View Full Version : What is happening to me?
Over the last two months things seem to have gotten progressively worse, I'm thinking it's a relapse after a year of small improvements. I've been a sufferer of emetophobia, anxiety and panic attacks for over 23 years. I've been through some very dark times however, for a year it seemed I was making progress slowly but surely.
Over the last 2 months it's kind of crept up on me, severe digestion problems, stomach pains, constant, unrelenting nausea, insomnia ( I've been getting 2-4 hrs in any 24) such bad heartburn and acid reflux. I've found it harder and harder to leave the house and function normally, feeling so physically Ill. Over the last 3 weeks I've had these episodes of what I can only describe as breathlessness, where I feel very uncomfortable like my chest is being crushed. The feeling starts my heart pounding and I very quickly find myself in a full blown panic attack. I'm withdrawing because my husband finds this intolerable and it only leads to arguments as he cannot understand why I can't just snap out of it. So I'm spending evenings alone in my room, im sleeping alone as the insomnia and constant nausea means I'm up and down a lot.
I suppose what I'm wanting to know is do these symptoms point to anxiety or something more? It feels so horrendous, I convince myself it's got to life threatening! I just hate living like this, it's torture.
Over the last two months things seem to have gotten progressively worse, I'm thinking it's a relapse after a year of small improvements. I've been a sufferer of emetophobia, anxiety and panic attacks for over 23 years. I've been through some very dark times however, for a year it seemed I was making progress slowly but surely.
Over the last 2 months it's kind of crept up on me, severe digestion problems, stomach pains, constant, unrelenting nausea, insomnia ( I've been getting 2-4 hrs in any 24) such bad heartburn and acid reflux. I've found it harder and harder to leave the house and function normally, feeling so physically Ill. Over the last 3 weeks I've had these episodes of what I can only describe as breathlessness, where I feel very uncomfortable like my chest is being crushed. The feeling starts my heart pounding and I very quickly find myself in a full blown panic attack. I'm withdrawing because my husband finds this intolerable and it only leads to arguments as he cannot understand why I can't just snap out of it. So I'm spending evenings alone in my room, im sleeping alone as the insomnia and constant nausea means I'm up and down a lot.
I suppose what I'm wanting to know is do these symptoms point to anxiety or something more? It feels so horrendous, I convince myself it's got to life threatening! I just hate living like this, it's torture.
Hi Gale, I just had to answer this because aside from the chest pains I am exactly the same as you, even down to the fact that I'm an emetephobe. I feel sick all the time, I wake every day at around 5 or 6am with terrible feelings in my stomach and have a massive panic....this is EVERY day! I get acid reflux and I suffer from IBS, coupled with the anxiety these things are a recipe for a life of hell.
I hardly go out, except to my counselling or dr appts and I am finding it very difficult to cope. I will put your mind at ease, all these symptoms are indicative of anxiety and panic, but although scary, they will not harm you. It's hard to accept (I'm still trying), but it's true, anxiety is an evil condition that plays on a person's worst fears and makes them a 1000 times worse.
Have you seen your GP? If not I would do so as soon as possible as they could arrange for you to have some blood tests to put your mind at ease. they would also be able to discuss possible treatments for your anxiety as well.
Hello Gale...
I feels so bad for you, not having your husband to help you! Let me say that, I've had anxiety for YEARS, on and off ... i am NOW in a REALLY BAD STATE myself ..terrible symptoms...I hardly get any sleep either, i know the feeling. I keep waking up with a "jolt" .. it does sound however, that you are dealing with a combo of anxiety and panic ... anxiety can give you the chest pains too. I know what you mean about "withdrawl"...when i get very panicky I also withdraw into myself .... not because I don't have good support here, because I do...but it's actually automatic! I can't help it, I just do it.....this is not fun, and it does make a person feel pretty alone ... I hope things get better for you Gale....
Hello Gale,
I would like to ask you what kinds of things you've tried to deal with the anxiety and panic.
I feel very sad about the fact that the people that are closest to us sometimes can be so cold and heartless when we need them the most. I know how you feel, but in my case it has been with my mother, and she is the only family I have, so I know what it is like to have no support.
In my opinion the best you can do is to really sit down, and talk to the person honestly, sincerely, and with an open heart and mind. It's what I did with my mum, and it really did help. In these situations the best thing you can do is to be loving, and try your best to persist, and get through. I also think that it's crucial to have support from someone close when dealing with these things.
Also, the lack of sleep tends to make our bodies go completely out of whack, so I would recommend to do whatever you can to get a good night's sleep. Things will be much clearer and you will feel better overall.
I hope you get better :hugs:
Thank you so much for your replies, however cliche it sounds, it really does help to talk, something I can't do at home. I know internally I harbour a lot of anger towards my husband for his complete inability to show any compassion or support, he never has, he never will. However, can I blame him? I wouldn't want to live with me! He is right that he did not sign up for this, except I can't seem to make him see it's not my choice (or is it) to be like this. I'm currently 7 mths pregnant too which means my options for trying to relieve symptoms medically or holistically are pretty limited right now coupled with I'm more emotional than I would normally be (that's my excuse anyway and I'm sticking with it!) I went through a particularly bad spell after having my first daughter well, it's never really stopped and I think my husband just sees history repeating itself him saying things like "you had better not be starting all that again" and "don't let yourself get into that state again" surprisingly are not particularly helpful to me though and only seem to fuel the fire.
I feel a little differently especially as im now living 3000 miles away from family and friends in the middle east, as scary as it has felt and still feels most days it can actually be a positive, it means I wont be able to rely on my Mum like I have done in the past and I wont have friends calling to ask why I've dropped off the radar! People will take me at face value here and if I feel a panic attack coming on, it will be easier to excuse myself without 20 questions. Im determined to face this head on now, enough is enough 23 years of the 29 I've been alive is enough, I guess I will never know how/why this all started despite my best efforts to find out, therapists have thrown a few suggestions out over the years, however, does it really matter? Really all I can do is focus on today - if anybody has any suggestions of things they have tried and found helpful on their road to recovery whatever it may be then let me know. I'm not sure i will ever be 'cured' of a anxiety, for me it's a tendency im stuck with however, success stories I've come across in the past seem to focus on the idea of living alongside it, stopping fighting and letting it be - suddenly it doesnt seem to 'be' quite so much, that sounds like a great start to me?! Thanks again, hugs to all B xxx
if theres one thing i cant stand is some body saying just snap out of it or get over it etc if we could just snap out of it and get over it oh god life would be so much better:mad: people that dont suffer with anxiety and bad nerves dnt know how easy they got it i would love to be able to just snap out of it and move on i would give anything to be normal and not worry but its in the family. my nans sister suffered so badly with her nerves that all the meds in the world couldent help her in the end and she tried so hard to snap out of it. we need understanding and patience i know its hard for our familys it is for mine but my mum and dad and my husbend now understand how hard it is for me and try to help anyway they can im sorry your husbend dosent understand.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.