Anxiety or something more?

Question

Okay, so I have this constant fear of being pregnant. I mean, all the time. I had sex in October '06 and have had trouble with this ever since. I have been on the pill since I was 17 and when I did have sex we used a condom with spermicide. Now everytime I get a week away from getting my period I get all freaked out and start thinking about being pregnant. I get crampy/fluttery feelings in my abdomen (I'm assumming this is due to stress/anxiety) and feel rather bloated. I talked with my doctor and I swear I've taken a million HPTs and they are all negative.
I just got a promotion in my job that produces a lot of stress, as well. I wake up and fall asleep thinking about work and all I have to do. I work a 40 hr weeks job and go to college for 9 hours a week at night.
Should I talk to my doctor about anxiety trouble? Or should I be looking for a psychiatrist?

BTW, I haven't had any missed periods. . .

Answer 1

Hello,

I'm sorry you are bothered by this recurring fear, which sounds like it's severe enough to be classified as a phobia. A phobia is an unrealistic fear which has no basis in reality, and which you recognize as unnecessary, "ridiculous" or excessive for the circumstances. If you have taken all the precautions you mention, there is almost no chance at all you could be pregnant.
Of course, the best prevention of an unwanted pregnancy is sexual abstinence. However, if you are or decide to become sexually active, use of condoms with spermidice, or non-vaginal penetration sex (such as oral sex, manual sex, use of toys, etc.) are your next best choices. However, in addition to wanting to avoid an undesired pregnancy, you also need to be aware of the risk of you and/or your partner receiving or giving a sexually transmitted illness. Again, abstinence or condom use, or "safer sex" options are your best protections.
If you are absolutely certain that you never want to bear children, you could consider a tubal ligation (which VERY RARELY do not work), or your long-term partner/husband could consider a vasectomy (whidh VERY RARELY do not work). Such surgical interventions are usually considered to be non-reversible and should be undergone only after a great deal of thought and talk between you and your partner. After such surgery, there is little if any need for use of such things as condoms (EXCEPT to limit your changes of giving or getting a sexually transmitted disease).
In truth, I believe you have most likely answered your own question. You seem to obsessively worry about pregnancy even with what could be considered rather extreme precautions. Anxiety, whether acute or chronic (such as a new job or promotion) can cause hormonal changes in your body, which can cause changes in your normal menstrual cycle, which could reinforce your phobic worry, which could start a vicious cycle of stress changing your hormonal levels, which will change your menstruation, which will make you more anxious, etc. Also, for some women, a "normal" menstrual cycle is not 100% regular and clock-work predictable.
I would suggest several things to you. First, you should contact your primary care physician and ask him/her for a complete physical examination with various blood tests, possibly abdominal and/or pelvic MRI scans to rule out such things as tumors, ovarian cysts, poly-cystic ovary disease, endometriosis (which can also interfere with normal menstruation and can imitate pregnancy as well as emotional conditions such as anxiety disorders), or other possible physical bases for your experienced feelings.
If, after such an exam and studies, you may wish to consult your OB-GYNE MD and have a thorough external and internal examination to rule out other possible physical causes for your symptoms.
If, after this, if everything medically is normal, I would strongly suggest you contact a qualified counselor and/or psychiatrist. If you do have an anxiety disorder (and there are many types), you may well benefit from various forms of therapy, skills building to cope better with stress, to learn to externalize your stress rather than allowing it to come out in physical signs/symptoms. You may also be helped by one or more psychoactive medications designed to reduce anxiety and stress (in conjunction with those techniques you learn in therapy), such as various anti-depressants (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, Wellbutrin, etc.) or benzodiazepines (Ativan, Xanax, Valium, Librium, Buspar, Tranxene), or even plain old anti-histamines (Benadryl, Vistaril).
If, by chance, you are the survivor of trauma, especially physical and/or sexual abuse, your phobia and your presenting signs/symptoms could well be a manifestation of that trauma. So if you do talk to a doctor (of any kind) or a counselor, please be open and honest with them. There are many trauma recovery techniques, skills, and specially trained counselors who could be of great assistance. Good luck to you, and please do begin the process of overcoming this problem.

Answer 2

I do not recommend medication because it will not solve your problem, only suppress it so it can pop out in another form, perhaps in a process happening within your body that you will not notice until it is too late. As for anxiety attacks, I had an acquaintance who was in the same situation. I did not help her because she refused help, but I have some strange methods to deal with this. It sounds as if there are no tremendous problems in your life, but I'm only assuming from the "suffer from attacks of anxiety for no apparent reason" quote. It would be helpful for you to seek an opportunity where you can focus on other people in third world countries, perhaps volunteering to distribute malaria relief or food, even. When you're dealing with a real crisis, sometimes these things take the backdrop and leave you alone. On the other hand, pressure can mount higher and you'll find yourself worse off, but I doubt this.

Answer 3

I looked this up in my medical manual and there's is no means substantial medical attention for this predicament as there is none. It's all in "Your Head" You sound like a well established, &
above itelligent girl, you are doing 3 X what the normal girl would do after a sexual encounter and commend you for that girlfriend,
but something has put either been put into r mind that either sex
is a dirty thing or pregnacy is your destiny! You don't need a pill u
need a physciatrist to reasure you you're doing everything right &
you being anxiousness is not warrented justifiably. You get all worked up, stress yourself, take r mind of work, waste money on
HPT's etc! I don't know what happened r why r feeling this way,
but DO know a pill isn't going to help, you need to get something
off your chest why r so parinoid of pregnancy, sex, or whatever it
maybe? You are such a level headed person, but this is by all means out of the normal, so please don't cover it up with a pill, u
have to get it out!!!
Best of Luck,
Summer

Answer 4

Hi there, I just laugh about my past 3 years of panic now. I was not able to go anywhere without carrying xanax. Fear of having another attack was the most important subject of my days.When i first found joe barry's web site i started to cry because of my happiness.

Free audio to end anxiety and panic attacks fast?

Answer 5

Just anxiety. If you can't find a way to make yourself relax, talk with your doctor.

Answer 6

I think you should get counseling. With all the precautions you are taking your chances of getting pregnant are nil.