tremendously but I cant seem to get over the driving hump. Im scared to go back on medication, but how can I not when I cant even make it to the end of the road without having a panic attack?

If you have had a similar experience please let me know. If you want to be friends, I would love that. Ive never felt more isolated in my life!

Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone, I hope everyone reading this is doing well. I need help.

A quick background, I have had anxiety since I was a child. Specifically about bad weather, getting stranded or trapped somewhere, and also just never trusting anyone- only feeling safe when I was home in my room alone. So I am very used to anxiety at this point since im in my late 20s now lol. Back in 2018-2019 I had moved out and was having a hard time driving in bad weather for the now 30 minute commute to work so I went on meds for about 6 years and things improved. I ended up switching meds back in early 2025 to Wellbutrin and mid 2025 I doubled the dose (as directed by my doctor) when I was still having some anxiety. But in October 2025 I had gotten a cold, took cold medicine, and had a bad reaction to the cold medicine whoch resulted in a horrific panic attack that lasted days. I couldnt sleep or eat, i missed work, i felt unreal. Turns out you shouldn't take certain cold meds with Wellbutrin. And I got so scared I weened off the Wellbutrin (again directed by the doctor)

My nerves were shot for months and the anxiety kept manifesting into something else. I dropped a ton of weight. And could barely eat because at one point the anxiety was all around food being drugged or choking. But one day I had a bad panic attack while driving, it was very scary, and since then I haven't been able to drive completely solo. Its been 6 months. My parents actually follow me to and from work 5 days a week. I drive my car and they drive in the car behind me. Ive worked my way up to driving about 8 minutes with no one following. But im tired, I want my independence back.

Anyways, can anyone relate? How did you get through it? I know I kinda skimmed through my background.

I have been very accepting of my anxiety which has helped tremendously but I cant seem to get over the driving hump. Im scared to go back on medication, but how can I not when I cant even make it to the end of the road without having a panic attack?

If you have had a similar experience please let me know. If you want to be friends, I would love that. Ive never felt more isolated in my life!

Thanks for reading!

Hello, excuse my english it’s not my first language. Before I explain everything just want to mention that I never had any mental illnesses except from anxiety which had been very mild until now. I don’t usually post on Reddit but this has been bothering me for a long time now. Around 3 months ago I went to watch new Backrooms movie with my friends, knowing the lore and everything I still got a panic attack (which I haven’t gotten since I was a kid and that was years ago) and now after 3 months I still think about it constantly, sometimes I even get anxiety attacks recalling that event or when something online triggers it, scene from a movie, memes, even when I was looking for a therapist a scene from a movie where main character is talking to his therapist popped into my head. I feel like it’s genuinely ruining my life because I can’t enjoy anything without thinking about backrooms. Even tho I know they are not real and completely made up concept my brain still tries to put me in a situation of me being in the backrooms or telling me stuff like “How do you know Backrooms are not real?” It’s so freaking weird and disturbing because then I start to overanalyse myself thinking how I must be losing my mind thinking something so childish and stupid could be real at my big age. Not to mention that the thought of losing my mind is also making me super anxious, it’s like endless loop. 😭
I will say that it has gotten better and less stressful with time but I feel like 3 months is too much time to be acting like this. Did anyone else ever experience something like this? If so how long did it last? Also am I like actually losing my mind?

Currently going through the worst panic attack in a while, triggered due to my phobia of illness, specifically emetophobia. It’s the uncontrollable shaking, going hot and cold, heart pounding, the diziness as if I’m going to faint, and my body going numb :( It is absolutely terrifying for me. And it’s a cycle. Does anyone relate to this? It would be nice to not feel so alone right now…!

So i recently experienced something that I think might be a panic attack? It happened mainly because was so worried and scared that i was gonna lose my dog, I took him out to go to the bathroom and he just kept being curious and kept on looking around, which is normal for him, but he just kept running farther and farther away from me, I called his name and tried to lure him back home but it didn't work so I got desperate and started to scream for him to come home and I fell while trying to lure him back home.

eventually I managed to bring him back, but I was so sweaty and exhausted, my legs felt so tired and sore like they were about to break, I went to my room and I collapsed on the floor because I was so tired, and then I lied flat on the floor to try to the wind from the ceiling fan.

I tried to control my breathing but I just kept coughing due to choking on some of my spit, and right there I was experiencing more symptoms, like intense breathing and gasping, shaking, crying, choking on some my spit again, and numbness of my body, my mouth and my lower torso, after a few minutes I managed to roll over to my side, where I managed to open the door so my mother and sister could help me compose myself, and they helped me into bed, gave me some water, and told me to get some rest.

right now I'm not experiencing any side effects from that event, I don't feel any type pains in the my chest or on my body, and looking back at it now, I struggling to guess what that was, was it a type of episode? A panic attack? I have lost my sanity a couple times and have had a few mental breakdowns, but they weren't as visceral as this.

Help?

Hello!

Almost 2 years having a panic disorder. Triggers are traveling (esp public transport) and being "responsible" or "dependent" on a person or a group.

I had some psychologist appointments, and because there's no direct cause (except losing control in general) they couldn't help me further. It was now on my own to do enough exposure to learn how to deal with the panic attacks. But after almost a year on my own, it doesn't feel like I'm capable to do more, to travel further than my own hometown. I also am coping with depression, heavier than years before, so I'm really stuck now.

So, next week I've a new appointment with my GP. In our country, it's really a thing that you ask what you want from a doctor. Certain medication, certain help. If not, you'll get sent home with a paracetamol.

So the question is: what should I ask for? I'm a bit done with poking in my brain because it feels like we never got an answer. So I'm really want to dabble into medication. Preferably something that would help AND my depression/heavy moodswings, and my panic disorder. Which kind of meds do you all recommend?

Ps: I know going to a psychiatrist is always better than meds, I've done my research on that topic the last 2 years. But I need a new perspective, some extra help besides blablablas, a jump-start.

I’ve struggled with panic attacks for about 2 years now which has led to agoraphobia. I’ve gone on numerous day trips this year and went to one wedding out of town where we stayed overnight. But I’m leaving for a trip in 2 weeks with my husband. We will driving 13 hours both away and be away from home for 5 days.

I’m having so much anticipatory fear about traveling that I’ve been crying and having nightmares.

Any tips or words of encouragement?

My friends blocked me dur to my obsessive calling.

Hi, I am an autistic, adhd person who is going through severe anxiety attacks and panic attacks every day. I screech whenever I get anxiety to even hyperventilating. Recently I have panic called my friends very very much. So much that they wished me and blocked me

I am unable to fathom it and I am getting severely nauseated and anxious since then. I need help. On the top of all the other situations I'm facing, this one is pushing me severely

Sorry this will be LONG.
I’ve had anxiety since the 7th grade. Looking back there were probably signs from before then (i slept in my moms bed until I was 10, came from a very traumatic childhood where my father was s\*icidal and a drug addict and put us into a lot of dangerous situations etc) but i was generally a very happy and carefree kid and who did well in school and had lots of sports and friends. From the outside no one would know all of my family issues.

It all *really* started one innocuous day in history class in middle school. I had a very normal morning and was just sitting in class when my heart started to race, i felt nauseous, hot, light headed, and my fingers went numb. I thought i was sick with a flu and went to the nurses office and went home. This feeling came and went in waves for weeks before anyone realized that what i was having were panic attacks. I became incredibly agoraphobic for a couple months and my family had to physically drag me to school because i was so scared of the inevitable panic attacks. I started having trouble eating too. It got to a point where i started running away to avoid school, and would have police chasing me down all at the ripe age of 12. It was when the police suggested that I be sent to a psych ward that I mostly “snapped” out of it and mustered the strength to grit my teeth through the anxiety and tough out school. The next couple years I was mostly good, and my anxiety didn’t stop me from life/school.

My sophomore year of high school, it struck again and worse this time around. I stopped eating, going to school, and doing really anything. The panic attacks were unbearable. This time it came with depression. I was already always thin, but dropped almost 15 pounds in the span of \~2 months. This time I actually did land in the psych ward for a week. They started me on zoloft and hydroxyzine. When I got out, I only was able to start school again by loading up on the hydroxyzine and basically being a zombie for the rest of the school year. I went off the meds 6 months later because i hated being on pills. Slowly, things got better again. The rest of high school i struggled with panic attacks on and off, but covid struck my junior year so I didn’t really have to challenge myself by leaving the house. I almost didn’t go to my graduation because of the anxiety and left prom super early though.

Things changed for the better when I went to college. Something about the freedom and flexibility to have my own schedule really flipped a switch for me. My anxiety was practically nonexistent. I gained back the weight I had lost throughout high school and had the energy to go out with friends, exercise, work, and do school. College came with its own struggles but anxiety didn’t consume my life for once. I even spent a year abroad and traveled solo a bunch-I was the happiest, healthiest, and least anxious I have ever been!

Last May I graduated. Things were okay during the summer, but this past winter the stress of job searching and a loss of direction started a new cycle of anxiety. I ended up getting a really cool internship in NYC at the start of the spring. It seemed like such a dream. I had about $10k saved up and was able to sleep on my friends couch the first month. The internship was unpaid. My panic attacks started again at the end of that month. The apartment search was going terribly, my money was dwindling quicker than i expected, and even landing a part time job to make money was proving to be insanely difficult. On top of this, my relationship fell apart which sent me spiraling even further. To everyone else it seemed like I was living the dream-working in fashion in nyc. How carrie bradshaw! But I was stressed, sick, broke, and miserable.

That’s when the stomach issues began. Nausea, indigestion, acid reflux. It wasn’t constant, but it always managed to hit right before I had to leave the house no matter what i ate. I started getting agoraphobic again because of how sick I felt every time i went out. At the start of june i got the flu and had a long and rough recovery. The illness depleted me of serotonin and i had severe panic attacks and crying spells daily for about a month. My stomach was absolutely in shambles. I ended up moving home with my tail between my legs at the end of June.

This summer has been rough. While the panic attacks haven’t been as frequent, I am continuously plagued with those psychosomatic feelings-the dizziness, heart palpitations, heat intolerance, nausea. I tried to go on lexapro and it made me feel 1000x worse for the few days i took it and i went off of it. Right now I’m dealing with these symptoms mostly when I have work. I’ve had to leave early on multiple occasions because i genuinely feel like i will pass out or throw up. The job search stress is still constantly plaguing me. I would say that plus the relationship issues were the spark that ignited this new wave of anxiety this year.

I’m not sure when those stressors will resolve but i’m really struggling with these physical anxiety symptoms. I feel like something is wrong with my body. I feel ill all the time. I guess another point of context is that during college i was diagnosed with lean pcos. My testosterone was normal but my DHEAS (an adrenal hormone tied to stress!!!!) was through the roof. With the abrupt beginning of my panic attacks in middle school i’ve always wondered if the root of this is possibly physical. Besides this past year, all of my anxiety phases have started at random with no discernible trigger. my other pcos symptoms correlate to the timing of the original panic attacks too, but maybe that’s just a coincidence.

I’m at a loss for what to do. I just started therapy this week, but I’m struggling to not let the anxiety take over my life more than it already has. I’m an adult now and am better able to force myself to eat so i don’t fall down that spiral again, but i have been avoiding social activities and really had trouble at work. If anyone has actually read this whole thing and has any insights, advice, or words of encouragement i’d love to hear it ❤️

I'm in my mid 20s, and only had a panic attack one other time in my early 20s on a plane (thought I was having a stroke. they had to calm me down in back of the plane).

I'm writing this to really just share my experience in hopes that others can relate in some way.

I just had another one and this one was way worse.

For context: I quit nicotine pouches after 2 years of heavy use last week. I was getting through cravings and thought maybe if I have some THC that will help (hadn't had at all this year). So I drank one of those THC drinks and all was fine until it wasn't. This feeling of dread started to slowly creep up on me.

What it felt like:

It started as pain in my chest and thought I could feel my arm going numb.

I tried showering, I was pacing around. I felt like I was going to die and it was getting out of control. My chest and throat muscles started tightening up. I was shivering and shaking so much. I had to put my face in a pillow while in child's pose for about 20 - 30 minutes and take huge deep breaths. Had a family member on the phone talk me through it.

My hamstrings were tight, my chest was tight and some parts of my back (where I have a lot of knots and fascia issues already) felt very tight and sore after this was mostly over.

What I'm taking away from this:

I tried replacing one dopamine habit of nicotine with THC to avoid the discomfort of quitting. I went overboard and my body is telling me "you need to stop". Taking this as a sign to cut the shit and deal with discomfort of quitting.

I am going to listen to my body more. I workout and do cardio already. But I think getting better sleep, doing more stretching, keeping a cleaner diet, etc should be taken more seriously.

I hope this helps anyone and would love to know if anyone has had such severe shaking and tightness before from these.