Is this anxiety

[bella1]

Hi everyone,

This is the first time I have ever written something on an online forum. I am struggling with some newly diagnosed anxiety because how do I know it's anxiety? To give you a history I had an episode while I was driving 6 months ago where I felt very strange, lightheaded and like my arms weren't working properly even though they were. At the time it was very frightening because I had my 3 children in the car and was taken to ED in an ambulance. I was told I was having a panic attack which I vehemently denied as I'd never suffered any kind of anxiety or panic. They eventually told me that it wasn't a panic attack but was rather caused by low haemoglobin which was so low I required a transfusion. For the next 6 months I felt completely fine until early April the exact same thing happened again requiring another visit to ED. This time it was attributed to a severe ear infection. Since that ear infection I have felt dizzy on and off and completely strange. It's a weird feeling that I find difficult to describe but I either become a bit dizzy or feel a bit strange all over and then I feel completely panicked like I might die. I have managed to convince myself that I have a brain tumor and have presented to the GP twice very distressed. She has diagnosed me with anxiety because all my bloods were fine. My question is, how do I know it's not something more serious. I had 2 nights last week where I kept waking feeling completely panicked even though I was happily asleep prior. A night where I was too scared to go to bed in case it happened again and quite a few mornings where I wake up feeling very odd. One day I was too scared to get out of bed until the feeling passed. While this is happening I feel very panicked but once it's passed I feel almost normal and wonder what I was worrying about. Today I woke up feeling great, had a very busy morning but when I finally got home I all of a sudden had a weird pressure behind my eyes and nose, then felt a bit off balance and a bit not quite right. Eventually the feeling mostly passed but while I was chatting to a friend picking my daughter up from school I had a strange feeling come over me like my arm was weak even though it wasn't and then a rush came over me, my legs felt like they might give way but they didn't. I've also developed a bit of a headache which I don't normally suffer from over the last week. I'm really worried and am thinking about requesting a brain scan, mostly because these symptoms just appear all of a sudden. It's not like I'm worrying over anything when they happen. I have a real fear that I'm going to faint and my children will be frightened.  How do I really know that this is anxiety?  Can anyone else relate to these symptoms?

[white knight]

Dear Bella,  thankyou or posting on this forum.

Your question is a tough one. I think you need professional advice but I can let you know what symptom my anxiety gave me 25 years ago when it came.

Unlike your state of mind my first symptom came during heated arguments with my boss then a pain in the chest arrived. Then shallow breathing.  After a few days came the obsession to fight against the bosses decisions (which were immoral) and that involved correspondence to other department heads etc.  But that obsession could have come from other traits and bipolar etc rather than anxiety. I simply dont know.

Your anxiety may have totally different symptoms under totally different conditions.  Hence further consultations should be pursued IMO.   Good luck there.