EM2123
16-04-14, 05:46
Hi guys. I'm new here and I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm 23 years old and from the Netherlands. I am currently residing in the US where I was working as a Nanny. However, last week I dislocated my shoulder for the second time and I will have to go back home 8 months earlier than planned to get surgery on that.
I haven't been struggling with health anxiety for very long but ever since I had a first anxiety attack back in October I haven't been able to shake it off. I woke up during the night completely out of the blue, 100% sure that there was something wrong with my heart and I haven't been able to let it go since. I've been feeling muscle contractions in my chest every day since then and it's been driving me crazy. Every day I worry about collapsing when I'm alone and not being able to get help. Sometimes it's because of my heart, other times there's something wrong with my stomach, then the next day I feel like I can't breathe right. There's always something.
I always tell myself that the sheer amount of things I'm worried about is reason enough to believe that there's actually nothing going on but unfortunately it doesn't help me much. I obsessively monitor my heart rate and how often I need to urinate in a day (because of course if you urinate often you could have diabetes and since people are always warning me about that..). I'm dizzy and tired pretty much all the time. Basically I drive myself absolutely crazy.
However, the latest thing that showed up after my last anxiety attack on Saturday night is that my arms are feeling heavier than normal and that my fingers are harder to move. Like I actually need to think about it. Do you guys experience that too, is it something that is anxiety related? Should I be worried?
As I'm being sent home in the next couple of days I'm trying to calm myself down with the thought that in a few days I will be able to see a doctor (without receiving $$$$$$ bills) and finally get some help for this mess.
Argh!
I haven't been struggling with health anxiety for very long but ever since I had a first anxiety attack back in October I haven't been able to shake it off. I woke up during the night completely out of the blue, 100% sure that there was something wrong with my heart and I haven't been able to let it go since. I've been feeling muscle contractions in my chest every day since then and it's been driving me crazy. Every day I worry about collapsing when I'm alone and not being able to get help. Sometimes it's because of my heart, other times there's something wrong with my stomach, then the next day I feel like I can't breathe right. There's always something.
I always tell myself that the sheer amount of things I'm worried about is reason enough to believe that there's actually nothing going on but unfortunately it doesn't help me much. I obsessively monitor my heart rate and how often I need to urinate in a day (because of course if you urinate often you could have diabetes and since people are always warning me about that..). I'm dizzy and tired pretty much all the time. Basically I drive myself absolutely crazy.
However, the latest thing that showed up after my last anxiety attack on Saturday night is that my arms are feeling heavier than normal and that my fingers are harder to move. Like I actually need to think about it. Do you guys experience that too, is it something that is anxiety related? Should I be worried?
As I'm being sent home in the next couple of days I'm trying to calm myself down with the thought that in a few days I will be able to see a doctor (without receiving $$$$$$ bills) and finally get some help for this mess.
Argh!