what is wrong with me?!?

[Donut9]

i am 26, male, and in good shape, i eat very well but my anxiety is so bad i can't even begin to explain it. lately it has been so bad that literally EVERY second of EVERY day feels like constant pain and 'nervousness' in my stomach and chest, it is very hard to explain. i used to get it only here and there, and my doctor diagnosed me with anxiety disorder and i tried a few different anti-depressents but hey had very adverse effects.

when i get like this my blood pressure goes high which worries me because since i feel like this all the time now, it means my blood pressure is high all the time too. it takes me hours to fall asleep, and even then i don't sleep well.

so what can i do? i have tried anti-depressents before and they didn't work out very well, and to be honest, i don't really trust them. but i can't go on like this anymore. what are my options? thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[V for Victor]

You need to pinpoint exactly what it is that you have. Is it Generalized Anxiety Disorder, is it Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is it Social Anxiety Disorder, etc.

Try to describe WHAT scares you, or what triggers your anxiety. It doesn't matter what it is, or how strange it might sound. We all have the same problems, and nobody will make fun of you. :)


Do you have fears about contamination, and do you wash your hands a lot? Do you check things over and over, like to see if the door is locked?

Does the though of going outside and being around strangers, crowds, or even people you know scare you?

Are your fears centered around your own health and wellbeing?


Try to find out what your fears are usually about. What goes through your head when you get an anxiety attack?

When you figure that out, then you can start focusing on what it is you need to do to overcome those fears. That may include something like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

But for right now: What are you afraid of?

[Donut9]

well, it seems to be all health related. any time i even read the word 'heart' i get anxiety, but it also seems that it is there even when i am not thinking about anything. it is a bad cycle because when i get like this i can feel the stress it is putting on my heart and i know my BP goes high, and then i start worrying about my BP being high. i know it sounds stupid but i can't help it. i'll try to read or something but even if i am concentrating on something else i can still feel it.

[V for Victor]

When you begin to worry about your health, you have to remember the FACTS, not just what your anxiety is rambling on about.

You're young, in good shape, and you eat right. I don't think very many 26 year-olds in your condition have had heart trouble.

As hard as it sounds, you just have to say to yourself, "this is anxiety. There isn't anything else wrong except that I worry a lot." Then you have to go do something else, and not focus on the fear. Speaking from experience, I know that's the hardest thing in the world to do. But if you can get through it once, it gets easier the next time.

You might also want to talk with another doctor or therapist about figuring out a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy plan, or something like that to help you get over this in the long term.