My anxieties and panic attacks are back

Mental health
1

Hi all

I am 25 years old and I was diagnosed with anxieties/phobias when I was 11 years old. I am a hypochondriac. When I was a child I believed that I was seriously ill every day. I even laid in bed for days because I was sure that I have cancer. Thankfully, years of therapies and medication helped me out. Then I moved to England and the anxieties were very small. They were so small that I didn't let them bother me at all, that's how strong I was.

My psychologist believes that my anxieties are caused by my abusive father who used to bully me.

I was on depo provera (contraception) for 5 years, and I stopped the injections last year in September. In December I had a period for 4 weeks. Last week I was bleeding so heavily that I had to go to the hospital and that's where I think my anxieties came back.

1. I was bleeding for the first time in 5 years, which means that my hormones were all over the place - which contributes to anxieties

2. I was exhausted from bleeding and worrying about it - which contributes to anxieties

3. I was put on hormonal medication and tranexamic acid for few days which had messed me up - which contributes to anxieties

On the way to the hospital and at the hospital I stressed myself out to the point where I started to have severe panic attacks. My chest was hurting and I believed that I am having a heart attack. I couldn't calm down at the hospital for ages. My blood pressure was higher and my heart beat was higher because of this. I was examined and checked and then sent home. Nothing abnormal was found, doctors believed that I am having my first period. When we came home I suffered with severe panic attacks all night and I didn't fall asleep until 6AM. It was really hard. I was constantly getting up, having to go to the toilet, bleeding heavily because of stress, sweaty hands etc. The next day I was still bad. I was crying because I got scared that I will die, and my mum and my boyfriend couldn't calm me down. I was so embarrassed. The next day I went to see my GP, who was very understandable and prescribed me with some medicine to help with the panic attacks. I also referred myself back to Let's Talk Wellbeing. The bleeding had stopped, I was so happy. I thought that I will go back to being myself again.

I went home and I went to the gym on Thursday and Friday trying to move on but how wrong was I.

On Thursday I started to have a headache, it was on and off. Paracetamol seemed to get rid of it then. But on Friday, after I came back from the gym the headache was so bad that I had to lay down for 3 hours. I could feel the headache slowly coming on before I went to the gym. Then I had a headache all day Saturday and all night. Then Sunday and all night, and then a little bit of a headache on Monday. Paracetamol got rid off it for a couple of hours, but the headache always came back. On top of that, I felt slightly dizzy for 3 days, including today. The headache was switching sides, sometimes it was at the back which indicates tension. 

So of course as a hypochondriac what did I think? I think that I have a brain tumour. My anxiety is so bad that I believe that I have a brain tumour. I don't seem to understand that this can be either migraine or tension after hospital and panic attacks. I just seem to think the worst. It makes me cry. I stopped going out. I am off work until Tuesday next week. I am constantly scared that I am going to die. I see myself on a hospital bed slowly dying and leaving everyone behind. I know it's pathetic, but I really don't know what to do anymore. 

It seems as my head is fine today, but I am not sure if I feel pressure on one side of my head because I imagine it or because I really feel it? You probably know what I mean.

I am seeing my GP tomorrow anyway so he will probably look in to my eyes AGAIN to see anything suspicious. I also have an MRI scan in 2 weeks and I am scared of an outcome. 

Does any of you suffer with such headaches for like 5 days after you have an anxiety or panic attack?

I just want to go back to how I was before, I really do. I feel weak and helpless. I cry a lot because I don't know what to do to help myself.

I hope that me and all of you who suffer right now will feel better soon and that we can go back to normal ASAP!

Thank you for reading my story

Weronika

2

Hi Weronika ,thank you for sharing your story with us .headaches are most common symptoms of anxiety any pressure of pain in your head is caused by tensions in your body ,do you also feel muscle tensions ? 

3

Hello Katarzyna

Thank you for your comment.

I believe that my muscles in my neck are tense a little bit.

4

I knew it ,chill out look at me I struggle with same crap for years now and I’m alive 😊 also thought many times that I will just die of many cancers did thousands of checks and nothing ,I’m still here ,with headache and slight tension in my neck and shoulders and guess what I’m doing ? Yes smiling and I don’t take stress of it any more and I don’t panic because i know that morning will happen to me Its all in mu head And all cased by ankiety ,it always ho away anyway isn’t it ? So more we stress about it longer it takes for body to recover after each stress and panick stack ,just stay positive 

5

I will try my best to stop worrying. I am trying now. I will try to go to sleep with more positive mind tonight. I have to do it. I want to be like you, smiling and not taking the stress any more! 

I am panning on going to the gym early in the morning tomorrow. I will try my best, day by day  

6

Please do so ,anxiety is a everyday battle between your mind and body .more you will stand for yourself and disagreeing with anxiety symptoms more quicker you will win and your symptoms will become less and less.stay positive and whenever you get any sort of panic attack find place to sit relax your muscles breath deeply for few mins just relax and concentrate on something what makes you happy ,it will work you will feel calmer day by day .just trust me 

7

Ronny

One thing that may be causing your problems is  Anaemia  caused by your heavy bleeding, this can also cause headaches Iron tablets can supplement the loss of iron in the blood. after possible high blood loss

You need to discuss with your GP, the heavy periods and see if any medications can help

Try not to concern yourself regards the scan, they are not painful and they are a means to find out if something is wrong. I go through several a year due to my disability  Hopefully you will eventually settle. When your body settles. Could it have been caused by your medication

Good Luck

BOB