HELP ME, I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

Steph,

I used to. I used to scan my body constantly, looking for any change or for something that was 'not right'. I did not do this consciously, as I am sure you aren't either...it is just an anxiety compulsion.

Have you had a chance to try the stress relieving exercises in our Resources yet? How about taking a look or ordering the books on health anxiety in there?

These things can really help!

Are you currently in therapy? (sorry, I can't recall) If not, can you look into it?

For now thought, know these are pretty typical thinking patterns for someone with health anxiety. Try those things in the Resources, and you should get some relief. The coping skills reduce anxiety in the body and mind, and as a result, the worries quiet down.:)

Keep posting.

S.C.

Steph,

I can relate to many of the symptoms that you describe. In fact, some of them, I still get. A huge trigger for me is perfume. Even a whiff of it can shut me down. And let's not forget the individuals who wear very strong perfume or cologne and seem like they bathe in it! That's one of the biggest triggers for my poor little airway.

I do have asthma and GERD, and I think they contribute, in my case, to some of my symptoms....there are times when, if I don't keep my healthy diet in check, certain foods, in particular spices, can give me the perception that my tongue is swelling up.

Perfume, to be sure, and I'm grabbing for my inhaler and looking for the nearest doorway to the fresh outdoors.

A final thought,....now, as was mentioned, assuming that you're current with regards to having a physical and getting a medical clearance,...I want to share something with you: If you are wondering for even a moment if the mind is powerful enough to cause physiological changes, try this.... Think of a lemon, slicing it into wedges, and the juice is squirting out, getting all over your fingers, the powerful scent of the fresh lemon is being breathed in, you can feel the flesh of the lemon beneath your fingers....

.....now imagine biting into one of the lemon wedges! That's it, take a good chunk into your mouth, let it rest on your tongue, let the lemon juices trickle to the back of your mouth....and bite down, squeezing the lemon wedge in your mouth...




..............tell me something. Did your mouth water? It most likely did. And you didn't even need a real lemon. That, my dear, was your brain. That was a teensy example of a teensy bit of amazing power that our minds have within us.




M.

Get a complete medical check up. Perhaps the breathing problem is caused by GERD? Meanwhile, it won't hurt to have a chest x ray done. And try to relax.