Getting through the physical symptoms?

[tommythomson]

Hi e'body

Can someone please pass on their experiences and guidance to help me through my symptoms?

I get chest pains of varying degrees and varying locations - the central ones are obviously the most frightening. I often feel like there is a pressure on my chest and it is very tight.

These symptoms make me more anxious which doesn't help.

My doc and CPN tell me i'm too focused on the physical symptoms and trying to find a cure. "I have stopped living my life and concentrate on my symptoms too much" they say.

My only response is that it is very real to me and when it's going on inside your body you can't escape it.

I have had an ultra-sound of my abdominal area, i'm going for an endoscope later this month and I've been put on beta-blockers to calm my body down. These are measures to prove i'm physically okay and it is anxiety causing the problems.

I'm uneasy about exercise. I'm uneasy about social events in case I have a panic attack. I am uneasy about work and finding a new job.

Does everybody feel like this? How can I relax more? Is exercise okay? I've just started CBT - will this help? Do I just need to let the symptoms go and they will subside with time?

Sorry for the war + peace epic....

T

[lass]

Hi, I have different symptoms to you (mine mainly being tummy and bowel related) but I do understand where you are coming from. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just switch off from focusing on our physical symptoms?

I've always said that I don't have any symptoms I couldn't live with for the rest of my life - if someone could 100% prove to me that they weren't serious. Nothing seems to reassure me completely - there's always a "what if".

I've had lots of bowel related tests that have all come back as normal. I've also had some reassurance on my heart palpitations, and to be fair, although I get these a lot they don't actually worry me. I don't think I'm about to have a heart attack or anything.

I've managed without antidepressents (having tried 2 kinds for a very short time and not getting on very well with them!). I do take various supplements for anxiety, which I think possibly help a bit.

I've had 6 sessions of counselling now, and my counsellor has given me some CBT methods to try since my last session. She has also offered me extra sessions to help me beat this, as usually only 8 sessions are offered on NHS. At the moment, I am having to record all my thoughts - literally everything that goes through my mind and causes me anxiety, exactly what I am thinking at that time - then I have to go through this with her at my next session.

I think my counselling has helped, although you never know how you will feel if you hadn't tried something. However, sometimes I also find it brings out emotions in me that were suppressed and I will feel very low for a while afterwards. But I guess these need to come out???

Personally, I find anything that occupies my mind is good! I can't really relax, as my symptoms get worse when I try! I'm no good at sitting and watching TV for example, as my mind runs riot, I can't concentrate 100% on anything. I do find that massage and reiki help me. I've also started horseriding and this gives me a huge buzz, so temporarily distracts me from my problems. I try to go to the gym a couple of times a week, and usually feel much better for it (but not always).

If your GP feels it is ok for you to exercise, then I would suggest you try something - even wrapping up and going out for a long walk on a cold day can be theraputic. But I'd suggest you start off with light exercise and take a friend if possible.

I don't know if this will be of any help to you, but I hope you find some relief from somewhere.

And you thought your post was long ....!

[rb1978]

You're not alone in how you feel. I am the same...though with different symptoms. With me it's ear problems and sinus trouble though my fears are similar to yours - what if I go dizzy and collapse in public? My father had menieres disease which can cause things like this so I think a part of my mind cannot switch off my fears of it being this. Even though I have had no symptoms like he actually did, I know my mind is working overtime.

I ended up at the docs for anxiety after ENT tests revealed nothing and various doctors (honestly I've seen all but one at my practice!) could find nothing wrong. I was cancelling social things for fear of something happening. Even now my unfounded fears are threatening to hold me back from moving house - something I've wanted to do for so long.

I've tried anti depressants which I think have calmed me a bit. I've been told that my problems are likely to be something small like sinus allergies or suchlike but that because I'm focussing on them they worsen and become a focal point for stress.

What I'm finding helps most for me is really trying hard to relax. The last two weeks I've tried to turn off the phones, get a room to myself and just lie down with calming music on for an hour or two, trying deep breathing. Up until yesterday when I was stressed over something, this seemed to be helping me a little. Winding down properly before going to bed seemed to make me feel better in the morning.

This forum's something I find helps me personally too - just knowing other people feel the same and also to have somewhere where you can get how you feel down in words.

[tommythomson]

Cheers

I've been given the advice to ignore the symptoms and just carry on. Easier said than done!
Keep your chin up!

T

[KOKO23CAT]

TOMMY,
SYMPTOMS OF PANIC ARE EXTREMELY DISTRESSING, I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND MY ANXIETY AND PANIC VERY FRIGHTENING. HOWEVER I HAVE LEARNT OVER THE LAST YEAR THAT THEY ARE ONLY SENSATIONS AND THAT YOU CAN CONROL THEM BY THE WAY THAT YOU THINK ABOUT THEM. THESE ARE THE METHODS THAT I HAVE FOUND MOST HELPFUL ;

CBT
THE LINDEN METHOD
BACH RESCUE REMEDY
ACONITE
EPA ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
DISTRACTION AND DIVERSION

PLEASE BE WARY OF SEDATIVES AND TRANQILISERS SUCH AS DIAZEPAM AND LORAZEPAM ETC . . . THEIR AFFECTS ARE SHORT LIVED