Can anxiety really make me feel this way?

I would start my story off with "Once upon a time...", but it's not that kind of happy fairy-tale junk.
I'm 17, female, Senior in high school, I Have GAD, mild-moderate depression, social anxiety, panic disorder, and ridiculous hypochondria. I have always been an anxious person, most of my family has anxiety, but I feel like it has gotten a lot worse over the last 5 or 6 months. I worry about my family's health (my grandpa, who is like a dad to me is really sick with lung cancer), my health (hypochondriac), my future, my school work, ect. My life has also been boring and depressing, I have no real friends at school, my only friend graduated last year, so I have no one to talk to. My depression started getting pretty bad after a person I knew killed himself, I was in denial for a long time. This summer when I went to dance camp I was also depressed for some reason, every night when I got back to my room I would just start crying, I might have been home sick I guess... My anxiety / depression got to an all time high close to the end of summer, particularly after the death of Robbin Williams for some reason. I was having intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, I couldn't eat/sleep, I didn't want to be alone, I cried nonstop, It was by far the worst time of my life. Since then I have improved a little emotionally, but I have gotten a little worse physically.
My symptoms are: Dizziness/ lightheadedness, fatigue, Depersonalization, muscle tension, TMJ, feeling like I'm floating, ringing in ears, headaches, nausea, heavy feeling arms, stomach pain, chest pain, trouble breathing, racing heart, Floaty feeling in legs and arms (this one is the worst), trouble sleeping/concentrating, hot flashes, sweating, feeling the need to scream/cry/run/throw up, eye strain, neck/shoulder pain, there are probably more things that I'm leaving out. I just have a really hard time believing that an anxiety disorder can cause all of this. I've have blood tests, ct scans, x-rays of my chest, everything comes out normal. I am absolutely terrified that I have MS, it's probably just my hypochondria, but it still freaks me out. The things wrong with me besides anxiety are kidney stones that won't leave, a ruptured ovarian cyst, allergies/nasal congestion, and inner ear fluid. My GP put me on anti anxiety medication 4 days ago, Buspar 5mg, today was my 3rd day taking it. Just to add, I have had all of the symptoms above before I started taking the medication. I have panic attacks everyday during school and it's so scary, I'm just really sick of this. I can't even go to Walmart anymore without feeling like I'm going to pass out.
Does anyone else have the same symptoms with anxiety, can it really make me feel like this?

I always like to respond to people of your age, since that's the age that my anxiety began. i have had ALL the same symptoms as you, so I can assure you that you are suffering with anxiety/panic, nothing physical other than what your body is lying to you about. when you have anxiety, it has to come out one way or another so it usually takes the form of all kinds of physical symptoms that seem so real you can't imagine they're just in your mind. You go to doctor after doctor, feeling sure he must be missing something, when in fact there really is NO physical cause. I am 67 years old now, have had many years anxiety free, and other years when it reared it's ugly head for a period of time. The more you learn about your condition, use the resources suggested, see a therapist and take meds if needed, the sooner you will "come out of it" and start to feel normal again....and you WILL if you are patient and begin to realize that you are NOT crazy, you are just like millions of us who go through this terrible affliction. I wish you all the best in finding your healthy, happy self again....know that anxiety is just that...anxiety and nothing else. It can't kill you and the more you accept it and go on with your life anyway,no matter how bad you feel, the sooner you will truly get better. Keep posting for support...we all understand.

Off-topic, but I love WWE.

John

1039smooth said...
Off-topic, but I love WWE.

John

Sick, who is your favorite wrestler?

SethRollinsGirl -

You just listed every symptom I'm dealing with - especially the floating sensations

I have a very strong feeling that we are dealing with anxiety. I have been dealing with this for years and years and still NO diagnosis and NO answers. Yet, diagnosed with anxiety at the age of 9. I do believe that anxiety is the culprit here. Thank you to the kind person that posted (andwes) as that post was extremely helpful.