hello!

[danni2974]

I'm new here. My name is Danielle and I am a 36 year old stay at home mom to 3 boys. I have suffered with anxiety and depression fo about 8 years now since my mom was diagnosed and later died of cancer. I lost a peice of myslef the day she died that i feel I can NEVER get back. I have suffered on and off with various, crazy health anxieties that drive me insane. I have run up bills for various test that were not even warrented at that time just so my docs could get me to quit bugging them.

I just feel lost right now. I do not tell anyone about my anxieties due to I do not want them to think i am weak or"nuts". That includes my husband. They do nt know that from the time I wake up until the time my mind drifts into a sleep that i am CONSTANTLY thinking that something is wrong with my heart. that the stress and worrying is eating away at my soul. that i dont enjoy life anymore that i am just "getting through" another day. Its exhausing, its miserable and its no way to live. But i just cant shake it I want to be happy, look foward to things, enjoy life. When this all started I just knew i had heart problems..........i kept goping to the doc.......finally they gave me a stress test, echocardiogram, chest exray and and ekg. All fine. After that....and $3000 in teh hole..........I was okay for a few years and then it came back. i get chest pains,back pains.........and i know its anxiety because if it wasnt i would be dead by now but i cant change my train of thought. I take my blood pressure several times a day, pulse too always fine. My cholesterol is great. I do get the skipped beats which doc says dont worry about. as i sit here typing this I feel my neck getting stiff. I cant read anything that has the word "heart attack" in it or its instant sweat and breathlessness. How stupid is that???????? I guess I just need a place where I can go and talk about it with poeple that suffer the same thing. ANy coping suggestions woudl be greatly appreciated! thanks

[mishka]

Hi Danni

I probably won't be much help to you as I am in that 'bad' place too right now and don't know how to deal with it.

10-15 yrs ago I was convinced I wouldn't have much longer left to live and that my heart was on the verge of packing up. I still feel the same right now :roll:

I've always been in anxiety denial, right now is the only time when I am trying to hit it head on, I read posts on here everyday and other sites. I'm getting as much infomation as possible and hoping one day soon I will be at that place where I can honestly say to myself that this is all down to anxiety.

I'm also taking in advice from other people, trying meditation, panic strategies, looking at my diet, alchohol intake, smoking etc...

I know I am never going to get better until I work at making myself better.

I hope you can find a way too, it's an awful place to be.

TC

Gail

[mamascrazy1985]

welcome and i just wanted you to know that i had all those test done last September and now for the last month i have had minor discomfort on my left side of the chest but i comes and goes ever few seconds like a throb and then it will go away for a while and come right back later that day... now i have jaw pain on my left side but i heard this can come from eating on one side of your mouth... i know somewhere inside that i am perfectly healthy besides anxiety and ocd and depression and that there is nothing wrong with my heart but i cannot seem to shake the feeling that i am going to die or pass out ... i know what you are going through except for i told my husband about it and he thinks i am crazy.... best of luck to you

[palow]

Try spending another hundred on an anxiety treatment program that you can download off the internet. I went through Linden and it cured me, I swear to god.

I've seen a lot of materials from Joe Barry of Panic Away and Rich Presta, who does Anxiety Lie and Panic Puzzle, and these two guys are really good. All three of them are passionately dedicated to helping anxiety sufferers because they have been through it themselves. They have different methods, though. Linden uses distraction tactics while Joe Barry and Rich Presta give you techniques for facing your fears head on (like exposure therapy). Both of these are very powerful methods.

Recovery is not a quick process for some of us. I had GAD for a decade and it took me over 3 months to stabilize. It takes patience and faith. Good luck.

Patrick