Thread: New to the site...but not new to anxiety

For what it's worth, I notice that my anxiety gets much worse when I feel additional stress about something unrelated. For example, if my husband begins venting about work or finRAB something stressful, I seem to "cope" by beginning to run down a mental checklist of obsessive worries..."hmm, is my arm aching, what does that mean?" or "my stomach hurts, is it colon cancer?", etc. It goes on and on...it's strange and frustrating.

Hi 17mary, welcome! It's wonderful to know you felt comfortable to write. We are all suffering from some type of anxiety, and this is a wonderful place to help work it out. First, I love your suggestion about games, that's a wonderful distraction. Thanks for the suggestion. As for your question, I think any type of health anxiety qualifies! Anxiety makes us all question why we can't let go of things, and why we struggle so much when others seem to not have a hard time. For most of us, it's always a trigger that starts the anxiety and senRAB us spiraling. In the early pages of this thread you'll see some of the discussion about that. For me once the anxiety starts it's extremely difficult to bring it under control and back into perspective.

That's how I found this board. The support I've gotten here has been invaluable, and the suggestions and ideas are very helpful. If you're feeling anxious about something, or a trigger hits, you can immediately turn here for a safe place to talk about it, to others who really understand what this is like! Glad you're here!!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving, with as little stress as possible. I did pretty well, have had a day here and there without a head pain. I still get a pain once in a while, which seems to come on during a certain way I must move. I have reduced it down to muscle issues,brought on by my TMJ,and then exacerbated by my stress which I think is stuck on high mostly. MY head started buggin' me 3 weeks ago, along with my jaw, neck,etc, all muscle stuff. So, I am just trying to stay calm, and know, that in this moment, I am fine, and will continue to be....Anxiety over health issues has dominated me for so long it is hard to break the cycle, I am doing better, as alot of times by now, I would of been to a dr. to get prodded and told I am ok. I am determined to do this myself now, and relax on it....Everyone else, how are you doing so far this holiday season? Chrysal

Hi Tigger29 and Jonathon003, thank you so much for your postings! I'm so happy you have shared your anxiety with us, and very sad that you are also suffering. I know how difficult this makes your day to day life, since I feel that way too.

My steadfast advice is to not research symptoms on the internet. It will never serve a purpose for the anxiety driven person, except to feed our anxiety! I have to catch myself too. Chrystal36 I'm so glad you stopped yourself. It's easy and tempting, but given our anxiety we aren't able to keep it in perspective. Plus, we hear other signs and symptoms that trigger even more anxiety!!

Tigger, I'm worried about you. You're anxiety sounRAB very severe. It feels like it's almost crippling you each day. Please consider seeing your Dr. for some better medication. At the very least, try to find a time for meditation, or time for something that you really enjoy. A hobby or an activity that you love, and then spend time each day doing that. Whether it's a sport, reading, puzzles, seeing a movie, anything that can distract you. Try to find at least one joyful thing in each day, however small, and savor that thing, spend time feeling grateful for it. Slowly you will have more positive than negative thoughts in your head, but you'll have to work on it.

Jonathon003, I'm very sad that you are suffering this anxiety. It's hard for any of us to get up and make presentations, but with your anxiety it must be so much harder. I admire you very much for getting this far with your degree. You're almost done. You must have been very strong and committed to get this far! You will be able to finish this out and move on, finding a marketing position that will be right up your alley! Do you have any idea when your anxiety began? Or what may have triggered it?

Welcome to everyone. I hope you find as much encouragement and support here as I have. It's a great place to talk out your feelings and find support.

When I was a child, already back then, I was a worrywart. BUT, once I would talk to my parents about whatever I was worried about and they assured me everything was fine, I believed it and went on....Oh to be a child again...You are right Lindaru, we all have that place we can go, we are still the same people. The weather in Iowa is cold and dreary, but I am actually looking forward to the first snow and cuddling inside drinking hot tea. When I get under a cozy blanket with a huge cup of hot tea, that's when I reallly feel the most relaxed. Hope you all have a safe and cozy weekend. I am so glad to of found you guys, I think we all do better when we connect with others that have the same issues. I think it helps us all, when we help eachother.....Chrystal

Hi GrannyO,

Wow, it sounRAB like you have a very hectic job, I'm sorry. I've had jobs before that I dreaded every day, it was tough. I hope you can find a new job, something that will take the stress away.

It's interesting that you health anxiety has gone away, that's a relief. It offers hope to the rest of us! I know that mine was triggered by several events, and I need to get past them, I think time will help me. Talking to other people who can relate has really helped me too!

I'm sorry your husband is ill too, that's a very stressful thing for you. To have a demanding job and a needy spouse is overwhelming. I hope you can find some time for yourself, some time to take care of yourself. It's so important for you to eat and nurture your body. Even just a few small meals each day could make a big difference. Please stay in touch with us so we can be encouraging.

I'm having anxiety and stress....I started with having a pain in my head, left side, near top of head, middle area, one morning when I woke up and was laying crooked , when I moved my neck I had a pain in my head on that side. That was over a week ago and I still get a pain in my head, when I am in bed, just once per night basically, and earlier i had one while on the computer. Sometimes during the day I feel like i could get a headache, but I dont, or feel a bit nauseated... I have TMJ, with the popping and clicking and all those problems, scoliosis, acid reflux...BUT, all I had to do was look up headache tonight and read about anyerisms to make me whip out.... I know my pattern, of having a symptom, looking it up, and then stressing totally out over the worst thing. My upper shoulders hurts, back of my neck all over and where spine is hurts. I need to try and relax, take aspirin and my vitamins and pray,till this subsides. I am determined to NOT run to a dr as i have so many times....Please, any worRAB of encouragment now would be helpful.....I have read about all causes of headaches and am taking magnesium to help, and trying to relax till this goes away....I think stress doesn't help. Chrystal

Hi Everyone,

I am a sufferer of panic attacks and extreme anxiety for nearly a year now. I am 26 and I just feel like I'm dying from something most days. Nearly all this time I go on the net and research any little symptom I feel to see if I can find out any more answers to why I feel the way I do (I keep thinking that I dont have anxiety and theres something else wrong with me). This is the first time I have decided to post anything anywhere.

After a few months of the panic attacks I started taking esipram to control them. I had previously tried a few other antidepressants which all made me get even worse attacks. I also take Ativan now when im desperate from relief of a bad attack. As the year has gone by I have to admit my attacks happen rarely instead of every day. But this last couple of weeks I have been feeling like hell again.

I'm so sick of it.. its affecting my work.. I am now on my 3rd job since the start of my anxiety. I really dont want to stuff this one up especially being a single mum and trying to pay off a house. But there are times I just dont want to go to work because I feel so bad.

I have been very interested reading all your posts so far and look forward to seeing more. Right now while writing this I Just feel tense and weird all over my body and my chest feels tight.

Tiredofworry,

Except that you are female . . .you sound a lot like me. It very much describes what I've been going through for the past few months. It's escalating as time goes by.
At first I was convinced I probably caught HIV. I tested a few weeks ago and it was negative. I have gone through worrying about having a heart attack, colon cancer, gall bladder trouble, stroke and when I go "out and about" I fear a panic attack will come on.
I feel way too 'in tune' with my body and every little twinge or ache or feeling causes me to start obsessing and worrying. This downward spiral started back at the end of July or first of August. Before that I wasn't worrying much at all. I'm already on zoloft and clonazapem. Just had a doctor visit last week and he told me to double the zoloft as I had been on the same dosage for about two and a half years. Maybe the effects of doubling the meRAB has not kicked in yet. That was just last Tuesday. When I went to the doctor I was convinced I had problems with my gall bladder. He didn't find anything wrong. This week it's stroke. I won't bother with the details as to why. This is a miserable way to live and I just wish I could get passed it. After all, my mind knows that even one second of worry is wasted time but I still cannot seem to stop.
I thought maybe writing this down on the forum might help. Knowing there are other people like me also helps but I feel bad for anyone else to have this problem to weigh them down. Peace to all.

I can identify running to the doctor when things start to hurt. I have been to the ER four times for pain related problems, thinking that my next breath would be my last. Pain in the chest - got to be a heart attack; pain in my head - that is a pending stroke; pain in my stomach - got to be cancer. Xrays and blood work showed none of those events happening. Just kept spending a lot of money to be told it is panic attacks/anixety. I feel sometimes like this is not living, just existing. My neck hurts which triggers pain in my head, especially up the back. Over the counter meRAB do not help, need to contact my GP for something. I am determine not to allow my mind tell me all those negative things. Hang in there, things will get better. Oh, I take 100 mg of zoloft each day.