Need some reassurance and advice please

Mental health
1

Hey, 

So I've wrote on this page several times now and just need some more reassurance or anyone that can relate or help with tips really. 

Basically my story is I've suffered with anxiety for about 2 years now, tried sertraline last year and it wasn't for me so been dealing with it by myself now for about a year and a half no medication. 

Anyway recently my symptoms seem to be constantly changing and getting worse. I'm stressed out from it and I know I'm only making myself worse. The symptoms I'm suffering from at the moment are a really tight chest in the evening, I'm usually fine through the day, eyes are sensitive to light, trouble staying asleep & generally aching all over and having no energy. Also a dull inner chest shaking feeling. Can anyone relate to this? I feel as well that I get out of breath really easy to, but I don't know if that's because im monitoring my breathing? 

I've had bloods done, ECG, HOLTER MONITOR, chest x ray and blood pressure done. All clear. Where do I go from here? I generally feel that I can't go on like this. I feel like it isn't going to end. 

Can anyone help? 

Thanks a lot, 

Daniel. 

2

I suffer with extremely sensitive eyes...as ew speak I am having to wrk on my computer for my job but my eyes are squinty. I have had anti glare put in my new glasses that I am picking up today but other than that optition said my eyes are healthy although they dont feel like it. I also ache all over and have little energy.

Have you seked medical help for Anxiety or CBT?

3

Oh ok, it's good to hear someone else experiencing the same string. It's reassuring. 

I have but not not this year, just general tests but nothing that has benefited my anxiety.

is medication really worth it? I'm not a medicine person really unless it's a must. I was determined to beat this by myself but I'm really suffering recently and feel like it's just getting worse. 

4

Where you go from here is accepting and dealing with your Anxiety Disorder, Daniel

Medical tests are clear which is excellent. So now you need to put  away unnecessary fears about any grim physical illness lurking.

Acceptance is difficult when one has AD but that is the starting point.

You have AD. Now you must deal with that and that alone. Your treatment must be tailored to that which you are suffering, as it is with any illness

The symptoms you describe are typical and common. Some might disappear, others might pop up and take you by surprise.

The important thing here is not to fear the symptoms, unpleasant as they are. It's about Right Thinking. You know and must reassure yourself that nothing fatal is going to happen to you

Watching your symptoms enhances them. They will never go away if you fear them because then you add panic

IE, Oh God, I feel funny!

My eyes are blurry!

I'm breathless!

I feel light headed

MY heart is pounding!

And so on and so forth

AD won't kill you but it can, if you let it, make your life miserable

You need to know all you can about your problem. Knowledge is power. No googling your symptoms. This is the worst thing you can do. Google is a blessing when it comes to learning about Anxiety/ Panic Disorder. It is a curse if one googles singular symptoms because a true evaluation can only be determined by a medical professional

AD is a difficult illness because much of the path to recovery lies with the individual patient. Much of the treatment, so to speak, also lies with the patient who will have to utilise every self-help method there is

Right Breathing

Sensible eating

Sleeping when one is weray because AD drains the energy

Keeping hydrated

Replacing caffeinebased drinks, sugar laden drinks with chamomile tea

Gentle excercise to relieve the body of excess adrenalin, the curse of AD sufferers

Going about the day/night as best you can despite the awful symptoms as opposed to "watching " and fearing them

Taking control of your condition brings relief. Staying positive and determined as opposed to fighting it and being negative are all to your advantage

It's a long road to total recovery but if you stay on the right path you will get there

You can do this, okay?

Helen

5

Thank you so much Helen...as an AD sufferer. ..to sure shed light on what I am going through. ...xo

6

 When we are frightened or in a panic or just need reassurance, this is the place to be

Only those who have/had experienced AD/PD can truly understand and empathise

Not being alone or feeling lonely and isolated is a wonderful blessing. If we all help each other that's a great moral booster. Better than any meds. Here we can be open and honest, lay bare our feelings and others will help because they know what it is like

Strength in numbers, everyone.

Be there for each other!

Hugs to one and all

Helen

7

Hi daniel...dont worry at all...I was in a very bad situation before 8 months...if I count all my symptoms its like they will never end...after many check up with different doct one told me u gonna fight it by your own..or by medicine u choose. ..and for sure I said to myself im strong enough I can go through all this without any medicine just by going out eating healthy...and all will pass...and so I did...3 months one by one...I stoped working and going everyday to the beach,trying shopping,talking with friends,eating onlyy healthy food and all the meals...and u know what happend...??!!

Not only I coudnt get better but I became worseee...my symptoms get increased to that level that I started experience derealisation,Coudnt go anymore outside without someone next to me...feeling im gonna fall in front of others...blurred vision...Itchey burning eyes sensation,my head feeling it was not connected to my body at all...till finally I gave up and said yeah I do need a medication otherwise I cant live anymore like this...and then finally I went to a doct which one of my friends recommended to me...he listen carefully to all my story and he said without this treatment u cant be well...u have a brain imbalance and if u dont fix it just by itself u can make it...so I went through this treatment. ..it was for 3 to 6 months...I have mentioned to some other comments as well...it was a combo of prozac,propranolol,clonazepam...the dosage your doctor should arrange depending on symptoms level...so thats was myyy best step I ever did..I was till that point like life doesn't have any meaning...there wil never be an end from all these...but yeahhh there issss....trust me...there is...this is just a stupid thing playing with our minds and fooling us...but when u are on medications u gonna learn how to deal with all this anxiety and panic feelings...but right now on the condition u r cant deal with it...u cant understand and fight it...u need a help to relieve this symptoms and by your own you gonna go out of all this...

And sure in the mean time eveb when u r in meds u should eat healthy food...regular meals...sleep on time...going out on fresh air even 20 min walk it doesnt matter...its not an easy way to go through but yeahhhh there is a beautiful light in the end...as per your case I would recommend prozac or paxil are one of the best treatments for this kind of symptoms. ..first month u gonna feel maybe to sleepy,tired,no energy, but dont give up...in the second month u gonna see the improvement I insure u...and be positive. ..alwaysss!!!

8

Hi, Daniel91307,

I'm so sorry to hear what you're going through. Everyone has some excellent input on here. I, too, agree that right now your best bet is to tackle the anxiety issue itself first and foremost. It seems to be what's causing the discomfort and low quality sleep. Ask your doctor to try a different medication, since you've only tried one and everyone responds differently. Make some healthier lifestyle changes too, most definitely! I'm always here. Unfortunately I know anxiety too well. However, you can overcome. 

Take care

9

This wasn't my post, but I always find your responses insightful Helen. Sometimes just seeing your posts makes me feel a bit better during a bad day. So thanks for that. smile 

Peace xx 

10

That's such a lovely thing to say, Nick, and I thank you for it. It made my day

11

Helen, I just want to let you know that you've helped me tremendously today. Just reading this made my anxiety and depression subside(as I was having an attack this morning) So thank you very much. I can truly say that this is the best place to find help for us anxiety sufferers. So many wonderful and caring people that understand what you're going through.

12

Oh Helen your a god sent. I needed to read this! I've always had anxiety but dealt with it fine. But after a 6 year DV relationship ended with him going to jail because of it has left me with servere anxiety and ptsd. I haven't worked for 3 months because of it. Some days I can't leave the house only thing that makes me at ease is to lay in my bed. I push myself to do things that make me uncomfortable because I have 2 toddlers that don't deserve to be stuck at home all the time. I'm on loven it is Prozac I just went up to 40mg a few weeks ago... some weeks feel like it works some doesn't but I haven't felt myself forever. I'm scared this will never leave me. Derealization, pressure in ears and dizziness makes me worry I have a brain tumour n I panic at that all day .... any advice I would be greatful xxxx

13

Thank you, Sahliel

We all try to help each other as best we can

When you have an attack try to distract yourself, not easy I know, but even moving your body helps. Sitting focusing in on and fearing  the symptoms makes them spiral out of control

I used to look out of the window and see how many people I could see, or try to guess what colour cars were passing by. Silly things to distract my mind from whatever I was feeling.

Or try multiplication tables.

I got quite good at math doing that, lol

It's hard I know, dear. I've been known to soak in the bath, tidy my undie drawer, anything and everything to keep me focused away from the symptoms

It's not about running away.

There is no escape.

It's about doing something despite feeling awful. Not adding fear thus falling into panic.

Even if my eyes blurred, my hands shook, my legs trembled I moved about, dropping things here, there and everywhere but I moved and the more I did, even at my clumsy pace, letting the symptoms do their worst, the quicker they disappeared

It's not easy not to be afraid. It takes practice not to add anxiety upon anxiety. But once you learn to lose the fear, you lose the anxiety disorder

Stay positive. You can do this!

Hugs Helen

14

Aw honey

Brain tumours are rarer than most people think and are easily diagnosed. The symptoms are dreadful but have nothing in common with that which you are experiencing

It's hard to believe that Anxiety/ Panic Disorder can have so many and varied horrendous physical symptoms

But it can and it has

The list of symptoms for AD/PD is mind boggling.

You have to understand that nothing bad will happen to you. You will not drop dead for a start off, no matter how awful you feel.

Please, please accept that you are not in any danger, please, please accept that the symptoms, albeit scarey, will not harm you

You have to be kind to yourself. Don't push yourself to prove you can do things. Nice and steady but you must move, honey. Laying on your bed is not good for you. Laying there instills in your mind that you are ill. It gives you time to focus upon how awful you feel. It is thinking time

Moving about is important. I know you feel dizzy. But I was plagued by lightheadedness/ loss of balance. But I never fell over, I promise I never did

Eat sitting down and eat sensibly.

Rest when you are tired

Have a treat once a day

A little me time to look forward to

Fearing brain tumours, that the anxiety will never leave you, does you more harm

You have to stay positive, determined. Not fighting it because that in itself is stressful. Just going about the day as best you can

Don't lose hope. You have had an accumulation of stresses, That lets in the anxiety disorder. So no looking back and going over it in your mind. It's done. Gone. You cannot change the past.

Tomorrow is yet to come. You will deal with it as and when so don't look ahead either.and worry about how you will feel

Today is what you must focus upon. There here and now. Cope with today. That's all you need to do.

Keep the faith

You'll get there

Helen

15

Thank u so very much Helen xxx I promise I will do what u asked. X

16

Making any effort, as calmly as you can, to go with the symptoms, to ride them out, as you get on with the day, is empowering

One of the worst aspects, other than the symptoms, is the feeling of helplessness in the onslought of AD

Self help gives you a measure of control. In turn that ignites confidence.

We are not helpless though.

We are not alone either so no need to feel lonely or isolated

If and when we feel afraid we can post here and look what happens!

Others rush to help.

There are some amazing people on this Forum. Totally unselfish. Going that extra mile for others

That's priceless. That's people at their very, very best

Hugs to one and all.

Helen

17

Everytime I feel a weird symptom(like pinch pain on my right jaw, or tightness in my chess) I think of what you said and it calms me down. But last night I had a more scary thing happen. It felt like I was very short on oxygen, like if I didn't make myself breath I would lose it and die. I was very weak too. I remember that prior to that I was breathing fast, but wasn't anxious. But I try calm breathing and think to myself that maybe im just too fatigue from the previous anxiety attacks and lack of sleep. BUT at the same time I'm wondering if maybe I have a weak heart and what if I ignored it thinking it's just anxiety not knowing im depleting my brain of oxygen. Well, I guess the fatigue overtook me cuz I got knocked out after that. Lol! So I had a better long sleep than the three hours of sleep I had the previous night.

In conclusion, Helen your words are very powerful so please keep it up.

18

Overbreathing is very common in anxiety disorder, Sahliel

You don't particularly have to be anxious either for it to make you feel ill either or for you to think you are about to have a heart attack..which you are not, by the way.

It's only fear that makes you believe that

Shallow breathing can become a bad habit. You have to practise Right Breathing until it comes naturally to you. I take it you know how to Right Breathe?

Weariness is stressful and anxiety follows so yes, fatigue can ignite symptoms.  Breathlessness is frightening but please don't hurl yourself into panic mode by imagining you are about to have a heart attack.

You can practise Right Breathing any time, any where. It is not a visible excercise. Practise, practise, practise!

You will feel tons better for it

Hugs Helen

19

I'm right there with you Daniel.  Sharp chest pains at night, eyes light sensitive, and no energy.  I also feel like I get winded easily more lately.  The newest feeling is pins and needles randomly throughout my body in the last few weeks

The only thing that relaxes me during the evenings is Xanax which puts be right to sleep.  Been on Zoloft for a few years and it just isn't cutting it anymore

What I came to a conclusion on this evening, almost every year about this time things go very south for me.  Dark in the morning, dark driving home. I'm trying to get into my GP to see what he thinks we can try. A few years ago he also put me on Welbutrion and I think it helped, but I stopped taking it towards spring time.

Youre not alone, the feelings that we deal with makes day to day life difficult.  The only time I feel great is when my mind is focused on something I enjoy.  Unfortunately being able to sustain that balance is impossible with the responsibilities of life.  

Try to find things to keep your mind positive.. 

20

I'm pretty much the same right now, no medication or nothing. I've just been surrounding myself with things that make me happy. Like reading, or my family. It doesn't always help, but you should give it a try. Or maybe start seeing a counselor? Don't give up.

<3 Less than three <3