Health anxiety and dying

[Dreaming24]

Just writing down my thoughts I’m hoping will help me gain some rational clarity on my anxious feelings. I’m really looking for support and positive stories!

I have suffered from health anxiety my entire life, especially surrounding my heart. I’m 25 years old and when I was 12 I had an echocardiogram to check out my heart as I told my mum I was suffering palpitations. All was good.

On and off my entire life I have gone through stages where I feel such terrible physical feelings that I struggle to explain to anyone but I feel like I am dying. Heart flutters, big heart jumps or beats, head buzzes and feelings of being out of it, and just a sense of something wrong inside of me I can’t explain like a pain or a sensation I can’t put my finger on.

I am going through a terrible stage now where I am convinced I have a serious heart issue and am dying. Every single day I believe I am having a heart attack or am going to pass out from a serious arrhythmia.

I see a psychologist but have run out of mental health plan discount and struggle to see her more than monthly because of the cost.

I have never been on medication for my anxiety and am seriously considering it now.

I faced my fear and went to the doctors the other day and organised to get a Holter moniter to check my heart once and for all.

The issue is I can’t get in for another week and I’m convinced I’m going to die before next week. I am struggling every day, especially when I’m at home with time to think. The physical feelings are so overwhelming I’m ready to take myself to hospital but they always eventually pass until the next time.

Has anyone else thought they had heart issues that they’ve found out to be okay?

How do you cope with the overwhelming feelings when everything seems so terrible?

[Dreaming24]

Just thought I would drop in with how the last week or so has been. I made it to my appointment! It was such a tough week but I survived even if I could only take it hours or days at a time.

I was so nervous for the Holter monitor but it actually made me feel safer having it on knowing everything was being recorded. I was beside myself having to come back for the results the next day though. One of the toughest things as my mind gets carried away and I had convinced myself I had an arrhythmia.

Whilst the cardiologist hasn’t checked the results yet, the doctor looked at it all and said they don’t see any issues or anything they would be concerned about. They said they wanted me to have an echocardiogram just to be sure though.

Luckily they could get me in right then! So I ended up having an echocardiogram as well and the results for that haven’t officially come back yet either but the lady said she didn’t see anything abnormal either and it all looked perfectly fine.

It’s amazing what anxiety can do to your body. I’m feeling so much better but need time for my body to recover from the last few weeks of terror I’ve put it through.

It’s good to look back and acknowledge how far you have come. The week I didn’t think I would make it through is over. I’m feeling positive and a lot better even though I know I have a lot of work to do to be mentally stronger.

There is hope 🙂

[Teufel666]

Welcome to the club. I am convicened i have a blood clot in my head. it's not nice. you need to get on some anti depressants. demand them. just remember life is unfair accept your fate. listen to some music chill out. chill with friends take your mind of that shit go exercise. go make money. see i find this interesting.. more stress you've less you think about it. good luck.

[affirmlive]

Hello everyone,

As I went through the thread it seems to be such interesting and helpful to one who is depressed and dying for help. I'm here to help you out and focus on few of the daily affirmations sentences.

Try to think of something that makes you feel happy and positive.
Now, say the affirmation sentence out loud to yourself.
Focus on the words and keep repeating it until you start feeling it and feel a sense of encouragement in you.
Lastly, try to visualize how it could be if your affirmations become real.

The words will help but you also need to believe what you are saying. 

[Rhino1]

hello i just saw this post and i know its from 2019 but this is me all over you pretty much explained how i feel all the time i couldnt belive the similarities. i have chest pain all the time and doc says im ok but i have been a chronic smoker of weed and i think it is causing my chest pain and its probably something to do with my lungs i am guessing but a spirometry and ecg say i am ok. i have had all the anxiety tablets and they just make me feel sick from side effects. i just know i am going to die becuse no 1 belives me. i am so alone and scared of dying i dont want the chest pain anymore. i wish there was help but my doc told me there is nothing can be done till i go down.

[Sophie_M]

Hi Rhino1,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us here. We're sorry to hear of the chronic chest pain you experience and your feelings of fear and anxiety as a result. Can we ask if you are receiving mental health support for these concerns?

Please do feel free to contact the Beyond Blue Support Service anytime on 1300 22 4636 or get in touch with us on Webchat 3pm-12am AEST here: www.beyondblue.org.au/getsupport. One of the friendly counsellors can offer you some support but also provide you with advice and referrals for seeing a counsellor in a more ongoing way if this is something you feel would be beneficial.