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Are your most feared health issues your most common anxiety symptoms?

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Posted 1/7/2009 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
Just interested in what the responses will be here.  For example, my father had a heart attack at age 40.  At age 40 I developed anxiety disorder and all of my symptoms are related to my heart.  I have had palpitations, light headedness, skipped beats, chest tightness/burning, back pain, and numbness in the extremities.  I have not had any of the other symptoms commonly associated with anxiety disorder----yet!

Looking forward to your responses,

-Soul

Posted 1/7/2009 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah ive always feared heart and coronary diseases and now i have chest pain and discomfort, burning chest and back, palpitations, rapid hearbeat, numbness and such.. docs seem to agree its anxiety. I have a hard time believing tho but ahhhhhh :I Got to try. Good luck..
Posted 1/7/2009 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
I have a fear of a heart attack. My first chest pains were a few years ago. They start in my diaphragm area and move up into my throat. Very scary! Yes, my most feared health issues determine my symptoms. You might consider a Beta Blocker. They really help with the palpitations and racing heart. Also, start relaxation techniques. Try not to worry....
Posted 1/7/2009 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
I also feared heart attack during the major panic episodes but therapy has helped me out so much.   You can find links to different free CBT and relaxation/meditation at the top of our forum in the Anxiety-Panic Resources thread or the link to that page below :)

Please do see your pdoc too about the sensations and anxiety you are feeling ASAP.  Better for you to have the tests and ease your mind.  I wish you luck!

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=104206

Posted 1/7/2009 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
Very true, Green Grove! Nothing like test results to ease the mind. Have a heart monitor put on. Insist on one if you haven't already. It will ease your mind when everything comes back fine.
Posted 1/7/2009 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe my post isn't clear. I don't mean "what do you fear during a panic attack" I mean "are your pre existing fears of a particular health issue your symptoms of A/P". For example, I don't fear nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and I do not have these common symptoms when experiencing A/P. I do fear cardiovascular issues and always have these symptoms when experiencing A/P. Have had all tests done, that wasn't my aim here. Thanks for your concerns. Just wondering if our predisposed fears of a particular ailment (real or unreal) manifest themselves in the symptoms we feel when in an anxious state.

Even with all tests done and a clean bill of health which should rest my mind, my anxiety symptoms always revolve around cardiovascular events. Note to self-if I didn't fear heart disease would I experience the sensations that I have? Maybe I should concentrate on having a sore little toe!

-Soul
Posted 1/7/2009 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Another example would be when in an uncomfortable situation, some people with anxiety would feel depersonalization, need to vomit, need to use the restroom, hyperventilate, break out in hives (the list is long), my symptom is a skipped beat or racing heart. It's like my fight or flight mechanism goes back to what I most fear to find comfort. My brain is accustomed to thinking I will have heart issues so when I am most anxious my body responds to what my brain is accustomed to. Deep down inside I know my heart is fine, but I am so programmed into the feeling and comfort that if my heart acts up I can get out of a situation my mind tells my body to do so. I know this may sound completely ridiculous, just want you all to dig deep down and ask yourselves if this may happen to you.

-Soul
Posted 1/7/2009 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
I think I understand your question and I think I can say "no" that my most feared health issue is not one of my physical symptoms when my anxiety is heightened.  My physical symptom of anxiety is mainly my heart pounding/racing/palpitations and I can honestly say that heart disease is not one of my major health fears.  Does this make sense?  I hope this is the kind of info you are looking for.

Posted 1/7/2009 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
Anxious soul, i know exactly what you mean.when i have panic attacks the rot of them is me having to use a bathroom/getting sick when there is no bathroom to use..so i could be feeling fine and once i notice no there isn't a bathroom to use i get the onset of a panic attack and have gotten sick out of no where. so yes i do think your anxiety can cause issues such as these.

rite now iam fearing a brain tumor because i have odd symptoms. headache, dizziness,tingle and muscle twitches. so iam wondering the same as you if iam the one triggering the physical feelings from what iam thinking.

i just learned this from the mood gym :
what you think is what you feel.
Posted 1/8/2009 12:03 AM (GMT 0)

I do not have anxiety over the what if illnesses as I know that is out of my hands and if I am dealt a blow I will deal with that.  So no I don't connect any health anxiety of my own but I do worry about my family.  My hubby has Crohns, my sister has cancer etc.

My anxiety is almost always anticipatory and even when I know what to do I often fail and break down.

One of these days I will get it right.  idea

Kitt
Posted 1/8/2009 12:12 AM (GMT 0)
Interesting question, I have never thought about it that way.  My biggest fear is Cancer.  I have a strong family history of stomach cancer and it scars the H*** out of me!! I have had two maternal aunts die of stomach cancer both in their mid fourties! 

 

Posted 1/8/2009 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
I think we understood your question. My answer is yes, my pre-existing fears are my symptoms during A/P attacks. That hasn't always been the case, but recently it has.
Posted 1/8/2009 2:05 AM (GMT 0)

stkitt said...
I do not have anxiety over the what if illnesses as I know that is out of my hands and if I am dealt a blow I will deal with that. So no I don't connect any health anxiety of my own but I do worry about my family. My hubby has Crohns, my sister has cancer etc.

My anxiety is almost always anticipatory and even when I know what to do I often fail and break down.

One of these days I will get it right. [img]/community/emoticons/idea.gif[/img]
Kitt

Kitt, alogn with fearing for myself i also fear for my family.its an odd cycle i go through, when i fear for myself i dwell on my physical feelings and come up with the worst scenario, with my family all my fears i get are governed by my ocd..for example, if i dont tie my sheos twice something bad will happen to my dog etc..
Posted 1/8/2009 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
TwistedMentality - You mentioned when you notice no bathroom is close by or available, you begin to have a panic attack. I would suggest carrying a paper/plastic bag just in case you need it. That might make you feel better knowing you have that. Also, if you were to see someone begin to vomit, you would feel badly for them and want to help them. So, if you ever were to vomit in public, people would be more likely to feel badly for you rather than point and stare. Just a few thoughts that may help. Take care.
Posted 1/8/2009 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I have experienced this when panicking. I have felt real or imagined symptoms of the illness that I fear. It is a scary phenomenon but I do believe that it exists based on my experience.
Posted 1/9/2009 4:44 AM (GMT 0)

Aries8 said...
TwistedMentality - You mentioned when you notice no bathroom is close by or available, you begin to have a panic attack. I would suggest carrying a paper/plastic bag just in case you need it. That might make you feel better knowing you have that. Also, if you were to see someone begin to vomit, you would feel badly for them and want to help them. So, if you ever were to vomit in public, people would be more likely to feel badly for you rather than point and stare. Just a few thoughts that may help. Take care.

its not about vomiting for me...its the other end. shocked if anything your post brought a smile to my face.
Posted 1/12/2009 3:08 AM (GMT 0)
In the begining of all my anxiety, I had all of the classic sx. (I thought I had AIDS)(I do not- but it took me years to believe that). I always was short of breath, dizzy, and all of that. I took meds until I got pregnant. Then, after having my two girls, I started to have more health anxiety. First, I thought it was a brain tumor, and I only had headaches, twitching of my eye, blurred vision, and dizzyness. After that, I was sure I had a heart problem, and my only sx was palps, rapid heartbeat, lightheadness, short of breath. I had a stress test, echocardiogram, (slight mvp) wore a halter for a day, and had a Cardiolite, and then a angiogram, only because I had some chest pain. All came back fine. I went to the DR. sure that I had ms, numbness, tingling, weak legs, backache, they gave me some niravam, all sx went away. hmmmmmmm   Now, my family has a step mom who had a brain anurysm burst a few weeks ago, and she is in a coma, and I have looked it up on the internet, and just today, I have some of the very same sx. I seem to take on something new, and that is exactely where my anxiety is. I really do believe health anxiety will make you take on sx dealing with conditions you think you have.

Posted 1/12/2009 4:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Gaylehenry0924 :)

Welcom to the A/P forum and a great family with lots of cool resources. We have a thread on Health Anxiety that has posts by many of us that go through the same things that you have been going through. I hope things get better for you and your family. You will be in my prayers

Nice to meet you.
Posted 1/12/2009 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, I have been a lurker for a long time, and post occasionally. I do check daily.
Posted 1/12/2009 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
My anxiety is directly related to my Crohns Disease. It caused me to develop anticipatory anxiety. But I am now able to control it with the help of my meds most of the time.
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