Heres my story,

[Slammed Vdub]

Hello, so here is my story thank you if you read and here me out. the fall semester after i graduated high school is where this all began. I was sitting in my English class when all of the sudden my arms got cold and numb, super lightheaded, and my heart was racing. I left class and went to the doctors. She told me it was an anxiety attack. That day changed my life. Ever since then i have had random "chest pains," and pressure they will push down on my eyes, or it can feel like a inflating balloon inside my head. I have hat bloodwork, CT's and EKG tests, all came back fine. I went to counseling and we came to the conclusion that my anxiety is around my health. there isnt a day that passes where i dont have chest pain, or constant head pressure, ( which they now put me on allergy medicine.) Everyday feels like a battle for me, all i think about is my health. Sleep is difficult because i am concerned about dying all the time. MY vision is becoming blurred and i have occasional double vision and lack of concentration. Like i can be somewhere eating and it feels like the room isnt real, like im stuck in a fog i dont know how to explain it. To make matters worse i feel depressed all the time. I watched a movie last night and became depressed because how perfect the actors lives were. I know it isnt true but i still feel it. I just had a "episode" where i felt the walls closing in and i felt very isolated, which forced me to come here. Is anyone going through what i am? its so hard for me to believe that al of these symptoms can be anxiety or depression which is where my problems come in. I am 19 years old and i cant even be around my family. Thank you if you read my story. I just want to be the kid i used to be and make everyone laugh instead of the kid who isnt around.

[PBYUM]

sorry to hear you're going through this. I too have the chest problems and sometimes feel the "fog" - kind of like everything around you is not clear and/or real. It sucks. Try to take it one day at a time. Try relaxing by taking deep breaths. I use to think the deep breaths would not help and were a waste of time, but they do help a lot. Breath in deeply through your nose slowly, and out through your mouth even slower.
hope it helps

[Taylor]

I know your feeling. I was diagnosed with leukemia on January 31st 2011 and I've also started my first real job, gotten engaged, am changing religions, and am getting married all this year. It's been a lot, and the anxiety hit me the first time just like you. Completely out of nowhere! And I obviously have some concerns about my health, hehe.

I have a lot of symptoms like you described. I even get the brain fog and a weird feeling in my head with the pressure, kind of like my brain is going "crosseyed", if that makes sense. I don't exactly take meds, I use Ativan for emergencies; I've only taken four since getting them in May.

I think you should try to learn some breathing exercises and maybe even techniques or sound tracks on meditation. That and if you'll look around here for TEA forms and start doing them, I think they will help you a lot. Maybe even try these before bed if you're having a hard time sleeping. It's hard to have that depressive blah feeling, especially after a few attacks hit you in a row, but it CAN get better. I had a bad night last night where I hardly got any sleep due to insomnia and anxiety playing off each other, but one thing I've learned is that it can be controlled and that it takes work, and one moment isn't the end of the world. Just tell yourself "there's no danger here right now, I am fine. There is no reason to be anxious." Do all you can and I hope it will help out! As PBYUM said, it's one day at a time.

[Slammed Vdub]

Wow im very sorry to hear that. Best of Luck with all of that. But i think that's my problem. Im so concerned with health problems which is what i think causes my anxiety. I can feel so lost at times. im 19 yars old and i cant picture myself at an older age. Is this uncommon? MY mom thinks its from the transition from high school to college and working on my own. I mean some nights im so tired but afraid to go asleep. It seems like all i think about is how unreal this feels and death. Can anyone relate?

[Slammed Vdub]

idk. it just doesnt seem real. Idk if it is because i feel isolated and distant from everyone. But does anyone else feel that some symptoms are just to hard to believe to be caused by anxiety?

[inescapable]

I used to question whether all my symtoms were anxiety and/or depression but after years of soul searching, some growing up and just plain old time, I'm convinced that's exactly what I have. And I don't care what anyone says, its biological, not of free will or choice. But there is so much help out there. See a psychiatrist and or psychologist, I highly recommend it, and don't hold back when u talk to them. I guess my only wish is that one of my close friends had anxiety/depression too so we could relate, but I find this website comforting

[leighs]

I can relate to worrying about your health as that is my main focus in my anxiety. I also have troubles picturing myself myself as an elderly person and that bothers me sometimes too. The bottom line though is that it's the anxiety causing us not to be able to picture that. The anxiety causes us to think negatively. I have had so many exams and various blood work tests done and everything comes back absolutely fine. Having yourself checked out by a Dr. might help you relax about it if you haven't had that done yet. I know it had helped me relax quite a bit. I think we are so caught up in the present worry of our anxiety that it's hard for us to think past it sometimes.

[brady]

I have the same symptoms as you, major health worries and the constant fear of dying, ive found excersise helps it alot, when you know youve done something good for your body, it makes you feel alot better about the state that its in and it gets better day by day.

[brady]

Ps. another thing i realised is, after all the times ive had thinking i was going to die surely it would of happened by now.