so for 3 weeks now, i've had these pains in my chest that would radiate down into my arm and fingers. sometime it will go into my neck and lower jaw area. at times my heart will race like I can see pounding through my chest, I will get shortness of breath, i would get headaches, and all my symptoms would add up that same as a heart attack. I've been to the hospital like 7 to 8 time in the last 3 weeks. ive had a bunch of EKG, a ton of blood tested, and a couple chest X-ray and everything always come back normal. Then i went back because i kept having the same problem, and they ordered a Echo. the doctors called the next day and said everything was normal, but the symptoms are still here, some days are worse than others. I keep thinking i have a blood clot in my heart or lungs, but i never has excruciating pains anywhere and the pain is never constant it comes and goes. I dont know what to do anymore the doctors think its anxiety but its like an everyday thing. my family thinks it a muscle strain or a pinched nerve that causing the pain. keep in mind im a lefty and i do everything with my left. all the pain is on my left side, doctors said my heart is completely normally. so i honestly dont know
I had a similar experience. I had about 3 months worth of chest pains a couple years ago, they hurt so bad it was painful to even laugh. Along with those I experienced some numbness in my left arm and tingling in my hands/feet. I also had dizzyness like I was on a boat feeling. I finally went to urgent care and had an EKG done and bloodwork, and they told me everything was totally normal, it was just my anxiety also. I swear after I heard that, and I finally started to calm down, the chest pains were gone and haven't returned. It could just be that they aren't leaving bc you're in a constant state of nervousness and unable to calm down. Plus even when you DO calm down, your muscles in your chest are prob so tense and strained that it will take a few days for the pain to subside. I think if you can fig out a way to calm yourself down for at least a few days in a row, the symptoms you have would subside. Just to give you another example... I also have had horrible neck/head muscle tension from anxiety. This lasted about 5 months I would say, some days it was debilitating bc it hurt so bad. But again, as my nervousness subsided and I began to calm down again eventually they totally went away. It really is amazing what your mind can do to your body - in good ways but also bad ways.
yeah with all the symptom that i have i always feel like something can happen any minute, so im always on alert, looking up every symptom on the internet (which i know is bad bc it makes it worse) but i just wanna be sure im okay you know. Ive had so many test done and all of them said the same thing, but its like my mind isnt convinced that im okay. what did you do to calm yourself down? like today Ive had all this tightness on my left side but i had an intense track meet yesterday which is kinda explainable
Yepp same, I have been going through some health specific anxiety lately after losing a loved one to cancer last year. So I am in the same boat as you where I'm not convinced im okay lol, no matter what tests are done or what dr I see I just feel like something is wrong still. It's definitely frustrating to try and get your mind to just stop worrying and listen to the logic/evidence. I see a therapist actually and it helps a lotttt. I highly recommend seeing one if you don't. It's very helpful to talk to someone, esp a therapist who specializes in anxiety. They really rationalize things for you and help you to understand why you feel the way you do. And that in return helps you learn to cope better. My therapist helped me to understand that my recent health anxiety is really just part of a grieving stage for the loved one I lost, and that it is extremely common for people to have health anxiety after something like that happens. Just hearing that alone I felt better and less nuts haha.
So with all the testing you had. You were told you heart is in good shape. So when you have chest pains know that it is anxiety causing the pains. Asked your body to give you the pain, to give you the heart attack right now. Get mad if it doesn't happen. And say F**k you anxiety I am going to have a f n good day with or with out you and go do something fun. You have to get out of your head.
Somethings to remember. You cannot be relaxed and have anxiety , so work on relaxing. We start our anxiety with a thought. For example, you drop the soap, you get dizzy, you being you, say OMG what is that, I am dizzy, then your breathing gets shallow and it tightens up your chest. OMG I am having a heart attack. Then because you are tense and not breathing right , your fingers get tingly. Oh no, I think this is it. See what you did. All because of one stupid thougtht. Now you have to relearn, how to handle yourself. First notice the thoughts in your head. You will hear I am dizzy. you will have to notice that and say yes I am dizzy because I bend down to face but I will be ok. I will stop and let it pass then continue taking my shower. Now you just avoided an anxiety attack. Remember you cannot be relaxed and have anxiety. You cannot be laughing and have anxiety. When you are all stirred up, it ok. 1. Accept the anxiety. It is only anxiety. It is no big deal. I will let it come. I will let it hit me and pass through me. 2. Breath. Slow down your breath. Breath in for four seconds, exhale for four seconds. Do this four or five times. 3. Distract yourself. A soduko puzzle. solitaire, anything that you have to use your mind. 4. Lay down on the couch and starting with the tip of your toes tense only your toes for five seconds, then relax them for five seconds, then tense your foot for 5 seconds, then relax your foot for five seconds, anles, legs, butt, stomach, shoulders... I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders so I may break it down and do one shoulder at a time. Keep going to you reach the top of your head. You should feel nice and relax. Give yourself permission to be a couch potato for awhile. Sometimes I think we have anxiety because our bodies and minds are saying...hey look at me...take care of me...slow down....I need a break. Hope this helps. You are stronger than you think. Have a mantra when you are doing the breathing....tell yourself you are strong, you are healthy, you are confident. If something is wrong, I will get it fixed. It is no big deal. We do not have to listen to every thought. All our thoughts are not true. For example, I am going to have a heart attack. It is not true. Argue with yourself/ No, that is not true. I am not having a heart attack it is just my anxiety. If it ever becomes a heart attack, I know what to do. I will call the ambulance and I will be fine. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much for this, I woke up this morning telling my self im not going to get into my head. I'm not going to let this effect me and my last few days of high school. so far so good! I've been hanging out with friends and singing and doing the things i like to distract me. I havent had any chest pains, just some gas lol. I believe I can take my life back from this dumb anxiety. I feel great!!!! It tried creeping on me but I'm not going to let it today or anymore for that matter!
You are a lot stronger than you think. Remember you can kick anxiety's butt. Refocus anytime.