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Emrose16630
17-11-15, 16:57
Hi All,

I apologize in advance if this becomes a long rant or if I upset anyone with this but I need something, I don’t know what I’m hoping to get from this maybe reassurance, therapy I don’t know but here goes

this is my first time posting here so please bare with me

I feel I should give you some background info so this all makes sense. Earlier this year, life was fab I have a beautiful 2 year old daughter, a loving fiancé, my own home with two lovely dogs, I have great & I had a good job with the NHS, at 21 to have achieved all this I use to think I was very lucky.

However my career with the NHS I was a support worker on a very busy intense ward, I had the aspiration to go on and become a nurse/midwife I couldn’t decide so I went to be a support worker to see where I thought I was better suited. The middle of last year I started to notice I wasn’t as comfortable as I once was in that role, I started getting scared on nights that I would walk in a bay and someone would be on the floor in cardiac arrest, so much so I would do my upmost to avoid been left alone, if the case did arise when someone went in to cardiac arrest granted I hated it but I did what I needed to do to help this patient. I worked in many places within the trust all with different specialties. I saw people die young & old, sometimes it was expected sometimes not. I worked on labour wards and saw people lose their babies and go home with their babies. So its safe to say I’ve seen all sorts!
Shortly after my dad ( who I wasn’t so close to ) had a heart attack so unexpected, obviously as we didn’t speak this drag up a lot of feelings etc I was shocked that obviously he could have died and we’d had no relationship ( we are ok now and have a good relationship )

So one particular day I was in resus training, and just felt funny, my heart was pounding my heart rate was very high, I was hot then cold, I was trembling I couldn’t see straight and obviously because this had never happened to me luckily the nurses quickly hooked me up the ECG to find my heart rate was around 150/160, however the ECG machine was attached to the resus trolley. I just remember thinking this is it im going to die of cardiac arrest, needless to say they found nothing and sent me home.

It happened for days after this so I went to the GP where I was told it was a panic attack and anxiety & told to go and enjoy my holiday I was due to go on, so I did, my holiday was ruined by thoughts of me dieing everytime I felt something strange

Anyway I’ve come to realise with the health thing and the fear of dieing ive been this way since Isla my daughter was born, just not this bad its as though working with the NHS has fueled it and created some form of health anxiety. I have a habit of checking my pulse I get an ache somewhere and that’s it, I’m constantly googling and seeking reassurance from people ( to be told I’m stupid ) if a family member take my daughter to places whilst im at work and they phone me I don’t think there just calling me I think they must have had a car crash or she’s fallen ill. Im obsessed I have images of having to go to the hospital and see her lying there dead my beautiful girl or finding her dead In her bed. For example the other night she’d gone to bed at her normal time around 7 o’clock and I always go in to check her and I walked in and she layed there with her eyes wide open I screamed at her and she just sat up and said “whats up mummy”, I genuinely thought she was dead.

Same with myself Imagine myself just dropping down dead in the middle of somewhere and have to recive CPR from someone, I see myself laid on a hospital bed, with my hair hanging over the edge and my face sunk in, cold and blue and my mum is there crying.
My worst fear Is going into cardiac arrest, I hate drs surgerys I hate hospitals the thought of having to call an ambulance etc fills me with dread.
I can no longer deal with any stressful, panicky situation. I get all these weird symptoms and feelings and they just freak me out I can convince myself I'm not breathing properly or my jaw is hurting and I cant cope with it.


I can’t go on like this, I withdraw from certain things because I’m so down, all I want is more children and to move to a bigger house and get married but I’m too scared I won’t get there because I will die, now I know where all going to go at some point but I don’t want to live in fear. Its running my life I am receiving CBT therapy currently, I just don’t know what to do anymore, I feel like im ruining my life and my daughters life.

Im sorry this has turned into a long rant but thank you for taking the time to read this.

Emily xx

BurntOutAndBroken
17-11-15, 17:02
Wow. You're certainly going thru it

I'm reading similarities with what you've mentioned re your daughter and your health worries. I was like that and got a late diagnosis of post natal depression, despite not realising that I had it.

I'm new to the forum but I'm sure there are lots of people better experienced to help you, just wanted you to know you're not alone.

Lifelonganxiety!
17-11-15, 17:04
Hi Emily,

I sympathize and empathize with your situation. Panic attacks and the constant fear and anxiety are no way to live life.

My health anxiety started when I was 19 (I'm 36 now) when I convinced myself I had HIV. After that fear went, I started noticing other things and thought I had cancer, MS, ALS etc... it's certainly not fun.

All I can say though, is that it can and does get better if you get help. You have to understand that this is a bad period but you will get through it. At your age, it's extremely unlikely you have anything wrong. I know it's hard to accept and I rarely did, but ultimately you will come to be more rational about it, and learn to live and maybe even laugh at how ridiculous these obsessive thoughts can be.

Keep going to therapy, it certainly helps to talk about it. I ended up taking Zoloft and while I would never tell anyone to take medication, it certainly helped me immensely. Discuss these things with your doctor if you're struggling with therapy or coping on your own.

We're always here on this forum to help out if you need someone to talk to that understands you more. Sometimes it's hard to reach out to friends that don't suffer this when they just dismiss the way you feel!

Take care.

Holds1325
18-11-15, 22:46
Hi,

I suffered from Health anxiety and still do to some extent since I was very young. My mother suffered health anxiety too so it runs in the family.

Best thing to do is to repeat to yourself "I am OK right now, nothing is wrong with me at this current moment. Enjoy the day." Then move on and go about your day.

Just like a substance addiction we must stay abstinent, abstinent from these fearful thoughts.

You could go outside tonight and get hit by a bus, or you could go on and live 100 years doesn't matter and it won't help by worrying about it. Most likely the latter will happen and you'll live on and see your daughter grow up etc.

It'll get better though, it eventually did for me, I had therapy done, no medication whatsoever. But it takes a little work on your half to get through it, its definitely possible. I was much worse than you with it.

Good luck

amers
19-11-15, 12:09
Hi Emily,
Your words ring so true with me and I too can pin the start of my health anxiety to when I had children, you have managed to put into words many of the thoughts and feelings that I have. I think the advice on here is really good and no matter how hard I have found that you just need to carry on sometimes and then most of the time you get to the end of the day and everything/everyone is ok. I am waiting for cbt at the moment and have good and bad days and I hope you find some support on here, I defo find that popping in here for a few minutes when I am feeling bad is far better for me than googlng the most recent set of symptoms,
Take care,
Amers

kellie39
19-11-15, 15:14
i really feel for you.
i have never had anxiety like this before, i have had the odd worry and gone to the docs and been told its all ok and thats been the end of it but for some reason this time ive been in a complete panic ect for 4 weeks now even though the doc has said there is nothing to worry about.
i have got myself into a right state and i worry over ache or sensation and the more i worry the worse it gets and around and around you go.

i was so shocked by how this can control your body and mind.
xx

Emrose16630
19-11-15, 20:12
Thank you for your support guys, it sort of helps to know im not alone and talk to people that understand
love to you all xx