Posted 9/2/2017 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hello:
I am struggling tremendously with anxiety the last couple of months. I'm 28, but have had anxiety since I was a child. Only recently have I been formally diagnosed with GAD and OCD- the latter just a couple of days ago. I have specific health anxiety related to disorders that have been in my family history (brain aneurysms anytime I have a headache, colon cancer if I get a hemorrhoid, it's fun being me). I also have terrible flight anxiety. It all stems from my fear of dying- and it's preventing me from living. Ironically, in my early to mid 20s, I was fine- I had traveled to over 20 countries and was really living and enthusiastic for my future. That changed when I started getting headaches and facial tingling about a year ago. No one can explain it- MRI and CT scans have come up clear. I was diagnosed with Lyme and cervical disc problems, but my doctor thinks the facial tingling is anxiety. It lasts all day but is more noticeable at night when I am settled and able to think about everything that worries me. It seems to move over my face- not typically in one specific spot. It doesn't hurt. It's not numb. It's like a light feather over my face.
I am frustrated because it's a horrible feedback loop. I am on 50 mg of sertraline but that doesn't seem to be really doing much. I will be starting exposure therapy soon. I really just want some relief- because lately I've been looking forward towards just being able to go to bed so my mind can turn off.
Just wanted to vent - anyone else dealing with the facial tingling?