Me and My Anxiety

[giraffegirl95]

Hi Guys,
My name is Shannon and i suffer from anxiety.
It all started when i was getting chest pains, i kept putting off going to see the doctor and ended up convincing myself i was going to have a heart attack (ridiculous i know). My boyfriend then made me go and see a doctor, and i had my heart checked etc etc and it was all fine, this is when i got diagnosed with anxiety. At first, i was gutted, i don't want to have a mental illness, i was stronger than that, i hated it. I felt like i was the only person in the world with this stupid thing. It drifts in and out, some days im fine, some days im not. The places that set my anxiety off the most are college and when im like out in a town centre or out for a meal. I dont know what it is, i get this wave come over me that is telling me something bad is going to happen, like im going to pass out or have a heart attack, my heart races and i get light headed. I hate it, i hate it so much and all i can do is get out of the place i am in.
my safe place is in bed, cuddled up because i know nothing bad can happen there.
I feel like im loosing my mind, please tell me that there is someone out there that can help me?

[Rennie1989]

Hiya Shannon. Welcome to NMP!

I'm sorry to hear you're going through a tough patch. Remember that mental illness is not a sign of weakness. Some of the bravest and most intelligent people we know have mental illnesses, take Stephen Fry who has Bipolar Disorder. Many celebrities have recently come out saying they suffer from anxiety and depression. Mental illness is non-discriminatory, meaning it will affect absolutely ANYONE.

Remember that what you are experiencing is only anxiety. You will NOT pass out and you will NOT have a heart attack. The more you learn about anxiety and the symptoms you begin to accept that they are not dangerous or harmful. The only harmful thing to do is to start avoiding places and situations which bring on the anxiety. The feeling that something bad is about to happen, or 'Impending Doom', is a very normal thing to experience in anxiety because the body is preparing itself for a danger that does not exist.

I hope this little bit of info helps. There is a lot of support here, all from people going through what you are. We are all in this together :)

[giraffegirl95]

Hiya,

Thank you for such a quick response!

I never knew that about Stephen Fry! It's crazy isnt it, you can feel like the only person in the world when in fact, there are many many people that suffer from it!
Thank you very much, i think i need to learn to stop avoiding the situations and just try and get through it and stay in that place that makes me feel like that!

Shannon x

[Rennie1989]

They say one in four people will have a mental illness, whether it's the one-off bought of anxiety or depression or a permanent disorder (like Bipolar). Unfortunately it is still a taboo in today's society but we're breaking out of it! BBC3 did a series called 'It's a Mad World' about mental illnesses and they were fascinating to watch.

When in that situation when the symptoms arise just remind yourself 'It's OK, these are just anxiety symptoms, they will not hurt me.' Accept they are there, don't force them away (you'll make them worse if you do) and ride with the ride. Not feeling frightened or apprehensive by the symptoms they will wear off on their own.

[suki300]

The problem is, that no-one announces they're having a panic attack or anxiety attack. It's so easy to hide it, appearing calm when you're freaking out inside, or only doing showing your anxiety in front of those that are close.

The problem with this method is that you feel like you are the only one it happens to, when in reality, you'd be amazed. Another close friend to Stephen Fry - Paul Merton - he suffered from debilitating panic attacks in the past.

Being convinced you are having a heart attack is probably one of the most common thoughts people have with panic attacks. It took me ages to be convinced that I wouldn't have one, even though people used to reassure me, I used to think "Yeah, well you say that, but how do you know!"

Well 20 years on i haven't had a heart attack from a panic attack yet.

the problem is when you have a panic attack your brain says "the worst thing in the world is going to happen to me right now!" You have no way of processing why you feel so terrible, no explanation, which is why it is so good to go for CBT, because that helps you re-think that side of you catastophising in the moment and you'll learn to think "it's just a bit of panic - i'm alright, it will pass."

Congratulations, you are completely normal btw.