Brain worries

[Ferry1995]

I'm 17 and My health anxiety began roughly three months ago, since which I have been having intermittent panic attacks and almost constant worry ( although I do feel better periodically ) I've never really worried about anything other than my brain , fear of a tumor, aneurysm etc, although the headaches aren't particularly frequent ( I get stabbing pains briefly but usually only one a day lasting a second or so, this could be stress ) I regularly feel dizzy, I tend to forget things and generally confused, this is intermittent and tends to be worse when i'm at work, I also get spells of feeling totally lethargic although this comes in waves of a couple of hours or so, then goes away for a while, what worries me most is my ears, frequently it feels like the pressure has gone up in my head and my ears feel strange, sometimes my ears will go really strange and I can hear my voice really loud through my head, it generally happens once a day for spells of about 30 minutes or so, and happens in one ear at a time, this has been going on for about 4-5 months, since before my health anxiety started, it's also worth taking note that I started taking 20mg of clomipramine a week a go, I'm just wondering if this is anything to be worried about because i'm chewing myself up and getting extremely anxious, I also took a blood test 2 weeks ago and everything came back normal.
Thanks

[Louise36]

I would say without hesitation that this is all down to anxiety. Anxiety presents with symptoms just as u have described.

[Superstaria]

I used to get those stabbing pains, went to doctor and she didnt find anything wrong with me, she said its just anxiety and put me on propranolol... i feel much better now

[Liviguy]

It saddens me when I read of people so young having to go through this rubbish (although even mines started at 17 and I am still here lol)

Anxiety is a basta*d.

[Ferry1995]

Thank you for the replies everyone, it really means a lot, this anxiety is destroying me, half the time I worry about dying ( always worries with my brain, trying to book a scan asap ) and half the time it's worrying about if the anxiety will plague me forever, I mean i've been on meds on and off for 6 years since my first year of comprehensive, and i've been seeing child therapists since I was 8 so it's been a real pain in the arse, it's been hell over the last 3 months, I've lost touch with a lot of friends, I've stopped going to the gym, i've drastically lost interest in my music, which was my passion, I'd practise my instrument up to 6 hours a day, and now I can't even find the drive to do that, I feel like every day is going to be my last and it's just driving me insane...

[anowlwithknees]

Ferry,

This is going to be a bit longwinded, but:

I know what you have been going through, it is certainly a bother to go through. I have had symptoms and worries very similar to this. My observation is this:

It sounds like you might be having an anxiety feedback loop- this happens to me from time to time as well. Worrying about symptoms seems to bring on more symptoms, and worsen them (Ive never had a headache THIS bad before, it must be a tumor), etc. This form of worrying only makes things worse, as you begin to fear the fear that is generated by the anxiety. None of it is done consciously, of course, but after a while it results in really high stress biology on your body and mind, which have a very mental toll as well. Concentration and memory go right out the window (ever putten your phone in the fridge before? I have ). This does NOT mean anything is wrong, but a clear sign that you are under much stress. The brain looks for shortcuts to deal with the levels of stress on it, and making that salad or where you put your shoes are (sorry) simply not high on the priority list of things to recall when your telling yourself you are ill. These things seem strenuous and distant when you are under this stress. With enough rest your mind can finally settle! It sure can be scary, but believe me, it is nothing to worry about and good amounts of sleep can work wonders!

Also, ears are sensory organs as well! Any amount of stress on the body can result in hearing changes and also pressure feelings. But to be clear, you might want to have your ears professionally cleaned, because sinus and earwax can build pressure in the head and ears, causing exactly what you described.It can even cause dizziness and blurred vision if there is enough buildup! Happens to me virtually every summer. There is some stuff here in the States called Debrox thats works well for the ears.

Also, I would encourage you to go to the gym often! I notice my anxiety spikes often when I dont go out for a run or bike or whatever. It certainly helps relieve a lot of nervous tension and I definitely notice when I have been inactive.

I, too, am a musician of sorts. I suppose I am being a bit longwinded because I know how bad it feels to have your music take a dive due to anxiety. I want to offer any advice I can to help out. It is no fun to see the music suffer. Mine did too. Dont blame yourself for this. Remember, what you are seeing and feeling during these times is simply your body prioritizing things and unless it directly involves survival, the body and mind are none too interested in thinking too hard about it or enjoying it. Give it time and see if you can use music to escape the feelings of fear and worry. Simply enjoying the moments, the notes or melody can be therapeutic in themselves. The enjoyment and passion will come back as you get better.

Hopefully this is all helpful! But credit where credit is due, it is good that you are aware of the anxiety issues. Many people suffer in silence and do not seek help.It is wise do do so and I have been all the better because I have sought help. You are not alone in this and with patience, rest and an open mind, you will be fine.

[Ferry1995]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, sometimes I have very good days and I think my tablets are working and sometimes everything dips to worse than normal, I'm working quite often at the moment and had a lot of difficulty getting through a 5 hour shift today, but I do think i'm making some progress at least, the headaches today were worse than normal and 2-3 times I felt really out of it, and there's still quite a bit of tension on my head, but to be fair I don't feel the tension as much if i'm occupied with something else but it's rare I can do something that distracts me from the panic that much, I got my first session of therapy today so I hope that improves things.