Health Anxiety :(

[Fergie1065]

Hey,

I'm new to this forum, my name's Ross and I'm only 22 years old and I have came across this forum several times when googling symptoms and such and it seems to have many people who are going through the same torture as me, known as anxiety.

i constantly think i'm dying. i'm in hospital every second week. i keep thinking my hearts going to stop, or somethings wrong with my lungs - there's something every day and it's really tearing me apart. i ust got out of hospital today as i was admitted for not sleeping for 6 days straight i was hallucinating and everything the worse experience of my life. i only slept after being fired with 80mg of librium and 40mg diazepam to basically knock me out - this got me 8 hours, although i still feel exhausted. i feel extremely confused and as if im gonna die at any time and its really upsetting me and my family, i spend every night crying over this.

my pdoc put me on 10mg of citalopram which i took on the friday, and thats when my inability to sleep started. i just couldnt drift off for thinking about sleep but i dont know if the citalopram has caused it? im scared incase its taken away my natural ability to sleep without being zombied, and i really dont want to have to rely on drugs to get a sleep every night. i really cant go through that again and really hope i can sleep tonight.

fearing death is my main concern. i also CONSTANTLY focus on my breathing, its as if i cant get it out my mind. im always thiinking breath in breath out breath in breath out and that also makes it virtually impossible.

its really destorying me and its made me feel as if its never going to cure and my lifes over at a young age. doctors really dont seem to care when you're admitted with an anxiety related issue they make u feel like ur wasting their time to the point ur scared to go back.

does anyone here have health anxiety as bad as this? do any of you focus on your breathing constantly? i think the only people that understand how emotionally torturing anxiety is are those that experience it themselves which is why i'm glad to have joined this forum.

another thing is i turned to drink as a temporary cure for anxiety so i was drinking on top of the citalopram. i was thinking of having a few tonight to see if it aids my sleep, but ive already have 40mg librium today so im not sure what the effects are

sorry for the massive post, ive just become so frustrated and upset and i really need somewhere else to turn

thanks in advance to anyone who can reply or offer advice

[Gee]

Awww Hun sounds like what ur going through is very hard, you need to get some CBT I think because it sounds like no amount of reassuring u will work, I don't think there is anything wrong with you physically sounds like all anxiety attacks and it can be cured! Try and think of it that way, you have nothing that can't be fixed :)

Come here when u want to google as feel anxious and post instead and I would insist to your GP that you need to be given CBT of some kind - you need to retrain your brain - it must be hard on u and ur family I know my family just didn't get it when I worried about stuff and they didn't know what to say at all

You WILL be fine you need to try to get past this and enjoy your life your young and have everything to live 4

Xxxx

[Hellsbells1977]

Hi there,

Like you I came across this forum when googling symptoms.. Dr Google will terrify you! It sounds like you are getting the help you need now, but I would highly recommend CBT, I thought it had 'cured' me.. unfortunately I've slipped back into my old way of thinking, and I have used drink to help me sleep/feel less anxious (definitely not a good habit to start!)... Start on Sertaine tomorrow, :-S... let us know how you get on over the next few days, theres always someone here to re-assure you. :)

[Fergie1065]

Thanks so much for your replies. I've actually been referred for CBT and have been on the waiting list for about a month now, but the doctor I seen in the hospital said it's been prioritized due to the levels of my anxiety.

I'm just worried that I won't sleep tonight again and I physically feel exhausted even after getting 8 hours sleep last night (although that was the first in 6 days and because I was sedated)

Hopefully CBT can help this when I eventually get there because this anxiety is overwhelming not only my life but also that of my parents too which is getting me even more down.

I've started taking the citalopram again, but I just hope this isn't the reason I'm not sleeping.

[Hellsbells1977]

My issue was with sleep too.. not necessarily getting to sleep, but staying asleep. I used to work a 'twilight' shift, until 2am, get home at 2.30, bed for 3am but awake again by 6. I did this for 6 months, and my anxiety was at its worst during this time. It sounds obvious, but the less you think about sleep, the easier it will be. Now (after a change of hours to a dayshift) I sleep 6-7 hours a night, I do wake but usually nod straight back off. If I'm having a rough time trying to get to sleep, I use herbal sleeping tablets, and am usually away with the fairies within an hour. :D

Don't worry about the sleep, it's the worst thing for it unfortunately! :)