A video of my health anxiety struggle

[chemlabrat]

I decided to make a video. Hopefully it will help someone that stumbles across it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZX6wi6HYSs

[anna66]

I cried!
Most of what you described is exactly how I felt a month or so ago.
Well done
x

[berkshiregirl]

hi i have just watched your video, was really interesting i have been having lightheadedness and dizziness for 2 weeks now, and has been scareing me alot, how did you make yours stop i dont want to let the anxiety monster creep into my head again but it is and i am petrified.

thanks

[anx mum]

Hi ive just watched your video i also have stuggled with severe anxiety its horrible. Thanx for sharing your experiences

[joyce1980]

Hey there, when you thought you had say, a heart problem, did you panic more about it.

And when that was ruled out did you worry it was somethig else more sinister like ms or a brain tumor????

Were you always body checking? looking for symptoms or testing your pulse 24/7?

Ok, so to treat your symptoms you need to treat the cause, anxiety can be cured and it starts with seeing a psychiatrist and usually a course of anti D's

I will be on paroxetine for the rest of my life as it makes me near 95% normal and I am happy with that.

When i am off meds i lose weight, I can't eat, I got to the toilet 4times a day and wee a lot as well. (sorry if it's gross)
I can't eat and I feel like spewing all the time, I feel weak and I have body twitches, I have nightmares and I can't sleep, I have a burning feeling on my head and it really hurts ( it's your nerves playing up from tension, you just don't realise how tense you are when you hane anxiety) I was 48 kilos at one stage, i panic all the time, i woke up having a panic attack once, i don't feel like going out and I don't have any motivation at all.

I hope this helps you a little

[LeeBee]

Hey chemlab, great vid, I'm sure it will help others who suffer similar symptoms. Well done for being able to recognise and accept the anxiety - such a hard thing to do. I wish you the best of luck.

PS you have a great accent. Where in the US are you from?

[leeann]

This video is great. Thank you so much for doing it. I suffer with the heart palpation and ive convinced my self there's something wrong with my heart, ive had 3 ecg in the past all come back fine.

I think its brilliant how determined you are. well done

[Cathy V]

Hi, a really good way to show others what can be experienced.

Hi also to Joyce, and just wanted to ask about the symptoms you describe when not taking your meds. These all sound like withdrawal symptoms which can be experienced for quite some time after stopping meds, and these symptoms of anxiety can be much more heightened in withdrawal than the origional anx. Can I ask if your symptoms were as bad before you took any meds?

Cathy xxx

[lilibet]

Dear Chemlabrat

I have just looked at your video and think what you have done is excellent. Very informative and well done. I hope that lots of people take a look at it. Keep us posted on your development please.

Love lilibet x

[chemlabrat]

Thanks everyone for all the comments. It means a lot for me to know it could help someone by watching it. I made another video just talking about my symptoms. I posted a link to it in the symptoms section of this forum. I'm going to make a third video probably this afternoon to better answer a lot of the questions I've gotten.

berkshiregirl: You asked how I was able to make it stop. I think it was a combination of two things. The biggest hurdle was to accept it's anxiety and stop looking for other causes. The second thing I did was to stop all forms of self-monitoring for symptoms. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it without my psychologist insisting on it. For those of you who haven't tried CBT and can afford to try it, I highly reccomend giving it a shot.

joyce1980: Yes! Whenever I ruled out the heart issue then I started thinking it was a brain tumor. Then when the MRI ruled out the brain tumor I was convinced it was adrenal fatigue or an adrenal gland tumor. I finally ruled out enough things to where there wasn't anything else I could remotely pin on being the culprit other than anxiety.

leebee: I'm from Alabama. Deep south of the US. Thanks for the compliment!

I'll let everyone know when the next video goes up. I'm going to try to show the contrast between how I was before when I was just your everyday normal, athletic, social person, and then how anxiety and agoraphobia has changed my life into what I'm dealing with now. Hopefully it will help people who have never experienced it understand better that we aren't just crazy people who worry too much, but instead have an illness that has changed our lives in ways similiar to someone with diabetes, MS, or other debilitating disorders. I think it would help for other people suffering like me to be able to go to their family and friends who don't understand what they are going through, show them my video, and be able to say "see... it's not just me."

[chemlabrat]

I made another video. This is a longer video about how I was able to turn my anxiety and panic disorder around about a month ago. I've been making a long uphill climb, but I can see a lot of progress. Thanks for watching, and I hope this might help someone.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sySfjTSagI8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsF81MHv8MQ

[Ddcoo]

I've watched your videos and they are so inspirational, thank you so much. You make me want to start practicing straight away. I do hope you go from strength to strength. Will look forward to your next video. ~~Very best wishes.

[Frenchflower]

Your videos are wonderful. I really hope things work well for you and you get so much better :)

[joyce1980]

Hi, a really good way to show others what can be experienced.

Hi also to Joyce, and just wanted to ask about the symptoms you describe when not taking your meds. These all sound like withdrawal symptoms which can be experienced for quite some time after stopping meds, and these symptoms of anxiety can be much more heightened in withdrawal than the origional anx. Can I ask if your symptoms were as bad before you took any meds?

Cathy xxx


Hello there,

I was off my meds for 6 months and before that I wened off properly, I was ok for a month or so and then the little worries started again, like do I have aids and so on.... then it just got out of hand that's when the tummy problems and loss of apetite came along like it did when I was 18.
I had awful withdrawal symptoms at first and I got through them.
But it's defo anxiety i am seeing a psychiatrist in Aus when I get back