What triggers your anxiety?

[jrkrizco 0]

I also noticed if I'm watching TV and I see too many violent images, I tend to panic and I don't know why. It's scary not to know when anxiety wil trigger, but I try to remain calm and get myself through it.

Panickstricken, it's funny you should mention this. I used to be such a fan of scary movies but now I cannot watch them at all. Even the movie previews make my anxiety kick in.

[shaun 6]

One of my main anxiety triggers is the uncertainty of the future. I worry about what the future holds, where I will be living, whether I will be happy etc. Another trigger is agonising over the past and dwelling on bad experiences. I go inside myself, my breathing is shallow, and the anxiety rises. I have learned to stop this negative thinking and this has reduced my anxiety greatly.

[Jailynnsgrandma 0]

I cannot figure out what does it for me. I have always been anxious but since my Mom passed away in 2004 it has gotten worse, and then my husband passed away in 2007 and it has gotten even more out of control. The doorbell ringing or a phone number calling that I do not know, my loved ones not answering their cell phones when I call, are all things that I can get me feeling bad, but then other times I get that way and do not know why. I almost forgot, financial obligations do it to me as well.

[MeiEden 1]

I think I generally feel some level of anxiety, but what really pushes it into overdrive is excessive work pressure, social situations, and sadly enough, concern over the approval of my parents (even now that I'm an adult).

[classy_ally 2]

OMG!! Finances are pretty big. But not having control over what I do is much worse. I try to plan everything out in advance. That way I don't have any surprises. That really triggers my anxiety.

[nattytat 0]

Whenever I feel out of control or feel like I have zero options, I undergo extreme anxiety. And when I am feeling anxious I tend to procrastinate or put of resolving whatever is making me anxious and I shut off. This only ends up leading to more anxiety and me and my boyfriend sad. I have lately been combating this by self monitoring my thoughts and constantly making sure that I think in a positive light. I notice that as soon as I allow one negative thought to enter my head I tend to go down hill fairly quick.

[sandooch 0]

Anything stressful, especially when it comes out of the blue. Like when my mother fell while running and fractured both of her forearms. Seeing her like that in the hospital, in so much pain, sent me over the edge. It is usually very stressful situations like that, but I've also had small panic attacks for no reason whatsoever.

[SarahLizzie 2]

The downward spiral my life is spinning in right now is a huge trigger for my anxiety. Fiances are the biggest problem right now, and my youngest child's health. Everythimg that can go wrong does and will in my life, at least right now.

[leyash 4]

Money, my relationship, hypochondria, all of that starts my anxiety. Hypochondria is by far the worst thing that starts my anxiety. If I have a symptom, it triggers my hypochondria, which then triggers my anxiety, and they all just play off of eachother. It definitely doesn't help when it's like a vicious circle.

[Ghost 0]

Anything that can seriously impact my life(job, money, relationship troubles etc.), but my biggest trigger is severe weather, especially tornadoes and hurricanes(I live in area where it's extremely common) because it's so painfully natural: you have 50/50 chance of being spared or devastated by it.

I'm just now trying to let go of fear of the future(at least to the point of not being a worry wart about it) and I don't know if I'll ever get over my storm phobia.

[growinoldbutgr8 0]

Little surprises cause me anxiety. And LIFE is one little surprise after another.

[JOYCICLE 654]

Me too Grow, me too. Once I plan my day, it's gotta go just according to plan. My poor kid. If she calls me from school and forgets a book and I need to take it up to her, she might as well say I'm stranded in NYC , help me. I just think, take a book? TO the school? WTH does she think I am ? Moses or something? Then I have to remember, it's just the school, it's not too far, it's not a big deal. My initial reaction is to way o ver react !

[Brian01 0]

Actually today's most of people are victim of this disease because of financially problems and these problems are occurred due to the unlimited and unnecessary wishes. Today's mostly people are victim complex by the others like if they have a special thing like car or home then why I don't have less then him. So mostly the girls have this problem for their cloths and other fashion related products.

[janedoe12 0]

Everything I can't afford anything, I'm constantly worried everyone is gona die, im scared to sleep because I think im goin to wake up in the middle of the woods, if I see a mysterious illness even if it is 1 in a billion chance ill every get it I automatically start thinking I have it, lately I can't eat because I think someone has poisoned me I am on day 2 of no sleep day 1 of not eating, I don't trust anyone I cant do simple things because I feel I will get drugged or poisoned my anxiety is out of control

[rainbow 333]

my anxiety gets triggered when one of my kids gets sick, like now my daughter has a bad cough, she is on antibiotics, but the cough is causing headaches, but than i think "what if it's brain c****r", than i have to rationalise with myself. same with myself sometimes i blow my symptoms out of proportion. 

 

driving in the snow too makes me anxious as well. i hate driving in the winter.  heights give me anxiety as well. 

[rainbow 333]

One of my main anxiety triggers is the uncertainty of the future. I worry about what the future holds, where I will be living, whether I will be happy etc. Another trigger is agonising over the past and dwelling on bad experiences. I go inside myself, my breathing is shallow, and the anxiety rises. I have learned to stop this negative thinking and this has reduced my anxiety greatly.

same here, i worry too much about the future, things that are out of my control. i wish i could learn to stay in the present. 

[lonesailor14 653]

I wish I knew what triggered my anxiety!!! I can't find a particular reason, just certain situation can provoke anxiety in me. It has nothing to do with the place, people or anything I can see. Just a feeling that pops up from time to time.

[bogmonster 1]

My triggers are many and varied including my son at college, my relationship with my wife and will she leave me, my relationship with my son, my job, deadlines at work, inability to apply myself at work, will I get better, anything to do with authority, the news (I can't watch the news or read newspapers), lack of friends, driving, jobs that need doing around the house and on and on.....I am also very anxious that I am not going to get better.                   

 

I have also become less comfortable with people as my condition has deteriorated as I have lost confidence in myself to the point that I have started feeling self concious and anxious.

 

I would class all my anxiety problems as irrational. Of course some anxiety is normal and getting anxious about real issues is an indicator that you need to make some changes. My problem is that I turn trivial issues into full blown high intensity anxiety attacks, I catastrophize the issue and look at it from every negative angle I can possibly dream up however unlikely. I will then follow through the negative lines of thought until I reach the common denominator of my wife and son leaving me, loosing my home and growing old lonely and penniless. 

 

Unless I manage to nip it in the bud the anxiety can mushroom very quickly to a point where it takes on a life of it's own. I can try and rationalize and can recognize that my thinking is not logical but it is no use and all I can do is wait for the anxiety to burn itself out. which can take hours, days or even weeks. Once the anxiety has a hold there is nothing I have learnt in CBT or anywhere else that can stop it.  

 

Whilst the initial spark of anxiety may have been rational, these are things that a healthy person should be able to quickly examine and then put to one side and move on.

 

BM

[jonathan123 2368]

Hi bogmonster. You sound a sensible guy and what you have is GAD. Now that is such an obvious statement which you know only too well. Your mind is in a rut of negative thinking. Everything you describe about being worried over is part of normal living, but when in an anxiety state it all becomes exaggerated out of all proportion, so that we begin to go round in circles like a dog chasing its tail. Losing confidence is a classic anxiety symptom in fact everyone of the things you describe are typical. I know, been there. Of course it's irrational, but knowing that doesn't help much, does it? If I may say so you are allowing the feelings to take over, and while you feel there is nothing you can do about them, of course nothing can be done, because you have convinced yourself otherwise. The feelings have become the master and you are their servant. This has to be reversed. The one sure way is to accept everything that can be thrown at you with absolute willing acceptance. No fighting or struggling just patient, careful, non critical observation. I hope this makes sense. The more you comment in your mind about how you feel the more you feed the anxiety with fear. Of course you will catastrophize; of course you will feel lack of confidence and all the rest of the symptoms but these are only temporary while you are in this condition. They will pass but waiting for them to 'burn themselves out' is not the way forward because you will be expecting them back, and they are good guests, always feeling welcome. You can and will win if you take less heed of the feelings. You can't get rid of them overnight but with calm acceptance they will no longer feel welcome and will gradually go. This takes time so be prepared to give it but willingly.    Jon.

[Sunnybunny 289]

What Bogmonster said!  Wow, do you know how many times I have worked a normal worry to the point where I am old, alone and hyperventilating in a cardboard box?! 

 

I worry about everything and that is what triggers my anxiety.  Finances and driving are big ones for me.  Work is stressful and I am constantly in fear of too many demands being placed on me.  And being alone in public places.  And danger, I see danger everywhere - people throwing a ball at the park, kids splashing around at the pool, construction sites.  They are all terrible accidents waiting to happen.  And I have a phobia about vomiting or seeing vomit.

 

As always Jon has offered some great words of wisdom.  I was looking at some workbooks and online resources that help you to take the negative thoughts and work with them to gain perspective.  I guess what a non-anxious person does automatically.  But Jon is right that we also have to let the feelings go.  That is a huge component.