What can I do?

[Hypomean]

I am fighting the need to post.

But I’ve reached a point where I can not talk to the people around me. And Well I annoyed the hell out of you guys.

::: yes I need help::: if I could trust me I’d be there, getting it::: we are trying to get insurance:::: and letting me know this even though I’ve explained it a plenty and the case is still the same. I GET IT. Just no way to get help without spending so much. It just adds to the anxiety. It brings a whole lot of overwhelming feeling, failure being the number one.

So for a few weeks now I feel as if my heart is failing me. It’s gotten worse in the last three weeks. Now everyone around me says it’s anxiety. Every. Single. One.
What if it’s not?
What if I don’t make it?
Right now I ate a quick lunch. And I went to water my plants, all I can feel is my heart pounding like crazy then came the skipped beats or addedkept on happening. I tried calming down by deep breathing. And with each inhale they felt worse. Then I notice that just by watering the plants my body tenses up from squeezing the water gun on the hose. Can a tense body make you more aware of how your heart is beating? My chest hurts right now from what I don’t know. Either way the increase in palps and me loosing my breath a whole much more easier now really is starting to freak me out. At times I feel like I will drop dead at any moment. It scares me having this constant inner twitching. Heart spasming. I’m the only one driving the days for my family. So i get anxiety. And this twitch inside causes me to have coughing fits. Especially when driving do I get the increase in twitching and the coughing fits. I get headaches with these. And it feels like I’m breathing with a ton of mucus in my airway. And when I do get the coughing fit I manage to cough up some gunk.

I mean it’s not right, right? Yet people tell me that it’s actually common with anxiety everything that I’m feeling. It why make me feel like I’m dying?

[Fishmanpa]

CBT4Panic which has been recommended on NMP for some time is now available 100% FREE - you can access it here

http://cbt4panic.org

Some people have been asking “WILL IT HELP WITH HEALTH ANXIETY?”

First of all the reason I called it CBT4Panic is because it is mostly aimed at Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

I don’t claim it to be a cure for every mental health disorder like some so called ’methods’ do

But in saying that, it can be of great help to anyone with Health Anxiety (as many past members of NMP have attested to) because most anxiety disorders are variations on the same underlying process.

Firstly keep in mind that Health Anxiety is VERY treatable and CBT is very effective - so I would suggest that if you CAN go to face to face CBT then that’s the best thing to do

but reading through CBT4Panic will certainly help and definitely can’t do you any harm. It is very user friendly and illustrated throughout with cartoons - it won’t take long to read - its not a lot of heavy text.

The programme will explain about anxiety - why it arises - how it is maintained - the role of safety seeking behaviour and why gradual exposure is very necessary. It will also explain the CBT process.

You will also learn many great ways to cope with any form of anxiety

As you go through the workbooks you simply apply your own specific difficulties - for example when it mentions panic ‘attacks’ you can relate that to your extreme anxiety regarding health and illness

Overall it’s a place to start - you WILL definitely learn something

There is also a very easy to read introductory book on Mindfulness which is now being used very successfully to treat Health Anxiety

and most people with any anxiety disorder will get a lot of help from the Workbook on Obsessional & Frightening Thoughts

Can I urge you ALL - just at least check it out - give it a chance - it is FREE - what have you got to lose - it adheres strictly to CBT practices and principles that are recommended around the world

It’s great that sites like this can give you some reassurance regarding your fears but if you keep coming back time and time again looking for reassurance consider that its time to try something else

I’m sure many of you spend countless hours online researching your symptoms or seeking reassurance - why not spend just a few hours on something that might help with the REAL problem which is the Health Anxiety

I suffered from HA as well myself so I really DO understand what you are going through - I know it’s not easy but you have to start somewhere :-)


Positive thoughts

[swajj]

I haven’t read your other threads and I’m not going to read them now either lol. The good news is that I’m not sick of you yet.:winks:

You can see a therapist. Do you have access to any sort of counselling that you can afford without insurance? I have had your symptoms and spent months believing that I had heart problems. I didn’t. You will continue to experience symptoms as long as you focus on your heart. And you will continue to focus on your heart as long as your HA goes untreated.