please help me :(

[Hayley93]

Hey. My names Hayley I'm 22 years old.
I'm so glad to see I'm not alone. For the last 5 years I've been literally petrified of dying. If I have even a slight illness i.e I've just recently had a uti and I was convinced that I had bladder cancer. Its really taking over my life, I hate it. I lost my mum Dec 2010 granddad march 2011 and nan may 2011 and if that wasn't enough I lost my dad April 2013, each time I loose someone the thoughts get stronger :( I have a four year old son he is my world and my anxiety is now leading to his direction. I have too count 8 breaths of his whilst his asleep and check his stair gate 4 times else I lie in bed and won't sleep at all thinking something bad is going to happen to him. Does anybody else have anxiety this bad? ( if it even is anxiety?) Thank you

[Adam Bright1]

Hi I have awful Anxiety, Hang in there.
I have good and bad days, at the moment I'm convinced I have cancer , I hope i'm wrong of course.

Horrible feeling

[Hayley93]

Its a vile feeling. Always there nagging at you. Then when docs say your okay your still convinced they are wrong. I hope your okay though.

[Adam Bright1]

Be strong!!! Its an illness in its self !!

[rossvic]

Hayley:

First, you are note alone, I feel you, I m like you but right now I'm going thru treatment with medication and is helping but slowly. Mine is very bad too, anything that hurts in my body or something strange I think there something very bad. I always checking on my kids to make sure everything is ok. Since, just started with this new medication and its take time to work, I also take Ativan that is a benzo that when I feel my anxiety is super high I take one in the morning and one in the afternoon and help me relax. I also used Relaxing music at night to help me relax and lavender:hugs:

[Hayley93]

Thank you again for replying, I'm glad you received help for this! I will definitely try the docs hopefully I can pluck up the courage!

[Holds1325]

I'm not a doctor but I would say be careful in treating anxiety with benzos, they can be highly addictive and once you stop them, the anxiety just comes back.

I have some klonopin that my doctor prescribed as take in case of emergency type. The emergency is in the case that I am having an extreme anxiety attack to the point where I can't stop it because I've had some last hours before. Nowadays they last minutes but are still terrible.

Yeah I had attivan for anxiety, coming off it made me severely depressed.

So take caution with those.

[dally]

I too would caution taking any benzo type med. They are very good at helping anxiety, but tolerance and dependency can develop, and some people struggle coming if them.
There are other meds that may help instead.

However, you have been through so much in the last few years, that I think, counselling may be helpful to you. In particular bereavement counselling. Ask your gp. Or contact cruise.
The worry/checking your son is completely understandable.

Take carexx

[Traceypo]

Hi hun, where abouts in the UK are you?
Please speak to your doctor, as you can see from the amount of members on this forum, health anxiety is not uncommon.
It has its own place on the NHS website. Do what treatment that you feel is right for you, I don't medicate, because of my fear of side effects, I use therapy. I've used cbt twice, and I'm waiting for some relapse cbt. In the north east, we have a self referral system so if you don't feel like talking to your gp, you can call them instead.
Given what you've been through, bereavement counselling may also be useful for you.
Good luck hun xxx

[rossimunn]

Hayley sorry to hear problem. Maybe you could try chamomile, smell aromatherapy like lavender and listen to relaxing audio?

Meditation also helps

[Wanderlust]

Hi Hayley, yes it definitely sounds like strong anxiety, and you are in good company here, so welcome :)
Having your little one can help give you focus and purpose, I know mine did, take every opportunity to allow them being there and in your life be a reminder to stay strong, as hard as it can be sometimes.

As some have suggested, definitely take time out for relaxation and you time to focus on things that bring you pleasure whenever possible, break up the cycle of anxiety.