Overcoming Anxiety -- Will it ever happen?

[Decius]

I have not been formally diagnosed with health anxiety. But I am pretty sure I have it. It really only developed in the past few months. I went through a phase of thinking I was either having a heart attack or a stroke (and now that I have mostly convinced myself I am not at risk for either), I still fear I am going to suddenly drop dead or be diagnosed with some fatal incurable illness. It's frustrating. It's 1 AM here, I can't sleep because I keep thinking about death, or should I say mortality, and now my chest and neck feel all tight and tense... Things have been getting better, I have been trying to work on it. But damn, it is tough. I don't like living this way. I don't like constantly being anxious for no reason. I am tired of worrying about death and my health. The only thing that is actually wrong with me (physically) is my asthma; had it since I was a kid. But now I even get anxious taking my asthma meds before I go to bed (the same ones I've taken for years). I keep thinking I am going to somehow mix my meds with something bad and die. The worst thing I had to eat or drink today was Mountain dew... Other than my asthma I am in good health. So why do I keep feeling tense? Why won't this tightness in the chest go away? There is nothing wrong with me, yet I can't quite let myself believe it. Why? I have irrational fears caused by random symptoms, and I have random symptoms caused by irrational fears. How do you stop the ****ing cycle?

Sorry for the long post. If you take the time to read this and give reassurance/support or express your thoughts on anxiety and how to control and eliminate it, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

[absentia]

How long have you felt this way? Anxieties like this often pass. I think I read something on GAD (generalized anxiety disorder [or something]) and it stated these feelings of almost constant anxiety do not normally exceed 6 months. I went through simular feelings myself, always being worried about my health. It stemmed from my very first panic attack and from then on I would worry about silly little things, but it did pass in the end. These days I don't really care too much about my health, I have too many other things that I irrationally worry about.

[skippy66]

In response to the original post I think the solution, which I haven't cracked yet though I get better and worse in phases, is exercise and distraction.

Exercise because it makes you feel healthier, lifts your mood and gives you confidence in the strength of your own body.

Distraction because I find that when I'm really engrossed in something I don't have time to focus on what my body is doing, and I rarely notice symptoms that would bother me if I was sat at home. I don't have time to seek reassurance constantly on websites like this either, this forum is a great resource but it's also something which can perpetuate your HA if used too often.