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Hi everyone,
First time post here, so bear with me....
For a number of years now, I've had serious medical problems. It was mostly controlled by medication but the extensive medication had it's own side effects to the point I didn't know who I was anymore. About 9 months ago I came off of all the medication (with Doctor assistance) and decided I wanted to try and live a healthier lifestyle of good food, exercise and natural supplements to help my health condition. It completely worked....I had never felt better and thought things were really looking up.
In December however, I started randomly getting heart palpitations. I originally thought I just had a virus or bug, but it kept happening and I was feeling dizzy and faint when it happened then I'd panic about previous health concerns, people seeing me unwell and the embarrassment of it happening in public. I went to my doctor and she referred me to a cardiac specialist, however there isn't anything wrong but they put me on beta-blockers anyway as a pre-caution. It kept happening and I came to the conclusion that it was Anxiety and panic attacks that were happening - they were happening for no reason and only a few times a week at that point, now they happen all the time and for no good reason at all. Now they particularly in these situations: If I realise I don't have water with me at all times (strange I know), if I know there are people around me watching me (for example at work in a meeting), in my sleep, if I drink/eat something new I panic, new twinges in my body - it's like I'm worried that my old health concerns are coming back.
I've tried meditation (Headspace is a great app) and that's definitely relaxed me, I tried taking natural supplements again - Magnesium, L-Tryptopan, Theanine and although I feel more relaxed I'm still have these "episodes". Tonight was the last straw....I took my magnesium and went to bed, I felt a nerve twinge in the side of my face (absolutely no biggie at all) and automatically started panicking about whether my old health problems were coming back. I had to pace up and down with the headspace app on and drink a litre of water to prove to myself that I was OK.
Anyone else have problems with this level of anxiety? Anyone have any advice on what I can do to help it? I've been taking Propanalol alongside the natural supplements but it's not cutting the mustard.
Any help really would be appreciated.
Thanks
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337amys t47860
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t47860 337amys
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Ange1a t47860
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Have you been back to your Dr since having the cardaic check? Maybe they can give you more advice, or refer you to someone who can help you with these attacks.
Although you believe these attacks are happening for no reason at all, it may be that there is some deep-routed issue that is causing you anxiety - maybe it has built up slowly over time?
Do you have any work stresses or something that could have caused this issue to rear its' head?
Drinking water is always good, but try to make sure that you are not doing this compulsively as this could turn into a form of OCD, used to deal with your feelings of anxiety. This can then be something that continues to get worse over time if left un-treated / ignored.
I totally understand that you are worrying that your previous health problems are surfacing, but I think the only way that you are going to start to address this is to face this head on, by speaking with your doctor about it.
Remember that lots of different illnesses (for want of a better word) have the same symptoms - hence why you should never try to self-diagnose. (A runny nose would normally be a cold, but someone with an allergy could also have a runny nose couldn't they?) So this could possibly all be down to anxiety and nothing to do with any past problems. (Sorry - I don't mean to sound blaze about it).
I do think that you need help to identify what is causing you the issue. It could even be that you are subconsciously anxious, worrying whether your health problems will re-surface. This in turn could then be causing you your symptoms, to which you then get more anxious worrying whether your symptoms have come back. It can be a never-ending cycle.
I have no expertise, other than personal experience of anxiety, so I cannot help on the medical side of things I'm afraid.
Take care.
t47860 Ange1a
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It's very strange, I thought it was a worry over previous health concerns coming back if I felt a twinge somewhere or something like that, but it's grown arms and legs since then. For example I've been doing my job for 8 years now and very well at that, but if I feel like people are watching me in meetings etc I get really anxious and start shaking, feeling like I'm about to pass out.
I also agree on what you said about drinking water - it has become a bit of an OCD thing now, like a bottle of water HAS to be within reaching distance of me and I have to take water with me everywhere "just in case".
I appreciate your input on this. Have you found anything that has helped your anxiety?
Ange1a t47860
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A number of things has helped me. Firstly I have sought help through counselling and have also seen a psychologist. It is very wierd at first, speaking to a stranger about things, but I found it very helpful.
It helped me to tell myself that they were paid to listen to my problems and remember they will have heard practically everything you are experiencing / feeling hundreds of times before so although it feels odd to you, it won't feel like that to them.
The counsellor helped me delve into lots of issues, and helped me unravel these and identify what my worries actually were and what they stemmed from (they aren't always what you think they are once you get to the bottom of them).
I regularly find myself getting paranoid when my anxiety plays up. Try and tell yourself that whatever you are thinking no-one is thinking anything about you (other than how good you are at your job -obviously! ). Humans are very selfish by nature (in general I mean). The cold hard fact of the matter is people are generally far more bothered about themselves than anyone else in the room - (especially where work is concerned - ie no highly personal relationships etc), so try and remind yourself that fact when you next feel like everyone's watching you.
Also, as I have OCD, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy worked wonders for me, but it is hard - you do have to work at it. The trick really is that you do have to get used to feeling anxious to combat the obsession problem.
It is certainly no walk in the park, but the trick is showing yourself that you can feel anxious, and yet you have survived! So maybe start trying something like this with your water issue.
If it is something that makes you very anxious, try reducing it in stages. For instance, if you have to glug down a whole bottle of water, try and glug down 3/4 of a bottle of water instead. When you feel comfortable doing this, reduce it again, and again until you can cut it out completely. (The compulsion I mean - not just drinking water when you need to... WATER IS GOOD! lol) .
If you do have an obsessive tendency, the danger is something little can spiral off into all sorts of things. I started off with a slight compulsion, but pretty soon I felt the need to do it more often, (as doing it like I had done it before wasn't relaxing me any more), plus I felt the need to do other compulsions not related to the first one!
You may not experience this, but my point being it's a very dangerous slope to start going down, so if you can stop yourself in the early stages, this is far better.
Sorry - didn't mean to ramble on! I'm only an expert on my OCD, no-one elses! lol.
Good luck!
Ange1a
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Emma7990 t47860
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deirdre._03652 t47860
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FearOfOneSelf t47860
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I was born with a life long vowel condition, had nuermous surgeries, have wonky kidneys too. I got the flu really bad in 2010 and ended up in the a and e they thought I had a blood clot since then I have health anxiety. Was able to control it until this summer when I suffered my first panic attack.
It got so bad I was crying to the doctor with my mother in the room.
I was on an anti d since 2010 but it did nothing for my anxiety. Tried different pills I was also put on a beta blocker and a benzo now i on lyrica. Heard good things so here's hoping.
Have you seemed help? I know how crippling anxiety can be some days I can hardly leave my room conving myself I was going to die soon.
Sorry for rambling on.
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