katamaridamacy
20-12-08, 19:10
Hi All,
I am a 23-year-old male and have suffered from panic and anxiety since I was 16. After a few years of terrible panic attacks, most of my problems now seem to centre on anxiety about my health.
Like a lot of people on these forums, I've diagnosed myself with every terrible disease and condition going, but at the moment my biggest problem is acid reflux, difficulty swallowing and hyperventilation.
I have a habit of swallowing air (gets caught in my chest), then the compulsion to belch it out. In some odd anxiety-related ritual, belching to release the air makes me feel better. If I can't, then I panic more.
As the reflux is causing problems of its own, I've been given medication to treat it, but it stops the acid and air swallowing, and has me even more anxious because I can't do the whole swallow air/belching thing. And anyway, I read the medicine's info leaflet about side affects, and as soon as my eyes caught sight of 'trouble breathing/swallowing', that was it me off. I also have a feeling of thick, gunky saliva in my mouth and throat. :(
Does anyone suffer from anything similar?
What can I do to help just take my mind off breathing and swallowing? I called in to the hairdressers for an appointment today, but dashed off because I couldn't face sitting there. It's making work a nightmare too.
Sorry for being so incoherent (and if this is posted in the wrong forum). After years of suffering with all this, it's really starting to get me down.
Thanks.
I am a 23-year-old male and have suffered from panic and anxiety since I was 16. After a few years of terrible panic attacks, most of my problems now seem to centre on anxiety about my health.
Like a lot of people on these forums, I've diagnosed myself with every terrible disease and condition going, but at the moment my biggest problem is acid reflux, difficulty swallowing and hyperventilation.
I have a habit of swallowing air (gets caught in my chest), then the compulsion to belch it out. In some odd anxiety-related ritual, belching to release the air makes me feel better. If I can't, then I panic more.
As the reflux is causing problems of its own, I've been given medication to treat it, but it stops the acid and air swallowing, and has me even more anxious because I can't do the whole swallow air/belching thing. And anyway, I read the medicine's info leaflet about side affects, and as soon as my eyes caught sight of 'trouble breathing/swallowing', that was it me off. I also have a feeling of thick, gunky saliva in my mouth and throat. :(
Does anyone suffer from anything similar?
What can I do to help just take my mind off breathing and swallowing? I called in to the hairdressers for an appointment today, but dashed off because I couldn't face sitting there. It's making work a nightmare too.
Sorry for being so incoherent (and if this is posted in the wrong forum). After years of suffering with all this, it's really starting to get me down.
Thanks.