I was about the age of 25 when I was diagnosed with having anxiety attacks. Anxiety attacks are also known as panic attacks. There are several symptoms of suffering from anxiety disorder. However the symptoms varies from different people.
I was a happy go lucky person with love for sports. I was playing soccer regularly and I have no health issue except for Eczema. However, a very bad tension between my dad and me was beginning of my anxiety disorder.
1. Tiredness
It started off with me feeling extremely tired and restless. I just wanted to sleep and not doing anything. The energy level was at the lowest point. The only place I would want to be at is my bed. I can lie down on the bed and sleep all day long.
2. Dizzy or Spinning Spell
This was probably the worst moment when I was having anxiety disorder.
I started experience dizzy spells. Things were just spinning. When I was having dinner, the plates and bowls on the dining table were spinning. I felt extremely uncomfortable and often, I ate very little.
When I was in an enclosed room i.e. fitting room, I felt breathless and dizzy. I am unable to look at things that are constantly going in circles. There was a constant fear that I may just faint anytime. Because of this fear, I lock myself in the house apart from going to work.
Due to the constant dizzy spell, I was suspicious of having a brain tumor. I consulted a neurologist and went for a CT scan but found nothing.
3. Rapid heartbeat
I started to experience rapid heartbeat. The irregular heartbeat does not occur every time. For example, when I am watching a football match on the television, I do not feel my heart beating fast when I am focusing on the match. The rapid heartbeat occurs most when our mind is thinking a negative event.
I began to visit a cardiologist thinking I might have heart problem. ECG test were conducted and found that my heart was healthy.
There is a close relation between fast heartbeat and dizzy spell. Personally, once I felt dizzy, I started to fear and this lead to rapid heartbeat. These lead to weakness to the muscle.
I was Diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder
After consulting the neurologist and cardiologist and some tests conducted, both specialists could not find out what had happened to me. They advised that I should consult a psychiatrist instead. After the psychiatrist listened to my complaints as listed above, I was diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder.
The symptoms that I experienced were anxiety attacks. Medications were prescribed. My condition improved after the medication.
After a year, I attempted to cut down the intake of the medication and gradually wean off totally from the medication.
In between that time, the anxiety attacks came back stronger but I was able to manage it. A lot was dependent on my mind. The willpower to conquer the anxiety attacks must strong.
Today I have recovered from anxiety disorder. I do get minor anxiety attacks at times but I can “chase” the negative thoughts away.
Support is Vital
Getting support from your loved ones is vital for anxiety disorder patients. The complaints may seem absurd to the normal people but you cannot ignore them. Patients with anxiety disorder are negative and they may find life so helpless.
What they need most is understanding and support to overcome their anxiety disorder.
Disclaimer: The 3 signs that I have experienced are based on my personal experience and may not be applicable to all patients with anxiety disorder. However, the symptoms that I experienced should be more or less the same.
Koh Ming Shao
Hi, my name is Koh Ming Shao. I am a sufferer of Eczema since the age of 6. It has been a physical and emotional roller coaster ride for the past 35 years. After reading the size effects of applying steroid, I decided to stop applying all together in April 2015. I had a horrifying outbreak in May 2015 resulting me to do some researches, and only to discover that I am having Total Steroid Withdrawal Symptom (TSW). I started to keep a journal on my journey on Total Steroid Withdrawal in my blog http://myeczemajournal.blogspot.sg/
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I have suffered from anxiety attacks and panic attacks, and now just have depression. But I also have started having dizzy spells, or my mind blanking out, and not remembering who I am or what I should be doing. Done the tests, I am ok, waiting for brain scan, it could be anxiety though. I am waiting for psychiatrist help to do with my upbringing as a child who was fostered, so I might be blanking out things I dont want to know, but I have been waiting a year now and still no appt oh well maybe next Xmas….
on December 3, 2015 at 1:53 pm BernieBernie, I acknowledge you for bravery to come forward and relate your problem. I feel you. Your anxiety is likely to result from your past experience which you have not bring to a closure. Since the test shows you are okay. You can at least breathe easier. Having said that, if your anxiety and panic attacks are left untreated, his may lead to further health issues like high blood pressure, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases.
While you are still waiting for your appointment with psychiatrist, you may want to do some self help techniques to ease your anxiety. Meditation is an effective way. There is a place where you can learn meditation. You can visit https://puti.org/en/HomeEn.html. They have centres in some part of America as well.
Personally I have benefited from the meditation techniques I learnt from the centre in Singapore.
Please avoid coffee as it contain caffeine that can lead to faster heartbeat and may trigger further anxiety attack.
Please feel free to correspond with me if you require further help.
on December 6, 2015 at 1:57 am Koh Ming Shao