New to this and really need some answers!

[Cory Jürgen Wochnik]

Hello all!

I'm Cory and have been dealing with anxiety since I was about 16. I was recently diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder, I never seeked help until recently.

My biggest concern is the anxiety I feel is ONLY over medically related things, meaning that I PHYSICALLY feel ill almost every day of my life. Im not afraid of large groups, or anything like that but i'm deathly afraid of cancer, tumors, and stuff like that. I constantly am feeling some weird feeling or what not and automatically think im dying. The past two months have been extreme for me. It hasn't really impacted my normal life EXTREMELY but its been progressing into that stage. Is this normal? or is there actually something wrong with me medically and not mentally? Ive never met anyone who has anxiety was like mine. I'm hoping someone can answer me on that.

Second issue that i'm facing is this non-stop headache. I saw a doctor over it and he says it is Tension headaches but has me booked for an MRI on December 7th. The headaches were never really painful, more or less just felt it there and was annoying. Never truly stops me from doing what I need to do. Its mainly in the lower back part of my head but also feels like it is behind my eyes a lot to. This headache has been going on for about a month and a half and just this past week it started making my eyes feel sore, and sometimes I get dizzy, but not necessarily nauseated. I do notice that my neck is constantly sore and cracks much more than it did. My head seems to feel a lot more sensitive to touch also. The pains are mainly dull, never really had any sharp, intense pains. Problem here is I am a Hypochondriac and am driving myself nuts thinking it is a tumor or aneurysm or something else extremely dangerous. I feel as if my doctors shrug me because of the Anxiety and that they just ASSUME its in my head and im not actually feeling anything. This is why I am seeking the help from others here.. Has anyone experienced this? Should it be of any concern? Any help?

I thank everyone in advance for their responses and hope everyone enjoys their Monday!

[mrdornan66]

Cory


You are not crazy. I have been suffering with anxiety disorder for about 9 years and have similar problems. Mine manifest as a fear of heart attack which sucks because most panic attack symptoms manifest similar to heart attack. Like you I find most of my day consumed with how I feel and analyzing those physical symptoms..... Are they real or just my anxiety. It causes me major problems focusing and concentrating.

There is hope though. For both of us. Understanding your disorder is first. Therapy, talking about it, relaxation techniques all help. It will get better I promise

Stephen

[Cory Jürgen Wochnik]

Well, that is of some relief that im not alone! What just really gets to me is that this pains are constant, whether they be my head or my stomach or my eyes, etc. I wake up with them, go to bed with them, its like theyre always there. I try and do things to relax, and go out and stuff but it seems to just not go away at all. Its starting to affect my relationship because my girlfriend wants to be active and im either not feeling good or afraid if i go out ill have to go right back home. She doesnt know what to do because im ALWAYS feeling sick and it depresses her because she wants to help but doesnt know how. Its really getting old feeling ill every day. I miss being normal and going out for days and living my young life. Im only 21, I shouldnt be confined to a bed or similar! The worst for me seems to be when the sun sets, and especially if im sitting in silence. Most of what I feel for pains and illnesses comes and goes but the headaches have been one of the main things that are CONSTANTLY there. Its really got me concerned and worried.

[star1234]

I think that all if us get anxiety from the physical symptoms that anxiety gives us. In other words. It's a never ending battle. I debate going out and having fun but when I do it feels great for the moment. The anxiety kicks back in when I return to reality. When my mind and body us not being distracted. Each time I come home I tell myself you see you made it another day and nothing happened. You are way to young. Go out have fun live life. If you die you will never know and you won't be around to tell yourself I told you not to go out. But when you do go out and come home tell yourself how much fun you had, tell yourself it felt good and tell yourself that you can do it again.

[agraves911]

Is definitely normal to feel this way. Most anxiety sufferers are hypochocondriacs.

[Cory Jürgen Wochnik]

The main concern thats got me freaking out is the headaches. There is barely a moment in a day where I don't have one or am not worrying about them!

[Jinaiya]

Although I have had anxiety since the age of 16, this last year has by far been the worst (I'm 29 now).

My husband and I were reflecting on the last year just last night before bed. We don't think I've had one day where I felt okay since a year ago.

It started with heart palpitations. I began getting several bouts of them a day everyday. It really scared me and I feared the worst. I went to the ER a couple days before Christmas where I was given an EKG, routine blood work, and monitored. They told me everything looked okay and to enjoy my Christmas, but I just couldnt shake the fear, still can't. After Christmas I had a 24h Holter Monitor and later an Echo Cardiogram. Both checked out okay as well. Still, the palpitations, racing heart and fear persisted.

Then came the weird bout of Vertigo in April. For 6 weeks I felt like I was on a boat, literally. It was horrible and all I really felt like doing was lying on the couch. I couldn't get up because I felt like the ground was moving and it was really scary. At this time I was also experiencing head aches every morning. I was scared I had a brain tumor. I went in for a hearing test and to see a specialist but nothing came of it. Eventually I just found that woke up one morning and felt okay again.

Then there is my heartburn issues. This began just before the palpitations did, but didn't really scare me at first. I have had this on and off since then, but have suffered it daily since the summer. I am on medication and only lately had it calmed down (but I still feel it everyday). I often feel like there is a peice of food or hair in my throat. I can feel the acid in my throat sometimes or the center of my chest burns and aches. I get horrible cramps and general stomach pains. The specialist I have seen for this suspects its all anxiety related and that I may have a minor form of IBS. Still, I fear I have cancer of some sort, sometimes I will break down and cry, thinking that my time is running out quick and I won't be around for my daughters.

2 days ago, the vertigo began again, so I am right back to that. Sitting at my computer, I feel like I am swaying back and forth. I have a minor headache on the right side, kind of in the center of my head. Of course I'm sitting here thinking it's cancer.

I do that a lot. Think about dying, that I will die young. A couple minutes ago I read a post by a woman who had lost her mother at a young age. :( Instantly I went into panic thinking "that will be me who loses a battle to a horrible illness, leaving my daughters behind in their delicate young ages..."

Currently my obsessions are as follows:

- Heartburn (stomach cancer or cancer in my esophogus)
- Cramps (cervical cancer)
- Vertigo and headaches (brain tumor)
- Sharp pains at the bottom of my ribcage (lung cancer)
- Heart Palpitations, chest pains, racing heart (I am going to have a heart attack)

This is an everyday thing for me. For the past year. I just started taking Zoloft, hoping to turn all these thoughts off for awhile. We shall see. So far it hasn't done anything but make me feel worse. Even writing this, looking at it, I feel afraid and think that just one of those must be real, must mean I am dying. I mean... WHO goes through all of that and is perfectly healthy? I don't feel perfectly healthy. My body feels completely wrecked.

You are not alone in your fears.

[Cory Jürgen Wochnik]

That is absolutely crazy that I am not alone! First off, I wanna say i'm sorry you feel what I feel, it's a horrible feeling(s). Just before I write this message I was reading for the last hour on Brain Tumors and brain abnormalities, has got me whacked out scared. I have my MRI December 7th and supposed to fly international on the 14th, after finding out I may not have my results in time, and that IF it is something severe that I cannot fly... I won't know and the flight could cause more issues. I'm honestly considering cancelling my flight because i'm that scared to make my ''brain abnormality'' worse! So I know how you feel, I understand perfectly. I've also noticed that i've been going pee A LOT more at night now, almost a ridiculous amount, always clear but I can't help but think it is kidney related and that the Contrast for my MRI will cause my kidneys to fail (one cannot receive contrast if kidney issues are prevalent). Just this everyday battle scares me, and like you i'm afraid i'll die at a young age and not ever get to get a family or a true career or see things I wanted to do!

[lostone]

Jinaiy, how long have you been on Zoloft and what dose if you don't mind me asking? I am on 50 mg about a month in and seeing no results yet...just wondering from your stud point?

[Jinaiya]

I've also noticed that i've been going pee A LOT more at night now, almost a ridiculous amount.

Come to think of it, I've been dealing with this as well. It's primarily at night. What about you?

[Jinaiya]

Jinaiy, how long have you been on Zoloft and what dose if you don't mind me asking? I am on 50 mg about a month in and seeing no results yet...just wondering from your stud point?

I'm taking roughly 36mg at the moment (1 25mg pill and a half). I tried to jump from 25 to 50 and had a really horrible time with it so I decided to take it slower. It's been nearly a month for me as well.

I've been told it can take up to 6 weeks to notice any difference. Could be that you need to increase your dose. As far as I know 50mg is still fairly little for Zoloft.

[Cory Jürgen Wochnik]

Jinaiya, it is definitely more at night time. 80% of it is at night. I made an appointment with a Urologist to see on January 7th. I got blood work already and my kidneys are ok and no sign of infection, and urine sample was good.