Health Anxiety

[Pete2376]

Any little physical thing that happens to me, I get a panic attack thinking it's the worst and then my heart races and get into a anxiety attack. Small things like a pimple will have me thinking it's leading to cancer etc. Why am I like this. Yes, I've had incredibly heavy period and it did traumatise me but could it be the reason. Is there anything that I can take besides valium that is natural and works instantly to calm me? Please help, need some advice to make me stronger, I am so mentally weak.

[indigo22]

Hi Pete2376,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for reaching out to us.

I'm so sorry you are going through such a difficult time, I am sure it is all very unsettling and disturbing for you.

Very few people understand the effect of trauma on the mind and body, so if you have been traumatised it is likely a large part of the reason you are having these experiences.

Have you consulted your GP or anyone else about what you have been going through? Unfortunately, there is no magic cure but there is help. One thing I have to mention is that we are not able to discuss medication of any kind on the forums so even if one of us knew of something, we would not be able to discuss it, this rule is for everyone's protection. Vitamin supplements and the like are more acceptable for discussion but it is clear you are in need of more help than that.

Please continue this conversation and let's look at what you have already done and what the possibilities are going forward. In the meantime, I can suggest that you have a look through a thread that many community members have contributed to on what has helped them with their anxiety.

https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/anxiety/self-help-tips-for-managing-anxiety/td-p/50482

I can also suggest having a look at a couple of apps that may help you - Smiling Mind & Beyond Now - although I have not used these apps myself, I have heard good feedback on them from members of the community.

I hope this is of some help to you.

Take care,

indigo

[Pete2376]

Hi Indigo, thank you for your response. I've been on antidepressants for quite sometime, I am now feeling they're not as effective anymore, hence the anxiety returned, I don't want to go on a higher dose as it scares me and my gp says they don't want to switch as the one I'm on is the safest. I've used those apps, they didn't help much. The issue is that this only occurs when something physical happens with my health, or if I feel my heart is pumping fast etc, I then get into the panics. I wish I could get the help, I really need it 😢

[indigo22]

Hi again Pete,

I am wondering if the traumatic experience you went through was related to your physical health?

These experiences can become trapped in the body and begin to cause other problems because the body, mind and nervous system are out of balance. Think of it as a clogged drain that needs to be cleared so the flow is restored. There is a type of therapy which is designed to address these trapped emotions and clear them. This type of therapy encompasses the following - Somatic Experiencing - EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique also known as Tapping) - EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming).

There are a growing number of therapists who use one or a combination of these with their patients so it may be worth looking into this as a way forward.

With respect to the medication increase, there is no need to feel afraid. If you are on one of the safest as your GP says, then think of it as a way to get through this difficult patch while you look into other ways of healing yourself. Then you may be in a position where the dose can be cut back again.

I have been dealing with dysthymia and major depression since my teens (now in my 60s) and I went through a very dark period after losing what was left of my family to cancer. My dosage needed to be increased as I was having frequent ideation and it was the only thing that kept my head above water. I later was diagnosed with cancer myself and was able to get through that on my own. I am now cancer free, aside from the help of the dosage increase, I had a very firm mindset that cancer would not take my life as it had with my family. Fear is the enemy of good health so you owe it to yourself to become determined to get well and take the steps that are necessary to do so.

I hope this helps you a little, please let me know your thoughts.

indigo

[Pete2376]

Thanks for your swift reply. You are honestly so nice and helpful! I'm sorry to hear about your family and yourself suffering, cancer is the worst and I would never wish that upon my worst enemy (if I had one lol) I will definitely look into the therapies you mentioned, I never heard of them but excited to look into it ❤️