Dull ache in chest...increased anxiety

[sparklzk27]

Hello,
I am 23 years old and have had problems with anxiety for as long as I can remember. In the past I have been able to keep my anxiety under control and it honestly didn't affect me much. Recently I have been having lots of trouble with my anxiety. With the emergence of the swine flu I find myself worried all the time about getting sick. To make matters worse I don't have health insurance so I am even more afraid of getting sick (with anything) because I can't go to the doctor. In the last few weeks I have been experiencing tension headaches almost everyday. Also many days when I go to bed I start to feel very anxious and will shake. I have also been having some dull aches in my chest and have read that this can be linked to anxiety... I guess I am looking for some suggestions or support for dealing with these issues or just someone to talk to. I have been getting very upset and frustrated with this since I just don't feel like myself when I am worried all the time. Thanks for any help.

[Charlene]

Hello sparklzk27

I know you're having a very difficult time right now and we all understand what you're going through. Your anxiety has come on with force and you're exhausted and at your wits end. First thing, realize that yes, you have anxiety. And anxiety plays a trick on the mind. It tells you that you've got this and that, that you must have something seriously wrong with you. But what you need to start telling yourself, the moment the words enter your mind "Oh my gawd, I must have some horrible disease..." you must stop the cycle immediately. Tell yourself clearly and calmly, "It's okay. This is just my anxiety." And remember, anxiety won't kill you. It's damn uncomfortable and it hurts sometimes, but it won't harm you. Please stick with the forum and you'll soon see that you're not alone, that so many other's share the same body symptoms you have.

[sparklzk27]

Hi Charlene,
Thanks for responding. I have never experienced anixiety this bad before. I have had chest pains for almost three days I feel pretty certain that it's because of the anxiety since the last two nights I took some xanax before bed and woke up feeling fine. But before long the pains returned once my mind got going again. Also, I am not having these pains when I am preoccupied with something else but as soon as I change what I am doing they come back at least for a little while. There is nothing big that is causing me stress right now but a bunch of little things. I just wish that the pain would go away because that is what keeping me anxious right now...

[Charlene]

Hi!

Your anxiety might be feeling worse this time around because you're giving it much more focus than the last time. It's a very difficult and daunting cycle to break. It's probably all you can think about. You think about the heaviness in your chest and wonder if it's worse than it was five minutes ago. And then you wonder when it will go away. And then you wonder how you will ever be able to live if it never goes away. And then you focus again on the heaviness in your chest...and so and and so on. Round and round you go! I want you to know that you can stop all of this from continuing. It is certainly achievable. But it will take a lot of hard work and effort, dedication, patience and compassion for yourself.

I can recommend a small hand book, called From Panic to Power, you might find it incredibly helpful at this time of need. It's written by Lucinda Bassett and she is well known for developing an international program on how to teach people to think differently, respond in a less anxious way and transform their lives of living in fear to living pure freedom. Don't wait for a day when you're feeling better and stronger to get over your anxiety. The best time to learn how to conquer this disorder is now, when you're struggling. This way, you can apply the skills to your sufferings and you will see, in a course of a couple of weeks, great improvement. If you continue applying the skills on a daily basis, they will fall into your subconscious and will nestle there in the dark, waiting to be called upon when needed again, later, when you experience a stressful time.

[dtrotter]

There are several ways to go about it. The linden method and panic away, which can be found on the internet are particular good for your symptom. It seems like you need to find the root of the cause tat triggers your anxiety attacks.