Really freaking out. Can someone help please?

[Natalie x]

Hi there. I've been having some trouble with my left arm for the past week or so. I have a tendency to tense up my left arm which then tenses up my chest muscles which in turn then leads to my anxiety hitting the roof. Today I've been doing the same thing and my arm feels tight and heavy. I also have been putting this down to carrying my bag yyesterday as I was out shopping. I have however had slight shooting pains when I move certain ways, particularly if I move to the side. Obviously you can imagine that I'm worrying about heart attacks. I'm 22 and hoping I'm just being irrational. Because I panic it brings on more tightness and makes me panic even more. I'm really struggling with this and feels like Iccan'tenjoy myself as I'm always panicking about something. Can anyone relate and offer some support? It would be much appreciated :) Thank you x

[eeesh]

Hello Natalie!

22 as well, and often getting the jitters over such banal and stupid stuff. I used to get panic attacks on the train going into work - usually due to too much caffeine in the morning! My heart would race and then this would convince me I was probably going to go insane and make a fool of myself, or die. I hate knowing i have this body that my existence is reliant upon, but is also out my control and could snuff it at any point.

How cheerful.

You're 22 though. A heart attack, unless you're severely obese, on a wacky combination of stimulants, or have an atrocious diet, just isn't going to happen.

Seriously, don't worry about it.

Now check out my thread and see how close to death I am. Surely that'll cheer you up! At least you ain't me! Ha.

[Natalie x]

Hi Eeesh, thank you for your reply and for your words. I too have panic attacks generally on the way back from work as for some reason my anxiety seems to be worse after lunch. I think I place too much focus on this and in turn I end up feeling more edgy and have a panic attack when driving home. This is really scary for me as I absolutely love driving and I have had to give up driving on the motorway due to having an attack a few months ago.

I went out for dinner tonight which was a distraction and tried not to focus to much on anything. I still have the odd shooting pain but I'm hoping this isn't something sinsiter.

Im also sorry to hear you are having a rough time. Its comforting to know though that there are others in the same position x

[eeesh]

Is there anything in particular you eat or drink regularly at lunch? Any caffeinated drinks? I find if I do that without exercise (aside from first thing in the morning), it can either send me manic and unbearable to be around, or into a panicked delirium!

Thing is, everyone has multiple aches and pains at random throughout the day. It's just part of being alive. Only, we focus on these, hone in on them and learn to identify them with needle-like precision. From there we connect dots that need not be connected and formulate elaborate narratives on how these clearly indicate immanent disaster.

I suppose we need to remember that if something was seriously wrongwe would notice unequivocally, and so would those around us.

The other night I was digging around in my stomach. Forcefully rummaging about with my fingers, pressing in as deep as I could. I felt a long hard movable mass on my left side, just above my groin. I'd just eaten and I was able to feel excrement being shifted through my colon - nice! Of course I was certain this was a tumour, a deformed mass of flesh enveloping my abdomen.

We're just all a bit mental.

[Natalie x]

No, I normally take fruit juice for lunch and have tried to cut down on my caffeine intake to just one cup of tea a day. I'm still struggling with my breathing. It feels as though I cannot get a proper breath or that something is lodged in my throat. Have you ever experienced this? I'm scared to go to sleep in case something bad happens and naturally I am thinking the worst x

[mummyanxious]

In my earlier days of HA I used to do the exact same thing and I have ended up with chronic pain at times because of this and it puts your spine out of line and all sorts and that is what leads to the pains. Nothing wrong at all, just that you are over tensing the muscles.

[Brainwash]

Normally a heart attack would be accompanied by various other symptoms. The pain would be radiating from ur chest right up to your shoulders or down your abdomen.

From what you have described, pain upon movement, is not really a sign of heart attack.

Probably u strain some muscles while carrying the shopping bags!