My health anxiety is nearly debilitating right now.. Feeling really low.

[glimmer2525]

Hello all! I haven't posted on the forums in a couple of weeks but am having a challenging time right now.

I am in the process of seeing a few different doctors, one being a cardiologist, and the next one being a naturopath. I know, I know, a lot of people will tell me to not get caught up in medical facilities, as these places can sometimes aggravate anxiety. However, I won't be at peace until I know for sure that nothing else is wrong with me other than really bad anxiety and depression.

So far, tests are turning out normal. EKG's are always normal, however yesterday I wore a holter monitor for 24 hours for the first time. I won't get the results back on that for another several days. Blood work has turned out normal, except I'm fairly certain they aren't running vitamin panels on me and I know I need to ask specifically for that, very soon.

The cardiologist said that I have a very sensitive nervous system in relation to the heart. My body (and heart) respond very easily to any stimuli. Any caffeinated drink is something I absolutely CANNOT consume. She seems to think the sensitivity is benign, and that if anything I may need to be on a medication for it for a little while. Further testing is to be done to know for sure though.

One thing I do know for sure is I have hypothyroidism, which I'm trying to manage through medication.

I also have unexplained aches in my legs sometimes. It really sucks, and sometimes really makes me feel bad (fatigue, trouble falling asleep, moody). My feet are always really cold. My last doctor thought that was all chalked up to the thyroid problem (as usual) and low Vitamin D. These aches have been going on (off and on, but mostly on) for about 2 years now, but I always thought it would just be something that would go away on its own. At first I thought it was pure exhaustion cause I had just graduated college. I know for a fact I need to get my Vitamin D levels rechecked asap and see to it that I get up to an optimum level.

Mostly I am just venting here, I'm frustrated because I'm in my twenties and feel like I'm an elderly person sometimes. My panic attacks have improved in the past few weeks but damn, I still feel like shit almost every day. And because I feel like shit every day, I get to thinking that there must be something seriously wrong with me, and the vicious cycle continues.

I want my life back.

[fitness2477]

Same here man.

After I've gotten a huge panic attack, I'm fighting this thing head on.

I've been doing bunch of things - yoga, exercising, seeing a practitioner, etc.

I never thought shit like this would happen to me but what's done is done. I just need to find a way out.

One tip I can give you is to find out what works for you and do more of it.

For me, it's jogging under sunlight.

Sunglight naturally increases your immune system and serotonin levels and after a good jog and sweat, I feel much better.

I feel energy has increased and anxiety doesn't feel like much after it.

I think anxiety is dependent upon your energy levels.

If you have vibrant energy and are confident, I don't think you'd ever get anxious. Increase the good to eliminate the bad.

Plus, if you have a strong immune system, you won't get many of the issues you're describing.

I think jogging under the sunlight might be beneficial for you too for these reasons:

Firstly, if you're worried about low levels of vitamin D, best way to get it is sunlight. You probably have cold feet due to bad circulation. You say you have fatigue. Same lack of exercise issue also. How often do you exercise?


Try it. See if it works. If it works, do more of it.

Sure, easier said than done but I am constantly practicing this.

Same thing with changing thought patterns. Same thing with breathing.

You probably know few techniques that gets you calmer but don't have the will to persist. You probably get discouraged when you feel anxious again even after you've succeeded before.
Same here man.

So I just need to try again and again until it's fully installed.

Does this make sense to you?

[smartscrutiny]

Fitness, I agree 100% with everything you've said here. Exercise was a HUGE part of my recovery from anxiety. It was really hard to make myself do it on a regular basis at first, but once I started to feel the benefits, it was easier to keep going. I like to run, but anything that gets your heart pumping will do the trick, glimmer. (Make sure your doctor says exercise is okay for you physically, of course.)

[glimmer2525]

Thank you both so much for your replies! Fitness, mere months ago I actually was very athletic. I did Zumba, jogging, strength training... I was a dancer in my teens! I would absolutely LOVE to be able to keep doing it all, but unfortunately my doctor says to lay off the exercise for right now, just to be safe :(. They're running different heart exams on me over the next little bit to make sure my heart isn't doing something it shouldn't be. The good news is the cardiologist is saying that I WILL be able to exercise again, but might have to be on a medication first. Her belief is that I am very hyper sensitive to anything I am physically doing, but that this is likely benign and eventually I can resume activities that I used to do.

I have been making an effort to get more sunlight and fresh air though! I'm in the process of that right now actually :).

Edit: I should also mention that one of my scariest panic attacks came after a run one day, about 4 months ago. I had gotten it into my head that I overdid it, that I was too hot, that I was smothering and not cooling down fast enough. I then went 2 months without exercise due to fear alone. And now for the past 2 months, I've been dealing with panic on a daily basis.