Health Anxiety Back again

Hi everyone,

I've posted before about my health anxiety and trips to the ER. I startes therapy a few weeks ago and felt semi ok for about a week or so. But last week I could feel my anxiety creeping up and getting worse by the day. Before I was afraid of heart issues and MS, now it's a fear of ALS that's consuming me. I know anxiety symptoms can mimic other diseases, but it's like my brain can't accept it, even tho my primary keeps telling me I'm healthy. The body tremors and twitches, eye twitches, freak me out, and now I'm having some weakness in my right hand which freaks me out. My primary prescribed me Lexapro which I started this past Monday, and Xanax as needed which I've taken twice, but it's only been a few days and hasn't helped yet. I have also been doing progressive muscle relaxation but have no relief. I feel at my wits end, like I'm going insane, and really need some relief from all these physical symptoms.

Post Edited (Lizmarte1624) : 5/24/2017 8:37:32 AM (GMT-6)

Hi LM,

I am sorry to hear that you are struggling atm...

...though not surprised, as you just started your SSRI last week.

Unfortunately and ironically, this type of medication can actually increase anxiety at first. The body decreases its own production of serotonin when the Rx source is detected. However, the levels ore not fully built up or regulated for a few weeks, so in the meantime, you face some challenges during the start up period...but will get better soon!

It is so great that you have started therapy! How do you like your therapist? Are you working specifically on your health anxiety concerns?

S.C.

So, you've been on your Lexipro antidepressant for depression and anxiety for three days. If it hasn't already started benefiting, it should in a few days, I would hope.

At least you're headed in the right direction.

You said, "Xanax did help when I took it to calm me down a little."

That's very good, right? Hello? Aren't we glad?

You said, "The hard part is convincing myself that really is anxiety and not some terrible disease."

I'm pretty pleased when a doctor tells me I'm not really sick, aren't you?

You say, "But last week I could feel my anxiety creeping up and getting worse by the day. Before I was afraid of heart issues and MS, now it's a fear of ALS that's consuming me. I know anxiety symptoms can mimic other diseases, but it's like my brain can't accept it, even tho my primary keeps telling me I'm healthy."

And "The body tremors and twitches, eye twitches, freak me out, and now I'm having some weakness in my right hand which freaks me out."

Is there anyway you can get your psychic energy going out, rather than in? Can you have some concern for something or somebody else's welfare rather than just your own?

I was on a health help line years ago, and I had this really big problem. So, I went to the health line to complain about it. And when I went to the board, there was this woman who had a health problem. And I started reading her problem, and I thought, I need to try to help here.

And so I started writing what might help her. And I never did write down my problem, and I never have. What just happened? Where did my problem go? In a way, it didn't go anywhere, in a way it did. It disappeared when my mind started concentrating on her problem, not mine.

But the pain of my problem also reduced, as my mind fixated on her pain. I have as many problems as you do. I can't drive a car. I'm just not mentioning any of my problem right now.

Mothers have a lot of problems. You just don't see any of them, because they're so worried about their children.

If you could find someone to help, you might could reverse the psychic energy to that person, and that person would absorb your problems. If you could walk a dog at a kennel a few times a week, or volunteer at a senior citizens home or a hospital, you'd see the same amount of problems, they just wouldn't be yours.

You say, "And, "I feel at my wits end, like I'm going insane, and really need some relief from all these physical symptoms."

Are you still feeling like this?

Also, "Right now it's just talk therapy, I'm thinking to look into CBT tho." That sounds good.

I now try to think positive, and believe going into a problem that I can solve it, which improves my chances greatly, as it opens up areas of my brain for victory, rather than closing down sections of my brain as I seek defeat.

Or, "One problem at a time, and be positive about that problem"