Coping With Panicked Thoughts And Catastrophic Thinking

[Stanlee14]

Hello All!

Im new, hope this is in the right section. I was hoping to start a general conversation about managing panicked thinking and catastrophic thoughts. I was diagnosed with GAD, Depression and PTSD many years ago but have managed to cope for the most part for many years. However in the last eight months my anxiety has begun to change into what my phycologist believes is a panic disorder. Most of my anxieties are health related as I live with a chronic illness. It is also important to note that despite a vague dizziness which started about 2 and half months ago, which I have seen multiple GP's and specialists about (who have so far found nothing) My doctors assure me I'm in remarkable health and as healthy as I've ever been. Although this would be reassuring for many it has done nothing to ease my worried mind. For months I have been constantly stressing and fearing the worst (almost as if I'm expecting my health to fail me). My days of late have consisted of running through various scenarios of possible things that could go wrong (my strange and sudden dizziness has not helped this). Back on track though I imagine I can't be the only one here that have battled their own heads like this and wanted to see if any one out have had similar problems and if any one out there has any advice on how to stop/manage catastrophic thinking.

Cheers!

[Skary Bill]

Hi Stanlee

What is it with human brains.. Faced with a lack of information they always conjure the worst possible scenarios. Sadly, I can't help with the battle strategy as I'm still working on that too. But I did have a thought about the dizziness.

Can I ask, have you identified any particular scenario where the feeling is prevalent? Like looking up or laying down etc? It's just that I went through some dizzy spells myself recently, and they turned out to be for completely minor and treatable reasons.

Cheers,

Bill.

[Tugboat]

Hi Stanlee,

I to suffer from health anxiety! I have done for about 30 years and regardless of the drs results I still worry there is something else wrong. I currently had a fall and bruised badly which has resulted in a lump in my beast and bang.... panic even though I have had I checked it’s ok but they want to keep an eye on it, so I have another ultra sound in March, panic panic my mind goes crazy. I do find the best thing is to keep as busy as possible, which is hard some days. I try not to be harsh on myself for feeling this way it is what it is atm.

[Stanlee14]

Hey Bill

Thanks for the reply, ha as my phycologist says, the human brain is both amazing and scary. It has the power to overcome pain and manifest pain out of nothing. I think perhaps its not understanding how it does it but pin pointing why its doeing it. Then maybe we can react logically.

In regards to the dizziness its a rather long story. Strangly it seemed to start with the increase of my antidepressant .I wont go into too much detail as im pretty sure thats not the problem. However they treated me for a possable overdose as they had put me on the highest dossage of the medication.

After endless tests and checks this gp who i dont normally see took me off it completely...BAD IDEA. I then suffered from withdrawalls for two weeks until they put me back on it. Long story short i have since been put back on my normal dose and a month later im still suffering from spells of this. My normal gp has booked me in to see an ENT has he thinks it could be some form of vertigo.

Im not so sure At this time I think it May be one of three things either blood pressure although it has always been perfect, my gp has said it could be sinus related as i had surgery on them years ago but have started to have problems with or I also have shoulder and neck problems. The dizziness is difficult to predict, I never feel like Im going to fall over but sometimes I just find myself stumbling and at its worst I get spells were it feels like im rocking on a boat however it comes and goes. My phcologist has also suggested it could be anxiety related as mundane as that sounds I know it is common with others on the forum.

In regards to a scenario that affects the dizziness the increase of my anxiety is the only thing that definately affects it, it is also worst when walking or moving my head looking up-down ect.

Stan

[Stanlee14]

Hey Tugboat

I know how you feel health anxiety is the worst and unfortunatly comes with living with a chronic illness. I have short bowel syndrome which came from a birth defect.I lost most of my small bowel at birth. After a pretty tough start to life, about 12 surgeries and bucket full of complications during which I also lost my mother some how i came out the other side and grew into a Young adult.

Dispite all the odds for the last ten years my health has been remarkably stable and my doctors assure me im more healthy than most! But like I said this dosn’t Seem to ease my worries. With all ive been through as you can imagine to my Friends, family and doctors I seem as tough as they come, so when I tell them I suffer from crippling anxieties and depression they can hardly believe it. Proof that the Black dog dosn’t discriminate.

Unfortunatly the human brain is fine tuned to find patterns and when all you’ve known is the worst it comes to expect it and even starts look for it even when its not there. But you are a right about keeping busy ive found it to be a very usefull tool myself.

The Brain amazing but scary.

I wish you all the Best!

Stan