LOUBELLABEE
19-08-11, 22:06
Suffering from health anxiety for many years, I have often resulted to reviewing these forums, to try and gain some comfort and help me to rationalise. This however, is the first time I have posted on here. Aged 30, I thought I'd try and offer comfort to some others who may be going through the same thing. Obviously I am not a doctor, as if I was Im sure I would never have got into some of the deperate situations I have but if you have been diagnosed with Health anxiety, I can only sympathise with you.
For the last 3 months, I have suffered so badly and convinced myself that I have something wrong with my heart and that I am suffering or had suffered a heart attack. Statistically, as a non smoker, aged 30, no family history etc its unlikely to be my heart but until the last few days I have not been able to ratrionalise and it has taken over my life.
It started with slight discomfort in my chest, to severe chest pain, pain in my neck, jaw, down my arm, sweating, severe inner trembling/vibrating and not being able to get a full breath. Ive literally lived the last 3 months being aware of every breath, constantly trying to get a full deep breath and feeling like Im suffocating. I visited A&E and after an ECG I was told it must be anxiety, depsite this I have visited my GP constantly, trying to convince them I have a heart problem. You would think after having these symptoms in 2008, that i would have recognised this was all anxiety...especially as these are not the only symptoms I have experienced and every test, xray, mri etc has always been clear.
No matter how much reassurance I have, I always convince myself I am dying and the doctor has missed something. I even start convincing myself that the blood tests, xrays and scans are not correct.
For the past 3 months, from the moment I woke to the moment I fell asleep, my life was a misery. I managed to still go to work but i watched the clock, longing to be able to get home and get into bed, that way I could just not feel the pain, discomfort and fear.
I have never found what the trigger of my anxiety attacks are but as I am coming out of a bad period, i thought now was the time to share my experiences and hopefully help others.
Here are a list of all of the symptoms I have experienced:
Constant head pressure, pain, dizzyness, pressure in my face, Jaw pain, tingling hands, floaters in eyes, blurred vision. Visits to A&E and doctors. It went on for 3 months, I was Convinced i had a brain tumour. Only after a MRI scan that came back all clear did i start to realise it was all anxiety. I still dont quite understand how anxiety/fear/constant worry can create such horrendous and REAL symptoms.
Tingling, buzzing, zaps to the head. Head bolts when sleeping that woke me up. A feeling of spinning, falling and nausea when I tried to sleep.
Leg pain and heaviness. Shaking hands and legs. confusion/ unable to concentrate.
Strange feeling below the breastbone, like a gnawing, nauseous, drawing feeling..one of the worst symptoms I have ever had.
Once it got so bad a few years back, that I convinced myself I had died and everything around me was a dream/ not real/make believe. I now know that derealisation is a very common symptom of anxiety.
At really bad times, I have found comfort in Claire Weekes, self help for your nerves, I would really recommed it to anyone with health anxiety or just horrible anxiety symptoms caused by fear and worry.:unsure:
For the last 3 months, I have suffered so badly and convinced myself that I have something wrong with my heart and that I am suffering or had suffered a heart attack. Statistically, as a non smoker, aged 30, no family history etc its unlikely to be my heart but until the last few days I have not been able to ratrionalise and it has taken over my life.
It started with slight discomfort in my chest, to severe chest pain, pain in my neck, jaw, down my arm, sweating, severe inner trembling/vibrating and not being able to get a full breath. Ive literally lived the last 3 months being aware of every breath, constantly trying to get a full deep breath and feeling like Im suffocating. I visited A&E and after an ECG I was told it must be anxiety, depsite this I have visited my GP constantly, trying to convince them I have a heart problem. You would think after having these symptoms in 2008, that i would have recognised this was all anxiety...especially as these are not the only symptoms I have experienced and every test, xray, mri etc has always been clear.
No matter how much reassurance I have, I always convince myself I am dying and the doctor has missed something. I even start convincing myself that the blood tests, xrays and scans are not correct.
For the past 3 months, from the moment I woke to the moment I fell asleep, my life was a misery. I managed to still go to work but i watched the clock, longing to be able to get home and get into bed, that way I could just not feel the pain, discomfort and fear.
I have never found what the trigger of my anxiety attacks are but as I am coming out of a bad period, i thought now was the time to share my experiences and hopefully help others.
Here are a list of all of the symptoms I have experienced:
Constant head pressure, pain, dizzyness, pressure in my face, Jaw pain, tingling hands, floaters in eyes, blurred vision. Visits to A&E and doctors. It went on for 3 months, I was Convinced i had a brain tumour. Only after a MRI scan that came back all clear did i start to realise it was all anxiety. I still dont quite understand how anxiety/fear/constant worry can create such horrendous and REAL symptoms.
Tingling, buzzing, zaps to the head. Head bolts when sleeping that woke me up. A feeling of spinning, falling and nausea when I tried to sleep.
Leg pain and heaviness. Shaking hands and legs. confusion/ unable to concentrate.
Strange feeling below the breastbone, like a gnawing, nauseous, drawing feeling..one of the worst symptoms I have ever had.
Once it got so bad a few years back, that I convinced myself I had died and everything around me was a dream/ not real/make believe. I now know that derealisation is a very common symptom of anxiety.
At really bad times, I have found comfort in Claire Weekes, self help for your nerves, I would really recommed it to anyone with health anxiety or just horrible anxiety symptoms caused by fear and worry.:unsure: