Hi - I'm a mess!

[Lindie]

Hi Everyone - I found these boards when trying to find my symptoms on the internet. When I was younger, I used to faint if anyone mentioned the word blood or anything like that! I grew out of that but over the last 10 years, I've fainted quite a few times. The first couple of times, I put it down to stress as I was going through a divorce. However, I'm now happily married to a wonderful man and have a great life. We were on holiday last February and just as we were going out to dinner, I came over all hot and felt faint. We got to the restaurant but I still felt ill and couldn't eat anything and only drank water. I took myself off to the Ladies and felt a bit better. Soon after sitting back down I felt really faint again so went outside for some fresh air. I saw my husband coming towards me and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor and people were fussing around me. I had the most awful noise buzzing in my head as I came round, it really frightened me. I was also violently sick. I got taken off to the medical room and put on a drip, they ran an ECG etc - they said it was just a simple faint - however, since then, I'm so worried that it's going to happen again, that I get myself a bit worked up before going out somewhere now - some times I'm fine, but other times I'm so scared - I start to feel faint again. It happened the other night. I've been back to my Dr twice and he's checked my blood pressure, taken blood tests etc and says he thinks it is caused by anxiety. The thing is, I wasn't anxious when I originally fainted - I was really relaxed and having a great time. We've booked another holiday for January and I'm so worried that my feelings are going to overshadow it now. Do you think I have anxiety - based on my symptoms? If I didn't before, I think I do now! Thanks for your help.

[Jo Smith]

I get a constant fear of passing out. I think once its happened once its always in your mind and then the light headed feeling comes, then you panic and it gets worse, and you get hot. I get this sort of thing continuously. Its amazing that i make it through work, as its exhausting. For me its like a vicous cycle that i need to break.
Ive only just joined this forum, and its great. I hope you find it as useful as I am x

[alankay]

Maybe not. The hallmark of anxiety is fear, dread, impending doom feelings(starting with too much simple worry) often accompanied by a higher pulse, muscle tension, shaking, stomach trouble, etc(these are the physical end of the emotional part). It may be part of anxiety......maybe not It may be simple syncope. It may also be part of another psychological issue but I'm no psychologist. I have fainted during blood draws but that's it. You do mention being "scared" but what came first the fear or fainting at damn inopportune times or a sense of fear/impeding doom? This syncope may simply be taking on a life of it own, fueled by the anxiety it results in and a psychologist might be best to talk to to see if a root cause can be found and addressed. Does it seem to be linked to areas like public meals/lots of people? Maybe it's part of some social anxiety like I used to struggle with. PM me any time at all. Alankay

[ercl]

Lindie- I've had anxiety/panic attacks for over 5 years now..I never had any dizziness symptoms, but one of my good friends that also has anxiety always feels faint. I noticed in the last six months I have developed the dizziness/feeling faint. I notice that it's mainly when I am out in public around large groups of people. I do think you are psyching yourself out though. It's that negative association thing. Since you were on holiday the last time you fainted, you associate a holiday with it. I have experienced this myself with different places I've gone. What I try to do is face the fear and go to those places specifically. As to feeling relaxed when it happened, a lot of people, myself included experience this. Anxiety happens at random times...times when I'm feeling really happy and times I'm feeling worried. I think a great first step is talking about it. The most progress I've had is when I was going to counseling. I never realized how much emotion I was internalizing until I started talking about it. That's why I think it sneaks up on you...