Hi all. Sorry for returning so soon.
My anxiety has reached a peak and I am not sure how to break the cycle.
I posted on here a few days ago about my brain tumour fear which I have had now since the very beginning of this year after a virus left me feeling woozy and off balance.
I have been to see my doctor four times since and detailed my symptoms and explained my fear. I was told that it was a mixture of severe anxiety - current and severe life stresses as well as fluid build up in my ear.
I've had frequent panic attacks as I continued to believe I have a tumour and now I find myself checking every sensation, every feeling and 'waiting' to feel instead or woozy (which sometimes brings it on.)
I have floaters in my eyes and find myself checking them constantly or worrying they are becoming worse (even though I had a VERY thorough eye test only a few months ago and was given the all clear.)
I now seem to have caused panick attacks in which I fear losing control, losing train of thought and not being able to converse. My palms get sweaty and I find I have to fidget my legs to keep it at bay.
I get so over whelmed with anxiety that I bring on confusion or feel like my brain is not functioning right just through fearing these things. I am terrified that I have a tumour which is destroying my brain despite the amount of attention my doctor has given me.
Every little change in my body I notice and attribute to the one thing which elevates my anxiety.
I am currently starting counciling. What else can I do?
Starting counselling is a great first step. Years ago, I had a brain tumor, aneurysm, cancer, blood clot, heart disease, etc., but I only had these things in my thoughts. It can be debilitating but counselling will help get you where you need to be.
Start believing your doctors might be a step forward. Obviously you haven't got a brain tumour but you think all the doctors are wrong. Try to change that attitude. You might just as well not have bothered to go and see them.
It really is...excruciatingly debilitating.
Did you find it eventually lifted? This has been happening for so long now and whenever I feel unsteady, woozy, get head pressure I panick and think "this won't go away it isn't right" which makes it worse as I feel myself flood with panick.
I'm so desperate to return to some form of normality, even though I was still riddled with anxiety before it was better than this. I'm constantly panicking over my health and people around me no longer know what to do or say... Which makes me feel terribly guilty.
It will only lift when you believe there's nothing wrong. If you had tests done and ruled out a physical illness, then you have to start believing. Take your energy and focus on this moment in time. Think of all the things you're missing out on with loved ones because of this. You are the only person who can change your thinking pattern. You should seek counselling but the actual change in thinking has to come from within you.
It's extreme anxiety and it's awful,all the symptoms your going through are caused by anxiety and it's hard to believe that's it's just that causing it I have learnt over the last year what anxiety can do and you end up in that one track of thinking,it will get better are you on medication? X
Hi,
Just one piece of advice about the floaters. I hav them too but the haven't got worse in 20 yrs so don't worry bout them. My optician couldn't detect them either.
Not now but I was a few years ago. I don't want to go back on anything if I can help it so I am hoping I can ride this out, however hard.
Thank you for the reassurance =)
Hey buddy sorry to hear that, ive been through exactely the same, ive paniced/worried about every single part of my body. I started taking magnesium with b6 tablets and its has helped me soo much. I havent had full blown out panic attacks for like 2 weeks, life makes sense and i dont feel like my brain is gonna explode anymore. The symtomps u explained are called health anxiety and i have the same. Ive managed to not worry about a thing now, im only worried about the fatigue ive been getting past days. Once i get over it ill live life freely. Hope u get over this as soon as possible. Feel free to message me if it relieved u to talk to people who have been through the same.
Is it???
I have heard of healthy anxiety before but I never thought it was like this... I have in the past convinced myself things have been wrong with me, but eventually my anxieties faded as I realised I was too fit and healthy to have whatever I feared I had.
With the woozyness returning (though it doesn't feel as constant at the moment, it seems to come in stages,) it perpetuates my anxiety and seems to only suggest to me that what I fear is wrong with me could be.
If I feel something is wrong or I am not reacting properly in some way, physically or mentally, it can bring on a panick attack where I feel like I'm
Going to lose control of myself in some way.
I recently lost a family member to an illness (not related in any way to what I think I have, it is also not something I could be likely to inherit,) and since then I seem to be ultra aware of my health and mortality.
I have been where you are at so let me start by saying that you do not have a brain tumor and I would guess you are 100% physically heathy. Starting counciling is a great start, is this a therapist or a pychatrist? The reason I ask is becuase you really need some Meds to help ease the pain, Xanax is the best to help and works very fast, you just have to be careful and only take the dose your Dr prescribes. You will need to see a pychatrist for Meds, he may also start with an Anti-Depressent which will also help out. Good luck and update us.
Same here! Although my optician could see them, he said they were harmless.
Joe is right, Sillymop (what an excellent user name)
Stay with us. We know what its like.
Post any time. We will try to help.
Thank you for your reply it made me feel a little better. I am sure that if I did have a tumour, and one growing fast enough to cause problems since Jan, I would know by now...I've been told by people that I would be very ill.
I have noticed that some days I feel a little more easier and more 'normal' and other days, like today, I have a panick and am convinced something isn't right.
I have started to see a bit of a pattern between my symptoms and anxiety which does help but other times I feel completely sure I am ill and the sense of dread comes back.
I've noticed that the feeling of 'losing control' is there when I'm with lots of people or when I am at work.
Also, when I get really anxious I get a prickling sensation. It isn't like pins and needles but it is similar. Of course I then attribute this to the fact I'm ill which then esculates my anxiety 100 times more.
Anxiety can come in waves, it's weird you start to feel better then it creeps back to you, that's why it's good to get help ASAP to slow down the monster. If I could do it with the Anxiety I had you can do it and I promise you it will get better, just be honest with your Dr. about how you feel and you will get the proper care. Good Luck.
Thank you. I do find sometimes my anxiety can hit me when I'm starting to relax.
At the moment it's worse. I haven't been sleeping well which made the woozy sensation worse (though I managed to have a better nights sleep last night,) and so my anxiety creeps in as I begin to panick over my health.
I was told the issue was my ears, which feel quite uncomfortable at the moment also.
I managed to have a couple of days a week or so ago where it was gone and then it creeps back. I'm trying to take my mind off of it by doing other things but it is hard when I feel off balance and then I can sometimes bring on a panick attack where I am convinced I am dying.
Awwwwww man, listen...........go and read all the other posts on the Anxiety Forum.
I'm serious. You'll soon find you're not alone.
Stay right here with us. We are better at reassuring you than Dr. Google, who never passed his exams, BTW.
Hugs.
No Google really doesn't help. Every symptom I searched came back with 'brain tumour' links and that certainly made me a lot worse!
Try not to use google for medical advice. It causes greater anxiety, honestly.
Everyone will tell you the same.