Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

Anxiety Symptoms:

This is what started my health anxiety. In July, I was stressed and worried about working during the pandemic, juggling some personal problems, and school. I stopped working and I started feeling heart palpitations which is where your heart beats harder than normal. I was able to not think about them or they went away, until I did the worst thing imaginable... I looked up my symptoms. LITERALLY THE WORST THING SOMEONE WITH HEALTH ANXIETY CAN DO. Then all I was thinking about was if I had an aneurysm or heart problem or stroke. There are so many anxiety symptoms that feel physical and they are physical, but your mind is making you feel these. I have personally felt heart palpitations, increased heart rate, chest pain, tingling/numbness, sweating, dizziness, muscle tension, headaches, weird sensations, arm & leg pain, frequent urination, digestive issues, leg tapping, shakiness, muscle spasms, neck tightness/stiffness, ringing in the ears, nausea, appetite changes, you f*cking name it and I have felt it. It got to the point that I was so worried about my heart, I went to a walk-in clinic and waited for 4 hours for them to do an EKG and chest x-ray. They said everything was fine and normal, but I didn't feel any better or different. And I still feel all these symptoms because I continue to dwell on them and think the worse. The thing with any anxiety is that you have to believe that it is a temporary feeling that will go away because things get better.

Depression Symptoms:

I honestly didn't know I was depressed. I always felt a little down, negative, and tired except now I know that it is because I am anemic. Anemia is a lack of blood, specifically for me a lack of iron which is common among women. This makes people feel fatigued so much easier than other people, which makes sense because I would always get really tired in comparison to other people. Anemia can lead to depression because you are used to being tired and lazy. Anxiety and depression are so connected, except their symptoms are different. With depression, there is sadness, a lost of interest in normal activities, excessive tiredness/sleeping, appetite changes, feeling worthless, and so much more that is interlaced with anxiety. In my experience, I would isolate myself from friends and family. I was always irritable or easily angered which I hated because I didn't even know why I was lashing out at people. During my first year of college, my boyfriend and friends wanted me to go out to the clubs with them, but I had no desire to and I still ended up going. There have been countless times where I don't like how I look or think people don't like me or overwhelming sadness. Oh my gosh, it is so much. Like I knew I wasn't mentally "okay," but I didn't want to acknowledge it or tell anyone how I was truly feeling. Just know you are not alone, everyone feels like this at times. This too shall pass.

If anyone wants to talk, feel free to email me or DM me on social media :)