chronic anxiety

I've always been prone to a bit of worrying and OCD, but I had a serious anxiety episode in late 2008 after an incredibly stressful year of work. I was frequenting the various local hospitals in London two to three times a week with panic attacks - kept on thinking I was having a heart attack - and in the main my anxieties presented themselves at hypochondria.

I ended up quitting my job (was working 12-16 hours a day, going in every weekend, stressed as ****, etc.), moving back in with my folks and retreated from life for a few months. Things fluctuated - I had a terrifying attack of ectopic beats which lasted for almost a week - and I received next to no help from the local GPs; was advised to take citalopram and to join the 6 month wait for therapy. I couldn't wait that long, whilst also seeking advice and opinion on citalopram and other meds from friends who'd taken them.

I'm quite stubborn, to say the least, and decided that I needed to get myself out of this situation myself and to not rely on medication. I certainly have no issue with meds at all, and completely support the use of them in treating many psychological issues. However, I felt that if I was able to beat anxiety through my own course of action, then if I had an attack further down the line I would know that I had it within me to beat it again. If I failed with this approach, I could always fall back on medication and CBT.

I was very fortunate as I had as much time as I needed and a fair bit of savings, not to mention supportive parents. I spent a couple of months doing everything I possibly could to allay any fears I might have - went private to hypnotherapy, went on various fear of flying courses, saw cardiologists, urologists, neorologists, had blood tests, etc. Therapy and talking about my problems were probably the most important factor in my recovery. In the end I set myself a deadline to get everything ticked off the list, and then buggered off to another country for 6 months to test myself. Fortunately it largely worked. Of course I certainly still have moments, and daily OCD, but my hypochondria has dissipated and I generally have a differnt take on things now.
 
dowie said:
Think I'd go see a doctor if you've got a dodgy heart rhythm still, holter monitor can tell them a bit more about the palpitations and whether they're benign or not. Not sure I'd want to just try stuff like that off amazon...
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Trust me when I was suffering the anxiety I was in and out of the docs. I had 3 ekgs, blood tests, a heart monitor that I wore for 24 hours that beeped constantly and I had to sleep with it. My body kept throw up weird symptoms such as light headedness, tingles down my left arm, weakness in limbs, buzzing in ears and body etc. When I thought I had got my head around that one symptom meant I wasn't going to die a different symptom would start which I had to work through.

They all confirmed I was a complete basket case.
 
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Anxiety can come and go throughout life. I cannot say that someone can be cured from it as if you are prone to anxiety then it will always be with you. Its all about management of it. Knowing the triggers and what helps with anxiety. Can be varied and quite a complex journey.

One thing to remember, the most important thing:

You are not alone!! What you are going through is not just you!

Talk! If it is only on here. It helps. But, seek medical help too. Don't go it alone. Get help and advice.
 
kitch9 said:
Trust me when I was suffering the anxiety I was in and out of the docs. I had 3 ekgs, blood tests, a heart monitor that I wore for 24 hours that beeped constantly and I had to sleep with it. My body kept throw up weird symptoms such as light headedness, tingles down my left arm, weakness in limbs, buzzing in ears and body etc. When I thought I had got my head around that one symptom meant I wasn't going to die a different symptom would start which I had to work through.

They all confirmed I was a complete basket case.
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I had something similar - few visits to a cardiologist etc.. told the palpitations etc.. were nothing to worry about (though unfortunately the monitor didn't catch any when I was wearing it) - I was convinced something was wrong and was trying to describe that there was a run of them etc.. told it was just anxiety, nothing to worry about, heart is absolutely fine

then a couple of months later I woke up with it pounding really fast/erratic... went to A&E - pulse was at 180-190... got told I had atrial fibrillation - given drugs to bring the rate down and bring it into sinus rhythm again

now I've got beta blocker + flecainide tablets to take just in case it happens again

I do wonder if AF is related to anxiety etc.. either way anxiety certainly is something that people need to get sorted - it can have real physical effects in the form of chest pain, muscle spasms, palpitations, rapid heart rate etc..etc..
 
yes had this in my mid twentys ,id have panic attacks at home and going out ,think it was brought on by a long spell of unemployment and some other issues all pilling up ,horrendous as theres no where to run ,its inside you.
so yes they put me on beta-blockers for the palpitations and some anti deppresents that made me feel pretty dire,
I think getting a job and keeping as busy as possible did the most help and the blockers stopped the heart racing ,unfortunately alchohol did the trick while it was in my system as well.
 
Anyone considering going to hospital with Anxiety, don't bother, a doctor told me this a few weeks back. His exact words were "They'll just sit you in a ward for 24 hours, you won't get any medication!" Nice of the NHS. :/
 
thanks for all the replies in this thread :) its great I'm not alone as its hard for those around me to understand what I'm going through and even harder to try and explain to them what it is I'm going through.
 
Join a gym with a pool.

1- Learn to swim
2- Exercise is good for you
3- Swimming is solo, you dont need or have to talk to a soul.
4- Sit in the sauna for 15min after doing some mindfullness, it works simple as that.

Cheer up, at least your not Tony Blair.
 
Yup, long time sufferer here. For me it was never full-blown panic attacks, it was more a constant dread of upcoming things. I would just internalize it all and stress for weeks about something. I also had social anxiety as well. Went on Sertraline and after a few months it completely changed my life. I just don't fret about things any more - I'm just like "whatever....let's get on with it" :) It didn't help my social anxiety as much, but definitely improved things a little there too.

Here in the US I think everybody is on Sertraline. Go into the docs with an itchy toe and I guarantee you come out with a Sertraline prescription :p
 
Talk to your GP and ask for their help and possible referral to those who can offer the appropriate support which meets your particular needs, do not be put off with your thoughts and experience of CBT. I have had counselling and then CBT and I'm just drawing to the end of an eight weeks (weekly for two hours at a time) MBCBT course (Mindfulness Based CBT) and I have found that immensely valuable.
I have, in the past, tried several medications but didn't feel that they were appropriate for me.
Remember OP you are not alone and do not feel stigmatised or embarrassed about talking to your GP about it just because you haven't found the right meds or support which works to help you.
There is some very useful medication as well as support services available, worth mentioning are books (Mindfulness based I'm thinking of) and audio files etc. It can, at times, seem difficult to find the right approach which works best for you.
But you do need to talk to your GP and ask about any mindfulness based support groups or counselling, traditional CBT based counselling seemed to add to my issues rather than support or alleviate them.

Best wishes :)
 
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Brenn47 said:
Anyone considering going to hospital with Anxiety, don't bother, a doctor told me this a few weeks back. His exact words were "They'll just sit you in a ward for 24 hours, you won't get any medication!" Nice of the NHS. :/
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Not true, I went countless times in the first year or so and they always attended to me very quickly, sometimes instantly. Most times given a benzodiazepine to settle things down. Felt like a selfish time waster after but at the time, rationality is not something you can control when you are new to it all and 9 times out of 10 you truly believe you are about to pop your clogs. Not fun at all.
 
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I suffer from health anxiety.

Because of my heart complaint, I think that any slight twinge in my chest is a heart attack. I also have one illness after the other, or I think I do. I am often breathless and lightheaded. I'm thinking it's because there's something wrong with me, but the doctor has told me that the anxiety is stopping me from breathing right. It is true, if I get engrossed in something and take my mind off it, I start breathing perfectly, than I'll realise it and start going dodgy again. And once I think I've got one thing wrong with me, I forgt about whatever I previously thought I had.

It's one long road of psychosomatic illnesses.
 
I was diagnosed with anxiety and put on happy pills for a couple of years, but I neglected to tell the doctor I was smoking skunk all day and often taking other illegal drugs too.

It took a psychotic episode during which I became suicidal for the penny to finally drop.. I needed to change.

8 years since I touched any drugs and I feel great, quit smoking 7 years ago, doing well in life (job, partner, hobbies etc.). It took a good 5 years to work through all the stuff that made me turn to drugs in the first place and that was really hard, toughest thing I've ever done, but boy was it worth it :)
 
What do you get anxious about?

I will tell you my experience rather than provide medical advice. Please don't ban my ass mods :(

I used to suffer from lots of anxiety. It was health based around chest pains (for which I feared I was having a heart attack), which then evolved into more general health based anxiety and I'd have panic attacks that I'd die from any random old twinge from in my body, or that I'd somehow swallowed 0.000001ml of bleach and would die after cleaning the bathroom. A few times I'd get anxious for no reason what so ever, it would wake me up at night feeling anxious. It controlled a lot of my life at university a few years ago.

Now however I don't consider myself to have any anxiety. Like you, I also didn't find CBT helpful. I guess it is because of my cynicism and my general "miserable sod-ness", not wanting to trust people. I think what did help me out was finding something specific to do to overcome the anxiety, even if it wasn't a physical / medical solution. For instance, when I feared I was having a heart attack, I was force myself to do jumping jacks, something about as far out of the "comfort zone" response that I originally had when I would get panicky. I found some stretches to do when my chest hurt that had a limited physical effect but a big psychological effect and I associated doing these things with '**** you panic, I'm alive and there isn't anything you can do about it'. Do you have an anti-trigger like these?

Anyway I now don't get anxious even though I still have chest / back pains because of posture and weight. It would seem that constantly doing the above seems to have un- taught the irrational anxiety response that triggers panic attacks.

I also read the forums at http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/forum.php when could feel a panic attack coming. It's pretty active (current 1700 people viewing the Health Anxiety sub forum, even if they are mostly visitors) I'm not sure why it helped- maybe it was the physical distraction or maybe it was knowing I wasn't alone in feeling like it. Maybe you should join the live chat section on a good day and introduce yourself and then people will know who you are on a bad day...
 
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This thread is great, so I hope it stays put!

I suffer with anxiety, whether it be the tingling down the arms, dizziness, palpitations that I am very aware of or anything else that I can fixate on it seems. I've been to the doctor and was offered CBT but the thought of sitting in a room talking to someone one to one when it involves thoughts and feelings really puts a brick wall up to me.

Supermarkets are a massive issue for me, I don't know why but they make me feel really ill - usually within a minute of stepping inside one... makes the weekly shopping impossible for me so I just let her go around on her own (major disadvantage of this is we appear to buy lots of what we don't need each week!)

My main thing currently is fear of death, and primarily now cancer since the passing of my nan who was/is my favourite and most loved relative. I'm not sure whether this is related or not, but I fixate on any lumps bumps or anything else I can feel.

Phate that book looks interesting, so I'll be buying that when I have the chance - thanks for the suggestion. If anyone can offer any advice other than the CBT I'd appreciate it also :)
 
Weirdly all my adult life i would have laughed at people who said there were having a panic attack and like the poster who was joking on the first page told them to calm down.

March 2015 was my first panic attack i actually thought i was dying i didn't even realise what had gone on afterwards i was just exhausted.

The problem was after experiencing one i started feeling anxious every time i woke up like the previous poster mine started with triggers like twinges and chest pains and every time that would happen i would freak out and start having anxiety attacks.

i was prescribed Diazepam and then later on Beta Blockers (which i haven't taken) i did how ever take Diazepam as and when i needed (21 tablets and i still have 3 left)
I walso did the counseling and i think im still having it and was told to do mindful techniques still have no idea what they are or how to do them!

BUT!!!! as of last week i just woke up one day and felt"normal" and only those that have gone through anxiety attacks will know what i mean the only difference was i took a week off work. i', now back at work and touch wood i feel great i still have the thoughts in the back of my mind but they don't seem to trigger anything i've even thought about strokes and heart attacks when having a twinge in my body and nothing has happened.

I still have no idea why they started as i have no social anxiety i was relatively fit (no drinking/smoking) exercised 6 days a week and ate a healthy for the most part.
the worst part of it all was not being able to go to the gym due to the anxiety attacks and also having an anxiety attack while exercising. I'm now looking to slowly get back to my normal routine and hope the best for all the posters who have suffered through the same things.

I know my experience with them was mild compared to most and i can't add anything helpfull other than what i went through. but i just want to say it will get better!
 
dirtybeatfreak said:
Not true, I went countless times in the first year or so and they always attended to me very quickly, sometimes instantly. Most times given a benzodiazepine to settle things down. Felt like a selfish time waster after but at the time, rationality is not something you can control when you are new to it all and 9 times out of 10 you truly believe you are about to pop your clogs. Not fun at all.
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I know the feeling, it sucks ... A LOT! I read on the web hospitals didn't really care, then confirmed it with my doctor. I'm very disappointed with the healthcare .. just seems to be have some diazepam and sod off! :(
 
bainbridge said:
I was diagnosed with anxiety and put on happy pills for a couple of years, but I neglected to tell the doctor I was smoking skunk all day and often taking other illegal drugs too.

It took a psychotic episode during which I became suicidal for the penny to finally drop.. I needed to change.

8 years since I touched any drugs and I feel great, quit smoking 7 years ago, doing well in life (job, partner, hobbies etc.). It took a good 5 years to work through all the stuff that made me turn to drugs in the first place and that was really hard, toughest thing I've ever done, but boy was it worth it :)
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Awesome. Well done you. You are an inspiration.
 
What irritates me about mental health issues like anxiety is that a lot of people juat think that you're putting it on, or that you're lazy. I can't count the amount of times people have said to me "But it's only a meeting, what's the problem?" or "The nightclub will be fun, you just need to relax".

This cartoon sums up stuff like this well - If people treated medical issues like they do mental issues:

sIe3XA3.png
 
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