Health anxiety after having daughter

Posted , 7 users are following.

I've always been a pretty anxious person and worried a bit more about my health than most, but after having my daughter 8 months ago things have just spiraled out of control! I'm 30 years old and am terrified almost every minute of everyday that im going to have a heart attack. I've been to the ER about 7 times the last few months for chest pain & after countless ekgs, bloodwork, xrays, stress test..they never find anything wrong. I just can't seem to believe that its just anxiety though! Im alwys getting pounding heart, skipped beats, and just a general uncomfortable feeling. Im scared to death of being alone with my daughter because of all the symptoms that I get, im terrified of something happening to me while we're alone. The doctor told me that my risk for heart attack is basically 0..but the minute I get a chest pain I think the worst and assume I am having a heart attack. How can I get over this and be normal again?

3 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    I was the same after my son and it led to pnd I had to go into meds and made a full recovery. Now I'm pregnant though its come back again sad speak with your doctor x
  • Posted

    The only real way is to deal with the root anxiety. The health anxiety is just a symptom of the main anxiety. Therapy would help to get to the root of things and help to move the urgency away from health obsession
  • Posted

    Dear Moon

    don't worry those symptomps that u mentioned i have faced all the time, i have anxiety for more that 10 years and all symtomps that u are worry about that i got. i have chest ache, skipping, ponding, racing irregular heart beats top of them i have pain right in middle of my back , blured vision. dotted pain in my head and ... i visit various doctors million times but the answer was every thing is ok with u .so that is my responsibility to tell u dont worry it is normal

     

  • Posted

    Hi Moon216 aww i totally understand because like you all my anxiety at the severity it is now started during pregnancy and continued after the birth of my daughter nearly 3 years ago. At the time i didn't realise it was anxiety but i always felt teary, a sense of dread and not wanting to be alone with my daughter because i always felt so unwell, looking back now i think it was all anxiety. To this day i'm still battling with it and thats only because i didn't realise until later on it was anxiety and by then it had became so bad i couldn't control my symptoms and ever since i have just been obssesed by my health and constantly going to my doctor. Anyway i just try to do positive thinking and and tell myself it will get better but in the mean time i'm going to try and get involved in things to keep mind distracted ie exercise or a hobby. Are you on any medication or had any CBT? Do you get time to yourself to relax and do things for you? I only ask because i think a lot of my anxiety came from the life change of having a baby and not doing anything i used to i became confined in my environment and wouldn't do anything outside of being a mommy.
  • Posted

    Dear moon,

    Lets take a careful look at your symptoms. You said you were an anxious person, well so am I but lets be honest you have just taken on one of the most difficult and stressful jobs you can do, having and bringing up a child. This has got to be much harder than most jobs because it's 24/7, when can you have a rest. I have done jobs where I am on callout for a maximum of 48 hours but after that someone else took over, you are on duty all the time. It's no wonder to me that you feel stressed, I would find it terrible. You must take a bit of time off for yourself. I no it is difficult but could your partner or a friend take over just for an evening or so. It is important that you have a complete rest at least once a week or you could easily have a nervous breakdown with your mental condition. Even these born mother women need some rest now and then.

    I have found that it is never worth running yourself into the ground, no-one will thank you if you get ill.

    Be gentle with yourself, make sure you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and try to take as much rest as possible, try not to stress over things, 80% of what we worry about never happens.

    You mentioned that your heart sometimes misses a beat or two, don't worry about this, my heart beat is all over the place and it freaked them out at the hospital when I was connected to the ECG machine. They have now agreed amongst themselves that although unusual, my heart beat is just fine. Irregular heart beat is just another manifestation of stress, you will be fine.

    It would be nice if you had a close, understanding friend to talk to when you felt stressed up.

    I hope I have helped you in some way, please blog again if you think it might help.

    Very best wishes

    robert

  • Posted

    Are you sure that this happens because of your daughter? Try to figure out what really causes this.

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