Am I dying, am I alone?

[Downseym]

I wake up everyday and the first thing I think of is "how is my anxiety going to be today"... straight away the answer is crap. I get severe panic attacks daily that now last up to 3 hours long. I am fixated on the fact that I'm having a heart attack. I've called out 20 ambulances in the past two months and that's the legit number... I've been through cbt and hypnotherapy and nothing has worked. No one can help me, nothing can stop me thinking this way. Try living a life where you are thinking of dying every second. Why do I have to live my life scared. I get scared to easily, I'll read the news and see the word heart and that will scare the hell out of me and there I go again, panic attack. When someone says something like don't worry it's not the end of the world... that makes me think what if it is the end of the world for me... someone reach out to me and tell me they are the same and know the answer.

[Catherine S]

Most people on the health anxiety board feel this way so you're certainly not alone. Take a read of the many similar posts. Are you taking any meds for your panic attacks/anxiety?

Cath ☺

[Juggar]

Well, if there were something wrong with your heart you’d certainly know by now!

Take solace in the fact that you are fine, your heart is fine and that there is no need to fixate on it.

After 20 ambulances you must be so tired of this mess, truly, I sympathize. In your case, I feel like beta blockers or some other type of drug may help you greatly. There is a time and place for medication so maybe see what a doctor thinks.

You’ll feel better soon, I know it.

[ratladder]

You're not alone.

When I first started having panic attacks it seemed like they were all I could think of. If I wasn't actively having one I was constantly thinking of when I'd have another and stress about all the ways it would ruin my day until inevitably, I'd have another.

The good news is that I don't feel like this anymore! I wish I could say that there was one specific thing I did that helped me change the way I perceived my anxiety but I think it was just a combination of a lot of things. I've worked with my psychiatrist to find a good combination of medications that works for me (Prozac daily to lower overall anxiety levels, Ativan as needed to stop the panic attacks,) worked with my therapist on CBT and daily mood logs (both of which help me immensely now, though it took a while for me to get into the habit of using them effectively,) and acupuncture focused on my anxiety.

I think the most important part of recovery for me was facing my anxiety with, and I hate to say this but it's true, a positive attitude. I'd given up hope that anything could help me feel better, but for me personally that just made me go into every new attempt to help myself with the thought that it wouldn't work. I needed to trust myself that I could get better- I knew it wouldn't be easy or immediate but I knew I'd find something that worked for me.

I don't know if any of that will really help you feel any better but I just wanted to try to show you that you're not alone, lots of other people have felt the same and lots of other people have gotten though it, and you can too <3