Still Recovering but Some Successes

[IreneRumi]

I have been dealing with bad health anxiety for the last seven months after a scary episode (that the doctors said was a migraine or bad panic attack). But in the last few weeks I have made a few big steps:

1) Drove myself to work everyday this week (previously I was so anxious that my partner would drive me to work many days)
2) Ran a mile, hiked 4 miles (two weekends ago), played tennis a number of days in the last two weeks (previously nervous/scared of exercise because of heart fears)
3) Have been painting almost every day (positive distraction, creative therapy)
4) Working on planning a trip to Scotland (!!!) in a couple weeks for a wedding
5) Seemed to have gained back a couple pounds after losing weight to anxiety a few months ago
6) Headaches, body aches/pains, chest pain have become much rarer and even gone away
7) Spent a week and a half without reading medical articles (relapsed a little in the last two days)
8) Last panic attack was a month ago
9) Havent been to the doctor in four months, and have resisted asking for more tests/reassurance

Baby steps but I feel like I am getting better slowly!

[Carys]

Baby steps but I feel like I am getting better slowly!

Errr NO, I would not call these baby steps - I would say massive great strides. What amazing progress, you should be justifiably proud as this has taken great effort and courage from you.

[IreneRumi]

Thank you Carys! I even spent two days last weekend not really feeling anxious at all... However I feel like a "big" step would be to not feel anxious on a workday, when my anxiety tends to be higher. And I still have a lot of anxious thoughts and tough days when I feel "on edge" and tearful and like I am wading through molasses. Feeling nauseous on weekday mornings has been my biggest challenge. But it has been getting better, and I wanted to post a "success" thread to help keep it in perspective for myself!

[Bluetoffee1878]

I always find reading a persons success story very inspirational, I also had a complete meltdown over fears of heart trouble! 24-7 panic anxiety, I lost weight, felt sick, dizzy, this overwhelming fear that I was going to die or that I was going crazy! The scariest experience I’ve personally experienced, it started out of nowhere, woken from a bad dream straight in to a panic attack, derealisation and depersonalisation follow for 4 days, began to feel normal then another panic attack during a sleep! I had a rotator cuff shoulder injury and was so tense I woke in pain, I had shooting pain in my chest arm and shoulder blade! Terrible stiffness in my neck and back! I couldn’t understand what was happening! I then started to do some homework! I suffer from health anxiety, I’ve coped with it up until this point but I guess it broke me this time! I’m also now back to walking, running, taking s promotion at work (scared) I’m not looking at google, I’m not pestering my doctor, I’m doing CBT, I’ve got medication for my pain, I’m relaxing and feel much better, I’m still getting short burst of anxiety/panic impending doom sensations once or twice a week but not to the extent it was! My heart palpitations have practically disappeared but noticeable after eating! The good days have started to outweigh the bad but these short bursts do set the mind racing! I hope it does go completely!

It’s lovely to hear your story and thank you for sharing, I hope you continue in your progress.

Take it easy