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constantly worried about dying.

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Posted 10/1/2012 5:32 AM (GMT 0)
hello everyone. Im a 20 year old girl and about 5 months ago a very close friend of mine passed away about a month before he passed away my grandmother had a TIA. Ever since then i have had horrible anxiety and panic attacks. Ive actually turned into a hypochondriac. If i have a headache i automatically think my brain is swelling (which is what happened to my friend when he passed away from lack of oxygen to the brain) or i think i have a brain tumor (which is what my grandfather died of). I also worry that im having a heart attack if i have heart burn or that im having a stroke(which is what my grandmother had). I went to the doctor and got a blood test done and it came back normal...but i still worry that something is seriously wrong with me. I was taking Celexa for 3 months and stopped taking it because i dont want to have to rely on pills to make me feel better. I just want to go back to normal. I feel like nobody understands me or understands the way i feel. My boyfriend tells me im ok and expects me to just be able to turn it off but i just can't. Sometimes i get chest pains, or little pains in random parts of my body, or i get dizzy and then really nervous that i felt dizzy and my heart beats fast, other times i just feel out of it, and sometimes my stomach is in knots. My life just feels blurry. I have a very happy life i have a great family, great friends, and amazing boyfriend. I really dont have many things to be worried about in my everyday life so im thinking that this is stemming from the passing of my friend. My feelings are hard to explain and therapy didnt really help so im hoping that this will. Its nice to see that im not alone with these feelings im having but at times i feel like i sound crazy and im going crazy. Im constantly worrying about dying or how im going to die or if someone else i love is going to die. I just cant overcome these feelings. Can anyone relate to my story? I would really appreciate some advice. thanks for listening!
Posted 10/1/2012 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tinidancer

I can totally relate to everything youve put down here. My anxiety started for no apparent reason after a short stint in hospital that was 4 years ago and i became very depressed, im now just trying to get back to normal but have little sharp pains and  think the worst almost every day! The dizziness might be from hyperventilating which i also do.

I mostly concentrate on telling myself YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE. if you couldnt breathe you wouldnt be awake and able to worry! its maybe not the best advice but the guys on here are great and will give you some great coping tips! just dont let it get you down :) youre not alone in feeling this way!

Posted 10/1/2012 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

Welcome to the forum I am glad you have found us. You are not alone and we can relate to what you are going through anxiety is a tough thing to deal with. Sounds to me like you are having health anxiety which I also get but the good thing is you have been given the all clear from your doctor so that is good news.

Speaking to others here can help a lot and I did find CBT which is a talking therapy helpful and I have also done a mindfulness course which was really helpful and I am due to do an other one nest month. You will be able to find out about these on the web.

Keep Posting

Hibee
Posted 10/1/2012 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome.

I am sorry to hear about your losses and how they have affected you. I do believe that the loss of close loved ones can be a trigger for anxiety...and in many cases, this takes the form of health worries. It is not hard to see and understand the connection. When someone we know passes, we not only grieve, but are forced to face our own mortality.

Firtst of all know that you are not alone. There have been more posts than I can count here on the subject of health anxiety. If you would like to read more, you can browse through, or do a 'search' here to find some good threads.

If you feel that the anxiety is affecting your qualitly of life to the point that you can't do the things that you want/need to do...or that you don't enjoy life as you used to because of constant worry...then I would encourage you to think again about talking to your doctor for treatment.

Therapy and medication are very effective, but of course a personal choice. I went through therapy a couple of times, and many members have ongoing sessions. It takes time and effort, but it could be really worth it in the long run, right?

If you would rather go about a self-help route, we have some great ideas in our Resource Guide. (main page,1st post) We have some great links to anxiety management videos, on-line therapy and worksheet downloads and more.

Keep posting here with us as well. We understand, are here to listen and support.:)

Scaredy Cat
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