Help! First time poster

[elizabethrogers]

I have suffered from Anxiety for around 6 years, and for a short time i was completely cured of the thoughts. At the beginning of the year the anxiety slowly started to return. From then each month it gets worse and worse. Worse than it ever was years ago. A few months ago I started to have Anxiety attacks but this past one week ago today I made my first trip to the Emergency room because I was woken up from dead sleep with a pounding heart rate. The anxiety overwhelmed me and I felt like I just needed help. I should say that the type of Anxiety that I have is health related or also called cardiophobia. I am terrified that I am going to have a heart attack and my heart will just stop at any moment without provocation. I have never been told I have a problem. When my anxiety started i would check my pulse a few times a day. The days grew longer, and the number of times I check greatly increased Now I check it approx. 75-150 times a day depending how my day is going. My resting heart rate is normal for my gender and age at around 75-78bpm. Now that I have had my worst panic attack one week ago to date I have been having trouble sleeping because of the kind of panic attack I had. I have done some research and It seams to have been a nocturnal panic attack. Ever since that night when I nap (because my new meds make me incredibly tired) or when I sleep I get woken up just hours after I got to sleep to an increased heart rate. I know that I am doing it to myself because I am fearful that it is happening again. Last night I was still up a few times throughout the night my was not scared and had a heart rate in the normal resting range. I am hoping this is a sign that things are starting to look up. I am terrified of Doctor's so last week I made a decision that I needed help, and that I couldn't live my life like this anymore. So I went and got me a few prescriptions, and a checkup. I have a follow-up in a couple days to make sure the meds are doing okay. I am looking at making a therapy appointment soon to talk about some ways to help me adjust. I am open to suggestions on how to combat this anxiety, and looking for others who share the same problem.

[MiST]

I used to be in a similar situation, worrying constantly about my health, in particular my heart. As I have already survived cancer twice, pancreatitis three times and I'm diabetic, my body has taken a beating over the years so when I started to get all the symptoms of anxiety, the fast heart rate, the palpitations, the shortness of breath I immediately thought the worst.

Doctors were not much help for me, they didn't seem to want to know and so I took matters into my own hands. I started reading about anxiety, it's causes, how it works and the chemistry of it all, and how to overcome it.

My first port of call was the books by Dr Claire Weekes, many people have achieved a complete recovery using her method and for some, just understanding that the symptoms, while unpleasant, are perfectly normal for a body and mind under increased stress and worry. It's a vicious cycle anxiety, but once you have a solid understanding of it, it's possible to build a strong foundation to recover fully.

Rest assured, your not alone, you can and will get better. Now try and get some sleep without worrying what might or might not happen, otherwise your bound to make it happen, but if anxiety does strike, then let it come and try not to pay it any attention, the quicker it will pass.

MiST

[Anne1221]

Well, you're doing all the right things. Going to a doctor, giving medication a try, wanting to talk to a therapist and find alternative ways to deal with the anxiety. Meditation and yoga can be very helpful too, and of course, don't forget to exercise and eat healthy.