Tired of feeling like this

[sesler]

Had my first panic attack in July. I woke up in the middle of the night with an attack. Then I had them in the car and in the shower. My GP sent me to a cardiologist. I had the stress test and echo done. The stress test and echo turned out with no problems. Slight tachycardia but nothing serious. I have pretty much learned to stop an attack before it happens. The rapid heart beat still freaks me out and now I get this awful chest and back pain. I have asked for a second opinion and my new cardiologist has put me on event monitor for a month. So, now I freak out when the monitor records itself or when I feel a symptom. I call in my recordings, but the person I give my recordings to never hints that something is wrong or says I need to talk to the doctor. I guess that's a good thing. I also get the choking feeling, light headlines, and head pain. The chest pains are what gets me the most. I'm so tired of feeling like this. I was always a healthy person. I exercised, which I'm afraid to do now, and I tried to eat right. My doctor has not officially diagnosed me with anxiety, but keeps telling me that it sounds lie anxiety and panic attacks. Will this ever get better?

[Pinkprincess]

This sounds a lot like me!! I have slightly different symptoms but still similar. Sounds like anxiety. You are worried that it is something more and all the tests are coming back fine. Could be GAD. Exercising and eating right are GOOD things to do if it is anxiety. Get those endorphins flowing. I have done a tonne of research on anxiety. I have struggled with it most of my life. You find what works for you. There is no cure that makes it all better. It's changing how you react to situations.

[sesler]

Thanks for responding. Can you suggest any good books to help? This has consumed my life and it's all I think about. My son has even mentioned that I'm no fun anymore. It hurts me that I can't do things with him like I used to because I fear I will have a panic attack in front of him. I do my best to function at work and get things done around the house Like it is a normal day,which in reality it isn't. By the end of the day I'm mentally exhausted. I'm reading up on anxiety on the Internet, but was wondering if there were some self-help books that have been recommended?

[anxiousmal]

Hello,

Well the first thing I would do is get an official diagnosis from your doctor. It certainly sounds like anxiety to me, but your doctor needs to tell you this. Once he has I think you will find it easier to deal with.

Bur for a self help book, my psycologist recomended a book called "Mind over Mood". I havent checked it out myself yet, so I dont know how good it is. One I have been reading is: "Free yourself from anxiety: a self help guide" by Martha Langley and Emma Fletcher. This has been good and has helped.

[raggamuffin]

Chest and back pains are very common with anxiety. You sense danger (in this case a pain or symptom) you worry, the worry escalates. Kicks in the fight or flight response. Adrenaline filled blood gets pumped around to the areas the body needs to protect itself. One key area is the chest wall muscles. This is to strengthen it and protect the vital organs from impact etc. But feeling anxious never gives the body time to really realize it's not in danger. So the process happens again and again. before you know if you have aching muscles and joints due to all this excess of adrenaline flooding the system.

It can manifest itself in all sorts of ways. The more time spent worrying when a pain or symptom occurs the more likely it is to linger. But if you try and keep busy and distract yourself the more liekly the pain will disappear or lessen in severity faster.

Deep breathing focusing on long exhales whilst telling yourself that you are ok and not in any danger can be helpful

Ed

[star1234]

After my mom passed in September us when I started having chest pains. Always suffered from anxiety and panic attacks but never with pain just hyperventilating. I went to my GP and I was told its anxiety. Went to cardiologist and did and echo-stress test and I passed. I got my self to relax and it went away for two weeks but now it came back again. I also feel like its taken over my life. I feel like I'm not fun anymore! I however feel great when I go to the gym and work on the treadmill. For some reason I was not afraid to try that. I think I have to get use to a new way if living. I try to distract myself and tell myself that I'm fine. I don't wish this in my worst enemy.