Need some reassurance and advice please
Posted , 12 users are following.
Hey,
So I've wrote on this page several times now and just need some more reassurance or anyone that can relate or help with tips really.
Basically my story is I've suffered with anxiety for about 2 years now, tried sertraline last year and it wasn't for me so been dealing with it by myself now for about a year and a half no medication.
Anyway recently my symptoms seem to be constantly changing and getting worse. I'm stressed out from it and I know I'm only making myself worse. The symptoms I'm suffering from at the moment are a really tight chest in the evening, I'm usually fine through the day, eyes are sensitive to light, trouble staying asleep & generally aching all over and having no energy. Also a dull inner chest shaking feeling. Can anyone relate to this? I feel as well that I get out of breath really easy to, but I don't know if that's because im monitoring my breathing?
I've had bloods done, ECG, HOLTER MONITOR, chest x ray and blood pressure done. All clear. Where do I go from here? I generally feel that I can't go on like this. I feel like it isn't going to end.
Can anyone help?
Thanks a lot,
Daniel.
2 likes, 22 replies
kerrinclaire daniel91307
Posted
Have you seked medical help for Anxiety or CBT?
daniel91307 kerrinclaire
Posted
Oh ok, it's good to hear someone else experiencing the same string. It's reassuring.
I have but not not this year, just general tests but nothing that has benefited my anxiety.
is medication really worth it? I'm not a medicine person really unless it's a must. I was determined to beat this by myself but I'm really suffering recently and feel like it's just getting worse.
helen20833 daniel91307
Posted
Where you go from here is accepting and dealing with your Anxiety Disorder, Daniel
Medical tests are clear which is excellent. So now you need to put away unnecessary fears about any grim physical illness lurking.
Acceptance is difficult when one has AD but that is the starting point.
You have AD. Now you must deal with that and that alone. Your treatment must be tailored to that which you are suffering, as it is with any illness
The symptoms you describe are typical and common. Some might disappear, others might pop up and take you by surprise.
The important thing here is not to fear the symptoms, unpleasant as they are. It's about Right Thinking. You know and must reassure yourself that nothing fatal is going to happen to you
Watching your symptoms enhances them. They will never go away if you fear them because then you add panic
IE, Oh God, I feel funny!
My eyes are blurry!
I'm breathless!
I feel light headed
MY heart is pounding!
And so on and so forth
AD won't kill you but it can, if you let it, make your life miserable
You need to know all you can about your problem. Knowledge is power. No googling your symptoms. This is the worst thing you can do. Google is a blessing when it comes to learning about Anxiety/ Panic Disorder. It is a curse if one googles singular symptoms because a true evaluation can only be determined by a medical professional
AD is a difficult illness because much of the path to recovery lies with the individual patient. Much of the treatment, so to speak, also lies with the patient who will have to utilise every self-help method there is
Right Breathing
Sensible eating
Sleeping when one is weray because AD drains the energy
Keeping hydrated
Replacing caffeinebased drinks, sugar laden drinks with chamomile tea
Gentle excercise to relieve the body of excess adrenalin, the curse of AD sufferers
Going about the day/night as best you can despite the awful symptoms as opposed to "watching " and fearing them
Taking control of your condition brings relief. Staying positive and determined as opposed to fighting it and being negative are all to your advantage
It's a long road to total recovery but if you stay on the right path you will get there
You can do this, okay?
Helen
leigh40412 helen20833
Posted
helen20833 leigh40412
Posted
When we are frightened or in a panic or just need reassurance, this is the place to be
Only those who have/had experienced AD/PD can truly understand and empathise
Not being alone or feeling lonely and isolated is a wonderful blessing. If we all help each other that's a great moral booster. Better than any meds. Here we can be open and honest, lay bare our feelings and others will help because they know what it is like
Strength in numbers, everyone.
Be there for each other!
Hugs to one and all
Helen
Anxious_Nick helen20833
Posted
This wasn't my post, but I always find your responses insightful Helen. Sometimes just seeing your posts makes me feel a bit better during a bad day. So thanks for that.
Peace xx
helen20833 Anxious_Nick
Posted
That's such a lovely thing to say, Nick, and I thank you for it. It made my day
Sahliel helen20833
Posted
Helen, I just want to let you know that you've helped me tremendously today. Just reading this made my anxiety and depression subside(as I was having an attack this morning) So thank you very much. I can truly say that this is the best place to find help for us anxiety sufferers. So many wonderful and caring people that understand what you're going through.
hollee26189 helen20833
Posted
Oh Helen your a god sent. I needed to read this! I've always had anxiety but dealt with it fine. But after a 6 year DV relationship ended with him going to jail because of it has left me with servere anxiety and ptsd. I haven't worked for 3 months because of it. Some days I can't leave the house only thing that makes me at ease is to lay in my bed. I push myself to do things that make me uncomfortable because I have 2 toddlers that don't deserve to be stuck at home all the time. I'm on loven it is Prozac I just went up to 40mg a few weeks ago... some weeks feel like it works some doesn't but I haven't felt myself forever. I'm scared this will never leave me. Derealization, pressure in ears and dizziness makes me worry I have a brain tumour n I panic at that all day .... any advice I would be greatful xxxx
helen20833 Sahliel
Posted
Thank you, Sahliel
We all try to help each other as best we can
When you have an attack try to distract yourself, not easy I know, but even moving your body helps. Sitting focusing in on and fearing the symptoms makes them spiral out of control
I used to look out of the window and see how many people I could see, or try to guess what colour cars were passing by. Silly things to distract my mind from whatever I was feeling.
Or try multiplication tables.
I got quite good at math doing that, lol
It's hard I know, dear. I've been known to soak in the bath, tidy my undie drawer, anything and everything to keep me focused away from the symptoms
It's not about running away.
There is no escape.
It's about doing something despite feeling awful. Not adding fear thus falling into panic.
Even if my eyes blurred, my hands shook, my legs trembled I moved about, dropping things here, there and everywhere but I moved and the more I did, even at my clumsy pace, letting the symptoms do their worst, the quicker they disappeared
It's not easy not to be afraid. It takes practice not to add anxiety upon anxiety. But once you learn to lose the fear, you lose the anxiety disorder
Stay positive. You can do this!
Hugs Helen
helen20833 hollee26189
Posted
Aw honey
Brain tumours are rarer than most people think and are easily diagnosed. The symptoms are dreadful but have nothing in common with that which you are experiencing
It's hard to believe that Anxiety/ Panic Disorder can have so many and varied horrendous physical symptoms
But it can and it has
The list of symptoms for AD/PD is mind boggling.
You have to understand that nothing bad will happen to you. You will not drop dead for a start off, no matter how awful you feel.
Please, please accept that you are not in any danger, please, please accept that the symptoms, albeit scarey, will not harm you
You have to be kind to yourself. Don't push yourself to prove you can do things. Nice and steady but you must move, honey. Laying on your bed is not good for you. Laying there instills in your mind that you are ill. It gives you time to focus upon how awful you feel. It is thinking time
Moving about is important. I know you feel dizzy. But I was plagued by lightheadedness/ loss of balance. But I never fell over, I promise I never did
Eat sitting down and eat sensibly.
Rest when you are tired
Have a treat once a day
A little me time to look forward to
Fearing brain tumours, that the anxiety will never leave you, does you more harm
You have to stay positive, determined. Not fighting it because that in itself is stressful. Just going about the day as best you can
Don't lose hope. You have had an accumulation of stresses, That lets in the anxiety disorder. So no looking back and going over it in your mind. It's done. Gone. You cannot change the past.
Tomorrow is yet to come. You will deal with it as and when so don't look ahead either.and worry about how you will feel
Today is what you must focus upon. There here and now. Cope with today. That's all you need to do.
Keep the faith
You'll get there
Helen
hollee26189 helen20833
Posted
helen20833 hollee26189
Posted
Making any effort, as calmly as you can, to go with the symptoms, to ride them out, as you get on with the day, is empowering
One of the worst aspects, other than the symptoms, is the feeling of helplessness in the onslought of AD
Self help gives you a measure of control. In turn that ignites confidence.
We are not helpless though.
We are not alone either so no need to feel lonely or isolated
If and when we feel afraid we can post here and look what happens!
Others rush to help.
There are some amazing people on this Forum. Totally unselfish. Going that extra mile for others
That's priceless. That's people at their very, very best
Hugs to one and all.
Helen
Sahliel helen20833
Posted
Everytime I feel a weird symptom(like pinch pain on my right jaw, or tightness in my chess) I think of what you said and it calms me down. But last night I had a more scary thing happen. It felt like I was very short on oxygen, like if I didn't make myself breath I would lose it and die. I was very weak too. I remember that prior to that I was breathing fast, but wasn't anxious. But I try calm breathing and think to myself that maybe im just too fatigue from the previous anxiety attacks and lack of sleep. BUT at the same time I'm wondering if maybe I have a weak heart and what if I ignored it thinking it's just anxiety not knowing im depleting my brain of oxygen. Well, I guess the fatigue overtook me cuz I got knocked out after that. Lol! So I had a better long sleep than the three hours of sleep I had the previous night.
In conclusion, Helen your words are very powerful so please keep it up.
helen20833 Sahliel
Posted
Overbreathing is very common in anxiety disorder, Sahliel
You don't particularly have to be anxious either for it to make you feel ill either or for you to think you are about to have a heart attack..which you are not, by the way.
It's only fear that makes you believe that
Shallow breathing can become a bad habit. You have to practise Right Breathing until it comes naturally to you. I take it you know how to Right Breathe?
Weariness is stressful and anxiety follows so yes, fatigue can ignite symptoms. Breathlessness is frightening but please don't hurl yourself into panic mode by imagining you are about to have a heart attack.
You can practise Right Breathing any time, any where. It is not a visible excercise. Practise, practise, practise!
You will feel tons better for it
Hugs Helen
Sahliel helen20833
Posted
I'm still learning to breath right as I often find myself breathing too fast or taking too deep a breath.
I wasn't in fear of heart attack. What I was afraid of was that I'm going to run out of oxygen, like I need to go to the hospital to get aid in pumping oxygen into my lungs. Kinda funny but that's how I felt. Plus the weakness is just unbearable, over fatigue is what I would describe it.
But thank you again Helen for your help. You're the best.
daniel91307 helen20833
Posted
Sorry I've just seen this reply but your words are amazing and I completely agree with everyone's feed back from your comment. I'm dealing with a anxiety attack as we speak and after reading your comment I feel better already.
Thankyou Helen!
helen20833 daniel91307
Posted
Hello dear
I know it's awful how an anxiety attack can suddenly come out of the blue, washing over you
Daniel, it's not the symptoms you have to fear. Your self-help methods will help you deal with them
It's the fear of the symptoms that are the problem. That's the root cause
The symptoms, awful as they are, cannot harm you. You have to accept that as a fact. But when they strike, it's the fear you add that entrenches them.
It's the hardest things in the world to lose fear. I know. Been there. Done that.
It's as the symptoms flood all over you, in that moment, you think, "Oh no! It's here again!"
That's the fear factor, Daniel. In a nano second it strikes. An involuntary thought/feeling
Nothing you can do about that. As humans we have an instinctive will to survive. We flood with adrenalin....that alone makes us feel afraid
When that fear thought hits you, and it will, you must calm yourself down by Right Thinking
This is about understanding and accepting that you are not about to die, have a heart attack, that no mater what aches/pains, shaking/trembling/faintness/nausea....whatever is assaulting you, it will not harm you.
It's horrible, yes. I've been through all that.
When the fear thought hits me I switch to, Aw sh*t! Here we go again! I feel like crap! Better move my body to burn off the adrenalin. Better get a cup of chamomile tea to calm me down. Better sit at the window whilst I drink it and stare out at the garden and look at nature
Better soak in the bath to ease the tension
Better make myself look good because if I look like hell I'll feel like hell
It's about dealing with that moment in time, Daniel.
Not fighting nor fearing
Accepting it's there and if I go into self-help mode I'll see the symptoms slip away
My AD/PD struck at a time when there was no help, or very little
I waded my way through it
I am not brave nor strong
But I got there
So if I can, so can everyone else
Be strong, believe
Hugs Helen xx