I may be in denial about having Anxiety

[srussells]

I have had some weird health issues for about fifteen years. I will sometimes have chest pains, skipped heart beats, tingling in my hands and feet, dizziness. I am a pretty chill person unless one of these symptom manifests itself which is pretty frequently. I have had a bunch of tests done. EKG's, Stress tests, holter monitors, echocardiogram, CT Scans, Thyroid Ultrasounds, and so much blood work. Everything always comes back fine. The doctors always say I am a picture good health. Recently I moved and my new doctor said that he believes it is anxiety and that I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Here is where I have an issue. I am absolutely fine unless these symptoms I get start to happen. How can it be anxiety if when I am not experiencing these symptoms then I feel fine. I was always under the impression that anxiety was a battle people faced constantly. My doctor wants to try Lexapro 5mg to see if it help and I am terrified to start to taking it given some of the side effects people experience with SSRI's.

Does anyone else experience anxiety in this way and does medication help to alleviate these symptoms?

[Teafrenzy]

If there was one cardinal rule about anxiety... "You do not need to feel anxious, to have anxiety symptoms"

You have been tested thoroughly, so you know what it is. Anxiety.

You need to de-stress your body over time. No caffeine, alcohol or sweets. Balanced diet, lots of water, 1 hour of light cardio every day. Meditate every day. Avoid over stimulating situations the best you can. Above all, do not worry about your symptoms. Passively accept them as anxiety.

Understand you need to be consistent. This takes time, lots of time. At least 3 months before you see some results usually. If you can take time off work, it will help even more.

Yes I would avoid going on meds if you can. Meds are a last resort. First of all meds seldom work effectively. Studies shows medication works only about 30% of the time, which is the same as a placebo. Second, meds can create new problems through side effects.

[srussells]

Thanks for the response. I am coming to terms with it being anxiety. Thank you for the helpful ideas, I am going to try to incorporate them into my daily routine.

[DizzyPixie]

If there was one cardinal rule about anxiety... "You do not need to feel anxious, to have anxiety symptoms"

^ too true.

Also, maybe try therapy to find what causes all of this.

[srussells]

I would love to try therapy but my insurance is crap and doesn't cover anything. I can't afford to pay out of pocket for it.

[fixmybrokenmind]

I have lived with general anxiety disorder (and a plethora of symptoms) for almost my whole life. Only maybe 3 years ago did I realize and accept I had an anxiety disorder. If I had not come to this realization I would have never knew how to approach it.

Not many people understand it until they have dealt with it for a long time.

Teafrenzy hit a home run with her advice!