I overcame my anxiety by one not having caffine anymore and two learning to stop focusing on the worries and thinking out the worries to the end.

Like if I thought I was sick I would say well then I go to the doctor and he checks me out then I get medicine and he makes me better or I go and he cant help and I get sicker and I learn how to deal with death finally.

I have a really bad fear of death I think that is what all my anxitey is about so if worse comes to worse I learn how to accept it and deal with it so that is what I tell myself and it makes me feel mcuh better. Hope this helped.

I am the same exact way. I have not fully over come it but it is not as bad. I started taking med even though dont want to be on meds. The way i look at it is that it is a good tool to help clear my mind. But i am the same way if anything feels funny or i start to feel some pain i istantly think something is wrong with me. I try and focus on if there is something that wrong i will go to the hospital or to my dr and they will help but most of the time its in your head and your thoughts

sarah: There is nothing wrong with you. You are having an attack. All that you are feeling is "normal" with an aniety attack. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, think of a place that makes you calm.Just breath deeply. Don't make up a story about this place just see it. There is nothing wrong with you, it will pass. I know it feels bad right now but there is nothing wrong, no one is trying to harm you and your health is normal. Just breath and if you have to count to 100 without thinkning of anything, once you hit 100 start again. You will be okay, you are okay. Imagine a beach with soft waves. Listien to them each wave makes you more relaxed. Go ahead let yourself go into that. Love Pete

Hi,health anxiety is common,i try to minimalize those thoughts,and remember they are just thoughts that are not true,they are lies.As soon as 1 pops into my mind ,i straight away challenge that thought with at least 2 positive ones.Remember fear feeds anxiety so dont be affraid of it.Feelings of unreality are a characteristic of anxiety too.I cut right back on my alcahol and do more exercise,it all helps

Thanks for sharing and we have all been there. I loved the book Hope and Help for Your Nerves by a Dr. Claire Weeks. It is still in print and she has several other books out. It was a life saver for me and I hope that it will help you as well. Hang in there, they will go away and they can be controlled.

Hi Sarah. I have felt exactly how you describe thousands of times over the last 20 years and i'm still here and in good health. No matter how horrible the anxiety feels and all the scary thoughts about going crazy or dieing, it cannot harm you in anyway.

Learning not to be scared of the symptoms is the key recovery. All anxiety sufferers get the symptoms of anxiety (heart racing, trembling, fear of losing control etc)and then add '2nd fear' because the symptoms are so scary which amplifies the anxiety and it spirals like that sometimes into a panic attack. Learning to 'accept' the anxiety and stop fighting it and being scared of it is what helped me recover.

www.panicend.com advice was a tremondous help in this.

You can recover if you stop fighting and fearing. Accept it, let it come and do its worst, it can never harm you in any way, its one big illusion.

Sarah, after I read your post, I had to think for a second because I thought that I may have actually written it. It's like reading about myself.
You're certianly not alone.

I have had anxiety all my life.5yrs ago i was put on meds, i went thru so many before i finally found one that was helpful, but i still panic att. & when im stressed my anxiety is at a high. I believe that you have to try & block out the bad irrational thoughts, mind over matter, i wont lie it aint easy. Good luck

When I first started my anxiety symptoms at age 20 I was walking around the house all in panic, thinking something was wrong with me. Maybe I had a tumor or aids from my tattoos or cancer. I searched my symptoms online and it said I had anxiety. So I went to my Dr and explained what I felt and they put me on medicine and I haven't felt like something is wrong with me since. I just get the other anxiety symptoms now.