New Member intro & advice on symptoms

[smiffie]

Guys,

Im new here and for the past week or 3 I have been getting awful indigestion, which leads to me panicking about it.

Mainly my chest gets some pain, either left or right, silly pains in my left hand fingers that come and go, a tight left shoulder which is worse when I move it, so i guess thats muscular, but cant help thinking its not.

My bowel movements have been awful and mainly runny, and sometimes very thin.

In all honesty I think its all related to stress, my wife left me at christmas, the dogs went to the rspca and i was made redundant in feb, after being off sick since OCT 05....

I started a new job last monday and I have sat at work just wanting to be else where, having attacks of shortness of breath, unprovocked gulping and tightness in my chest, towards the end of the week pain appeared in my left side.... I am very worried about all of this but I am busily trying to convince myself that its nothing but my anxiety and panic disorder rearingits ugly head.

I dont deal with stress to well, (i think you guessed that already thoug) and didnt want to go back to work as I felt so depressed about losing my wife and dogs, and i dont feel I have really come to terms with it totallly, think I am perhaps expecting to much too soon.

I have been drinking and smoking to much, only getting about 5-6 hours sleep a night at the very most! So is it any wonder I am feeling rough? I doubt it... Like thsi week I have convinced myself of colon cancer a stomach ulcer,liver disease, heart attacks and a hiatis hernia to name a few...

Fear is really my enemy and i need to start turning this around, i have suffered with panic atacks for 14 years now and have been on and off seroxat for that amount of time, and just started another programme of 30 mg a day for 2 months to see if things get better.

Having just skimmed through some posts, its great to see that I am not the only one who find google a tempter to self diagnose, and often I will use the NHS self help guide and keep coming out with DIAL 999 NOW at the end, BUT i am still VERY MUCH ALIVE.....

I felt so alone before coming here, and i hope to stick around for the forseeable future.

Smiffie

[AngieC]

Hi there. I'm new too. Never chatted on forums before today but it's great to know that I'm not alone.

I suffer badly with excess acid. Sometimes I get it for days in a row and thnk I'm dying. It's definitely stress related in my case, usually brought on by work-related stress and social occasions I'm panicking about attending.

Are you having any sort of therapy? I've found CBT is a great help. The NHS waiting list is a joke so I've gone private. It's pricey but worth it. I've been doing well but have had a set back this week after my hubby was involved in a car crash. He was ok (though how, we're not sure) but my panic reared it's ugly head when he called and told me. I couldn't even go to pick him up from the hospital, which made me feel terribly guilty and even more ashamed about the whole thing.

Just keep telling yourself, you're not alone. This website has proven this to me. Thank god for the invention of the internet!

Chin up, Smiffie

[wendy]

Hi and Welcome!

You are at the right place, you have def had a lot of stress and not surprising that you are suffering with anxiety at the moment

I am bad one for googling symtpoms too and it is bad new - I have many a new illness each day and the googling doesnt help, from your post tho think you know deep down that what you have is anxiety which is a good basis to start your recovery from.

Well done for getting a new job, things will get brighter for you, it takes time but you will get there

Wendy x

[carlin]

Hi there, am sorry you have had such an awful time recently, no wonder you are feeling all the symptoms of anxiety!!! I think you are doing good because you seem to understand what is happening to you thats a start. Have a look through all the information on this site which you will find is very helpful and also show, as you say, that you are most certainly not alone.If you feel up to is, maybe make an appointment with your G>P? just for your peace of mind. As you have said the ciggies and booze don't help, but aren't easy to give up. take things easy, you have had a rough time, one day at a time, keep in touch. x

[smiffie]

Tried CBT, but it just interupted my work too much and havent looked into going private and what the cost would be to be honest, i tried hypnotherapty which was great, but that was a few years ago and the mecs i learnt have sort of worn thin now.

I just hate stress and it just pushes me to think stupid thoughts which starts a cycle of panic which ends in a crushendo of fear where I am convinced I am starting to die.

Im glad that im back on my meds now, I have realised that its not SAD to take pills...

[Graham]

Hi Richard,

Someone posted the following for me when I started on here and it really helped. You might like to follow the links below:

Welcome to the forum.

You might find the following information helpful:

First Steps

Symptoms

Health Anxiety

Links post: Links to posts about Common Problems

You will find a lot of help and support here.

Take care,
Graham.


~~~ It is a poor heart, and a poorer age, that cannot accept the conditions of life with some heroic readiness. RLS. ~~~

[Graham]

oops, some links didn't work:

First steps for overcoming Panic and Anxiety

Common Symptoms of Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Phobias and OCD.

Health Anxiety

Graham.

~~~ It is a poor heart, and a poorer age, that cannot accept the conditions of life with some heroic readiness. RLS. ~~~

[shiv]

Hello there Richard,

It's no wonder you're having a bad time of it with the anxiety- you're going through some tough times in your life, but I'm sure things will get better.

You're getting some very common symptoms that a lot of us here experience: just try not to get into that negative thought cycle.

Anyway you'll find lots of support here. A big welcome to you.

Shiv x

[smiffie]

thanks all..... it really is appreciated, i guess you all know what im going through which is a great help to me.

[smiffie]

4 years on, its happening all over again, and I STILL havent learnt to control it......

Im back to the Docs on the 29th Dec to ask about my stress levels and blood pressure, as sometimes its almost like I can feel it rising!!

Im SO fed up.