Cant stop thinking the worst

Mental health
1

Hi all i need some help and advise ive suffered panic attacks all my life but 2 years ago i started with health anxiety its getting worse and worse as the days go on i used to get breaks now i get it from the moment i wake till i go to bed at night, i over think every pain every ache and always come up with the worst outcome, im no longer the fun happy person i was im sad all the time over worried constantly thinking of bad outcomes its a living nightmare that i cant deal with anymore. Im 3 weeks in to proporonol they dont seem to be helping much ive tried yoga and meditation but to no avail i just want my life back i want to be happy sad

2

Hi Kayleigh,

I also suffer with health anxiety which has been really bad recently. Propanalol will help with the physical symptoms of anxiety such as the racing heart and shaking etc but it isn't actually effective in reducing anxious thoughts. An antidepressant would be better for that purpose. I am considering starting one myself. I've used them in the past and they help but the side effects can be hard to deal with first couple of weeks. Have you tried any kind of therapy or counselling? Although I am suffering at the moment, I have had some long periods of remission so I have faith that things can improve. You will feel normal again but once you get into that dark spiral you may need some help to get yourself out again.

3

Hey Kayleigh,

I am exactly the same with health anxiety, it takes over most days and night my latest annoyance is a hear my heart beat constantly and it makes me think it's beating harder or something ,so I automatically think there's something wrong ,Been doing it now for couple weeks. Random dizzy spells too. I like you just  want to feel normal again and live my life. I attend cbt and don't feel it's helping me yet. I am constantly just frightened I am 29 with three girls and it's so hard to be a mum and feel like this, so I feel guilty too. I really hope you feel better as I know how isolating and debilitating this can be. 

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I also have three children Heather and I work, it's hard to keep going. I hope things improve for you soon. Dizziness is my latest symptom plus I've been obsessing over the amount of hair that I get falling out to the point where I count hairs. It's not fun at all but perhaps we can all support one another through this. I find most people don't understand at all, even my husband is not much support to me.

5

Yes of course. Sorry your suffering this way too yeah my husband isn't much help either, they just don't understand i think. I have burning in my chest with anxiety too like all my anxiety seems to be in my chest where as when a used to feel anxious it would be butterfly's in my stomach. Hope you feel better too.

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Hi cattia i have some councilling booked in but have to wait 4 weeks its awful whan it starts getting worse isnt it i just want some rest from it all not for anxiety to be in my thoughts 24/7

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I know just how you feel, it's on my mind 24/7 and I find it hard to focus on anything else. I don't enjoy anything at the moment, I just wish it would all go away.

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Hi heather im struggling with my heartbeat atm aswell constantly can hear it aswell as awful heat sweats they terrify my and my head is in constant pain when one thing starts they all have a go lol im 31 with 2 children i hate feeling like this as i dont want my children to get what i have

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hey all think im either making it up or dramatising even though when it hits they can see the changes in my body happen to me but still i get no help its awful when no one knows how you feel

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Yeah it's really awful am up and down some days I find it hard to fight more than others.. past few days a just can't seem to cope with how am feeling I've never been depressed my whole life but this anxiety is causing depression 

11

Hi Kayleigh,

I too suffer with health anxiety and the slightest thing can set it off.

Problem is I like things to be black or white, right or wrong, good or bad which means the grey areas (the unknown bits of life) feed the Health Anxiety.

As our years progress and we see and hear about people dying from various things I think our primal instincts of 'fight or flight' kick in and we tend to try and run (flight) from all possibilities that we or our health is in danger.

Follow on from this we tend to focus on a specific ache or pain that is most probably a normal part of the aging process and develop a false belief that it is something sinister, often when it has been medically checked as ok.

I totally agree with your point about others not being able to physically see our mental health and its much easier when asked 'are you ok?' To say'yes thanks are you?' Than to pour out our real feelings which to a certain degree supresses being able to really talk deeply with someone about how we are truly feeling.

You may find CBT or Counceling helpful in helping to to understand the root causes of the anxiety and how to manage it better.

I hope this helps