Fight or Flight

[7ca5p]

*Only homless because i'm not sure where to put this, sorry for any inconvinience.*

Right, I dont know if anyone will be able to help me here, but I'd just like to see what anyone makes of this.

Over the last couple of weeks Ive been feeling incredibley uncomfortable. Very very aggressive and very scared. My friends have noticed it aswell as me and although we banter and joke about it with each other, Its actually starting to debilitate me.

I feel as if Ive got somthing HUGE coming up. Like as if I was in a cup final the next day. But there is no event coming up, and every new day is greeted with the same old feeling. Its characterized by intense anger and intense fear.

It feels like my fight or flight response has been flipped on, and the switch has broken and there is no way to turn it off. Adrenaline is surging through me all the time. Obviously this is causing concentration, conversational, and health issues. My "sleep" is messed up now, ive developed a rather tired, washed out complexion, and my stomach is churned and cramps up.

Its making talking to people seem like a foreign language and everything is overwhelming me. I have no idea why this is happening, as despite being a analytical type, I can not find any reason why this might be occuring. I know there is no threat, and I know that I have no reason to feel tense or scared. Walking through a busy corridor seems to be quite stressfull for me.

I'm a really extroverted guy, and usually am the loudest most energetic person in any social group that Im in (wether that be good or bad) so its quite a drastic change for me to now have to struggle to even talk to anyone becuase I cant think of words, instead I can only think about going away. Often this implants a suicidal thought in my head and Ive considered taking my life on many occasions becuase I just can't bare it.

If you didn't read then I don't blame you, but if you did and care to offer some advice, then thank you very much, it would mean the world to me

 

[maxalfie]

hello mate, I have no experience of feeling anything like that at all so all I could advise is to go and seek medical help asap. I hope you find some relief from your troubles.

 

[3rd_I_blind]

I suggest you talk to a professional about this too. In the mean time, perhaps you could answer this questions to narrow down the possiblities a bit?
- Do you feel this way the whole day, only when around others or only when you are in a public situation or with people you don't really know?
- Do you feel agressive in general, or with respect to concrete situations? For instance, do you feel like kicking inanimate objects or is your agression more directed towards people around you?
- How do you feel when you are trying to get to sleep?

Have you tried breathing techniques? Breathing techniques can be a good way to calm down, especially when you are laying in bed and trying to get some sleep. You should focus on a mantra that works for you, for instance 'I should mind my breathing' and repeat this over and over in your head, while you try to breathe slowly and thoroughly. Do not divert your attention to thoughts like 'OMG I still feel so stressed out' or anything similar, just focus on the mantra and your breathing.

 

[davestate]

Symptoms like that, especially the "surge of adrenaline" feeling could be many things, anxiety for one, but I would get it checked out because symptoms like that can fit with something called a pheochromocytoma, a rare catecholamine (adrenaline and noradrenaline) secreting tumour, especially the weight loss, abdominal pain, anxiety type reaction, and extreme fear or anger

So yeah, get to a GP

 

[Jabberwocky]

Healthy Living and TDS are both good places for this thread. I'm going to try out Healthy Living to start with. The mods there can move it if you or they feel it will work better somewhere else. I'd personally suggest you start out with a getting a check up with your Doctor. Depression or an anxiety disorder could be what is going on but a check up with lab work and a good physical exam would be the place to start even if it only serves the purpose of ruling physical causes out. I really hope you get the problem identified and straightened out soon.

Was this gradual in onset or can you pin point a time this all started? Was there any change in diet, stressors, different environment, or anything that you suspect could be causally related?

Homeless-------------------------------------------> Healthy Living

 

[7ca5p]

thanks for the replies eveyone, it means alot.

I unfortunatley can't pinpoint a time when it started, as its been happening for a long time but with varying degree. A lot of the time I would have either an important assignment the next week. or a big football match coming up, and despite being overly nervous about those events, I thought nothing of it. I definatley can feel the feeling being heigtened in public areas though, especially if I am alone.

The feeling is present all the time, in all situations, although its mostly a problem and seems to magnify when Im in public areas and without anything to keep me occupied. For example sitting in a crowded canteen/corridor with no other purpose than to socialise. The weird bit is, my thought process is the complete oppersite of my reaction. No ones anything other that friendly to me, but if people say somthing nice to me, or another usually postive social event occurs such as receiving a friend request on facebook (pardon the example) the feeling amplifies. I get really tense.

My anger is not directed at any person or event, rather myself, inanimate objects, and the feeling itself. Like, I will just randomly throw somthing, or shout and swear. I was driving earlier and was gripping the steering wheel as tightly as I possibly could just to attempt to vent it.

When Im trying to get to sleep the same thing occurs, and I am probably the breathing exersises wrong, as the fact that Im breathing deeply gives me that "butterflies in stomach" feeling.

 

[Changed]

I agree with Dave: go to a doctor to see whether there is something wrong with your body. If he doesn't find anything, he'll probably recommend some other way to fix this problem.

 

[AfterGlow]

try going to the gym every day. that'll counteract the effects of the cortisol

 

[X3DFX]

Do what you can to let the energy out, like physical exersize that you actually like doing.

My guess is its something trying to come up from your unconscious.

What happened in your past that was traumatic? What happened in your past that you dont think affected you very much, but could have? What has made you feel angry in the past? Who?

 

[tiggerific]

what about yoga, teaching breathing techniques whilst being calm maybe offer a bit of time to let your mind switch off and reboot sort of.
as others have said though think the best thing would be to speak to you doctor.