silent anxiety attack
The story
It starts small. So small I almost don’t notice it at first. Just a tightness in my chest, like I’ve forgotten to breathe properly. My thoughts get a little louder, a little faster, like someone pressed fast-forward on my brain and now it’s running ahead of me, out of control. I try to ignore it, tell myself it’s nothing, that I’m fine, but my body has already decided otherwise. My hands feel weird, kinda tingly, kinda numb. My stomach twists into knots, and suddenly I feel like I might throw up, even though I haven’t eaten anything in hours. But the worst part? No one around me has a clue. I could be sitting in a room full of people, having a completely normal conversation, nodding, even laughing at the right moments, and no one would know that inside, I’m barely holding on. That’s the thing about a silent anxiety attack—it doesn’t look like what people expect. There’s no hyperventilating, no shaking, no obvious signs. Just me, stuck in my own head, trying to act normal while my body is screaming at me that something is very wrong.
I’ve gotten good at hiding it. Too good, maybe. I’ve had these episodes since I was a teenager, and over the years, I’ve learned how to perform through them. I know how to keep my voice steady even when I feel like I can’t breathe. I know how to smile and nod while my heart is pounding so hard I swear it’s about to explode. I know how to keep eye contact, to ask the right questions, to seem present, even when my mind is looping through the same terrible thoughts over and over again. What if I pass out? What if I embarrass myself? What if I just lose control completely? And the scariest part? No one ever notices. They just keep talking, keep moving, keep living their lives, while I sit there drowning in my own head. And then, just when I think it can’t get worse, the exhaustion hits. Like my whole body just gives up after the fight. My muscles ache, my brain feels foggy, and all I wanna do is sleep, but I know when I wake up, it could all happen again.
I wish I knew how to stop it. I wish there was a switch I could flip, some way to tell my brain, hey, chill out, nothing’s actually wrong. But logic doesn’t work when anxiety takes over. People say things like just breathe, just relax, but they don’t get it. If it was that easy, I wouldn’t be feeling like this in the first place. I try grounding techniques, counting things in the room, touching something solid, focusing on sounds around me. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it doesn’t. The only thing I know for sure is that I can’t keep living like this, constantly waiting for the next wave to hit. Because that’s the worst part of anxiety—it’s never really gone. It’s always just waiting, lurking in the background, ready to take over the second I let my guard down. And honestly? I don’t know if I’ll ever be free from it.
Stories in the same category
Points of view
hey, i get where you're coming from with the anxiety stuff but i kind of disagree. sure, anxiety can be a pain but it's not all doom and gloom. i've been in the same boat before and what helped me was focusing on cognitive-behavioral techniques. think of it like training your brain to handle stress better over time. it's a process but it's totally doable. keeping a positive mindset makes a huge difference too. tons of folks have found ways to live peacefully even with anxiety around so there's always hope for improvement.
hang in there, things can get better! ❤️
sincerely acknowledge the depth of emotion expressed in ur story; however, I must totally disagree with its portrayal of anxiety as an unbeatable force... for me personally, anxiety has been more like a pesky fly that won't stop buzzing rather than a life-altering storm... plenty of people find ways to manage it and move on; i've read countless stories from folks who have 'overcome it' and gone on to live their best lives, which suggests it ain't the end of the road... i remember my cousin always saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," which, though a bit cliche, highlights the resilience we all have within us; it's important to remember that everyone has their own battles and we each find unique ways to get through them; it's not always as bleak as it seems!
man, i totally vibe with your story 😔 anxiety is no joke and honestly, it's like what they say, "it's like fighting a battle no one else can see"; i've had my fair share of those silent battles too and sometimes it feels like there's no getting away from it!!! my brain just goes into overdrive, and it’s exhausting... like, people say "just relax", right, but that's way easier said than done; i'm with you on the part about nobody noticing... it's like we're actors in a never-ending play where only we know the script... i remember trying all those grounding techniques and yeah, they help sometimes, but not always... it's tough to keep hope when it feels so relentless!!!! but hey, sharing stories like this does make a difference, letting others know they're not alone. keep hanging in there 🙂
dude i completely get what you're saying in this story! it's like anxiety just hijacks your brain and doesn't let go... you know, "it's like a constant fight or flight mode" as they say in the psychology world.
and seriously it sucks!!! i've been through that too and let me tell you: it's like you're running a marathon with no finish line... it's tiring and people who think it's just about breathing exercises or whatever clearly don't have a clue... it's not that simple!!! I remember being in meetings trying to focus on the tasks at hand while my mind was like a storm of intrusive thoughts and let me tell you it's exhausting :(
this psychology stuff ain't no walk in the park and it sometimes feels like there's no escape... so yeah, I totally agree with you on every point!!
Brother don't listen to advices like just breathe heavily, relax, etc. These advices usually come from people who have not gone through what you are going through. I suggest you to consult a doctor regarding this matter. They would know better