c/anxiety·Posted by u/ben_okonkwo·1h ago

Why does my throat tighten after meetings even when nobody criticized me?

The meeting can be fine. People nod, nobody raises their voice, I even make a joke that lands. Then I walk back to my desk and my throat feels like I swallowed a marble. Yesterday it happened after a 2:15pm standup that lasted twelve minutes. I sat there sipping water from the dented metal bottle I keep by the monitor, waiting for the tightness to pick a side, either go away or turn into a cough. It just sat there. I replay whether I said circle back too many times, which is a stupid thing to panic about. By the time I commute home it's usually faded. The lag is what gets me. Why would my throat wait until after the room empties? Anyone else get delayed tightness like this, not during the actual talking?

Peer discussion on askDr.app. Not therapy and not a substitute for professional care.