Struggle

[1980emiaj]

Hi there,

I'm a newby to this forum, looking for all the help I can get.

I am a 30 something year old woman who was originally diagnosed with anxiety 10+ years ago just after the birth of my daughter. I exercise regularly (4 days at the gym per week plus incidental wherever I can) but I do enjoy my food and as such am very overweight. I have a desk job, work 40+ hours per week, commute and study part time. I struggle constantly with my weight which is the biggest trigger for my anxiety, every time I have a panic attack I convince myself it's a heart attack this time because I am overweight. Of course it never is and i have had the halter monitor thing and always have low cholesterol but it's just a vicious circle that I end up in. I've tried sessions with a psychologist but the benefit is often short lived. I am on medication - Cipramil 20mg which does reduce the frequency of the attacks but doesn't stop them all together. The attacks are almost always late at night when I feel isolated from any medical help - my biggest fear is that one day I will have a heart attack and be too scared to call an ambulance because I won't be sure.

Any help or advice would be really appreciated.

[troy294]

I have been where u r I am 30 and got diagnosed with anxiety / panic attacks about early 2004 I have anxiety off and on . I swear I drove my dr crazy by going there so much about my heart and thinking I was dieing having a heart attack etc . I lost track how many times I went to er about it , and yeah I got a ultra sound of my heart , I was getting heart flutters but turned out it was anxiety which brought em on . The more u think something is happening the worse it will appear ,

[Absolut100]

I very much feel the same way. I'm always concerned that I have some obesity related condition that is sure to kill me in an instant. I go to the doctor regularly because my thyroid is bad but other than that issue I am healthy. It's amazing that I hadn't concentrated so much on dying until my anxiety started! ;) I'm intelligent enough to make this connection but haven't completely started to believe myself yet. I've just started therapy and I take medication. I will keep working on my anxiety!!

Have you tried therapy?

[troy294]

I got diagnosed with hyper thyroidism as well , over active thyroid . I have tried nothing except meds when I was on them . What symptons u going through

[Absolut100]

Mine is actually hypo and not hyper. I don't think that my thyroid has much to do with my anxiety it just keeps me at the doctor enough to know that overall I am pretty healthy. Now if I could just convince myself of that!!

[chrisz]

Always ignore all anxiety symptoms the best you can.

They seem to retreat if you do not give them any attention.

However, you still have the disease and you will know it.