Well to tell you a little bit about myself so you have the background story. I'm 27 years old and live alone in Italy where I am an English teacher. I do not speak Italian so spend alot of time on my own, which I normally don't mind. Recently I have started with what I feel like are anxiety attacks, it's a completely irrational fear I'm dying or having a heart attack and I am going to die alone in my apartment with no-one around me. It has been 3 days of constant worry, lack of sleep, and I am now convinced I am manifesting symptoms. When I read up on the internet (which I do often now!) I am either having a heart attack or am suffering a panic attack BUT I cannot find out which. How do I rule out one! especially the heart attack one! all these weird sensations are becoming apparent to me, weird aches and pains and shakes and I don't know if I'm feeling these things and self-diagnosing them because I am looking them up or because they are there? My heart rate is normal, I have never had a problem with my heart. I just don't know it is driving me crazy and I really don't know what to do. I need someone to help me convince myself I am not dying and the chances are I am having a panic attack. I am beyond relieved to find somewhere like this where I can actually ask! I tend to need to move around alot now, almost like I want to run as fast as I can and prove my heart will not just explode in my body, so I go for long aimless walks all over trying to see if I feel anything weird. IF I sweat I panic, if I feel I am a bit short of breath I panic. I'm even panicing now in case I am not allowed to post this here and will continue to panic until someone tells me its ok. I am at my wits end. Worst of all I battle to find a doctor or anyone in the city I live in who speaks English so there is literally no one I can talk to about this especially in depth.
Hoping for help
Wiltingrubie