In times of high anxiety and panic, the following are common altered emotional feelings:

Anxiety (also often called words like “stress” or “tension”).

In anxiety, the person feels troubled, unsettled and uneasy in himself or herself. At high levels of anxiety this can reach the level of intense fear seen in panic. Such high levels of anxiety are unpleasant but not dangerous.

Anger or irritability.

Little things that normally wouldn’t bother you may now seem to really irritate or upset you. Anger tends to happen when you, or someone else, break a rule that you think is important, or acts to threaten or frustrate you in some way.

Shame.

Feelings of shame occur when you see yourself as having undesirable qualities which if revealed to others will result in ridicule and humiliation.

For example this might be of your:
• Physical appearance (e.g. how your nose, ears, face, bottom, breasts etc appear to others).
• Emotions (e.g. shame at being anxious).
• Personality (e.g. that you are not confident in everything you do),
• or Actions (e.g. that you lied and avoided going to the party because of anxiety).

These concerns lead to behaviours to hide these perceived “faults” from others.

Low mood.

Depression may occur at the same time as panic or phobias. It can either start or worsen symptoms of anxiety.

Common terms that people use to describe low mood include depression, or feeling low/sad/blue/ upset/down/miserable or fed up.

Typically in severe depression the person feels excessively down and few if any things cheer them up.

If you feel like this, speak to your health care practitioner.

My altered feelings.

Q. Do I feel very anxious or fearful/panicky at times?  Yes � No �

Q. Do I get easily angry, frustrated or more irritable than previously?  Yes � No �

Q. Do I feel shame about aspects of my actions or myself?  Yes � No �

Q. Am I feeling depressed, upset or low in mood and no longer enjoy things as before?  Yes � No �

Summary for Area 3: Altered feelings/emotions.

Having answered these questions:

Q. Overall, do I have any problems in this area? Yes � No �

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Overcoming Anxiety © Dr C J Williams (2003)

Excerpted from online workbook: Understanding panic and phobias by Dr Chris Williams

Related books by Dr. Williams:

Overcoming Depression: A Five Areas Approach

Overcoming Anxiety: A Five Areas Approach

I'm not supposed to feel like this: A Christian self-help approach to depression and anxiety.