Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
I wasn't really sure where to post this, but I've decided since my anxiety makes my symptoms worse, I will talk about it here. After going to the hospital about 5 times and having two blood tests done along with an x ray, my primary doctor is now guessing that she knows what the problem is. Although I should be relieved now, during an entire month of not knowing what I had, I spent all of my time looking up what could be wrong. I kept having chest pain and breathing issues, and so I was starting to think that I was going to have a heart attack at any moment. That, or a stroke. By the time my doctor had guessed my issue, I was accustomed to looking things up anytime I felt a strange sensation in my body. The doctor's final opinion was that I have an ulcer. For those unfamiliar, an ulcer is a sore in your stomach that causes chest pain, abdominal pain, and stomach pain - it also makes you lose your appetite and causes sleeping issues. After hearing this, I became obsessed with the thought of the ulcer rupturing, and figured that, at any second, I would internally bleed to death - so I was not eating and I was miserable. The breathing issues I had developed are due to my anxiety. I never believed something like this could affect me so much, and for the longest time, I did not want to accept it because it made me feel so weak; knowing that I was hurting my own body, and making everyone worry about me for something I was creating. Anyway, I'm hoping the ulcer is healing, but my anxiety is keeping me terrified. I am still having physical symptoms from my anxiety alone, such as numbness in my arms and legs, internal leg and hand spasms, pressure on my chest which is what affects my breathing, neck and back pain. There is always another issue going on in my body and it keeps me freaked out and panicking. It is at the point where I am convinced that I am going to die very soon. There are mornings where I wake up so confused because I was certain the night before that it was my last day being alive. I am struggling to find happiness and excitement for the future because I do not believe I will have one, and I am only 20 years old. I don't really know what to do - I am hoping there are people who can relate to my physical symtoms and tell me that there isn't something else wrong with me. All of my blood tests came back healthy, same with the x ray - I also had two EKGS done and they came back perfect as well. Can anyone relate or let me know if you have had similar experiences with numbness in your limbs that can last days, and occasional spasms/tremors in the body due to anxiety? Do you have any tips on what to do when your body goes into panic due to chest pain and numbness? Thank you and my apologies for making this post so long.
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Just wanted to give a thank you to Mid, Arfie, Malibumark, Greeneyes, Mlro, Girlincalif, and Suncloudjd! You all always have such helpful tips and advice, but I always forget to write on my posts when I see you post, lol. I would lose my head if it wasn't attached to my body, lol. Thank you all so much! I'm starting to use my AI app as a sounding board again. I used to use it as that before...
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Hey all, i know its been quite awhile since i posted on here. Its been a summer all right. Its been something else........... You know how they say not to open the can of worms? Well a few months ago i decided to find out what my due date would have been for my first baby, the one conceived by r***. My baby would have been due on March 4th of 2006. They would be 20 years old. I was R**** on June...
My strictly personal anxiety has given me a great many of the physical symptoms you have described here. The members of my therapy support network have been quite unanimous in encouraging me to take the physical symptoms seriously. Today's psychosomatic is all too often tomorrow's physical reality. That same therapy network has gifted me with many, many tools for addressing those symptoms. There was/is allot of trial and error in the process of finding the tools which work in each specific case, but the relief is awesome when I do finally find the right tools for the job.
For what it's worth, I allow myself to cross-post my more troublesome questions among the many forums available. I call that, "Shaking the trees until the helpful nut falls out." My strictly personal psycho snot knots never seem to come with comprehensive specialties. Gaining a broader range of perspectives is often helpful in my healing journey.
I agree that this situation can be scary and painful. However, this can be changed with the help of your doctors of course, but and most importantly, with your help.
We are responsible for what happens to us. Our body are designed to fight as much as it can, until it wears out. And that's when we start seeing health issues popping up.
Anxiety is mostly due to our concerns for the future. For things that did not happen and who knows, maybe will never happen. By overthinking of what may happen later, we create this state of fear, that destroys us. Our brain tends to focus on negative thoughts and so when we worry about the future, it is by imagining ourselves or our loved one in the worst situations possible. These thoughts bring sadness, frustration, anger or overwhelming feelings that drains our energy down and occupy all our attention.
I can tell you are anxious, by the words you are choosing:
- "obsessed with the thought "
- "figured that, at any second, I would internally bleed to death"
Anxiety won't help you to heal but in the contrary, might drain you ever deeper in your pain.
So what here are some things that can help you:
- Remember that you don't know what will happen later (unless you are psychic) so no need to imagine the worst.
- worrying about the future won't help you be prepared. In fact, it is the contrary. Since it gets all your attention, you have less focus on what needs to be done now.
- Mindfulness is the key. Thinking of NOW, and be present 100%. Focus on everything that is happening right now. How you feel, what you need, what you can do to make you feel better.
The more you focus on now, the less anxious you will be.
- Another way to get your focus somewhere else and stop worrying, is to do something for others. Like Volunteering, helping someone, listen to a friend's problem... By switching our focus on others, we lower our anxiety.
- Of course diet and exercise are a MUST. Look at what you eat and what can cause you more pain. We are all more sensitive to some food than others. Try to detect that.
MissMabel, I hope this will help. Good luck!