Is this Anxiety :'( Any advice would be most appreciated

[sitemastercalifornia]

For the last 2 years I for some reason cannot do anything on my own. I used to have a job where I drove all the time, went to peoples homes, fixed things. Now if I go to the gas station by myself I get very shaky in the store, i start to sweat, and feel like i have tunnel vision.

It's so bad because I have no support. My wife does not understand. If I am in a store and my legs start to shake, i get dizzy and i feel like I am going to pass out she tells me to just grow up or go sit in the car. Then it turns into a huge fight and she makes me feel even worse by saying that she does not need to be raising 3 kids (we have 2)

I am most of the times fine if I am at home with the exception of going outside. If I go outside to say mow the lawn and its hot out I feel panicky and out of breathe.

When it's a real bad attack I feel like I could faint, but I never have yet. I always get a sense that I am not breathing right when it happens which makes the attack that more intense.

If I feel that way and drink a beer it goes away, but I am not a drinker. If I drink 2-3 beers I wake up and feel terrible the next day and more anxious, so it's not worth it.

I started taking St Johns Wort to see if that might help out. The bottle says to take 2 pills 3x a day. I never took anything before, not even asprin. So i started taking 1 pill twice a day.

I noticed a few things that i am not sure of. If it's hot out i feel more panicky. If I am in a store with florescent lighting i tend to get more attacks. (I haven't been able to go to Walmart in 3 years). The First attack I had was at Walmart, the wife thought i was making it up to get out of shopping so I wound up sitting in the car panicky for about an hour by myself.

I notice too that sometimes my heart feels like it skips a beat, i panic a little then it seems if i burp that feeling goes away. Could it just be GERD/Heartburn causing me to feel like it's missing a beat when this happens?

I am too afraid to go to a doctor. I know that everyone is going to suggest that, but at this moment in life, I can't handle it. I just want to get opinions to see if everyone thinks its just Anxiety, or if anyone else has had the same feelings. Should I be doing anything different to try to prevent them? I do drink Pepsi but i've cut down to 1 can throughout the day. I do smoke occasionally but have cut that as well (maybe a pack a week).

Any advice would be most appreciated.

:(

[Bam77]

That's classic anxiety. When you tense up sometimes breathing becomes off which can cause more panic. Try some deep breathing it may help when you feel the panic coming. I forced myself to go to the doc and got a check up. I feared the worst but blood work was fine. It may be a good idea for you to go just to put your mind at ease. I was sure I had diabetes, cancer, thyroid issues the list goes on. I also have the same issues with the burping and heart palps. It could be GERD/indigestion. I also have a small hiatal hernia which can cause issues (nothing harmful).

[sitemastercalifornia]

Wow glad I am not the only one that has the heart thing. When it happens I feel like i have to clench my chest almost like something you see in a movie when someone is "having a heart attack"

It makes me feel kind of light headed but I noticed it happens more if I dont eat anything in the morning around noon it will give me the palps / lightheaded feeling.

Sometimes I try not to eat if i go out with the family because overeating and a full feeling sometimes makes me panic (gosh that must sound crazy)

I don't get why i feel like I can't walk when it happens. If I stay still for a minute i feel better in a store, but my knees seem to lock up and shake, then i just feel like passing out and everything goes blurry. But when i get home symptoms improve.

I sometimes wish I did not quit my repair job (going and driving to peoples houses) to work at home. Seems like the more i get used to staying in, just thinking about going out to lunch makes me panicky before we go out.

I don't know if it's maybe stress, i mean i dont feel stressed but I read a sticky where someone said that if you have anxiety you are stressed.

We do have 2 children and one does have ADHD. The only thing we give him is fish oil, because we dont want the doc to medicate him with Adderall. Which he does get really hyper in the places we go and crys a lot when we don't let him get every toy he sees (he's 5)

My fear of doctors is so bad that 4 years ago i was bit by something and wound up getting a really strange infection on my arm. It felt like my arm weighed 100 pounds, and swelled. I popped it and it wound up giving me a huge hole in my arm which i had to treat at home with gauze,hydrogen peroxide, etc. It healed up after a couple of months but doctors do scare me.

I did have to goto the ER 2 years ago before my anxiety was horrible for Kidney Stones (had them 2x since i was 20, I'm 27 now)

The doc said my blood pressure seemed a little high but he said it could be from worrying about the stones.

Any natural stuff I should try? Do you think Saint Johns Wort is okay?

[MrsJ88]

For the last 2 years I for some reason cannot do anything on my own. I used to have a job where I drove all the time, went to peoples homes, fixed things. Now if I go to the gas station by myself I get very shaky in the store, i start to sweat, and feel like i have tunnel vision.

It's so bad because I have no support. My wife does not understand. If I am in a store and my legs start to shake, i get dizzy and i feel like I am going to pass out she tells me to just grow up or go sit in the car. Then it turns into a huge fight and she makes me feel even worse by saying that she does not need to be raising 3 kids (we have 2)

I am most of the times fine if I am at home with the exception of going outside. If I go outside to say mow the lawn and its hot out I feel panicky and out of breathe.

When it's a real bad attack I feel like I could faint, but I never have yet. I always get a sense that I am not breathing right when it happens which makes the attack that more intense.

If I feel that way and drink a beer it goes away, but I am not a drinker. If I drink 2-3 beers I wake up and feel terrible the next day and more anxious, so it's not worth it.

I started taking St Johns Wort to see if that might help out. The bottle says to take 2 pills 3x a day. I never took anything before, not even asprin. So i started taking 1 pill twice a day.

I noticed a few things that i am not sure of. If it's hot out i feel more panicky. If I am in a store with florescent lighting i tend to get more attacks. (I haven't been able to go to Walmart in 3 years). The First attack I had was at Walmart, the wife thought i was making it up to get out of shopping so I wound up sitting in the car panicky for about an hour by myself.

I notice too that sometimes my heart feels like it skips a beat, i panic a little then it seems if i burp that feeling goes away. Could it just be GERD/Heartburn causing me to feel like it's missing a beat when this happens?

I am too afraid to go to a doctor. I know that everyone is going to suggest that, but at this moment in life, I can't handle it. I just want to get opinions to see if everyone thinks its just Anxiety, or if anyone else has had the same feelings. Should I be doing anything different to try to prevent them? I do drink Pepsi but i've cut down to 1 can throughout the day. I do smoke occasionally but have cut that as well (maybe a pack a week).

Any advice would be most appreciated.

:(

Definitely anxiety... I am the SAME as you. I do not like to go anywhere alone :( I didn't used to be this way! I was independent and even enjoyed waking around in a store alone occasionally. Now since having anxiety (since 2011) I don't like to be alone. Ever. It's really frustrating. Thankfully my husband and I have educated ourselves very well on anxiety and my doctor has explained it well so he's very supportive and calms me down. Your wife needs to be more understanding and nicer.. Anxiety is no joke. It's scary.

[MrsJ88]

For the last 2 years I for some reason cannot do anything on my own. I used to have a job where I drove all the time, went to peoples homes, fixed things. Now if I go to the gas station by myself I get very shaky in the store, i start to sweat, and feel like i have tunnel vision.

It's so bad because I have no support. My wife does not understand. If I am in a store and my legs start to shake, i get dizzy and i feel like I am going to pass out she tells me to just grow up or go sit in the car. Then it turns into a huge fight and she makes me feel even worse by saying that she does not need to be raising 3 kids (we have 2)

I am most of the times fine if I am at home with the exception of going outside. If I go outside to say mow the lawn and its hot out I feel panicky and out of breathe.

When it's a real bad attack I feel like I could faint, but I never have yet. I always get a sense that I am not breathing right when it happens which makes the attack that more intense.

If I feel that way and drink a beer it goes away, but I am not a drinker. If I drink 2-3 beers I wake up and feel terrible the next day and more anxious, so it's not worth it.

I started taking St Johns Wort to see if that might help out. The bottle says to take 2 pills 3x a day. I never took anything before, not even asprin. So i started taking 1 pill twice a day.

I noticed a few things that i am not sure of. If it's hot out i feel more panicky. If I am in a store with florescent lighting i tend to get more attacks. (I haven't been able to go to Walmart in 3 years). The First attack I had was at Walmart, the wife thought i was making it up to get out of shopping so I wound up sitting in the car panicky for about an hour by myself.

I notice too that sometimes my heart feels like it skips a beat, i panic a little then it seems if i burp that feeling goes away. Could it just be GERD/Heartburn causing me to feel like it's missing a beat when this happens?

I am too afraid to go to a doctor. I know that everyone is going to suggest that, but at this moment in life, I can't handle it. I just want to get opinions to see if everyone thinks its just Anxiety, or if anyone else has had the same feelings. Should I be doing anything different to try to prevent them? I do drink Pepsi but i've cut down to 1 can throughout the day. I do smoke occasionally but have cut that as well (maybe a pack a week).

Any advice would be most appreciated.

:(

I also get more anxious when its hot outside. And I also get to feeling like I'm not breathing right then I panic.

[sitemastercalifornia]

Whew this is making me feel a lot better. I thought the anxiety caused by heat was just something I had also. I have been drinking a ton of water lately thinking it would help but i guess its just the thoughts that make it that way.

I've tried to explain to her how i feel but it makes it worse. She does not understand, calls me schizo and says i just need to get over it. She told me a while ago she gets "panicky" at night but somehow I just don't believe it because if she felt the way I did she would not put me down so much when i get an attack. Last time I had an attack and just wanted to get out of the store we were in it blew up into a huge feud and she wound up taking the kids to her moms with her for a night which is the worst.

It's almost like i have some separation anxiety with her and my house, but its like a catch 22, shes not there for me when the attacks occur but if shes not around I panic. I don't know what to do really.

It really makes me feel bad because i want to take my kids somewhere fun this summer but the anxiety of knowing that when i have an attack theres nothing i could do, and say we went to the beach i know i'd be trapped if i got a bad attack for 5+ hrs and would not be able to get out of that situation.

[MrsJ88]

Whew this is making me feel a lot better. I thought the anxiety caused by heat was just something I had also. I have been drinking a ton of water lately thinking it would help but i guess its just the thoughts that make it that way.

I've tried to explain to her how i feel but it makes it worse. She does not understand, calls me schizo and says i just need to get over it. She told me a while ago she gets "panicky" at night but somehow I just don't believe it because if she felt the way I did she would not put me down so much when i get an attack. Last time I had an attack and just wanted to get out of the store we were in it blew up into a huge feud and she wound up taking the kids to her moms with her for a night which is the worst.

It's almost like i have some separation anxiety with her and my house, but its like a catch 22, shes not there for me when the attacks occur but if shes not around I panic. I don't know what to do really.

It really makes me feel bad because i want to take my kids somewhere fun this summer but the anxiety of knowing that when i have an attack theres nothing i could do, and say we went to the beach i know i'd be trapped if i got a bad attack for 5+ hrs and would not be able to get out of that situation.

It's so odd how much you and I are alike with our anxiety and it manifests. I get the trapped feeling also and sadly won't go anywhere with my 7 month old alone, and its irritating cause I'm young (24) and all my friends are taking their kids swimming and such and I just sit at home in fear of going out alone. (My husband works 56 hours a week) he's very supportive luckily but just for a lot.

[MrsJ88]

Just gone a lot I meant

[sitemastercalifornia]

Ha I know the feeling, I feel like i'm 90 even though im 27. I used to be super active, go everywhere for no reason, surf all day at the beach in the heat, and stay up all night with friends. Now I feel if i drive to the gas station alone I'm going to have a seizure lol.

Here's something else crazy, I don't do any drugs or anything like that but when I panic my pupils get really large. So another crazy fear I have in my mind is that a cop is going to see my large pupils either in public or from getting pulled over, assume that i am on something, and of course i'd be all shaky then get arrested for doing nothing (police in my area are terrible, well just the highway patrol, I am actually friends with most sheriffs) Theres this one Highway patrol guy who keeps harassing us because he lied and got put on suspension for one of his relatives hitting our car when we were trying to pull out of the driveway, ever since he's been on active duty he pulls us over everytime he sees us but never gives us a ticket, more of an annoyance "I didn't see your belt on when you passed me but now that i have you pulled over i see that you were wearing one" have a nice day type of cop.

[sitemastercalifornia]

MrsJ88, when you went to the doctor did they give you anything or did they say with 100% certainty that it was just anxiety?

[MrsJ88]

Ha I know the feeling, I feel like i'm 90 even though im 27. I used to be super active, go everywhere for no reason, surf all day at the beach in the heat, and stay up all night with friends. Now I feel if i drive to the gas station alone I'm going to have a seizure lol.

Here's something else crazy, I don't do any drugs or anything like that but when I panic my pupils get really large. So another crazy fear I have in my mind is that a cop is going to see my large pupils either in public or from getting pulled over, assume that i am on something, and of course i'd be all shaky then get arrested for doing nothing (police in my area are terrible, well just the highway patrol, I am actually friends with most sheriffs) Theres this one Highway patrol guy who keeps harassing us because he lied and got put on suspension for one of his relatives hitting our car when we were trying to pull out of the driveway, ever since he's been on active duty he pulls us over everytime he sees us but never gives us a ticket, more of an annoyance "I didn't see your belt on when you passed me but now that i have you pulled over i see that you were wearing one" have a nice day type of cop.

Haha that sucks what a jerk! And yeah I know what you mean I used to be super active also and now if I go to the gas station just like you I get panicky!! It's stupid.

[sitemastercalifornia]

Haha I know, I feel like i need a straight jacket sometimes when i go out. I always wonder when I am in stores and I look at everyone else shopping around if i am the only one who feels panicky at that moment, or if others just hide it better.

What happened when you went to the docs?

[MrsJ88]

Haha I know, I feel like i need a straight jacket sometimes when i go out. I always wonder when I am in stores and I look at everyone else shopping around if i am the only one who feels panicky at that moment, or if others just hide it better.

What happened when you went to the docs?

All the docs have said for 2 years is anxiety anxiety anxiety... They gave me Zoloft back in 2011 but I had a bad reaction and never took anything again.

[sitemastercalifornia]

Ouch yeah thats what i am afraid of. I hate any pill really. To be honest I get nervous taking St Johns Wort. I am about 99% sure it's anxiety that i have so i don't think i need a doc to try to give me anti-depressants, seems like thats their magic cure to anxiety. Yet i know i'm not depressed and i doubt you are too. Have you tried any of the natural remedies that are out there? (hmm i wonder if i lived in an RV with my family if i would have anxiety. Guess if we were in a store and it acted up i could run "home" haha.

[MrsJ88]

Ouch yeah thats what i am afraid of. I hate any pill really. To be honest I get nervous taking St Johns Wort. I am about 99% sure it's anxiety that i have so i don't think i need a doc to try to give me anti-depressants, seems like thats their magic cure to anxiety. Yet i know i'm not depressed and i doubt you are too. Have you tried any of the natural remedies that are out there? (hmm i wonder if i lived in an RV with my family if i would have anxiety. Guess if we were in a store and it acted up i could run "home" haha.

I am not sure what St. John's Wort is...?? And yeah I don't feel depressed either just stupid anxious. For natural remedies so far... I've tried Rescue Remedy (like Brandy in a tiny bottle) lol and I am now trying calming teas, taking a hot bath with 10 drops of lavender essential oil in the water, and yoga. The lavender has worked best.

[Bam77]

I also get more anxious when its hot outside. And I also get to feeling like I'm not breathing right then I panic.

This. Ive had panic attacks out in the heat and now try to avoid it.

[sitemastercalifornia]

Thats how I am, It seems like if it's 80 degrees out and i get in a panic it turns into 110 degrees outside and I feel super hot. Another thing that bugs me about the anxiety is that I used to love camping and going on walks, now if I wind up on a nature trail i feel enclosed and trapped.

[MrsJ88]

I just saw where you said if you go out to eat you haven't eat for the full feeling... I used to be the same way! It was awful because I love food haha and every time I got that full feeling it made me panicky.

[MrsJ88]

Thats how I am, It seems like if it's 80 degrees out and i get in a panic it turns into 110 degrees outside and I feel super hot. Another thing that bugs me about the anxiety is that I used to love camping and going on walks, now if I wind up on a nature trail i feel enclosed and trapped.

Yep I feel a sense of entrapment as well... Or like If something happened to me or I needed help no one would find me

[sitemastercalifornia]

Yep I feel a sense of entrapment as well... Or like If something happened to me or I needed help no one would find me

Ya I know what ya mean. We must be like twins or something. Strange. I wonder what causes it. I moved to South Carolina from Florida, didnt have it so much in Florida. Maybe it was just more relaxing down there.

Do you and the family ever do road trips?

[MrsJ88]

Ya I know what ya mean. We must be like twins or something. Strange. I wonder what causes it. I moved to South Carolina from Florida, didnt have it so much in Florida. Maybe it was just more relaxing down there.

Do you and the family ever do road trips?

I bet it is more relaxing in Florida... Did you have anxiety before moving or after?! Cause events and changes in life can cause anxiety. For me, I never had anxiety or panic attacks in my life until my grandpa passed away suddenly due to an aneurysm... Ever since then I've been a ball of anxiety and occasional panic attacks. We do travel once a year... Last June Hawaii and this year we are going to California (where husbands from) next month.

[sitemastercalifornia]

I bet it is more relaxing in Florida... Did you have anxiety before moving or after?! Cause events and changes in life can cause anxiety. For me, I never had anxiety or panic attacks in my life until my grandpa passed away suddenly due to an aneurysm... Ever since then I've been a ball of anxiety and occasional panic attacks. We do travel once a year... Last June Hawaii and this year we are going to California (where husbands from) next month.

That is too funny, my wife is from California. Haven't made plans to go that far. Maybe to Florida in October. Do you ever get more anxious at a certain time of day? Seems like 5-9 a clock is about my most anxious times at home. After the kids lay down it calms a little bit down and my anxiety levels drop a little. I have trouble sleeping at night not really panicky when i lay down but just hard to sleep. I usually crash around 2am no matter when i lay down. I noticed too i always wake up super groggy in the am no matter what time either.

I had anxiety 1x when I was 16, thought i was dying and drove to go say goodbye to my best friend haha, sounds lame. But after that it didnt happen until a few years ago. We let my wifes mom/boyfriend stay with us when they could not afford to live where they were for a year. The entire time he was there we told him not to smoke in the house, but he'd sneak them at night. I noticed once they moved out my strange headaches vanished, but the anxiety remained. Around that same time too when they moved down i was super sick for like 2 months after i ate some pink chicken by accident so i'm not really 100% sure if it was the weird flu that my wife and i had from undercooked chicken, or the smoking that took place while we slept, or if I am just trying to name things that happened around that time to figure out why i have this.

[MrsJ88]

That is too funny, my wife is from California. Haven't made plans to go that far. Maybe to Florida in October. Do you ever get more anxious at a certain time of day? Seems like 5-9 a clock is about my most anxious times at home. After the kids lay down it calms a little bit down and my anxiety levels drop a little. I have trouble sleeping at night not really panicky when i lay down but just hard to sleep. I usually crash around 2am no matter when i lay down. I noticed too i always wake up super groggy in the am no matter what time either.

I had anxiety 1x when I was 16, thought i was dying and drove to go say goodbye to my best friend haha, sounds lame. But after that it didnt happen until a few years ago. We let my wifes mom/boyfriend stay with us when they could not afford to live where they were for a year. The entire time he was there we told him not to smoke in the house, but he'd sneak them at night. I noticed once they moved out my strange headaches vanished, but the anxiety remained. Around that same time too when they moved down i was super sick for like 2 months after i ate some pink chicken by accident so i'm not really 100% sure if it was the weird flu that my wife and i had from undercooked chicken, or the smoking that took place while we slept, or if I am just trying to name things that happened around that time to figure out why i have this.

It could have very well been one of those events or all. I'm a freak about chicken lol always asking if its done. My anxiety is always worse in the evening around the same time you said because I do not like being alone, as we've discussed and my husband works midnights so in the evenings I start getting anxious about him leaving at 11pm and being alone until 9am. And because he's gone and I'm anxious... Like you, I barely get any sleep and generally fall asleep around 2am also. Then I'm up 2 times a night feeding my son so yeah, it's crazy. Lol then when I get no sleep I'm more anxious during the day. And sometimes when I wake up I feel.... I wouldn't say groggy, just down right awful!! Very short of breath, fatigued, and heart races with one short walk to the bathroom... Some mornings are awful like that and others are normal.

[sitemastercalifornia]

MrsJ88, how did you set a profile pic on here? Thanks for all the nice convo today, it helped out a ton. I feel a heck of a lot better to know someone else has the same things going on. I might try to make a trip now that I know I really dont have anything to worry about. Sent you a friend request on here. Thanks again! Hope you are having an awesome night so far!

-Jeremy

[MrsJ88]

MrsJ88, how did you set a profile pic on here? Thanks for all the nice convo today, it helped out a ton. I feel a heck of a lot better to know someone else has the same things going on. I might try to make a trip now that I know I really dont have anything to worry about. Sent you a friend request on here. Thanks again! Hope you are having an awesome night so far!

-Jeremy

I'm on iPhone... If you go to the "more" tab then click profile then touch the square and it will let you upload a photo. I enjoyed the convo today as well. I used to think I was crazy but after coming on here I see I'm not the only one with these crazy symptoms :) night is good so far. Fingers crossed!

[sitemastercalifornia]

Ha your a genius. (I'm a computer tech) and couldn't figure that one out. Thanks again! We'll have to catch up tomorrow if your around

[MrsJ88]

Ha your a genius. (I'm a computer tech) and couldn't figure that one out. Thanks again! We'll have to catch up tomorrow if your around

Haha!! Ok now I have a question!! Where the heck do I send or accept friend requests?? I've went to my profile, it's weird

[sitemastercalifornia]

Ya not 100% sure lol. I would think under profile or notifications. For some reason my profile pic still doesnt show up haha. but it shows it set. 454455

Oh well i'll just upload my profile pic here hehe. This was taking a while ago, wife's brother came to town and made him do Karaoke for the first time, (he's the one with curly hair, i got the hat on)

Maybe it doesnt show friend requests on the phone?

[MrsJ88]

Ya not 100% sure lol. I would think under profile or notifications. For some reason my profile pic still doesnt show up haha. but it shows it set. <img src="http://anxietyforum.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=454"/><img src="http://anxietyforum.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=455"/>

Oh well i'll just upload my profile pic here hehe. This was taking a while ago, wife's brother came to town and made him do Karaoke for the first time, (he's the one with curly hair, i got the hat on)

Maybe it doesnt show friend requests on the phone?

Boo, I can't see the pics you sent... It said error. I got an email about the request but can't figure it out on my app and when I go to the site I have to login and I forgot my pass but there's no "forgot password" button.

[sitemastercalifornia]

Might not let me upload photos for some reason because I have < 25 posts :/

I prob would mess with the forgot password since it sends a reset link to the email addy you used to make the account here, would hate for it to reset it on you and you dont have a way back in.

Do you use Skype or AIM

[MrsJ88]

Might not let me upload photos for some reason because I have < 25 posts :/

I prob would mess with the forgot password since it sends a reset link to the email addy you used to make the account here, would hate for it to reset it on you and you dont have a way back in.

Do you use Skype or AIM

I'm figuring it out from the actual site instead of the app. Lol no I don't have either... Lol just Facebook haha

[sitemastercalifornia]

Ah i need to get back on there, I had one a few years ago when i was big into making prank calls. Ya i know its lame haha. maybe i'll set it up tomorrow and send you a request if that would be okay. I think it has some crazy name like willy on there or something I'm glad i met an awesome friend here thanks Mrs J!

[MrsJ88]

I'm figuring it out from the actual site instead of the app. Lol no I don't have either... Lol just Facebook haha

Ok good to go! Password updated on site and app and I was able to see your pix :)

[MrsJ88]

Ah i need to get back on there, I had one a few years ago when i was big into making prank calls. Ya i know its lame haha. maybe i'll set it up tomorrow and send you a request if that would be okay. I think it has some crazy name like willy on there or something I'm glad i met an awesome friend here thanks Mrs J!

No problem! :)