Don't feel bad. Neither can I. I am having anxiety about moving into a house because it needs to be inspected, and I am running out of

It's okay if you're having a hard time taking care of yourself. I'm also having trouble with my job. I'm sorry you're having such difficult issues to deal with right now. My thoughts are with you.

Anxiety is tough and feeling ashamed is very typical. It is ok to feel this way. Please try to give yourself some relief by allowing yourself to feel bad. This seems counterproductive, but it helps.

If/when you go to the doctor, let them know that you have very high levels of anxiety and the visit is very tough for you. (You may want to do it on the phone prior to the appointment.) Most likely they'll appreciate the heads-up and will treat you accordingly.

You have to go to the Dr.

If you haven't claimed this as a disability, you have to. You employer has to work with you. They can't just fire you.

Thank you all for your replies. your responses always help me.

Hello Pinkflowers, Why do you feel like you can't confront things right now? Is something triggering this fear? You're not alone. We're here for you.

Thank you so much. I guess I can't confront it because I don't want to know the truth. I feel like something is not right with my body, and the process of doing all the studies and finding out is very scary. I am going to the doctor again today because I am not getting any better and I don't want to be sick, I am scared of a lifelong diagnosis since I have been feeling sick for a year now.

I am scared of having invasive studies done and the waiting time for the results make me more anxious.

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night with so much pain, it was really scary. I guess I am specially bad at being sick. It really affects my life.

I am in the throws of a panic attack now and care barely stop shaking enough to type. I take meds and it's been awhile since I've had a full on panic attack, but for me it's like a hamster on a wheel. The faster my mind spins the worse it gets and I wish I could just jump off the damn wheel.

I understand how you feel when you have health anxiety. You worry that your body is breaking down on you, yet you don't want confirmation of your worst fears. You fear having to take test after test, then fear waiting for the results of that test. All of this anxiety makes whatever symptoms you have even worse. It is definitely a vicious circle.

Please keep us posted on what the doctor says.

I feel the exact way you do we should really talk thanks

So I went back to the doctor and she told me it's probably acid reflux what is causing the pain the nausea. She told me to start a very strict diet and suggested an endoscopy. But she didn't take into account that it could be something else, so it didn't give me any kind of closure or relieve.
I guess a possibility is that my anxiety is causing all of this. I am living in a vicious circle of fear, I can't find confort anywhere.

Hi Pinkflowers. If you feel something is off, trust that feeling. Even if it turns out to be nothing in the end, better to check and get cleared than ignore it if something is there. Doctors don't know everything, which is why they "practice" medicine. Sometimes they have to rule out the most common things before looking at others. If your doctor is suggesting to change your diet, try that first. It's the easiest and least problematic source for the issue. If the change in diet doesn't work, then go back and discuss an endoscopy. It's not a bad as it sounds. They just look around with a camera to see if there are noticeable causes. If there's nothing, it could be nothing more than nervous stomach.

You really want a doctor who is proactive about changing things before getting invasive, and one that doesn't just dismiss it as your nerves. Your doc sound like a decent one.

Pinkflowers,

I appreciate your response. I agree with your statement, "I guess a possibility is that my anxiety is causing all of this." When I suffered from extreme anxiety, it created severe stress. That stress was so strong, it actually halted my body's normal female functions. I didn't get my first cycle till I was 29. During my teens, I was taken to every conceivable doctor to find out why my body wasn't working right. I had all kinds of tests done. And that created even more stress. The whole thing created tension in my relationships, especially with my mom, and that created even more stress! So yes, I understand what you're going through. But I believe you already know what the root of the problem is, and you stated it to boot :) So, the question is, who can you speak to, to help you overcome the anxiety?