So I've had social anxiety since the age of 10-11 and from that age I was struggling with 'IBS'. Throughout the years the doctors always said anxiety can cause a funny stomach and I came to realise this a few years ago when I stopped taking 3 pills a day for IBS and totally got over it. October 2013 my first panic attack. Stood on a bus stop and BOOM my body went weird and I thought I was dying. Anyways I got over that. Sometime in late 2014 I had another panic attack which was scary. But like the first one I got over that. Now around 3 months ago I wake up in the middle of the night and BOOM the worst panic attack I've had.. I was telling my mum to call the ambulance as it was so viscous and I generally thought I was dying. Well I didn't get over that one and that's where the nightmares began. So since then I've battled daily with the horrific physical and psychology symptoms and can tell you I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. It's got so bad at times I thought there was no escape. All these years of habitual negative thinking is now part of my daily life. Friday I had blood tests to rule out anything else, they all came back fine..this morning I had an ECG and that came back fine, which isn't a surprise to me as I consider myself a very healthy 19 year old male, who looks after my health. My doctor today said I have no physical problems with my health, but she diagnosed me with GAD. She asked if I would like medication and I said no. I can now focus on just battling this demon with counselling, self help books and faith in someone bigger than me. I find this website a great help especially when at times you feel like you're the only person going through it. I feel very positive and motivated to get my life back to how it was and I wish every single one of you the best of luck on doing so too! What's your story and plan of action?!
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Exactly the same as me. I had every test there was because my physical symptoms were so severe, I could barely see, had numb mouth, pins and needles, but all results came back fine and I'm a healthy 21 year old! But it took me months and months to believe It was " just anxiety" how can negative thinking cause ALL these symptoms. But I think I've learnt so much about myself now I've been diagnosed with GAD, I always knew I was a it anxious, but never really analysed why, and a therapist really helps to see why you're so anxious. Because I'm so used to thinking negatively, it's part of my daily life now, been doing it for so many years, and it's not until now when you speak to doctors and therapists you realise you're actually stuck in this viscous cycle. Do you get blurred vision or depersonalisation ??? No matter what I do, therapy, medication, self help books, I can't get rid of these symptoms, a lot of the other symptoms have gone and metagocnative therapy has helped me a lot, just can't get out of feeling like I'm in a dream like state all the time x
Yeah it's so hard to believe that they are symptoms of just anxiety, especially as time goes on and they get worse. But I agree I've definitely learnt a lot in these past few months. I'm really hoping the therapy will allow me to not automatically think negative all the time! Hmm I definitely had blurred vision and still do time to time and maybe felt depersonalisation once or twice but it's not symptoms I get daily. But then again I have an overactive imagination and I'm a rather creative person so it's normal for me to always feel like I'm somewhere else haha! But thanks for the reply, I hope your symptoms one day go away x
I really didn't realize what was causing my IBS and later OB and high heart rate and other symptoms that r caused by anxiety. I went to Drs., got meds, Emer Rm and was told to see a therapist. I do not hv a very high opinion of Drs. I figured it out myself and, hopefully, I will be better. I realized that I was hvg a nervous brkdown. That I was driving myself crazy with worrying and negative thoughts. So, I try to avoid what raises my anxiety and try to stop the negative thinking. I also realized how strong the human mind is and the control it has over our bodies. Stay strong!!