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dave1234
09-05-09, 00:21
Hi everyone.

1st post after reading some of the useful info on this site. I hope my story will provide help to others and help me finalise some worries i have.

In a nutshell i was 25 when i got my first panic attack, i played football 2/3 times a week, don't smoke, drink little, don't do drugs and physically fit, but one night i woke up with a sore chest, beating heart etc and so went to the doc. he felt it was indigestion and was fine. A few months later the pain came back on and off, back to see doc and after about 1 year and numerous visits to the doc i was told i had a heart murmur.

Chest pains and heart murmur:ohmy: it sent me nuts. i had to wait to get ecg and eventually echo cardiogram but the stress and anxiety was too much. all tests came back all clear but after my test i suffered a nervous breakdown and doc advised me that i was suffering from ptsd. :scared15:

i was told at that time that my chest pain was chostochondritis which i know now i have had on and off for almost 18 months now. from that point i began getting cbt and i am almost finished this - the worry sparked other fears - death, heart attacks, strokes, brain tumours etc. but the good news is that even though i have chest pain i still go to the gym and play football also. the high heart rate doesnt bother me anymore and i am finally regarding exercising as a healthy thing again and i wont drop dead no matter what pains i get.

the final thing i need to overcome is chronic pain and fear of stress itself. sometimes i feel if i am anymore laid back i would fall over :roflmao: but i feel as though im doing everything to avoid stress to lessen the pain in my chest or potentially harm my health - this means i stress about stress and my confidence has drained.

does anyone else have a similar story? i get the feeling once you hit 25 dreams and ambitions start to fade away and the anxiety of life kicks in. sometimes i think of my parents health and their mortality too.

DontLikeWorrying
09-05-09, 00:33
I feel a lot of similarities with your story, although I have not been diagnosed with a chronic health problem. But I am about the same age and feel that part of my anxiety is simply stressing about the anxiety itself and feeling that I'm not in control of my thoughts, at times. I stress about one thing, and even if it's resolved, the anxiety moves on to some other little twinge or odd feeling in my body and snowballs until I feel like there must be something wrong with me. Welcome to the forums...you're not alone!

dave1234
09-05-09, 00:43
thanks - its funny in that i was never really anxious about anything before this - exercise was always a way for me to unwind, feel good about myself etc. i guess the thought of not having that sparked me off too.

worriedsick2009
09-05-09, 16:50
Hi everyone.

1st post after reading some of the useful info on this site. I hope my story will provide help to others and help me finalise some worries i have.

In a nutshell i was 25 when i got my first panic attack, i played football 2/3 times a week, don't smoke, drink little, don't do drugs and physically fit, but one night i woke up with a sore chest, beating heart etc and so went to the doc. he felt it was indigestion and was fine. A few months later the pain came back on and off, back to see doc and after about 1 year and numerous visits to the doc i was told i had a heart murmur.

Chest pains and heart murmur:ohmy: it sent me nuts. i had to wait to get ecg and eventually echo cardiogram but the stress and anxiety was too much. all tests came back all clear but after my test i suffered a nervous breakdown and doc advised me that i was suffering from ptsd. :scared15:

i was told at that time that my chest pain was chostochondritis which i know now i have had on and off for almost 18 months now. from that point i began getting cbt and i am almost finished this - the worry sparked other fears - death, heart attacks, strokes, brain tumours etc. but the good news is that even though i have chest pain i still go to the gym and play football also. the high heart rate doesnt bother me anymore and i am finally regarding exercising as a healthy thing again and i wont drop dead no matter what pains i get.

the final thing i need to overcome is chronic pain and fear of stress itself. sometimes i feel if i am anymore laid back i would fall over :roflmao: but i feel as though im doing everything to avoid stress to lessen the pain in my chest or potentially harm my health - this means i stress about stress and my confidence has drained.

does anyone else have a similar story? i get the feeling once you hit 25 dreams and ambitions start to fade away and the anxiety of life kicks in. sometimes i think of my parents health and their mortality too.

i myself am 26 and I find myself consumed with thoughts like this as well. i also had a heart murmur and went to a cardiologist after my BP skyrocketed one day. fast heart rate etc. everything came back clear and i kinda put it out of my mind. what i havnt been able to put out of my mind is that fear - mortality creaping up - as in what more is there to do, school is over, job/career is set... grandparents are all gone... well ill stop there but those thoughts have indeed been bothering me.

Utility
09-05-09, 18:25
Hi

I get chest, leg, arm and sometimes jaw pains. Also shortness of breath and palpitations. All of this before, during and at times after exercise (gym, swimming, running etc) and it used to worry me like mad because I was sure I was going to kick the bucket.

Not the case though. After all sorts of tests I was finally able to accept it was anxiety related and manage the feelings that way. Instead of the worry and making things worse.

Off for a swim now!

duskess
09-05-09, 19:12
Hello Dave :welcome: to NMP , take care , Dusky x

Southern_Belle
11-05-09, 14:25
Hi Dave,

Welcome to NMP. You will find that many here will understand how you have been feeling and will offer their support. I'm glad you found us.

Take care,

Laura