I just wanted to share the symptoms I struggled with and went through when I was at my worst with anxiety. The good news though, I have not experienced 90 percent of these symptoms for a few years now. So my hope with this post is it can be encouraging and uplifting for those currently struggling. You CAN rid yourself of these awful feelings and feel better! Do not lose hope! Anyway, here are the symptoms of anxiety that plagued me.....

* Sweaty/Clammy hands
* Headaches/tension and tightness in my head
* Heart palpitations/feeling like a missed heartbeat. I would always cough when this would happen.
* Eye twitch and sometimes a twitch in the temple region
* Shallow breathing. This was a big one for me and unfortunately shallow breathing comes with other negative symptoms like dizziness and chest pains.
* Very alert of my own thoughts and self. Living inside my own head far too much.
* Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I was able to help this issue when I started using a fan every night.
* I would find myself randomly having a beer or whiskey at 10PM on a Tuesday, just to try and relax. (And I do not drink much in general)
* Rapid heartbeat but even more than that I was VERY aware of my heartbeat.
* Intrusive thoughts. This was an odd and scary symptom. My girlfriend at the time, who I loved very much, but yet I would have these thoughts like what if i hit her over the head with my baseball bat!? Like WTF? Where do these outrageous and disturbing thoughts even come from.
* Inability to just feel comfortable and relax. Something as simple as watching sports/tv show/movie was nearly unbearable.
* Fidgety and often in a fog
* Periods of extreme shaking
* Avoided places where an easy exit was not possible. (Still do this)
* Lack of solid number 2's
* Did not feel comfortable leaving my house. Because "what if my anxiety embarrassed me in public."
* Damaged relationships/friendships due to not going out much and not wanting to see anyone.
* Healthy eating to combat my healthy anxiety. Was always researching for foods best for your heart because I was convinced my heart was bad and rotting.
* Drank a lot of water at times because I felt some relief when doing so.
* Small talk (especially with co-workers) caused a high degree of anxiety. Sweaty, light headed, tingly almost immediately.
* I did not like being within 10 miles of my house and "comfort zone". (A year before this all started I flew to Mexico)
* I use to do silly things like fake being on the phone while walking through the mall because that would help with anxiety.

tltr: My hope is you guys read this, can relate to some or many of the symptoms and realize that they are only temporary. You can and will feel better with time. Fuck anxiety and be well my friends!