Gave myself anxiety pains

[cactusjohn5]

So i am new to anxiety and i have been having very severe chest pains for about 5 days, went to the dr had an EKG all was good, saw my Behavioral Therapist he isn't really helping but he told me i have to have an hour of fun a day, no matter what. He made a good point of why aren't you having fun? And i said because i feel like i am dying all the time, he said well then die having fun and not all stressed out sitting in bed or in a chair.

So i came home and played a board game with my fiance and had a small dinner, i then realized that my chest pains were gone and i was relaxed! First time in a month i was relaxed. Well this sent me into overdrive, what is going on with my body that nothing hurts, nothing is twitching and no pains!!! About 30 min later they were all back!

Is it possible that i might have had a minor breakthrough then ruined it by thinking!!!

[Dazza123]

You focused on something else, other than the anxiety, so it went away for a short period. So, if you can spend more time during the day focusing on other things, ie fun things, then it could seriously lower your anxiety and you might teach yourself ways of controlling it. Anxiety is all in the mind, so if you can push it to the background, and bring normality to the foreground then thats gotta be more fun.

[HoneyLove]

Cactusjohn, think about how long you've been suffering with anxiety - it's going to take a while for that to unwind. Having some fun with your fiancé is a great start, but it's not enough to change everything straight away.

You've got to keep working at it, every day. And if you do feel a little anxiety or pains creeping in, just accept it and go with it, if you fight it that'll just send you straight back into anxiety/panic mode.

A really great book you could read is Self Help For The Nerves by Claire Weekes. It's very sound advice for people trying to work their way through anxiety problems, it'll help you learn to let go.

Learn other things, like the game, that not only distract you but trigger a relaxation response for you. Laughter & having fun is a great way to do this, but so is anything that you can be absorbed in and enjoy doing, or other direct relaxation methods like meditation, breathing exercises or yoga.

If you focus on relaxing and enjoying yourself for a while every day it will really help. Your behavioural therapist might also help you to look at your thought patterns and see how you might change them to make them more beneficial for you.

[Rennie1989]

I'm so happy to read this :) You've shown that you can relax, have fun and not let the anxiety dominate your life 24/7. Keep doing it everyday!

The symptoms came back because you were probably thinking about them, I bet it was a 'I feel fine now, I wonder when they'll come back' thought. Next time you have your hour to yourself just concentrate on the task, be it a game or hobby, and keep the thoughts of anxiety at the very back of your mind.

Techniques won't work the first time so don't bin it off yet. It's definitely showing that it can and will work so keep at it everyday and I bet you'll feel a ton better in a week or so. And yes, it does sound like a minor breakthrough, but any breakthrough is a massive bonus!

[cactusjohn5]

"'I feel fine now, I wonder when they'll come back'

That is exactly what i thought, and i also thought, "this can't be good to not have any pains i've been sore for a week!" and pow it came right back.

Any personal tips for dealing with the chest pains/ sore neck, back. Do you take OTC medicine or just let it slide?