Anxiety question

[nicole123x]

If im not doing anything to feel anxious, as such as going out in public, waiting for results, sitting an exam (something to feel anxious over) and horrible harsh nasty thoughts are running around my head to do with my health panicking to myself in my head can I still feel anxiety pains? Or so you have to be doing something physical to feel the pains? All my anxiety just runs around my head I don't do much physical things that make the pains come on.. Is this possible?

[mellymel]

I have the same thing. I was actually getting chest pains earlier while I was just sitting on the floor with my daughter. I wasn't doing anything physical, although my thoughts were racing. I have had them in the past though even prior to my restless mind.

[nicole123x]

From the moment I wake up to going to sleep my head is filled with thoughts ! I didn't actually think thoughts could do this! And then I get pains from the thoughts and I pannick even more lol x

[raggamuffin]

Worries feed anxiety - anxiety leads to your mind believing its in danger, this'll kick the fight or flight mode into action. Adrenaline filled blood rushes round your body. Given enough time this'll cause muscle aches and pains. I've had it for 18+ months now. Had everything from chest pains, stomach, arm, leg, head, neck. Anything goes. The hard part is realizing and accepting these paisn stem from worry, anxiety and stress. Then you can begin to practice relaxation techniques to stop these worries escalating when you feel a pain or ache etc. That's the hard part ;)

Ed

[nicole123x]

Thank you Ed your information is really useful, the hardest part is getting to grips with yourself and agreeing that it is anxiety, which obviously I find hard to do :(

[mellymel]

I can accept the physical pains, what I can't except is that my nonstop racing thoughts are just anxiety and not me being a psychopath haha :/

[raggamuffin]

Accepting is the first step to recovery. it's also the hardest. There's times when I have a pain and I instantly say "oh no!" then, I don't simply analyze the pain from a sensible point of view. I immediately jump to the theatrical. CANCER or STROKE etc. But you have to challenge this way of thinking with a rational inner monologue. The more you rationalize a pain and prevent it from escalating, the more liekly you are to stop the pain sooner.

Deep breathing, focus on extended exhalation. All the while tell yourself "it's just anxiety, it can't hurt me, my body is stressed, it's simply reacting to anxiety" or something along those lines. Focus on the breathing and try to fully relax. The slower breathing should relax heartbeat and reduce all this adrenlaine being flung here there and everywhere. The body will often take a while to catch up to your brains realization that you're not in any danger

The nonstop thoughts are worry and that's what feeds the anxiety. Some of us are a lot more prone to over-thinking. Especially when riddled with anxiety. It's not as if there's a button you can turn off to make things calmer. But there's always people you can talk to, and that certianly lightens the load. But when you truly get to know people, you tend to see that none of us are strictly "normal" and the one's who are are quite boring :)

Ed

[nicole123x]

With every little pain I get especially chest and arm pains I just feel like I'm going to die any minute lol, it is very hard for me to accept that it is only anxiety as I am only 15 years old it is very upsetting, I'm currently waiting for my 24 hour EGC results so when I get the results back and I have had proof that there is nothing wrong with me I will start to hopefully pick myself up, but until then it's so hard to believe that it's anxiety I get skipped heart beats and flutters in my chest and all sorts! Such a anxious wreck lol

[raggamuffin]

Updated my above post so might've missed it. but the breathing technique is key. If the inital ECG (the short 30 second or so one) was fine then there probably isn't any scary news from the 24 hour one. At your age the likelihood of it being anything sinister is microscopic.

But medical re-assurance can often help. Just remember not to become too reliant on it. I've been to the hospital 5 times, visited 9+ doctors over the past 18 months and there comes a point where you just think... Jesus how many tests have I had now? How many disease do I think i've got? Do I really know more about my body and health than a doctor with 5+ year of medical training? You start to see how melodramatic and over the top and also...how selfish anxiety makes you become. It's not a nice thing to admit but the mroe you let it bully you around the more pwoer you give to it.

Once you get the all clear form the doctors (which i'm sure you will) then maybe ask them about CBT. Or if your school has a counsillor start there. Start to open up to someone about the worries you have etc.

Rapid heartbeat or the feeling of a skipped beat is just the worry and fear leading to more adrenaline etc. You think there's a danger. That little switch goes in your brain "it's adrenaline time". Before you know it your hearts rushing, you're feeling a sense of dread overcoming. Something doesn't feel right? It's your body, ready to run and hide or kick someone's arse. but where's the danger? Your body and mind is searching for the danger. But nothing is there..just worry. Worry of an invisible danger in your body. This can lead to health anxiety, constantly fretting something sinister is in you. In reality all that's doing this is the worry. The sooner you relax, focus on breathing, the sooner you will calm yourself down. If you let it escalate you could have a panic attack (again nothing that'll harm you). At the absolute maximum, you could maybe pass out if you hyperventilated or some such. That's why breathing is KEY.

Distraction is very useful, keep busy. Do the things you love. So what if a sudden fear overcomes you. Just remind yourself "it's just fear, it's not going to hurt me" and do the deep breathing. Focus on something else. Pretty soon it'll pass and "oh look, you didn't get hurt" :)

Ed

[nicole123x]

The standard EGC was perfectly fine, I've had about 4+ standard ones, all blood work, chest X-ray etc, chances are very slim with my teen age range but it really frightens me, because I think I've for a huge problem even though I don't!! But I can't drill it into my head! I like to hear medical advice, I could be feeling very bad all day worst pains ever I could go to doctors and walk out feeling like a different person! I am currently seeing a school councillor who's helping too actually, thanks very much for your kind help! When I move my chest, stand out etc it hurts like a ache, it hurts my chest back and shoulders what is this? Is it just muscular ? Thanks again Ed x

[raggamuffin]

Yeah, muscular I imagine. Chest pains are very common with anxiety. The fight or flight response pumps this adrenlaine filled blood to the areas that the body needs most for defense and offense. A lot gets pumped to the chest muscles. This is to protect your vital organs from any form of impact. A very very clever system. Also goes to your arms and legs and removed from the stomach.

So, an angry dog in a room. you'd get the fight or flight response. With the dog gone, your body clams down. But when it's worry and anxiety, how do you ever truly relax? Your mind and body never truly lets go of this perceived danger. Therefore you can get chest aches and pains. Arm pains, leg perhaps too (although i've never had that). Lack of blood in stomach could lead to stomach upset too. That's why acceptance is key.

Problem is, try to avoid reading too much about anxiety symptoms or disease, illness etc. This is more fuel to the fire that is your worry and the inner monologue where you worry and fret something dreadful is occuring in your body. The symptoms you describe are very very common with anxiety.

Any worrrysome thoughts you get, or any situations where you feel anxious, write down what caused you to feel that way, any sort of symptoms you had and the thoughts you had in your mind. be careful not to allow it to heighten anxiety. Just try and write from a neutral point of view suchs as:

**Chest pain** "how anxious did I feel" -> "what I thought" -> "what I did to calm myself down" -> "how anxious I felt afterwards"

Give these examples to your counsellor so you can address any situations or symptoms that get the anxiety kicking off. There's also CBT worksheets on this site. Very helpful stuff, I'll admit the presentation is a bit in lame mans terms and sometimes might not feel applicable. but a lot of it is helpful and even might seem like common sense or "why didn't I think of that earlier" type of thing

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm

http://www.mindtools.com/stress/rt/CognitiveRestructuring.htm

Anyways, hope this helps somewhat. But don't worry, the symptoms you have a lot of us have gone through and are going through. Just need to remember when a symptom comes along to say to yourself "stop" and remember to rationalize your train of thought instead of panicking and escalating the fear and symptoms :)

Ed

[nicole123x]

I get arm and leg pains but mainly arms, I used to just get them in left now I get them in both! I also get muscle twitches in my arms legs and chest muscles, the chest muscle twitching freaks me out it feels like my heart going into a spasm lol. I totally understand how anxiety works now thank you very much you've been so much help I love it when people on this forum actually understand you and give you advice I've had a few people being so rude to me telling me to stop posting which isn't very nice because we all know that talking to someone makes you feel 100% better nearly... I can never relax I feel like one big ball of tension I feel like I just need to flop my body down and relax but I just can't because im constantly tapping my foot/leg something that I need to stop relax and drop tension out of my body, I've stopped going in google because it was making me ten times worst! The things I read on their was terrible! I have made a little table in the back of my book to record things if I need to and ill show my councillor when I see her next to see what she thinks! Thanks for that PDF you sent me I'm going to browse through It after the bath! Thanks yet again!