16 w/ severe health anxiety. Help

thank you so much for that... i’ve been taking meds/therapy for about 2 months now. i can definitely see some improvement from before. before i’d be up all night, and i didnt sleep for days straight. now my sleeping is a little better, i wake up a lot sometimes while sleeping but i always end up falling back asleep. i’m doing a few group therapies at the moment, but if anything they just give me more anxiety rather than helping.

deep down a little part of me knows i’m fine. before these panic attack’s i’ve never was concerned about my heart. i’ve always did things without a care, and i enjoyed life. now i’m constantly checking my pulse, veins, skin, you name it.

i guess you’re right. this will take time and i should focus on the little improvements one step at a time.

they’re just so bothersome. i know what caused my panic attacks in the first place. i’m well aware of that, but i still can’t shake off the idea of dying.

my panic attacks started when i got really high off an edible. it wasn’t laced or anything because my friends were fine. i’ve never really done anything like that before but i was desperate because i was really depressed, from a break up w/ my ex. i was hoping it would take away some of the pain, but instead it made me freak out and i was convinced i was dying as soon as the high hit me. my friends told me it was just a bad trip and to sleep it off, so i did just that, but the next morning i woke up with a fluttering in my chest, and that set off just another panic attack after the other after the other. till this day.

part of me is shameful. i let a little bite of a weed brownie, bring out this panic disorder. i just don’t get it. here i am, with the drug no longer in my system yet im still suffering. kids my age do this stuff and much more on the daily, and a lot of them are just enjoying life. then there’s me. worried that everything i do, whether it’s sitting up or laying down my heart is just going to start racing to the point where it just explodes. it’s just not fair.

i feel like if i just stayed calm when i was high i wouldnt be in this mess.

First of all, don't blame yourself. Had you known this would've been the reaction you wouldn't have done it. You didn't let this happen, it just happened. Second, there is no shame.

2 months is still pretty early on into the treatment. I know it feels like forever though. Hell, one day feels like forever but if you're feeling improvement, even the slightest, that's fantastic. Sleep I very important during this healing process. Sleep deprivation can definitely add more stress and we certainly don't want that. I'm glad to hear you're sleeping better now. If you continue to struggle with sleep, I would encourage you to see your doctor and let them know. I used to wake up at 2am every morning in a panic attack. I hated it because even in sleep I couldn't catch a break. My doctor was able to put me on temporary medication so I could sleep better until my regular meds kicked it. It was a lifesaver.

What is it about the group therapy that makes you uncomfortable? Can a friend or family join you until you're comfortable?

Anxious people aren't crazy. We have the ability to think rationally. We know we shouldn't be nervous about sitting in a quiet room, or being alone, or leaving the house but something takes over that convinces us otherwise. I often feel there's a battle in my head. I have the rational side and the irrational side going at it. Sadly the irrational side seems to dominate more often.

It isn't fair, I agree. It's frustrating to see others do such risky things and come out fine. Then there are those few that do something once and it's a life changer. But at the end of the day we need to accept it - we have anxiety. I think the first step you need to do in overcoming this is to stop blaming yourself. It is not your fault. What I have found is if someone is prone to anxieties any trigger will set it off. It very well could've started after riding a roller coaster or watching a scary movie but instead it happened after you had the edible. Quite honestly I think it was more the depression you were going through. You are young and resilient. You will get better. You need to look forward, be proud of the progress you've made even if you think it's minor, and not look back at what you could've done differently.

I hate the fast heart beat and tremors. The symptom I struggle with the most is choking. When I have a panic attack I have this urge to swallow and I can't do I end up choking. It's horrible. So I did some research on what I can do to help this. There are so many different breathing exercises and truly they have given me some relief. I would spend some time online and see what kinds of exercises you can do. Do you do any exercises or activities with your therapist? Did you schedule a follow up appointment with your doctor to discuss your progress with the medication? I scheduled a monthly appointment with my psychiatrist when I started my meds.

Hang in there sweetie. You will get passed this.

Hi SUE

really desperate also and interested in your response, been 3 months now and I'm still waking up a few times a night with pounding head and sweating, terrible headaches, had MRI Sunday waiting for result!

Can anxiety reallly do this wake me up and make me sweat!

I'm 58 am for have managed to cope for 30 years with no drugs or alcohol i did have serious health anxiety 30 year ago but managed more or less since!

Have really bad abdominal pains waiting for CT scan but convinced I'm a dying, it's hell!

Andrew

Hi Andrew. While I think it's a good idea to get checked out for physical conditions, yes anxieties can cause those symptoms. Anxieties is a very high level of stress. It would disrupt my sleep very frequently. I would wake up in an instant panic. And stomach aches is something I experience when I'm stressed. Again, it a good start to get checked by your doctor for any health issues but should they come back normal, I would strongly suggest talking to your doctor about anxiety. Once you're prone to amxiety, its not uncommon for it to return later in life. This could be a temporary flare up but won't hurt to learn some coping skills and relaxation exercises.

I also wanted to add that I too had anxiety in my 20s and was able to manage it for years without any issues. I was temporarily on medication at the time but was able to get off of it in less than a year. It wasn't until this last year that it came back. My situation is different in that I apparently had bipolar II so taking an SSRI medication made the condition worse. It caused me to have manic episodes which then made my anxieties incredibly worse. I'm on meds at the moment trying to manage this. Its a slow recovery but I'm doing my best to make it better. Again, definitely start out with a physical. Anxieties can be caused by other physical conditions like thyroid imbalance, but should everything come back normal, the odds are, these symptoms could be caused by anxiety. There are so many resources online that offer suggestions on how to relax. Relaxing is something so important. The more tense we become the worse the anxieties get. Simple breathing can be effective. I do belly breathing and it's helped to stop the escalation of a panic attack. I'm still practicing though. I tend to forget to deep breath throughout the day. 

the group therapy makes me uncomfortable sometimes because they all smoke weed, cigs, etc and they say it helps them with their anxiety. i get everyone has their own coping skills, but it makes me feel bad, because weed is what got me into this mess.

i’m still figuring out more coping skills. i tend to draw or something to keep my hands busy and not checking my pulse every 5 seconds. deep breathing also helps me a lot. my therapist showed me some coping skills like grounding. for example like naming all the red objects in the room or anything. something to get my mind off of things, which seems to calm me down.

i already had an appointment with my psychiatrist already, and he actually lowered my medication because it was giving me really bad headaches. the headaches went away, and i started feeling a lot better. just as soon as i thought i was getting better my anxiety hit me with new symptoms like a truck. i don’t see him again till the middle of next month.

Is this a group therapy through a clinic or hospital? I attend one through my clinic. We don't really talk with one another. We have a therapist that teaches us about the brain and anxieties. He then guides us through various activities.

I'm glad your therapist is teaching you ways to cope. If the appt is too far out don't be afraid to reschedule sooner. I've done it quite a few times. You may need to take another medication in combination with this. I'm on a cocktail and will be adding something new in the next month or so. In the meantime I'm on clonazepam which is a benzo so I can't be on it long. Its helped me get back into a normal routine. I'm hoping when I taper off the attacks don't come back. It took me a while to get here so don't be disappointed that it's taking some time. Once you find the right medication and continue with the therapy you'll feel so much better. I know it's hard to be patient when every day is a struggle. Get lost in happy thoughts. I try and day dream alot. Dumb things like what I would do if I win the lotto. : ) It's silly but you can't help but think of all the good things you could do.

Do you have family support?

yes it’s through a clinic. we talk a lot in it.

i had a bad panic attack today. i was coming home from therapy, and i was a bit anxious. i was eating some food and i guess i was eating too fast. anyways long story short i started hyperventalating, i got numb in both of my hands, head, and my heart was racing. it took me about 15 minutes to come down from that situation, because i legit thought i was having a stroke. reality set in because i realized i was talking fine, i could still feel things, and i could lift everything okay. right now i’m feeling way better and currently my mom’s massaging my back/head so yes i do have family support, thankfully.

i was on clonazepam for a while, but my doctor took me off of it. now i’m just taking prozac on the daily which does seem to be helping me, since i am making improvements.

yes i figured it had something to do with my digestive system because my stomach has been all jacked up for the past couple of days. the burning went away which is a relief. i’ve had anxiety pretty much my whole life, but the panic attacks are a new one for me. i’ve been dealing with them for about 4 months now.

Well hopefully once your medicine is in your system for a couple a weeks to a month you should be feeling better. Make sure you continue you with your therapy it helps