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A couple of questions - Please help!

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 1/20/2014 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hello.

My name is Beth and I'm 22 years old. I've just found this community today and it's helped me calm down quite a bit but I still have a few questions.

I've been suffering from anxiety for years now and it's gotten progressively worse.
Today was awful. I didn't feel anxious but when I was walking to the bus station from work I started to breathe deeply, or I noticed that I was breathing deeply. Then, my chest started to hurt and I got sharp pain in my chest and back area followed by weak left arm and tingling soley in the left arm. I was terrified and I felt I was going to have a heart attack. I was crying and I even had to phone my mum to pick me up because I couldn't bear getting on the bus feeling like this!

That was several hours ago and I still feel bad, but better than before. I hate how I get these symptoms as I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack. Plus, I'm not the healthiest person so I may have damaged my heart from years of junk food? :< Stupid, stupid me...

A week before Christmas I was taken to hospital with chest pains and I had an ECG scan 5 times that day! Twice at work, once in the ambulance and twice in the hospital. Each time they told me that I was not having a heart attack and the final time, when I finally met the doctor he used a stethoscope to check my chest and said my heart was fine and that I need to go to my doctor's to be referred to therapy as I'm suffering from anxiety.

What I wish to know; The ECG was done about a month ago now. Could my heart have gotten "bad" during that time? Could I genuinely have something wrong with my heart that the ECG didn't pick up? Should I have more tests done?

Also, and one question that is constantly with me - Will all this anxiety do damage in the long term? Am I damaging my heart with all these years of anxiety?

Sorry for being so long... I'm so scared and I'm tired of feeling this way every day.
Sometimes I just want to end it all.
Posted 1/20/2014 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
If anxiety could do damage in the sense you're talking about, I suspect that half the people on this forum, including myself, would have been gone years ago.

Many of us have been through or are going through anxiety related issues in addition to various physical problems. My favorite line from the movie "Galaxy Quest", (it's a comedy, watch it if you haven't seen it as yet) is "Never give up, never surrender". And I mean it ;-)

If you have concerns, I'd express them to your family doctor. You could indeed have a stress/echo test, or a nuclear stress test, this would determine your heart functioning under exertion. But doctors look at family history, symptoms, basic testing, etc. The doctor could also consider a Holter Monitor, it's a heart monitor you wear for 24 hours and they look at the results and compare them with the symptoms you would record while you were wearing it.

But even so, anxiety is difficult to live with at times. Therapy can help, medication too, and your fears and concerns are not unreasonable, be sure your concerns are not from physical causes, and it sounds like they have examined your heart pretty well, but your family doctor can help to see your health from a broader perspective, not limiting things necessarily to your heart.

Be well.
Posted 1/20/2014 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
I will only share what I know, one you are too young to live with this fear, two if its a sharp pain, its not
your heard and yes gas can make your chest hurt, three if you can touch the place it hurts with your finger its not your heart, my cardiologist told me that it would take decades for anxiety to do any damage, and the junk food is totally dependent upon genetics', There was a 104 old woman in Georgia that was asked about her diet, her main line of food was sweet rolls and strawberry soda! Stop the fear and live!

Larry ***
Posted 1/21/2014 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
How are you doing? Have you seen your primary care doctor? Maybe together you can work out some testing to reassure you and than once you get the all ok some anxiety medication or therapy.
Posted 1/21/2014 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
Hi J and welcome.

I am sorry that you are going through so much at the moment. Anxiety can cause an unbelievable amount of physical symptoms, and it can be very frightening and confusing trying to figure out what is anxiety caused, and what is perhaps something else.

However, it sounds like you were told by your doctor, after passing several tests, that you are healthy...and dealing with anxiety as the cause of your symptoms.

Therefore, it is safe at this point to start to shift your focus towards anxiety management.

Your heart has likely not changed in the two months time since your last test...but your anxiety has probably increased...and can continue to do so...which is why you will want to get started right away at lessening your stress levels.

I would ask your doctor about a therapy referral if that is possible. You may also want to discuss medication options.

For now, here is a link to our Resources:

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

You will find anxiety reducing exercises and coping skills that can be practiced daily for relieving symptoms.

There are even two book recommendations for self-help of health anxiety, which you may find of interest.

Keep posting with us as well. We understand, and are here to support you anytime...that in itself is healing! :)

Scaredy Cat

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