Hi, Im new to this...

[TCaf]

Hi everyone,

I had no idea a forum like this was available, I'm so glad I've come across this, makes me feel better about what I'm going through...

I've always been a nervous person a terrible worrier but was gradually getting over it the older I got. About a year ago I was having a health issue, nothing serious but consequently it led to anxiety and panic attacks, that led to 2 hospital visits, only to be told I was fine.

Just over a month ago was sister was diagnosed having a brain tumour and was very sick in hospital, thankfully the doctors removed it and it was benign and she is doing great. All throughout her ordeal I was struck down with anxiety and panic attacks again and started to worry about every ache and pain I had. I still do, the doctor prescribed serapax and a sleeping tablet for when I needed it and I was fine for a while, now I think it's messing with my head a bit (I don't like taking medication) but needed to to subside the anxiety (did I also mention I have a stressful job and work with not very nice people) which also leaves me stressed.

I guess I'm just wanting some reassurance that what I'm feeling is normal for anxiety, I'm feeling, head spins, tired, emotional, foggy, confusion. I feel like I can't deal with day to day activities. Are these feelings a mixture of anxiety and the medication?

Any suggestions and feedback would be great.

Thanks for listening
😊

[Enduronman]

Welcome and yes, we're all in this same boat too!!..
This place can be a great stress reliever too....btw

E-Man..:)

[TCaf]

Thanks for the welcome, its all a bit overwhelming but knowing there others out there going through the same things makes me feel comforted and maybe Im not crazy...

[Smokewater]

Well hey there! Good to meet you.

Anxiety is a funny thing. I know how that sounds, and I'm not trivializing it one bit. It's funny because it's a health issue that's not even really a health issue. It's a contradiction of itself in every way. It does its own thing; crops up when it wants to, goes away when it feels like it. It's almost like a little demon sitting on your shoulder, tapping at your neck to let you know its still there. It's not easy to flick the thing away, but it's good to know that other people have it sitting there, too.

Most recently (August of last year) I was suddenly stricken with the anxiety bug. It came about pretty swiftly and it's been sticking by me ever since. I used to be a smoker. I quit recently because of the anxiety it was causing me. My doctor would tell me the effects that smoking could have on my health and you best believe that, since then, every heartbeat I have is one that I worry about. For the sake of continuity, I'll continue referring to Anxiety as The Demon. Because it really is like one. It constantly eggs you on, tells you that that ache you feel in your head is a tumor growing slowly. It told me that the muscle aches I was having in my leg were blood clots, and that a stroke was only a matter of time. As a growing human being, aches and pains are commonplace. And for as common a disease as it is, cancer is very rare. 7 billion people are sitting on this rock of ours and, if as many of them had the illness they were worried about having, we'd be a species on the brink of extinction.

But The Demon is a little attachment that's continuous throughout the human race. It's there for all of us. It might have a little tiny voice (Am I doing well at work? I hope the boss doesn't fire me. I hope my family isn't upset with me) to a big, wildly chaotic persona (My heart is going to give out. I've got cancer, I know I do. I could die at any moment). Now, with the little demon egging you on like this, it can get difficult to put your focus completely into the world around you. You concentrate so hard on scanning yourself, analyzing every ache, pain and creak in your body that you completely miss out on what's going down around you. That's the fogginess, the confusion, and sometimes the exhaustion that you feel. It can make you sad, too. You just want to let you be, and it won't. This could make anyone a mess. It's made me one, I'll tell you what.

The idea isn't to ignore it. Don't push it away, it'll only poke and prod harder. It's a Demon, remember. It doesn't take kindly to being ignored. The idea is to let it have its time in the spotlight. Let it do its little song and dance, clap for it, tell it "that's nice, dear", then go about your business. If that fails, occupy yourself. I can't stress this enough with most people. Occupying yourself is the best thing one could do. For me, it's music. I love making music and listening to music. For you, it might be something completely different.

Don't feel crazy for being self-aware. And don't feel like you're losing if you let the feelings in on occasion.

Again, welcome! it's great to meet you. You're in real good company here.

[JoeCool]

Welcome TCaf!! You're not alone. You'll find a few of us here that suffer through the same affliction. Ask and share as much as you like. There are some smart people on here that provide great advice and support.

[SunflowerBlue]

Welcome! :)

[ab123]

Welcome! Those are classics anxiety symptoms. They are awful aren't they! You've came to the right place!

[TCaf]

Thank you for your lovely welcome, have a good day everyone 😄