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Ziggy455
05-10-12, 09:07
Hello,*

I am a recently new member to this site and I think it's time I told you my story from scratch, so as to perhaps give you all a better insight to things.

Let's start off at the beginning. When I was younger, I suddenly began to suffer from severe migraines. These were debilitating, absolutely terrifying episodes of visual disturbances and I would end up suffering from auras, nausea, and absolute horrible headaches. These would kill me, they would terrify me and for days on end I would find myself becoming alert and worrisome over the onset of the migraines, (depersonalization, heart palpitations, a panic-like attack) and I dealt with these for many years. Almost until the age of 16/17 where they stopped. I suffered from one violent one when I was 19 and since then I have not had any. However I seem to suffer from visual disturbances. (Grainy vision, floaters, starbursts, poor vision in low light.)

Near my 20th birthday, my grandmother, who I loved dearly, was diagnosed with mixed cell carcinoma (Lung cancer) and also inoperable cancer of the brain. I cared for her until she died and was there for her 24/7. The cancer took her quickly and swiftly almost three weeks after diagnosis. She died in her sleep.

When the doctors told me she didn't have long, it shocked me, because it all happened so quickly. She was one of the most prominent people people in my life. I saw her almost every day, she was always there. Most of my happy memories are of her and being with her. Growing up with her in her house and living most of my life with her in it. When I found out she was dying, it was so quick, and once she died her house that she lived in was torn apart and ransacked. Not only was my nan taken, the kindest person I knew, but that place of her memories, of where she was most happy has been destroyed and is gone. The doctors told me she had a year, then six months, then three, then one. I slept next to her, I waited up all night to check on her, and I begged her to take pills the night she died. I'm glad I did because she deserved a peaceful death. But that morning when I woke up and heard she was gone, I couldn't believe it, and when I saw her laying there frozen, I didn't cry, I didn't do anything. I swallowed my feelings and tried to be strong for everyone else. I tried to be strong for everybody but didn't focus on myself and even after my nan died I felt guilty. (Before my nan died I didn't get to see her as much as I wanted to for many reasons - The last message I have of her on Facebook is 'I miss you.' and I can't bring myself to delete it. I haven't dealt with these issues.*

After her death, I began to suffer from panic attacks. These would start as tightness in my head, and heart palpitations, tingling hands, and finally, terrified of what was happening, paramedics were called out. They checked my blood pressure, did everything possible to check me and then explained to me that I was suffering from anxiety.*

Flash forward two months on and the anxiety has pretty much turned me into a shell of a person. I panicked so much about having a stroke or something of that calibre so bad that I was rushed to A&E over visual disturbances and the likes. I was given a general check-up and told to take paracetamol as it helps what the doctor explained as 'My virtually non-existent migraines from coming out in other ways.'

I went to an optometrist and had a general eye-check up, they checked my pressure twice, took pictures of my eyes, and spent a long time staring at my retinas in the back of my eyes. They told me that my eyes seemed pretty healthy and nothing looked bad and that I was near-sighted and I had to have a prescription pair of glasses (which I wear while on PCs and watching films.)

However, I was sitting in college today when I felt like what was tiny cold pinpricks that would randomly travel from my legs to my arms and then my lower left face felt numb. I panicked hard and had to escape to outside to take a breather. My anxiety has destroyed my life. I can't function, I'm failing my college course because I'm so terrified I have something like Multiple Sclerosis or an impending anuerysm or stroke. I suffer from constant flight or flight attacks, I'm always vigilant for visual disturbances and I am at the end of my rope. I can't live, I'm so worried I am ill that I am actually making myself ill.*

I just don't know what to do to kick my anxiety. I'm slowly killing myself with how I am 24/7, and ironically, it's the very thing that is going to destroy my existence.*

Help me, please, if you can.

Thankyou for reading.*

"Ziggy."_________________________________________

Jules147
05-10-12, 09:28
Those cold pin pricks are quite scary but they are yet another anxiety sensation. I had them around my face, neck, shoulders, torso and arms. They were quite random and sometimes asymmetrical, i.e. more on one side than the other. Parasthesias caused by anxiety can be tingling, burning or numbness. The numbness was scary for me too. Once it was my mouth, on a number of occasions it was just one toe. My index finger on just one hand once went numb for a whole day.

I don't suffer like this any more, CBT and mindfulness took care of that. Google Hamilton Anxiety scores (HamA). It was devised in 1959. It lists common anxiety symptoms under different categories. Note "prickling sensations."

http://www.psy-world.com/hama_print2.htm

Annie0904
05-10-12, 09:35
Hi Ziggy, Sorry you are having such a bad time at the moment. All the symptoms you describe are symptoms of anxiety. Your anxiety seems to have been triggered by your Grandmothers death and you kept a lot of your emotions inside at the time. Death of a loved one is not easy to cope with and I think you need some help with this. I suggest you go to see your doctor, maybe you could print out what you have written here so that he understand how you are feeling. It may be a good idea to get referred for counselling. You said you go to college, some colleges have their own counselling services, ask at student support and if they have this service they can refer you and the waiting list is usually short in colleges. :hugs::hugs:

MRS STRESS ED
05-10-12, 09:41
Hi it makes me sad your feeling like this ,I no what its like to loose someone close and keep it together . To be strong for everyone else ,because you feel you have to be the strong one ,thats why we are suffering with anxiety because we have held it together for to long all these thoughts and feelings are horrible I no .I would go and tell your GP exactly how your feeling ,I did and I feel so much better ,I glad did Ive got the help I need and everyday I feel abit better good luck sending you a :bighug1:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ElectricAlice
05-10-12, 15:51
I have the exact same things! on my left side - it's awful, but I think it's all anxiety. I have MS fear too!

Magic
05-10-12, 16:09
I cannot add anything as Annie0904 has said it all.:hugs:

Ziggy455
05-10-12, 20:38
Thankyou for all of your replies. I went to the doctor today and he literally laughed when I tried to explain my fears of MS and Aneursyms. He checked me briefly and then prescribed me a two week prescription of buspirone and has set me a date for counselling. I'm scared all the time. :(

Jules147
06-10-12, 00:07
You have been diagnosed with anxiety. Now you need to learn to accept the diagnosis.

Ziggy455
06-10-12, 20:35
I know I have been diagnosed with anxiety but that doesn't stop me worrying! Somehow I'm convinced I'm going to have a brain aneurysm.

Do in-depth eye tests (like the one I had) detect things like aneurysms? :wacko: