need help and reasurrance !

[mikekent]

i dont really know where to begin... im a 27 year old guy and i suffer terribly with anxiety.

I suppose i first noticed it was becomming a problem around 22, but looking back i can pick out things from my childhood were i notice i was worrying ect.

i have terrible health anxiety and it flares up every couple of months or so ... i know i shouldnt do it but i get convinced something is seriosly wrong with me and start searching for things on the internet ... in one afternoon once i went from being convinced i had colon cancer to being sure i had pancreatitis.

Ive been to my gp who initially tried treating me with ssri .. however i cant seem to get past the acute increase in anxiety when i start taking them so inevitably stop after only a few days, ive tried fluoxetine, citalopram, and escitalopram all didnt help.... the only drug ive had positives with is diazepam ... he wanted me to take flupentixol, but when i found out it was an anti psychotic it scared me.

sometimes i just feel like crying and seeking reassurance from people that nothing bad is going to happen, my brother also suffers from this and my father to in the past has been treated for depression, for this reason i do believe it runs in the family.

recently i have become obsessed that i have something wrong with my heart, i get this ache in my left arm and after looking it up convinced myself it was a heart attack, i worry about these things so intently that i actually begin to get phisical symptoms ... ibs like symptoms are normally the first sign and i find myself overbreathing ... because it feels like im not getting a full breath ....

i notice that if i drink alcohol the following days my anxiety is worse, for this reason i dont drink unless its a special occasion, but lately have thought about stopping all together.

i really need help and advice and reassurance tonight please ... currently i feel scared and upset

[swgrl09]

Have you gotten any therapy? I have found that so far a combination of medications and therapy has helped me the most. I tried just therapy for a long time, but after my mom died it was just too much and I recently needed to take an SSRI as well to get into a better place and accomplish more with my therapist.

Have you checked out any self-help? There are lots of recommendations for books all over this forum.

I really feel for you, I too have been convinced I have cancer and the fear is crippling. The symptoms are real, which people don't understand unless they have been there.

You'll be ok!!! Deep breaths can do wonders... when anxious, breathe deeply from your diaphram (stomach goes in and out, not chest) in through the nose out through the mouth. It can help calm you down.

:hugs:

[Annie0904]

Hi Mike, so sorry you are feeling so anxious at the moment...you have come to the right site to get support. You are not alone in these feelings. I don't drink alcohol either and also found ssri's wouldn't work for me. I take Dosulipin and chlordiazipoxide which I don't think many people seem to take these days but they work for me most of the time. You could try Bach rescue remedy which is natural and can be bought at chemists and on this site. Also counselling or cognitive behaviour therapy can help. Don't google symptoms...they will only make you feel worse! I agree that it can be passed in families as my dad used to be the same. He is 82 now and fit and well and happy so there is hope for us! :hugs:

[mikekent]

yea i know ... because as soon as i distract myself (which i find hard ) i suddenly notice that the aches or pains are gone ... then as soon as i start thinking about them they come back.

I really want to help my self but i dont know where to begin

[swgrl09]

Have you checked out the forum on this page called "top tips"?? That has a lot of good advice in there to start you out. Also a lot of the pages on left side of this site have a ton of good information to point you in the right direction.