Hello all

[Soundwave]

Hi everybody, I have come here just to make sure I'm not the only one really and possibly get some help/advice if available. I found the website from a simple google search and from what I have seen up to now I am really happy I did.

My name is Billy I'm a 29 year old male.

10 minutes back I read the anxiety list in the General Forum. So many on that list I am experiencing, it was really an eye opener because everything I have experienced, is on that list.

My biggest problems are light headiness / dizzy and a constant fear of something bad happening.. such as maybe an heart attack or worse, dying.

This all started maybe 6 weeks back, I was heavily drinking back then and had a panic attack, I thought i was game over to be honest, I called 999 and tests was done, I got told I was 100% fine and it was just a panic attack.

The panic attack was kinda a big eye opener for me so I immediately stopped the drinking, I wasn't alcohol dependent, but I drank daily for the last 4 years, maybe a few in the afternoon and a couple on the night, nothing too much. When my dizzyness / light headiness started about 6 weeks back I was waking up and having a few cans of beer just because I thought it may help... it didn't. I can happily say that as of 5 weeks ago I haven't had a drop and simply don't want to again.

Since then, I have had on and off days, I have been taking St Johns Wort, which I used quiet a few years ago for a similar thing and they worked, I would have recommended them to anybody I took them for maybe 5 months and was on the top of the world, even when I got off them.

In the past 5 weeks I have been back on them but they haven't really done anything. Which worry's me, I know its all anxiety but I tend to think to myself so much, daily,is there anything else wrong with me? I know I shouldn't but I can't help it.

I sometimes have random pains pretty much all over at different times, and also tingling in my hands often. When this occurs I always imagine the worst.

I consider myself to be fairly healthy for my age. I do smoke, but intending to quit once all of this blows over. I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow, I'm hoping he can maybe prescribe something to help.

One question I do have is, I don't feel sad or down about anything in my life, in fact only recently things improved a little for me so can't understand why this is happening, is this normal?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, I will be more than open should anybody require anymore information, I just want to feel better.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

[greightful]

Things can be going great for someone, however, they can still suffer from anxiety and/or depression. So yes, that's normal. The drinking probably didn't help, you're right about that. But, I'm not against drinking. It sounds like ultimately your biggest fear is death, right? I mean, there may be other little fears or sometimes you may think, "Why am I anxious right now!?" But, you mentioned death a couple times. So, maybe that's what you need to work on. Full disclosure: I'm not a doctor or therapist. So, take my advice with a grain of salt.

I've been reading more and more about mindfulness and meditation (and buddhist teachings in general). I'm not buddhist. I just enjoy learning about it. One thing that is taught it that technically, there is no such thing as birth or death. Obviously there is right? We are born and we die. But, the point I think is that we will always be around in some shape or form. Take clouds for example. They are clouds, then they turn into liquid rain. The water you're drinking was once a cloud. Everything changes forms. All things must pass. You just have to make the best of the present moment. Love life! It's awesome! Go dance. Read a book. Sing!

You'll have ups and downs. I've been feeling better lately, but I'm sure I'll have high anxiety filled moments in the future. But, I try really hard not to think too much about the future. You have to sometimes, right? You have to plan for certain things. But, you don't have to dwell on the future all the time, for hours at a time.