The past 8ish weeks I’ve been having severe constant anxiety to where I can’t function and we’re currently working on finding the right medication for me. I’ve had an overwhelming feeling that I’m going to die soon. Even when I’m not panicking. It’s getting more and more intense and I feel like I’m terminally ill or something and I’m going to drop dead at any moment. I worry about tons of illnesses like heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, sepsis, etc. I realize everyone feels like they are going to die during a panic attack but mine is just during regular generalized anxiety which is pretty much constant. It scares me and I’ll think things like “I need to tell my mom how much I love her because I’m gonna die soon” and things like that and I feel like every little thing is a sign that I’m going to die soon. I’ve been to several doctors and had blood work, several ekgs, d-diner, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, part of a stress test (I had a panic attack halfway through and had to stop). But every doctor says it’s just anxiety. But I feel physically sick all the time. I can’t do anything I can’t go anywhere and I can hardly even take a shower because I’m scared I’ll die in the shower. I want to be next to my parents 24/7 in case I’m about to die. I’m terrified of death too. My psychiatrist said it’s just a fear but it feels so real like it’s definitely going to happen and it scares me. Does this mean anything? Am I crazy? Or is it really just the anxiety taking over? I’m a 21 year old female and several people my age from my city passed away suddenly a few months leading up to this, but none that I knew personally. Could this be causing me to feel this way or am I actually dying? I feel like each day I’m getting closer and closer to death and I keep thinking the craziest thoughts like “I wonder what my funeral will be like” and things of that nature. I also will visualize myself having a seizure or a heart attack and everyone around me freaking out and crying and calling 911 and them not being able to help me. I literally feel insane because it feels too real not to be true. Can anyone relate or give me any advice? Is this real or really just anxiety? Xoxo thank you so much
I had that really bad about 6 months and still do from time to time now. I found for me I reached a point where I was so stressed out my mind just gave up and accepted every thought as a reality. I've found the only way around this thought pattern is CBT where you have to convince yourself using logic you are fine. You also need to ride the wave of the panic attacks and try to relax when they are happening. Breathing in for 3 seconds and out for 3 seconds, sounds dumb I know, but as actually tells your brain that nothing is wrong and it is misfiring. If you have muscle tension try breathing in for 4 seconds holding it and then breathing out for 4. This helps get oxygen to your muscles. Also look into progressive muscle relaxation... it's the only way to get the excess air out of your muscles caused by anxiety... exercise won't do it. Basically you clinch your muscles tight and it forces the excess air out of your muscles so they don't hurt anymore. Hope this helps.
Also it's 100% anxiety...I use to be afraid to use the washroom because I feared I'd have a stroke or heart attack while I was in there. I also would excessively think about being in car accidents or falling down a large set of stairs. It's very distracting...one way to know is do you find the symptoms you are thinking of at the time manifest based on what you are afraid of. Ie if you are thinking about strokes does your face go numb and the things you think having a stroke are is what happens but then you don't actually have one? Anxiety can cause the symptoms that scare you.
Hey Sam
The people passing away part is just irrelevant coincidences. It’s definitely anxiety what you are experiencing. I just went through everything you just described 100% the past 2 weeks, same age. I felt the doctors weren’t taking my case seriously and felt like a patient they just needed to get over with. Every little symptom I felt I would google to see how it could be related to a bigger health problem. Each day I would feel depressed because I would wonder if it was my last. I wasn’t able to enjoy anything because eventually I would wonder if it’s the last time I’ll ever experience it. When I was out I also wondered if I suffered a heart attack would people call 911 and how I would die alone.
What I did to overcome this was start a diet(started eating healthy fish,veggies,fruits,stopped soda/juices,anything with sugar), began to exercise(began slow treadmill 30min walk), and devoted tons of my time to study my anxiety.
After learning how much of my symptoms are all attributed to anxiety I had to fight my mind to convince it that it was anxiety and that I was triggering it. That there was nothing wrong with me.
You are not alone in this fight and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you, you are not crazy :]
Do any of you guys have a knot on part of your breastbone but it doesnt hurt to press on it? I've had that for a month now and idk what's causing it. I've had what feels like chostochondritis before but this feels permanent, and I feel it all the time. Makes my health anxiety spike sometimes.
And do you guys feel off-balance whenever you're anxious or stressed? I've been feeling that way for a month now.
I've been the same. I'm a 21 year old female, and have just started CBT. I had numerous tests done and nothing came up. My doctor just prescribed me medicine. I know things seem so scary. My fear is heart attacks and just to randomly stop breathing and have to be hospitalized or just die. Just know those INSANE feelings you're having ARE severe. But they're not going to kill you. And you're not alone. Keep us updated. If you want, you can private message me and I'll tell you all of the things I do to feel a bit better and ways that help repair the nervous system.
Yeah I'm off balance most of the time. It's muscle tension from anxiety. Makes ya dizzy.
I get a pain in the center of my chest when I'm feeling anxious. If I Stretch my pec muscle in a doorway it helps the pain go away.
Hi samantha your not alone I'm like this also I fear I've got some disease or even cancer and petrified of dying it's called health anxiety,I tend to Google everything and then I have everything,just think to urself I'm ok I'm going to be ok it's just the anxiety,I do understand and it's scary but I'm having to teach myself that everything is fine x x
I do that too but I still feel it, somewhat. Ugh..,...I hate anxiety.
It's harder to do when you're experiencing different symptoms on a daily basis. I go through that whenever I'm at work.
Does anyone experience seconds of leg aches or pains when dealing with anxiety or stress? I've been working on getting back into shape since my trip to the hospital but I suspect that I'm feeling either a blood clot or something else going on in my legs.