New member - Chrissy

Hey all, my names Christina and I'm a hypochondriac (lol). I've been lurking around the forums for a couple of weeks now and have finally decided to make myself known. :)
I've only recently been diagnosed with anxiety and am glad to find a place where I can get some support because I really am starting to feel like I'm losing my mind.
So here's my story... It all started about two years ago, I started getting numbness in my right arm and right leg. I ended up seeing a neurologist who sent me for CT scans and an MRI but couldn't find anything wrong with me. My symptoms then disappeared for a good year then out of nowhere in January of this year while shopping I got a weird pain in my chest/stomach area which seemed to travel up my body, I blacked out and almost fainted then within a second I was ok but just feeling extremely disorientated and slightly nauseous. Naturally, I went to see my GP and he sent me straight to hospital with fears that I'd had a stroke and there they kept me under observation for 8 hours only to find nothing wrong with me. I even had the same faint feeling while in hospital but all my monitors were completely normal. So they just put it down to anxiety.
Since then I've been in the ER countless times for chest pains and shortness of breath, I've had CT scans done and the doctors can't find anything wrong with me. I've even seen a cardiologist who also just said it was anxiety.
Basically I'm down to my last nerve. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine something could make me feel this bad both physically and mentally and I'm just hope that I can find a good support group that know exactly what I'm going through because frankly I'm sick of doctors brushing me off and looking at me like I'm insane. I'm only 24 and should really be having the time of my life rather that sitting at home worrying about how I feel and focusing on the slightest little jitters that come from my body and becoming a hypochondriac.
I'm getting most of the common symptoms like nausea, light headedness, feeling like I'm out of my body and like I'm going to die, chest tightness, sometimes pain, loss of appetite, constantly moody and irritable, heart flutters, stomach "flutters", numbness/tingling in arms and legs, extremely emotional and I'm constantly exhausted. The worst part would be, after i have a panic attack it takes my body a week or more to recover. Then i feel fine for a week and then BOOM... another anxiety attack. It's a vicious cycle. Sometimes I think it'd be easier if I wasn't here, then I wouldn't have to deal with all this. But don't get me wrong, I'm not suicidal, I just wish these foreign feelings would just go away and I could go back to normal. I'm currently seeking therapy and would rather not go on medication but I think I may just have to because this just... it just plain ol' SUCKS!! :P
Sorry about the long post but I really needed to get that off my chest. It's even made me a bit emotional now so I'm gonna go curl up in a ball and hope this eye twitch goes away soon. Lol!!

Post Edited (ChrissyB1903) : 7/12/2011 4:07:26 AM (GMT-6)

Hi ChrissyB, I am so glad that you have decided to join us! Thank you for sharing your story and letting us know what is going on in your life. I know that you will receive and give good support here in this forum:)

Currently many young people are dealing with anxiety and it's effects. Young adulthood is a time of transition and responsibility. There are may choices to be made that will affect the path of your life. I think that either consciously, or subconsciously, this weighs on a person your age. Since you are in therapy (yeah!) it might not be a bad idea to explore some of the feelings you may have regarding these things.

You mentioned wanting to continue with the therapy, and avoid medication, and this can be done, but you need to weigh your options. Is it possible for you to go on like you are currently? Therapy can take an average of 10-12 weeks for relief to start to be noted. I 'gritted' it out w/o medication, but it was brutal. Looking back, I wonder if I could have just used something temporarily to help get me through. The upside was that I didn't have to deal with the effects of starting and stopping the meds. (build up and tapering/weaning side-effects) This is just something that you will have to think about and discuss with your dr. and therapist, then choose for yourself:)

I can tell by your post that you are both intelligent, and have a sense of humor. These things will help get you through this. I have no doubt that you are going to have a good recovery. I too had the debilitating health anxiety and panic disorder. Everyday was some new horrible experience of fear and physical symptoms. With patience, determination, hard work (therapy, reading, educating myself) and the support of this community, I have been given my life back.

Keep up with your therapy, read as many books as possible on the disorder, practice your breathing and relaxation exercises every day, and keep talking with us here! We are glad to have you join us, and I know that you will find help in both reading and recieving posts:)

Take care, and again, welcome!
Scaredy Cat

ChrissyB,

Hello, I am Serenitee, and thought I would introduce myself and welcome you to this amazing Healingwell Site. I know you're going to get fantastic support here. I am 46 years old, married 23 years and we have 7-kids, and 3 grand kids.

I too, suffer from Extreme Anxiety and Panic Attacks. They even wake me up during the middle of the night in a full blown attack. It's terrible. I look forward to reading more of your posts and hope to meet you on the chat thread here.

Your Healingwell Friend,
Serenitee


Diagnosed this year with Bipolar 2, Borderline, Anxiety, Panic-Disorder, Ptsd...
Loop ileostomy in May 2011, 2-Bladder lifts, Vaginal Vault Lift ( my Colon and Bladder fell out of me, Abdominal Hysterectomy, Shoulder surgery, 4-knee surgeries, C-section, Ruptured Appendix, Psuedomembraneous Colitis, Tumor removed from head...some of my problems...Lol