Shiny
07-28-2008, 09:06 AM
Hello! I'm really hoping this forum can help me, because I think I might have some kind of anxiety problem going on..
Basically, I feel sick all the time. Not common cold sick, but feeling like I'm going to vomit, a dull stomachache or the butterflies feeling, and a lump in my throat.
I'm female, 17 years old, and this has been going on since I was 13 or 14. I'm afraid of going places for an extended amount of time because I'm absolutely paranoid I'll get sick there. That paranoia leads to what I believe is some kind of anxiety attack, and I start feeling all those symptoms I mentioned above. Thinking of getting sick makes me feel sick so I decide not to go wherever, but as soon as the possibility of leaving the house is over, I'm instantly fine. This is really irritating, as it's caused me to miss outings with friends, parties, etc, because I'm afraid I'll throw up and make a fool of myself.
This fear is pretty much ridiculous, since I haven't actually thrown up in over a year, and that was due to taking unrelated medacine on an empty stomach.
It's summer now and I don't have school, so I've been in my own home all day pretty much every day. I do go out, but I've noticed these outings where I don't instantly feel sick are always with close family. Movies with my boyfriend? Fine. Airplane ride with my nieces? Cool. Grocery store with my mom? Sure, no problem.
Problems show up when I'll be with other people far from home. For example, yesterday I was told I might be able to visit my boyfriend's family with him in Michigan, which is a state away. As soon as I was told that, I started getting nervous, getting that butterflies in your stomach feeling, and I got a lump in my throat. (That throat feeling is probably the worst symptom - butterflies I can deal with, but I constantly mistake the lump in my throat feeling for the 'about to vomit' throat feeling..)
Michigan means people I'm not very familiar with, even though I do like them. But what if I start feeling sick!? It doesn't help that I'm horribly shy a lot of the time, so I'm terrified of making a fool of myself or even just saying "Hey I don't feel well, please accommodate my irrational fears."
These feelings are interfering with my life and keeping me from doing a lot of things. I know it was just an anxiety thing as soon as I'm feeling better minutes later, but at the onset, I don't know if it's anxiety or an actual physical problem.. and I'm sure this worrying adds to it and makes it worse.
Does anyone else have similar problems? Any ideas on how to fight this? I really do want to go to Michigan (and other places in the future that aren't a ten-minute drive from home!) but this paranoia hits every now and then and I feel like I know I'll feel the same way, during the 8-hour car ride with no instant bathroom access, etc. I hate the fact that worrying about being sick inevitably makes me feel sick. I'm kind of rambling, so.. any ideas/comments/suggestions/a name for what I'm feeling? Thank you so much for reading.
Basically, I feel sick all the time. Not common cold sick, but feeling like I'm going to vomit, a dull stomachache or the butterflies feeling, and a lump in my throat.
I'm female, 17 years old, and this has been going on since I was 13 or 14. I'm afraid of going places for an extended amount of time because I'm absolutely paranoid I'll get sick there. That paranoia leads to what I believe is some kind of anxiety attack, and I start feeling all those symptoms I mentioned above. Thinking of getting sick makes me feel sick so I decide not to go wherever, but as soon as the possibility of leaving the house is over, I'm instantly fine. This is really irritating, as it's caused me to miss outings with friends, parties, etc, because I'm afraid I'll throw up and make a fool of myself.
This fear is pretty much ridiculous, since I haven't actually thrown up in over a year, and that was due to taking unrelated medacine on an empty stomach.
It's summer now and I don't have school, so I've been in my own home all day pretty much every day. I do go out, but I've noticed these outings where I don't instantly feel sick are always with close family. Movies with my boyfriend? Fine. Airplane ride with my nieces? Cool. Grocery store with my mom? Sure, no problem.
Problems show up when I'll be with other people far from home. For example, yesterday I was told I might be able to visit my boyfriend's family with him in Michigan, which is a state away. As soon as I was told that, I started getting nervous, getting that butterflies in your stomach feeling, and I got a lump in my throat. (That throat feeling is probably the worst symptom - butterflies I can deal with, but I constantly mistake the lump in my throat feeling for the 'about to vomit' throat feeling..)
Michigan means people I'm not very familiar with, even though I do like them. But what if I start feeling sick!? It doesn't help that I'm horribly shy a lot of the time, so I'm terrified of making a fool of myself or even just saying "Hey I don't feel well, please accommodate my irrational fears."
These feelings are interfering with my life and keeping me from doing a lot of things. I know it was just an anxiety thing as soon as I'm feeling better minutes later, but at the onset, I don't know if it's anxiety or an actual physical problem.. and I'm sure this worrying adds to it and makes it worse.
Does anyone else have similar problems? Any ideas on how to fight this? I really do want to go to Michigan (and other places in the future that aren't a ten-minute drive from home!) but this paranoia hits every now and then and I feel like I know I'll feel the same way, during the 8-hour car ride with no instant bathroom access, etc. I hate the fact that worrying about being sick inevitably makes me feel sick. I'm kind of rambling, so.. any ideas/comments/suggestions/a name for what I'm feeling? Thank you so much for reading.