Health anxiety

Hi all. I suffered many years with health/heart anxiety. I went through it pretty much alone because I knew people wouldn't understand, or would think I was unfit to care for my children. I had many, many tests. I can relate to all the symptoms you've mentioned. I researched many sites and read many forums like these. It's so sad that so many of us have this in our lives. Has anyone looked into chronic hyperventilation syndrome? So many of us who have suffered from panic and anxiety breathe into our   chest instead of our diaphragm, causing us to feel like we aren't getting enough air. I've also read that hiatal hernias can cause symptoms of anxiety. There is a lot of information about this on the web. It has something to do with the vagus nerve. Just something to check out. Please know you are not alone. Also, try not to get stuck on all the "stuff" that pops up when searching your symptoms. I thought I had every disease out there because I had some of the symptoms of that disease. Easy to do with health anxiety.  Take care everyone, and remember to breathe with your stomach and not your chest.

 

I am even though a person know it is not that. It truly is the most exhausting thing to go through and that is where my Ocd came from. Im here if you want to talk

Hi my names Bradley, I have suffered from anxiety for just under a year now. My panic attacks begin when I start to feel I'll or sick. I get a horrible feeling in the back of my throat always feeling I'm going to vomit (I never do). I have an extreme phobia of being sick which causes this. I am 16 years old and my exams are just round the corner and I'm terryfied. I am still in the holiday break and I start school in 3 days yet i really don't want to go back and feel this way 247! I also have thoughts because of my anxiety! The most horrible thought I have had was 'Why should I sit through this and feel horrible whem I can end it'. I don't know why I thought that since I have always been against self harm.

Would be really nice if someone could reply thanks.

PS. I only get scared of vomiting around people!

Hi my names laura basically just read all the stories and I feel I have just read my life for the past few months! I had my first panic attack about 5 months ago as u can imagine I didn't know what was happening had an ambulance came and reassured me it was a panic attack! Now I do not go a day without one iv had a severe chest infection and thatz caused me to have more panic attacks as I feel I cannot breath! Been to hospital on numerous occasions as every time I have a panic attack im convinced its not panic and this time im really going to die its the worst feeling in the world! Had ecg's blood tests all came back normal apart from stating my chest infection which they referred it to as costochrondoritis basically chest infection! But even after all the ecgs, blood tests etcs im so convinced its my heart its making me ill im convinced that the hospital have missed something and I am going to die when I next have a panic attack I hate it I used to be so full of life im only 22 amd its taken over me! Gets me down so much glad to know im not alone feeling this way doctor prescribed me diazapam but im petrified it will do more damage or It trigger anything off! Im just sick of feeling this way chest pain, heart racing everything sorry for ranting on but im so relieved to know im not going crazy and know im not the only one has anybody tried anything other than medication that has been successful please im desperate to feel like my normal confident self again,  thank you in advance Laura x

Hi ive found myself here after hours of googling illnesses/symptoms, heres my story - im female 27,been a bit of a worrier i would say most of my life but have never experienced full blown anxiety,it all started this year,i wasnt ill at all i  just woke up one morning with slight chest pain that lingered all day,like some of you i focused on my heart and kept pulse checking,convinced i was having a heart attack which set off alot of anxiety to the point i had to  deep breathe for several minutes,i went to the doctors who listened to my chest/heart - all fine,said i could be coming down with a virus and went home and suffered another 3 days,went back to the drs,was told it could be gastric and was given omeprozle this didnt help either,to cut a long story short i ended up in hospital for an ECG/Bloods - all came back fine but a chest x ray showed a slight shadow on my lung which the dr said was infection and i was given antibiotics,co-amoxiclav i think,i DID START to feel better once the antibiotics had kicked it but it left me tired and depressed (doc says viral depression) iam over this now but boy has it left me one paranoid anxious mess the slightest pain/ache/sensation in my body  frightens me and i start to google/self diagnose,which i HAVE to stop doing! I just dont get it,i was never an anxious person before this,now it bothers me daily.i want me back and i want my life back!

Hi Laura, I too struggle with the same thing..I have health OCD.  I have had 2 EKG's and an Echo, all fine.  Recently I have been obsessed with my heart.  Very scared I am going to have a heart attach.  I think about it all day, how it beats, how my chest feels.  Its getting very bad and causing me terrible anxiety.  I will have to talk to my Psychiatrist about my medication.  Just try to busy yourself doing something else and try to keep your mind off your heart. Especially if you have been checked out and you are okay.  It's hard at first but in time it will get easier, Good luck to yo and God Bless.

 

Hey laura and Jennifer ..... I suffer from exact same situation as you ... I have posted before on this discussion about this problem. ... I am happy to say that now I am recovering really fast ... Instead of googling the symptoms, if you google about health anxiety and things that can help you get over it , it would be whole lot beneficial. I found a portal "center for clinical interventions" ... Where they have 9 modules (pdf's of 9-13 pages each) which explains everything and every symptom of health anxiety, there causes, effects and remedies. They also have worksheets where you can assess and solve your problems out. They are really very helpful and I recommend everyone to go through them atleast once. Follow them forcefully even if you don't want to for one time. I bet you will feel better. Last night I had a worse panicked attack again with me waking up of half sleep with heart pounding and racing very fast, breathlessness and feeling I am going out of control and pass out. Previously it made me thinking I was having heart attack and I started worrying a lot which in turn increased the anxiety and the event went on for a long time.

But yesterday , I decided not to give in to anxiety. I sat, got hold of myself, took some deep breadths, kept reminding myself its just an anxiety attack and that it will go away. I kept murmuring "inner peace" to calm myself down. And guess what, the event vanished within 2-3 minutes. My breadth returned to normal, heart stopped pounding and heart beat pace also became normal. I was never able to get over this so soon before because I kept worrying and didn't accepted it to be only anxiety and not a heart attack.

After that I was able to sleep tight peacefully. 

I know I am very badly hit by anxiety for past few years and if it can help me, it can help any of you. 

The only thing that matters is when you decide that's it has been enough and I want to put an end to this problem and lead a normal happy life. 

Also laura, you say that you think your docter doesn't got your problem and missed something and you don't believe him telling there is nothing wrong with you after tests.

Let me ask you a question dear. Who would you prefer to repair your car if it got damaged ? Yourself, me, any other person on this portal or a professional mechanic provided that you have access to them all ???

The Ans probably is the mechanic.

Why ?? Because he knows how the car works, what are the signs of problem, how to identify them and how to rectify them. After getting the puncture of tyre repaired, has anyone asked the mechanic to recheck again and again that is the tyre still punctured ????

I don't think so dear. Similarly, a docter is specialist in health. He knows human body functions, problems, their symptoms, tets, their interpretation and remedies better than you, me, specially GOOGLE or any other person on this portal or any other. Its wiser to believe him than anybody else about medical stuff. He will never let you leave his clinic if you were to die or were seriously ill. 

However it is very good to visit a docter if you feel anything is bothering you but it is equally necessary to believe in what he has diagnosed and what his recommendations are. One should not doubt his judgment.

So cheer up guys .... Pls get the modules mentioned above at any other such helpful data and get going to live back your previous fun life. Hope to hear from you soon that you are over these things soon ... Tc