Fluctuating symptoms?

Hi everyone
I would like to know if people's anxieties/phobias are constant or if their symptoms fluctuate a lot? I have been told that my symptoms of anxiety are linked to illness, rather than being a stand alone problem and would like to know what people think. Sometimes I have all the symptoms of a person with an anxiety disorder - anxious, scared to go out, shake if I have to talk to a room full of people etc etc but other times I feel absolutely fine, confident and afraid of nothing irrational.
This doesn't seem to depend on the situation, I can be in exactly the same situation time after time and be perfectly fine the first 3 times and be anxious the 4th. Does anybody else have these extreme fluctuations in symptoms or is it more usual to have the same anxieties, at least to some extent, constantly?

I'm going to reply, even though I'm new here. Hi, everyone!

I know what you mean, butters. Sometimes I'm feeling absolutely normal, really good in fact, and all of a sudden, I'll get a physical symtom that seems to having nothing to do with the way that I am feeling.

It's quite scary, as the first thing you think is that there is something wrong that is not anxiety-related. My psychotherapist friend says that even though your conscious mind is not experiencing any anxiety whatsoever, your sub-conscious mind is really is control of that function anyway, and who knows what it's thinking...

My trip lately has been less acute panic attack type symptoms, and more sustained symtoms that have lasted for a couple of weeks. They are somewhat typical anxiety symptoms (numb left arm, breath troubles, tight jaw, etc), but they are sticking around much longer than normal....Anyone have something to say about that?

Anyway, thanks everyone for being a great forum!

Hi Dream

I'm new too, but just wanted to say you're not alone with the whole 'disappearing, reappearing' symptoms.
I've had a bad couple of months on and off - quit my job (it was making me ill, which I think was where all this started), then got another one and that didn't work out either. But for the two and half weeks I was in that job, I felt fine. All my symptoms went away and I thought, great, I'm finely getting back to 'normal'. Only thing was, as soon as I made the decision to leave that job, all my symptoms came flooding back. I've had a nightmare this past week, trying to get past my anxiety, but sometimes it feels like it's taking you over. You wake up in the morning and for a spilt second you think everything is ok, then it all comes flooding back. I desperately want to be well again and I know I can be, it's just getting to that place in my head I was at two weeks ago!
Anyway, try not to worry too much about it - it will all come together for you, as I know it will for me, we just have to be patient and realise there's no overnight cure.

Thanks for that....I appreciate the empathy!

It is so hard to move beyond it, though. My blood pressure feels like it's through the roof....

Hi Guys,
it is so very difficult feeling great and then being plunged into fear.
I find what really has helped me in the morning is to turn on some music that i love get up make something to drink and do something to distract myself. Like when you go to work your distacted from YOURSELF. Charles Linden has quite a story and he got himself out of the cycle of fear. you can find his site by pushing the purple/blue flashing ad at the top.
Lisa