When Google confuses more than helps understanding Anxiety

Mr_Jesse · ‎18-10-2020

Hi everyone.

I am a pretty healthy and active 59 year old. Life is pretty bloody good. Great kids and grand kids. Amazing wife and a business that has actually grown during covid. My only whinge is I didn't get to spend my 60th in Santorini as planned. A few weeks ago I had a massive panic attack from no where as I put my head down on my pillow to go to sleep. Everything before hand seemed fine. I had only felt this sensation once in my life previously and that's when I had an MRI after suffering transient global amnesia. Jumped out of bed and the feeling was very 'off'. Was then crook in the tummy. I thought this must have been the issue. Bad fish or something. It happened 3 nights in a row. All good during the day and evening but when head went to pillow my world caved in on me. Now during the day I was feeling off. Anxious? Just not right, Can't sleep. Go to Docs. My doc away so see random Doc. I hadn't had a drink for 24 hours so he said alcohol withdrawal and prescribed medication. I read up on this stuff as my brother had suicided whilst taking medication. I was struggling and really not right, Still functioning but 50% not right if you know what I mean. Go to hospital. They have previous CT scan and part MRI and said all good. I have have adrenal gland tests (24 hour urine) etc. Tried for a CT scan and had another panic attack. My doc back and puts me on lorazepam. They work a treat but I am scared of addiction so play with 1/4 tablets etc. I have had numbness left side of neck for several years, comes and goes. End up with bone scans showing inflammation c3 c4 Cervical facet. Trying to get an appointment for Pain Science or Pain West is a huge wait. Asked for at least Radiology to do a cortisone. I guess I am hanging on to hope that something will take this shit feeling away apart from benzodiazepines. That is booked for 26th but going to knock on their door tomorrow to see if any cancellations. My wife just wants her husband back. Can a compressed nerve really bring this on? Google doesn't help with this simple question. Can a compressed or damaged cervical nerve send messages that the brain turns into anxiety or variations of? Sleep now with out medication is not possible and even with this aid it is hit and miss. I guess I am really just throwing this out there. Maybe some one can offer something but if not I will update my progress in the hope that it may help someone else some day. This is at least therapeutic by typing it.

White_Rose · ‎18-10-2020

Hello Mr Jesse

Welcome to the forum, glad you posted in.

You asked, Can a compressed nerve really bring this on? Well I cannot answer your specific situation but I know when I had a compressed nerve in my leg it stopped feeling in my leg and foot for a while. I had to stop wearing support socks which had done the damage. The neurologist make quite extensive tests to determine this. In the end he said he thought the nerve would get better by itself. Very true. I did get sensation back and my foot worked properly but it does come and go even though I no longer wear support socks.

Can all this cause anxiety? In my experience the body is fearfully and wonderfully made and can produce any feeling or emotion it feels appropriate. Having recently experienced a number of anxiety attacks I can appreciate your concern. Mine came out of the blue and they are horrible. I think they were stress related and now that particular stress is going my anxiety is dropping. Unfortunately COVID had a hand in all of this as I was in isolation due to my ill-health. So more anxiety.

Silly though it may sound I also believe good events etc. can produce anxiety. Just the volume of emotion being produced can trigger anxiety. I wonder if having lots of emotion floating around can produce anxiety because we don't know what to do with it. What do you think?

Or maybe something small has been building up for a while. We push down uncomfortable thoughts and emotions and they get stronger. So the brain gets anxious. I suppose I am saying there are all sorts of possibilities linked to anxiety which makes it unpredictable. Treating the symptoms makes sense to me.

I hope this helps.

Mary

Mr_Jesse · ‎19-10-2020

Hi Mary. Thanks for replying. Firstly I am sorry for your anxiety and pleased that things are on the improve. Even defining anxiety vs depression is difficult as it doesn't come in a one size fits all box. A panic attack is easy to define although again can small panic attacks actually be anxiety. I know the big ones are simply horrible and the anxiety/depression feeling debilitating. I also think that lack of control over your own body and feelings is scary. I know I shouldn't feel the way I do and can't find that emotional link that might be the trigger. So now I simply hope that it is a compressed nerve sending the signals to the brain that is being cross wired somewhere. Most doctors I have seen struggle to see a physical link between the inflamed facet joint area and the 'anxiety'. Benzodiazepines work for me so far even in relatively small doses. Ice also appears to help mildly on the neck and when I put a heat pack on there I felt 'off' very quickly. When you feel 'normal' it is no big deal but when that off feeling takes over it becomes almost desperation to find an answer. Strangely enough I want to find out the 'why' almost as much as I want to find the solution. Hopefully this doesn't manifest into it's own anxiety cause 🙂 Take care Mary

Sophie_M · ‎19-10-2020

Hi Mr Jesse and Mary,

Sorry for jumping into this conversation, but I also wanted to raise something that the two of you might find helpful. While there has been a lot of important research being done on the link between physical health and mental health, it can always be hard to narrow down what is 'causing' the other because our emotions and physical sensations are so deeply connected and constantly feeding back into each other.

For example, some research has shown that sometimes we experience signs of physical agitation or fear that can then trigger greater feelings of anxiety and panic, and panic attacks themselves are very physical reactions. What can be hard is that each person's bodies and emotions are different, and so there isn't one solution to how things work, and it can be a process of trying to observe our own physical and emotional reactions to discover what works or doesn't work for us.

Mr_Jesse · ‎19-10-2020

Hi Sophie. Thanks for jumping in 🙂 I think your comments are very valid. We search for solutions through both the medical profession and also through others experiences. Google can be both friend and foe at the same time as we seek validation of the cause of the emotional stress, anxiety or depression. Depending on ones leanings, the cause can be thought to be physical, psychological or a combination, in any order. As one of my doctors put it, a hammer tends to see only nails. I continually search along the cause and effect route yet I also understand that one issue ie my neck cervical facet arthropathy whilst an issue, may have nothing what so ever to do with the sudden panic attacks and ensuing anxiety and 'off' feelings. I guess I am really seeking whether someone else has encountered similar issues under similar circumstance as the validation.

Sophie_M · ‎19-10-2020

Hi Mr Jesse,

You raise a really great point in that using Google, or doing other activities to try and seek validation can a foe if we do it too much, as we are then repeatedly trying to find answers in a situation where there aren't any straightforward answers, and getting frustrated and more anxious by that.

I hope that you will be able to find some support with other people who might have experienced something similar, but that you are able to do your best to take care in the meantime and keep us updated on the situation.