topic Reaching out for support in Anxiety

Reaching out for support

Coskra — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 04:21:35 GMT

Hello everyone,

I've been snooping around this forum a lot recently and iv decided to come out of the shadows in hopes of support.

I'm going through a kind of anxiety crisis... and I'm just overwhelmed and having difficulty hanging onto hope.

Without going into detail, I had a significant conflict with someone at work about 2-3 months ago that got very ugly. It's really what triggered off my anxiety episode. I just couldn't leave it at work, and was obsessing all the time over and over.... anyway, it passed. Things have settled down Yet this sense of anxiety remained.

I'm second guessing everything I do. I've lost confidence to take action on things in my life. I'd feel like a fraud, a relic, having nothing to offer. I'd convince myself everyone else can see it too... none of this matches reality, and I know that intellectually. Yet, thoughts are there. It's like I'm possessed.

Anyway, a few days ago i had an episode that I've never had before. I guess it was an anxiety attack, although I've never had one before so i cant be sure.

I'd had an OK day. I couldn't really rationalise it. It sorta just happened.

Anyway, i started to feel unwell, and the very center of my chest started to hurt. I'd felt stress pain in my chest on prior occasions, but this was next level. I put on some soft music, laid down, and tried deep breathing to relax. Unfortunately, I was breathing REALLY deeply.... as if i could somehow stretch the chest pain away.... and it got way way worse. Eventually, breathing was really painful in the middle of my sternum. If I laid down on my side, I could hardly breath from the pain. I had to lie on my back, perfectly still, and breath slow and shallow. I relaxed a little, breathing became easier but still painful. I slept like this eventually.

The pain was still there in the morning, but less intense. Its been 3 days. It doesnt hurt to breath now, but the chest pain is still there somewhat. Its most apparent when I lie down, but fades after a few minutes. I've now also developed a tension headache I've had for a few days too.

Saw the Dr yesterday. ECG was fine. Got a mental health care plan, and I'll be seeing professional about this soon.

For now though, I guess I'm wondering if anyone can relate, especially to the chest pain and headaches. Thing is, I don't feel particularly stressed right now, but tension headache and chest pain is there. Its like it lingers. Does that sound weird?

Thanks for reading this far, and for any support possible

Reaching out for support

white knight — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 05:11:48 GMT

Hi, welcome

I think I can help, at least fill in a few gaps on a 24hr a day forum that you can get from professionals when you have to wait for appointments. It's pleasing however that you intend to seek their expertise. Great start.

Explaining to other people your challenges is not going to produce much in terms of understanding. Only 10% will understand and half of them would have had anxiety and know that feeling the other 5% are ultra empathetic, kind souls.

Google

Beyondblue topic they just wont understand why?

Work conflict/stress can be debilitating. In 1987 I went through that. I was diagnosed with a heart attack but it was a faulty ECG. (Great way to stop smoking!) I had to eventually leave my profession and learn from therapy to relax and be realistic, two great improvements in my life.

Beyondblue topic anxiety, how I eliminated it

That thread explains the short and long term strategies that resulted from short and long term ability to overcome anxiety. I'm anxiety free now and loving every day but it took me 22 years of constant relaxation techniques and life changes like employment/career change, environment change, people change like less involvement in clubs and other things that toxicity gather.

Beyondblue topic fortress of survival (workplace)

Add to that some proactive moves like- attending positive thinking motivation lectures, read books on motivation and self esteem, put self esteem or stress into the search engine at the top of this page and many other changes.

Beyondblue topic 30 minutes can change your life

In one session in 1987 my therapist asked me what happened that week. I told him about worry. Worried my boss (who I disputed with) could knock on my door or that my goat would eat my neighbours prized roses, or my wife would leave me. Then he said "how many of those things ended up occurring"? "None" was my answer and my first lesson on being realistic and not letting my mind worry over the unlikely. So ask yourself "am I being realistic"...if not then move onto distraction of your mind. Search "distraction" in the search above.

I'm living proof of curing anxiety. Like you I'm also determined and never in denial about my capacity to overcome these challenges. You family will thankyou for your efforts once you recover to the relaxed person you once was.

So be proud that you are making the effort.

Beyondblue topic the best praise you'll ever get

I hope that helps. Repost anytime here in in any of those threads you google.

TonyWK

Reaching out for support

Coskra — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 13:16:13 GMT

Hi Tony.

Thanks for taking the time to write this reply for me mate. I googled the threads you suggested and found them all quite thought provoking.

Can I ask. When you had your false heart attack, what exactly happened? How did it feel for you? How long did it last? This is sort of what happened to me I think.

It encourages me to hear you worked you're way out of anxiety (way to go!), even if it took 15 years hard work. Hell I'm 33, and it took this long to screw me up this far.

If I'm honest, iv never really entertained completely eliminating my excessive anxiety. Right now I'm focused on managing this intense, acute episode I'm struggling with.... The chest pain, headaches, fogginess, lack of concentration... Mostly physical symptoms really.... I just worry I'll never return to my normal, more manageable levels of worry.

Maybe this is a good opportunity to set the goal post higher? 😊

Many thanks anyway

Reaching out for support

white knight — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 00:41:01 GMT

Hi Coskra,

Sorry for taking a while- internet issues.

My diagnosis of heart attack shocked me so much I gave up smoking. It seems that a panic attack mirrors a heart attack and the clinics diagnosis was from the irregular ECG. Open and shut case at the time.

Three months later I was booked in to the Epsworth hospital in Melbourne. I was on a walking treadmill with all those wires coming off my chest, sensors. 20 minutes of uphill fast walking. That period of time was set as during that time your blood pressure goes up then sharply drops before stabilizing a little higher. If that up, drop, then up again doesn't occur then the heart has been damaged due to an actual heart attack.

At the end of the test the doctor told me my heart was fine, it was not damaged and I experienced a panic attack. Talk about a relief! That reprieve was the catalyst in my enthusiasm to eliminate anxiety so I never have a panic attack again. So I set a plan of short, medium and long term strategies which I highly recommend.

The muscle tensioning exercises I still do every night before sleep. That also helps me sleep- a lot as my heart rate drops significantly. Short terms things like deep breathing can be done anywhere, youTube videos like Maharaji Prem Rawat can be listened to going to and from work. Medium strategies like changing living arrangements (like closer to a country environment), career and workplace changes etc and of course ridding your life of toxic people.

Finally, I realized some time ago I used to get some anxious feeling I put down to anxiety but was actually adrenalin. So, symptoms of anxiety can be complex for us that only go by the affects with limited medical knowledge.

Repost anytime.

TonyWK

Reaching out for support

Anxietyprone — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 11:16:30 GMT

Hey coskra, your post resonated with me. I'm 33 also and have had on off anxiety for about 10 years.
Every thing you said symptoms wise sound like my anxiety.

My spells last for about 2 weeks and the chest pain and the churning stomach stay pretty constant the way through. These forums help cause they show people going through the same thing. Are you over thinking and having some irrational thoughts?

Reaching out for support

contrarymary — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 11:58:46 GMT

Hi I can resonate with this especially the chest pain mine comes and goes it's worse if I am by myself. I am of the gp tomorrow and going to insist on some help with my mental health. I have not experienced any headaches