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Panic attacks about health

Posted , 5 users are following.

sean72
sean72

Since my early 20's I've had bouts of panic about my health - or I should say about dying. Im not scared of going to the doctors if I do feel ill - but I always fear the worst beforehand. I cant help using google searches to work out whats wrong with me - which always invaribly tell me I'm going to die of cancer, which becomes the focus of my worry despite what the doctor tells me - I'm always worried my GP has missed something....

Since I became a father three years ago my bouts of panic have become worse. 

To describe the panic, I get hot and feel physically sick, my palms get sweaty and I want to run away and hide or scream and escape my body somehow. When I try to sleep it takes me hours to go off, I have night sweats - I wake up drenched in sweat.

I can go to work and fill my whole day without worry - but in the car on the way home just listening to the radio, news of a celebrity death of cancer etc can set me off.

Sometimes in my daily routine something will trigger thoughts that I will die someday - and the panic sets in.

I'm not on any kind of medication and havent spoken to my GP about this.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Choochoochick
    Choochoochick sean72

    Posted

    Hi I've been suffering this for two years now nearly everyday I have had several panic attacks feeling sick heart palps wanting to run away etc every time I feel something in my body I think the worst and since I've just had my second baby it's got worse it's health anxiety , I found hearing from others on these sights really help but the worst thing I did was GOOGLE stuff don't do it I always find sites that say the worst about little things it's hard but with help and reassurance it has got better , did something set off the anxiety ?
    • sean72
      sean72 Choochoochick

      Posted

      Im pretty sure my panic attacks started when I was in the military. 1999 - in Kosovo, then Iraq and Afghanistan. Im now a 999 / 911 responder and I've seen more 'grizzly' stuff as a civilian than I even encountered before
  • aimee85409
    aimee85409 sean72

    Posted

    Hi sean i'm 16 years old and going through the same thing as you. I think that you should make an apointment with the GP so you can go get advice that might make you feel better. I'm still suffering from this. To me every headache is something worse, something that is going to cause me to die or a sore arm is going to kill me to most people that sounds silly but in my mind i'm so scared!. But i went to the doctor and he gave me some relaxation tapes and tips on how to relax. My advice is to find something you love doing to get your mind off this, i really hope you feel better soon x 
    • Choochoochick
      Choochoochick aimee85409

      Posted

      Wow relaxation tapes ? What do they consist of I'm really interested it's one thing I'm really struggling with is to relax?
    • gillian20097
      gillian20097 Choochoochick

      Posted

      Lindsay...they do some great guided meditation ones on YouTube for mind,body and soul.

      i listen to one as I'm going to sleep and one as I start my day. They are helping immensely xx

    • sean72
      sean72 aimee85409

      Posted

      I'm pretty chilled out most of the time. I get these attacks maybe once every two or three days - but when I feel ill I worry every day until I switch off to worry, usually because I'm busy getting on with life / work

       

  • richard89308
    richard89308 sean72

    Posted

    maybe sean you are worried about death because you read too much into articles on medical things on google.  Try and be fatalistic. If it happens it happens rather than overly worrying about the end of your life. Enjoy the now don't predict the future because no one knows it.

    Richard

    • sean72
      sean72 richard89308

      Posted

      I've really tried to be fatalistic - but still get paniced. It makes me seriously envy people with strong religious convictions, their idea of death, the after life etc makes things seem cozy in comparision
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