Anxiety and the Fear of Going Insane

Mental illness is a serious difficulty for many, not only in the immediate effects it causes, but in the uncertainty regarding the trust in someone’s own thoughts. Sometimes people with anxiety are left to wonder if they are going crazy, which can be compounded by the common misconceptions those around them have of mental illness. Those who deal with anxiety and panic attacks know this all too well, but it is very possible to get through it.

What does it mean to go crazy?

Some who experience anxiety feel as if they are going crazy, which becomes more debilitating than the anxiety alone. However, this fear is simply the anxiety speaking, and more often than not, you are not actually losing your cognitive functions.

In fact, it is nearly impossible for people to simply go insane all of a sudden. When someone actually is going through a psychotic episode or "going crazy", they cannot tell it is happening to them, and often feel that they are in a sane state of mind. The process seems somewhat natural if you are not in the full presence of mind. Therefore, if you have the wherewithal to think you are going crazy, you probably aren't.

Panic attacks are intense episodes, so it is easy to feel like you're going crazy during them. However, they are different from truly psychotic episodes. It may feel as if your mind is taking control of you, and you have no input. In these occasions, you should seek medical help.

Similarities between anxiety and psychosis

Many state that anxiety could indeed become a form of psychosis due to its ability to cause the brain to lose control. Sometimes it feels as if your thoughts are not your own, and are impossible to hold onto. It may indeed feel like you are going crazy, even if you aren't. However, this still must be viewed as a powerful impediment to daily life that is important to address.

Anxiety attacks are reactions to increases of adrenaline caused by an inherent type of "fight or flight" mentality. In other words, the attacks that often feel like psychosis are more of being overwhelmed by fear, and losing yourself in the spiral. These episodes can last anywhere from minutes to weeks, and can be hard to overcome.

Different types of anxiety disorders and "psychosis"

There are many different types of anxiety disorders, which interpret this feeling of going crazy in significantly different ways. There are also different levels of how common the feeling of losing your mind is with different types of disorders.

Panic disorders are a type of anxiety disorder in which people often feel they are going crazy, due to panicking so severely that it feels that they lose touch with their thoughts. It begins to feel as if their mind is trying to trick them in this panicked state, leading to a feeling of going crazy.

Read on to learn more about anxiety disorders.