Why so afraid all the time?

[mnaha]

I have HA. Most of the time im calm and collected ..but then there are times where I don't feel like panic but feel scared inside. Not sure what im scared of but just scared. I have to go to the doctor tomorrow which im scared of. Not sure just why. I feel very comfortable with this doctor and confident but im still scared. I need to go to the eye doctor and I think to myself im sure that would be ok..but then the "what if's pop up and I say to myself..what if im there at the eye doctors and get tachycardia or what if I go to the dentist and get tachycardia..although my wife tells me that the only reason I really got tachycardia when I went into the hospital is that I was dehydrated and in withdrawal from valium and had strep throat.

Last time I was a the doctors. They took my blood pressure and my heart rate shot up to 133 but right back down to 98. the thought of this scares me happening again.I worry and worry and can't hardly concentrate on anything,I cant watch tv anymore ,or not really interested in reading and don't enjoy the things I used to do. I am almost agoraphobic not yet but almost ..so scared of tachycardia happening again..im chained in fear of what might happen although i know that tachycardia always has come and go its the anxiety that might keep it from slowing down.

Could all these thoughts be a process of just worry and anxiety or could there be a physical reason that is surging through me making me have worriesome thoughts? When I exercise my heart rate goes up but in the back of my mind I know that when I come in it will settle down..These fears are really stopping me from doing things i want to do and things I need to do. I have no choice about the doctor tomorrow but I don't want to think about it all night and the other doctors and dentist i need to go to eventually I will have to go .. everything is getting so bad..Could this all be mental and is there a way to shut it off ? Or scould it be an illness causing me to feel this way off and on through the day. ? Please help..some thoughts please?

[saab]

It's typical health anxiety. Your mind races and fills with 'What if..?'.

Here are the things that I have found most helpful for my health anxiety.

Self Help for Your Nerves by Dr Claire Weekes. A real lifesaver of a book with a method for overcoming anxiety.
Stop Thinking Start Living by Dr Richard Carlson - a cog therapy book which helps you overcome negative thoughts.

The Insight Timer - a free app with lots of meditation exercises. Also Tara Brach's website with more downloads.

Mindfulness books by Jon Kabbat Zinn and the CDs that come with them have really helped. With anxiety you are fixated on the future and 'what its?', when you really need to live in the moment.

The Claire Weekes method is really cog therapy before it was invented. Accept your anxiety and it's physical symptoms, accept that your mind is playing tricks on you. Don't fight anxiety and panic, let it wash over you.

Hope this helps. There's no magic wand but you can work on your anxiety and overcome the worst.