Anxiety? What can I do?

Question

Here we go. When I am at work or, out during the day I feel fine, but when I am sitting still at home or have any time to think I am constantly checking my pulse or feeling chest pains, not bad ones just noticeable. I constantly worry about dying and I'm 28, when I do check my pulse it is normal and steady, but in my head it is beating irratically. Like I said before this only happens at night or when I am driving or have time to sut and think, I may be driving along and then feel my left arm start to hurt, or go numb but I don't think it really is. What can I do? When I do take a zanax or other kind of anxiety med I am fine. This is really starting to bother me. My father in law just passed away, I just transfered with my job, and a long list of other things that out of the norm. I believe that I have reason to be anxious. However I don't have many signs of anxiety just a few. Sorry I have kind of rambled! The feeling that I am going to have a herat attack, and dread changing me.

Answer 1

Sounds like my ex... Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax or Ativan, can be highly addictive. I was on Klonopin for panic attacks.

You are under a lot of stress and your symptoms sound like you're worried about having a panic attack. Exercise can greatly reduce depression and anxiety. (I know this from experience... I was part of a depression study at Duke and exercise was more effective than therapy for me, which was getting me nowhere.)

Answer 2

I'm looking at some of the changes you described, like your father in-law passing away, and the new job, and I think this does have alot to do with the anxiety. It's possible you need to slow your life down a little bit. When my father died, I kept myself busy as much as possible; in fact, rather than being in a state of grief, I was more in a state of shock for a pretty long time. There's also another possibility here: you may be becoming slightly "obsessed" with your health, namely, the condition of your heart. I've actually experienced this before. I was constantly short of breath, would have chest pains and so on. Noticing it is one thing, but monitoring it and allowing it to worry you is quite another. You have 2 options: you can either go to a doctor and have it checked out, or, if you feel confident that your heart is probably okay, you can ignore it and work towards not letting it bother you. My guess is that the death of someone close to you is sub-consciously causing your brain to generate obsessions with your personal health, most of which are probably irrational. Though the obsessions are irrational, your mind accepts them as truth because of the anxious response you have to them. Then, every time you have a similar anxious response in the future, it reinforces the "importance" of the thought, which causes your mind to fixate on it even more. Here's the science behind it: all the stress you've endured over the past has possibly caused your brain to expend most of its serotonin supply . The solution? Don't think I'm nuts, just try this: boost the serotonin in your brain and regulate your blood sugar by eating one or two bananas EVERY DAY. I've been doing this for about 3 weeks now, and I'm noticing positive results....it's hard for me to even believe it! Also, release stress by exercising for at least 30 minutes every day, and get as much sunlight as possible. Both of these things cause your brain to produce serotonin, and you'll notice after a few weeks that you worry MUCH less, sleep alot better, and just feel better in general.

Answer 3

Perhaps you should talk to a specialist which I am not.

Here is 1 cent worth! All the changes in your life is causing the extra stress, it seems - so it should be a temporary problem that you just need a handle on.

Listen to music. Music has a therapeutic value.

As you said yourself, when busy you don't have the problem so, read a book, study something that keep your mind busy or start a hobby that'll do that: Knitting, crocheting, macrame, etc.

(sorry: on the answer mode, I cannot see your profile. I forget if you were male or female, so if I got the wrong hobbies posted, please make some up yourself - no need to re-edit!)

On occasion I ask God in prayer for help with disturbing, wrong, sinful thoughts and ask for his comfort. This must be done in Jesus Christ name. (don't know if prayer appeals to you) Such prayers may be granted on a per case basis. God listens to righteous people's prayers. Even so, if the problem is severe, one might have to repeat praying every 10 min or so.

My next suggestion is not flip, it is something that I know works and I am not trying to insult you. If you have thoughts that chase you, you sometimes have to tell yourself that this is insane (sorry for the word, but you're talking to yourself, right) to keep having these thoughts and then try to change what you think about. That and prayer helps.

That's about all for that one cents worth. Hope you get better!
If you have speakers on your computer, here is a really nice link to Celtic southing music. Try Celtic Highway II - it's free!

http://radio.about.com/od/irishradio/Irish_Celtic_Music_Online.htm

Answer 4

Social anxiety can cause these feelings, which can also lead to severe depression,
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ds...

if not you could be suffering from Generalized Anxiety
Disorder..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/general_anx...

There is hope; I've been there, and still am there, it is a long, hard struggle. I recommend
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_b... worked best for me, with mild anti-anxiety meds. I suffered from social anxiety for over 15 years. I've tried individual therapy, and group therapy and studied psychology for 10 years, as a profession, but also with the hope to cure myself.

Depending on your comfort level, you could go to a psychologist that practices CBT and specializes in anxiety disorders, seek a group therapy, or create one. Usually those that do attend the group therapy are a bit more high functioning because as you know, it can be difficult to speak in a group.

Another idea is to see if there are any local research studies being conducted that you could participate in.

The program that finally worked the best for me is this one: http://www.socialanxiety.us/findinghelp.... and I was lucky enough to have a structured behavioral group to go along with it. Sometimes the people that actually attend this program come back home and form groups.

I recommend a mild anti-anxiety med in addition to CBT therapy.

Any questions, let me know ... I can't tell you how much this has improved my life!

Answer 5

I was exactly like this a few years ago, i was checking my pulse like 20 times a day, and every little twinge i felt in my body i thought was some life threatening disease. My doctor prescribed clonazapam to be taken when I felt anxious, but instead, I quit eating any sugar, do not have any caffeine and began exercising every day, even if it is just a walk. And it has been 4 years and I have had a few moments of a bit of mild anxiety, but I have felt soooo great, I haven't taken any medication for 4 years.

Answer 6

We all have feelings of anxiety from time to time. But how can you tell if your anxiety is out of control? If you experience restlessness,nervousness, bad temper, racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, extreme difficulty resting or concentrating, you probably need to get help.

Anxiety can also put significant physical stress on the cardiovascular system through increased blood pressure, and a consistently rapid heart rate. For this reason alone, anxiety disorder should be taken seriously.

There are a number of treatment options. Prescription drugs are customarily are offered for such illnesses. Prescription drugs like zanax have side effects when used over a longer period of time.

You may try a harmless but effective herbal/natural remedy for your anxiety problem. I have been using 'PureCalm' for my anxiety issues. This remedy does work for me. No harm in trying since it does not carry the side effects of a prescription medicine.

Another option is Hypnosis. This easy treatment method can help you to get back control and improve many areas of your life. Learning relaxation techniques is one of the best methods of relieving stress and anxiety. Hypnotherapy for anxiety and stress helps you to feel relaxed and enables you to deal with stressful situations.

For further reading visit the following source;

Answer 7

Well you will not have a heart attack at that age. You probably just make yourself anxious. Also, you probably have hypochondra or anxiety disorder to some extent. I can relate to what you are going through. I also have an unhealthy fear of dying and I am also overly sensitive to my body. This also happens to be when I am sitting around have a lot of time to think. Xanax seems to help. But you should also try to keep yourself busy. Try doing things that you enjoy to distract you. This often helps. If need be, talk to your doctor/therapist

Answer 8

See your doctor. One he will confirm that it is panic, depression, or heart issues. If it is panic, most likely he /she will prescribe Paxil, Wellbutrin, or some other medication. In severe cases, other meds may be prescribed for intense episodes.
Remember that this is not your fault and that panic is generally caused by chemical imbalances brought about by stress. You have been through a bad time and can't expect to be able to shrug it off. Even tough guys have this problem...only they confront it with alcohol or violence so they don't appear weak.
I have been there...I'm there now. I began having the same symptoms as you are experiencing 6 months ago. Go to your doctor...it will get better.

Answer 9

It sounds like the same prob. my husband had. You have anxiety with panic attacks. You need to see a doctor, and see if you can get some zanax to help you deal with this. Just tell the doctor exactally how you feel, and he will know how to treat your problem. Many people have this same problem, it is ok.

Answer 10

Sound like your life right now is a spot where theese things are going to overwhelm you. STRESS does all theese things to you. You should try getting a massage regularly to eliminate some of the stress. I'v gone through a similar stage before and the one and only best thing I can tell you is that if you believe in him GIVE IT TO GOD!