How To Overcome Your Fear Of Anxiety Symptoms
Being anxious is one thing but thinking that your about to die because of your anxiety is a different sport altogether. This I believe is the difference between the normal person and the person living with an anxiety disorder.
The normal person will experience anxiety just like we all do but shrug it off. Anxiety sufferers on the other hand tend to wallow in their anxiety because it is accompanied by ten thousand symptoms that make an anxious person think that death is soon to come.
Although I am skeptical that anxiety disorders are curable, I do believe they are manageable. And one of the most important things that an anxious person has to do is overcome their intense hold on themselves, overcome their intense fear of anxiety symptoms and the belief that anxiety will kill you.
I could get real detailed about what the symptoms are, but seriously do you need a reminder? Do you want to be reminded of the palpitations, slow heart beat, racing thoughts, urgency, skin disturbances, diarrhea, dry mouth, muscle pain and tension, constant low level anxiety, so and so forth.
It is the symptoms that keep anxious people anxious. Well duh you might think. But really, it is the fear of the symptoms that is prolonging your misery. In other words if you could manage to either ignore or calmly deal with the symptoms what would be left? Uneasiness at best or worse – depending on how you look at things.
You would still be anxious but would you still behave like you currently do? I doubt it. You would probably venture out more, maybe indulge a little more, and maybe even have a little more fun.
So exactly how do you overcome your fear of the anxiety symptoms that dominate your life? For starters you absolutely must change your way of thinking. You have to reprogram your brain to reject the fallacy that you have built up over the past months or even years.
The most significant of these self told lies is that anxiety is going to kill you. That it’s going to trigger a heart attack and drop you at any moment. Although we don’t intend to tell ourselves this and convince ourselves of this it’s just what is thought.
It’s thought so much in fact that when we have palpitations or other heart disturbance the assumption is that death is next. But of course this is completely untrue. Panic attacks, anxiety, palpitations, racing thoughts, etc do not kill people. There is no recorded instance of someone having an anxiety related palpitation and keeling over as a result.
Of course you should clear yourself medically to rule out any issues that you may have, but once you have you must train your mind to eject this false truth that has been created by your anxious state. Anxiety does not, will not, cannot kill you. Once you accept this reality than managing your anxiety is much more doable.
Are anxiety and anxiety symptoms intense? Hell yea they are, but they don’t kill. Losing your fear of death as it relates to anxiety should be your starting point. Do this and you will get closer to the old you.
In addition to removing your fear of anxiety related death you also should refrain from fear building. This is a term I just made up, but it is pretty self explanatory. You shouldn’t get caught in the web of creating fears from old ones. This is not only counterproductive but it can also lead to new phobias. Do you really want to be afraid of new stuff on top of all the other stuff?
I had this problem but not for long. I started having weird and fantastic fears that I knew needed to come to an end. For example, if I left my water bottle at work I would never drink from that bottle again. The assumption being that someone may have tampered with it, or worst yet poisoned it. That’s right people, poison. That is outrageous. All of a sudden the janitors are carrying cyanide AND want to kill me specifically. My logical mind yells from the mountain tops, “no way man”.
Someone once gave me lotion as part of a gift basket. I almost didn’t want it because I felt like maybe the lotion was tampered with. I questioned the motive for the gift giving. But than I realized that everyone else got the exact same basket. So I put the lotion on right then and there to prove a point to my anxious mind. The point was you are out of control and need to be contained.
So now I don’t fear old water bottles or gifts of lotion. But I provided this example because it illustrates what anxiety can do. And what it can do is build in your mind a set of false ideals that keep you from yourself. The fears create new and larger barriers between you and your peace of mind. Do not fear build.
If you find yourself creating new fears you should immediately challenge that fear. Why are you afraid? Is there a legitimate reason for the fear? Or are you simply allowing your anxiety to introduce yet another fear that you really don’t need and more importantly can avoid?
So there you have it simplicity in a bottle. Remove your death fear of anxiety and do not fear build and you will overcome or at least manage your fear of anxiety symptoms very effectively.
The next time you are having an anxiety attack or even if you are feeling uneasy challenge yourself to asses the situation. Am I in real danger? If not than take it from there.
That’s what makes anxiety such a frustrating and overpowering force. It makes you believe things that aren’t true, it creates fear, and it suppresses your logical mind. But remember that you have the ability to see through this veil of fear. Remove the fear of the symptom, become more comfortable with it and you will improve a great deal.
I am an anxiety sufferer so I would never lie to you and say that this is a piece of cake – far from it. It takes time, practice, perseverance, and patience. You will be successful sometimes and at other times you will fail. But don’t get discouraged. As long as you are aware of what you need to do then you have a starting point. Stop being a victim and get proactive about counteracting the fear. The anxiety is there and may be there to stay, but you can do a lot about your reaction. And that my friends is my message to you – you can do something about it.
Question: Does your fear of anxiety symptoms keep you anxious or is there something else keeping you anxious? Let me know.
Note: I also added a podcast to accompany this post. Click on the player below to listen.
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I have always been a little anxious even when i was a kid.What doesnt make this any easier for me is that i have a learning disability which is another thing to think about with my anxiety. its like well…. maybe i really am i stupid since i really do have this disability so if its true its true and i cant do anything about it . i was on a soccer team when i was young and i remember being very nervous then i only scored one guy out of the 3 years i played… and that goal barley happend. so theres another thing that confirms that im stupid and miserable. but is that really true … no i have a real problem anxiety is a real thing and its started from a basic form when i was a kid and has changed in and out of many different combinations over the years. i dont have regular panic attacks anymore but when i had my first one in the middle of the night when i woke up with my heart pounding and i was very light headed and dizzy i couldnt walk really and i didnt know where i was at… so for about a year and ahalf i was having panic attacks and going to the hospital almost everyday. the good news is im not like that anymore but im still not well off. i get twitches,shakes, cold chills , hot spells. weird head pain, chest tightening , tingling , extereme tirdness and alot more.even writing this i feel in my head that i could lose control and i dont know why. if im trying to read a book or stay still /sit still i get really agitated and feel my head and body feel like its moving faster and faster until its going to explode and then im not sure what would happen a panic attack i guess but in my mind while this is happening im secretly saying heart attack …. sigh so yeah i know what you mean and i want to overcome this more then youll ever know i need help so so so so so so so bad .
goal my bad. lol
Hey Adam, just remember two things. Anxiety is treatable and things are never as bad as they seem. Hang in there.
I have this fear recently that my mind keeps of thinking like every 5 seconds of negative thoughts such as when I get a happy or uplifting thought, all of a sudden it’s reuned by this bout of anxiety! It can go on for hours sometimes, and its freaking me out! It’s like my mind racing with this kinda thought pattern, and it freaks me out! I wanna forget about it, but the fear keeps on bringing on these repeating fearful thoughts of bipassing a happy thought with a scary thought right after. How can I forget about this disdructive pattern I’ve seemed to developed??
Hey Dude, I know how you feel but I guarantee that these bad thoughts will leave you soon. This is a temporary situation that anxiety does produce from time to time.
It can last a few days, sometimes even a few weeks but it does lift. It can but caused by excessive stress, worry, and of course anxiety. It’s a response related to the fight or flight response. But don’t worry so much about the cause, just note that it will and will always pass. Be patient and don’t dwell on your thoughts.
Hey, im 17 and i smoked weed for the first time and got really scared and freaked out, i thought i was dying…. Well now im having scary chest pains and chills, i went to the ER at like 430 this morning and they said everthing is fine, that it is just anxiety…. I just had another attack and its so frustating and scary. Could you help me out??
Hey Riley, Glad you’ve been seen by a doctor. If they’ve confirmed that you’re healthy then I suggest that you give it a little time. Having a panic attack(s) for the first time can be a shock to the system. The important thing to remember is that you’re not in danger nor will anxiety put you in danger. It is fear, anxiety and panic working on you but luckily nothing else.
i woke up this morning feeling wierd well i know that its anxiety just hate it because i dont feel normal i dont feel like my self anymore it sucks i ask my self how do you get back to your self the tension in my neck and the tightness in my head i hate well anyone out ther feels like me
i’m a footballer,i do perform exellently during training but when the time comes for a match,i become scared and lose confidence.pls help me before its too late.
Hi adebayo,
I used to play sports myself, so I can relate. I used to vomit before matches even. This is gross, of course, but the point of saying this is just to point out that I was scared before going onto the field/pitch.
But since then I’ve learned that fear is truly in the mind and not outside of you, therefore, you have the ability to control its influence on you.
If it’s fear of performing poorly then this should leave your mind immediately. Playing at a high level means playing free, with full freedom of mind and body.
It means playing not with your opponents in mind, fans, or coaches, but you doing things as they come to you and thinking only in what must be done in the game itself.
Also, people are not as worried about you or thinking about you as much as you think. So don’t let what others think bother you. It doesn’t matter in the end.
Also, mistakes committed by you are forgotten as soon as the next few plays unfold because the game moves on, even if you haven’t.
You must clear your mind before games. Visualize what you have to do in the game… the plays, formations, defensive schemes, and yourself running freely.
There are no worries while playing. It is a time to relieve stress and lay down burdens. To fear no mistake, to fear no ridicule.
Before the game see yourself doing great things. Take a deep breath before going on to the field/pitch. And just play. Play like you did when you were small and only the game mattered. Play like you did then and you will find peace. Play for the reasons you did as a child and you won’t be scared.
Play hard.
Paul
i have no idea if this is anxiety or not, but plz help me if you can. i recently just got a gf that i really love. Her past sex life is whats killing me…. she is 21 and im 22. Ive always been so involved with school, sports and sadly video games… Ive dated many girls but i have never really gotten into a serious relationship or had sex. She on the other been with 5 guys and had sex with them. I didnt care at first but it finally hit me. For 5 days now i keep thinkin about the stuff she did with the guys and i start feeling anxious, jealous, mad, discusted, worried. Big ball of energy in my chess… i just cant stop thinkin about it. i know its the past and she wont cheat on me but how do i get over this.
Hi Bob, what you’re feeling is pretty normal. I think that’s why you find that many cultures around the world value a woman’s chastity so much.
But I’d say the main reason you feel the way you do, aside from being human, is that you don’t have much experience as you pointed out.
Try to think of it from a logical perspective. She met those others guys before you right? So all she was doing was living her life.
We all have different moral standards and what not, but nothing she did was illegal or even abnormal.
You’d be better served by thinking about the future and the relationship you guys can build now.
I always say why worry about things you can’t change or influence… it’s in the past. Let it stay there.
Hey bud, nice article u have written, loved every part of it, plz resolve my issue, since iv been told iv been suffering with anxiety disorder. My life is screwed, i use to have anxiety but never bothered, but now everythin starts with anxiety, my fears are going to doctors, even if i accompany someone else, my heart beats like itl explode,iv tried atleast 15 times to overcome this but everytime i fail and lastly since iv been told alcohol with make u v anxious, even after only couple of beers, i get de javu that next day il b screwed and i am, any advices plz. Thx
Hey paul i wanted to say thanks i been waking up with night terriors of dying more like a religous thoughts i woulds say and i know i have anxiety but i just feel like the worlds on my shoulders and noone elses but i read stuff like this and it makes me feel better about myself and to see other people with the same problem always helps me out also bc i know im not the only one suffering… but to everyone reading this i found that its good to read about this as a reminder and know that there are good people in this world and with god anything is possible but once again thanks paul your are a good man
Thanks Matthew. That means a lot. Hang in there
i have anxiety attachs eerdayy for the last 3years damn near!! it sneaks up on me!!! i guld b thinking but anythang…my heart b ponding i be feelin like imma die!! can udie of it? will it ever go away?
Hey Paul , read your lovely article , i feel like Iv taken a clonazepam .. Lol Paul please help me out one silly issue .. I get severe form of anxiety when it comes to dealing in money , had few bad experiences , I was really fond of going to casinos when I was anxiety free, now as in enter the casino my heart is in my mouth , even if I don’t play but I hate being taken down by anxiety , so I go to casinos and play small to take out my fear but every time anxiety wins and my thoughts are usain bolt and it’s either alcohol or Xanax which comes as a lifesaver , i am not a impulsive gambler , neither I’m poor , it’s just that I wanna take out my fear , any advice would be gold for me
For the past few days I have been feeling I see something disturbin(though I actually cannpt see it with my own eyes) I feel there is something in the room trying to bother me. This keeps me disturbing and it has been over 10days now since this began.Please help me get out of this
I’ve had aniexty for years sometimes i can cope with it, other times i just can’t…….I always feel like I’m dying of some disease and it takes over my mind like crazy…..I hate this feeling!!!..I’m always scared..:(
hi..
i have anxiety for last 8 months and its realy bad experience.i thing i want to ask you.can anxiety realy makes heart weaker and why when its triggers all attention goes for heart…how to fight with it
I used to get a panic attack once in a while and would just shrug them off and though I was just dehydrated or maybe I ate something bad. But as time went on, they got worse and worse and now I have anxiety all the time simply from fear of having an anxiety attack when I am out. I have no social fears, or any irrational fears of going out or doing things. It’s simply the fear of these panic attacks that makes my anxiety worse! I’m in a catch 22 and I don’t know how to get out of it. Anyone else like me? I’m a calm rational person, I don’t get excited and even when I’m having these attacks, I feel a little dizzy and my heart pounds but I always remain calm and try to keep relaxed. But it feels like the world is about to end sometimes. This has been happening for 2 years now. Any one else like me?
Paul, I want to thank you so much for this site. I come back often, whenever I need reassurance. I know people can overcome their anxiety. My first anxiety attack was 14 years ago. After suffering for a few months with it, I got angry and took control. I read books and concentrated on positive thinking. I was anxiety free until a year ago. I had my first recurrent attack while driving to work, and it shocked me! A few months after that, I began having heart palpitations daily. I went for an echocardiogram and everything is fine, but here I am a year later, and I still think it’s something serious. In times of positive thinking, they stop. For weeks. I feel like I’ve won the lottery, I’m so happy to feel normal. Then the thoughts start again….and I almost talk them into starting again.
Both of my siblings have also dealt with this, and have learned to put it aside. I also turn to them for advice when I have a relapse.
Thank you Paul. I feel like I will sleep better tonight.
Hi Lynne, You’re very welcome. =)
Paul
Hey about half a year ago or a bit less around about 4 months i had an episode whilst smoking weed. I was just sittting around then i started feeling my heartbeat. As soon as i felt it, it started beating faster and fasterr until it was beating so fast i felt an explosion of pain in my chest. I thought i was dying so i got my friends to take me to the hospital. I stayed over nite nd the nxt day the docter said i was fine and i must of had a bad reaction to the weeed. Ive never had an anxiety attak or real issues before all i could say really was i got a bit nervous about contributing to class discussions. Anyway now i developed an obsession of always chekin my heart beat i feel it all the time. My nights became sleeeples as crazy thoughts overwhelmed me, am i going to die frm a hearttattack any second? Am i gping crazy? These r examples of my thoughts. When im around friends generally i am okay however i still press my hand on my chest to feeel the beat. Sometimes wen the beat is different either slower or faster i freak out feel anxious etc. Also little pains or unfimiliar pains aroind my chest especially also triggger anxietyy. I think tat im going to get a heart attacj or stroke its ridiculous. My thoughts run down a dark path on many occasions thinking about death etc im only 18 participate in sport hadblood tests checkin for evrything returning with perfect results wats wrong with me!?
JR I have the same issues.Its gotten so bad that I rarely leave the house.The moment I get in the car,wham,my heart starts racing,I feel like I can’t breathe,I can’t focus on anything and I have to blast the air conditioner in my face or roll down the window.It also happens without a trigger also.I can just be sitting here and it gets to the point where I feel like I’m going to die.I go into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face until it passes.It is so frustrating that I can’t seem to fix it and its hard to talk to anyone about it because I feel like they don’t understand or realize the intensity of it.Just get over it or snap out of it is the most common response.
Hi,
I just want to be able to kick it on my own!! I have a dr. appt. later today with a dermatologist with what I think is nothing major…but I can’t stop thinking what if??? It is frustrating. I think I have had most physical symptoms of anxiety at one time or another…it’s like my body and mind test me. I get a symptome…sometimes have had it checked out (the heart stuff)…and it’s all fine. And then…I get a new symptom. That does seem to be better for me now…Thank God!! I am much better about not looking everything up on line and can tell and calm myself knowing my now typical anxiety physical symptoms as just being that…but it’s hard at times. Prayer helps me calm myself. My anxiety is very hormonal as well…it is typically stronger (more prevalent) during mid-cycle and right before I get my period…sorry if too much information! 
I am appreciative of the tips I get from here and am hoping to be a major success story on here someday!!
I know what people say when they talk about feeling scared all…or at least a lot of the time. I think I am a strong person, but get so frustrated that my anxiety puts me into fear mode. I have always been a worrier…but struggled with some post partum anxiety after my 3rd child and my anxiety has been very different since then. By different I mean stronger. I go through streaks…but when it gets me…it is scary. My main anxiety centers on my health or the health of my kids…anytime there is something minor I worry it may be major. IT’s like a health anxiety….I DON”T want to pass this on to my children!! I don’t want them to learn these negative ways of thinking from me. I have been on meds in the past and worked hard to get off of them. I am now struggling with whether or not I should go back on them. Any advice? How do you really know when it’s necessary? I think my nurse practitioner has a standing order ready for me if I want it!
Thanks for listening!
JR, Mark and Mike,
It’s a vicious circle..the more you worry, the worse it gets. Even if you don’t think you’re thinking about it, it’s in the back of your mind. It takes time to get over. The mind is very powerful….do you ever find your thinking just brings them on?
This is such a great site. Like Paul says, the first step in dealing with this is understanding and accepting. This means understanding that you’re not dying. I would also suggest getting a book, and whenever you feel negative thoughts, open it and reassure yourself that it’s just anxiety, not death.
BTW, I’m also still dealing with this. It helps to know I’m not alone.