Always always thinking the Worst!!!!! Health and Death

[amber angel]

Ever since I had my first panic attack I feel my whole look on life has changed.

I desperately want to feel how I did before but I am now thinking about death all the time! I find myself constantly thinking horrible thoughts about myself, family and my boyfriend.

I worry so much about how i would cope if one of my parents died... or my brother!

I worry about my parents health and worry about them when they are driving!

I worry about my own health telling myself I will die experiencing some horrible, long, painful heart attack or stroke..... or something else equally horrible. I also believe I won't live a long life!

I worry about waking up one morning and my boyfriend lying dead next to me.
I do not know how I would cope with any of these things.

I realise and understand how crazy my thoughts sound and how much of a waste of time and energy thinking these things are... but I cant seem to turn it off!!!

If anybody has any advice or can help I would be really grateful!

[saab]

I would read some self help books - Self Help for your Nerves by Dr Claire Weekes is great for panic and anxiety, whilst Stop Thinking, Start Living by Richard Carlson is a great cog therapy book which helps to overcome negative thoughts.

A useful exercise from cog therapy is to write down all the negative ideas and write a rational response.

Eg. I think mum and dad will die in a car crash ------ The likelihood of this is very small. Dad is a safe driver. Its a really slim possibility.

Hope this helps.