Not sure if paranoid or anxious?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Fairly new to this mental health problem, gonna try and not write too much but just so you can get enough of the picture. Started with what I now would suspect was a panic attack (2 months ago now), very sharp intense fear from nowhere for no reason, from that exact point I felt dreadful, typical anxious/depressed symptoms since that point with a lot of overthinking wondering what the hell was wrong with me! I had many different worries running around in my head, kept having very brief panic attacks (from obsessive thinking probably). I was feeling like I was going insane and scared I was, so obviously like we do googled' away and was worried I might be developing schizophrenia (which I know I'm not now my psychologist told me I wasn't). But when I looked at the symptoms of schizophrenia things like delusional beliefs (thinking people are trying to hurt you), thinking people are following, hallucinatinations etc I knew I wasn't so that put my mind at ease. It sounds really stupid because I know it's totally irrational but I keep thinking these things and it actually strikes a bit of fear in me even though I know it's irrational! So when with my family I'll think the 'thinking people are going to hurt you' and it disturbs me and kinda briefly feel scared asif they might even though I know they won't as it's totally irrational! Is this paranoia or anxiety?
0 likes, 10 replies
lindathepinda luke16972
Posted
Hi Luke, how does it help you to define your fear as 'anxiety' or 'paranoia"? Not much I think. Your feelings are there, no matter how you call them.
If I were you I would try to find out, together with your psychologist, why you feel threatened/unsafe at times. In my experience it often has got a lot to do with not feeling (safe in) your body, which should be your safe haven, no matter where and with whom you are. Overthinking doesn't particularly help to reconnect with your body.
It's probably a good idea for you to not only analyze and talk with your psychologist, but also start doing yoga or breathing exercises. It will get you out of your head, into your body and you'll get some relaxation with it.
As long as you don't feel comfortable in your own skin nor protected by it, it will be difficult to feel safe and secure.
luke16972 lindathepinda
Posted
I know what you are saying, but with this it's like I didn't have these feelings until after I started reading about the symptoms! Like when I saw the hallucinations symptoms for some reason I was on edge thinking I was going to see or hear things! (Haven't had a single hallucination) but the feeling of being on edge not wanting to open my eyes was terrifying!
Aquin luke16972
Posted
Hi Luke,
That is your anxiety, without a doubt. I've actually had the same thing happen during a bout of severe anxiety so bad that i really thought i was going crazy. It's like pseudo paranoia and it stems from your fear of going crazy. I would think stuff like "what if i started to think that they were going to kill me" or "what if i started to believe i was being spied on". Basically if its a "what if" then its your anxiety talking.
I also have pure O OCD which is obsessional intrusive thoughts. Thoughts that i dont believe but that feel like they could be real and that give me great anxiety. I became obsessed with thinking i was going crazy and might start hallucinating or hearing voices.. thats where those pseudo paranoia thoughts stemmed from.
luke16972 Aquin
Posted
Cheers that's quite reassuring and is what's happening to me, so what you are saying is the thoughts put me in a paranoid state? Also what have you done to combat the issue? Just dismiss the thoughts as just thoughts and carry on and habituate to the thoughts that pop up
Aquin luke16972
Posted
I wouldn't say that you're in a paranoid state as such.. more that you're scared of becoming crazy and you read symptoms of schizophrenia and they scared you and because your mind is in such an anxious and tired state, you have attached to those thoughts. It is what happens in OCD.. absolutely everyone gets intrusive thoughts but those of us with anxiety and obsessional thinking are more prone to getting worries and thoughts stuck in our heads. This is what's happened to you. Youve become scared of something happening so these thoughts keep coming. The best thing you can do is just let the thoughts be there. Dont engage with them and try to make sense out of them because this will only bring temporary relief from the anxiety. If you just let them be there and have a sort of "whatever" attitude the thoughts will eventually lose power.
luke16972 Aquin
Posted
Thanks a lot I'm sure this will help in time!
john47751 luke16972
Posted
Much like you luke, I'm very new to anxiety as well. I was taking medication for jaw pain and all of a sudden I started getting headaches. My doctor told me to stop taking the medication he prescribed for me and use Aleve but the Aleve just made things even worse. To make a long story short, I never had problems with anxiety before that but do to a bad reaction to the medication and the excessive headaches it caused I developed anxiety.
The " intrusive thoughts " are a side effect of having anxiety. Anxiety causes your brain to go into overdrive and work way harder then it can handle. Do to the strain anxiety causes your brain, it will often cause you to think irrationally. The bottom line is that you're NOT going crazy. Whats happening is you're scared do to fearing the fear your brain is causing you. You need to learn to calm youself. That is the key. If you can learn to calm yourself, those feelings will eventually go away.
john47751 luke16972
Posted
I forgot to mention that even though anxiety causes to you have " intrusive thoughts " it doesn't mean that you'll act on them. All this will do is trick you into thinking something is wrong and that is when the fear kicks in. You will NOT do anything irrational but what anxiety will do is cause your brain great amounts of fatigue causing you to think irrationally. Just remember that its all a trick and not real. Your brain is just tired and needs to heal itself.
luke16972 john47751
Posted
john47751 luke16972
Posted
Having the answers and being able to act upon them are two different things my friend. This will be very hard to deal with but always remember that you're among friends here and if you need help...this site will attempt to aid you. You're not alone.