Help really bad anxiety

[Grey dolphin333]

what did your doc have to say, gd333?

I’m being referred but I don’t know how long that takes I’m scared I don’t know what to do I can’t eat or sleep I’m so scared

 

[matisworried]

I’m being referred but I don’t know how long that takes I’m scared I don’t know what to do I can’t eat or sleep I’m so scared

being referred to what? what did your doctor actually tell you and why are they referring you?

 

[Grey dolphin333]

being referred to what? what did your doctor actually tell you and why are they referring you?

To the respiratory department so scared

 

[matisworried]

To the respiratory department so scared

may i ask why you were referred? did your anxiety have anything to do with it?

 

[Grey dolphin333]

may i ask why you were referred? did your anxiety have anything to do with it?

Partly but also because she just wants to make sure i just don’t how long these things take and I’m scared

 

[matisworried]

Partly but also because she just wants to make sure i just don’t how long these things take and I’m scared

ok... try to take a deep breath... if she suspected anything serious, your anxiety wouldn't have any bearing on the referral. i suspect the referral was made in large part to ease your mind, especially given the fact that they've already done standard diagnostic testing and everything was completely normal.

this is a trap folks like us fall in to all too frequently:

you go to the doctor because you're sure you're dying. they tell you you're fine. they probably even do some routine labs, take x-rays, etc. you leave the office cautiously reassured. you go home and the what-ifs start to creep in to your brain. before you know it, your anxiety is back... and it's probably worse. you find new symptoms or your original symptoms "get worse" so you go back to the doctor. your anxiety is very apparent to the doc as is the fact that you've resorted to googling symptoms. they probably also know that anything short of a referral to a specialist or an order for some expensive test will just land you back in their office in a few days. maybe a few weeks... so they give you the referral you asked for or hinted at because they know it's the only thing that'll ease your mind. they might even be doing it because they don't want to deal with you anymore. you're briefly relieved you have the referral and will get an answer once and for all... but after the initial high, you start freaking out about it. you think to yourself "if the dr thought i was fine, he wouldn't have referred me. they know something and aren't telling me because they don't want to alarm me." extreme panic sets in. this is only exasperated by the fact that referrals to specialists tend to involve long waits and the potential for multiple appointment to get to the bottom of the issue that will turn out to be something minor (like a pulled muscle) or anxiety.

like I've said... and others have said... if you had lung cancer or something serious like that, you'd have way more serious symptoms.

 

[Grey dolphin333]

ok... try to take a deep breath... if she suspected anything serious, your anxiety wouldn't have any bearing on the referral. i suspect the referral was made in large part to ease your mind, especially given the fact that they've already done standard diagnostic testing and everything was completely normal.

this is a trap folks like us fall in to all too frequently:

you go to the doctor because you're sure you're dying. they tell you you're fine. they probably even do some routine labs, take x-rays, etc. you leave the office cautiously reassured. you go home and the what-ifs start to creep in to your brain. before you know it, your anxiety is back... and it's probably worse. you find new symptoms or your original symptoms "get worse" so you go back to the doctor. your anxiety is very apparent to the doc as is the fact that you've resorted to googling symptoms. they probably also know that anything short of a referral to a specialist or an order for some expensive test will just land you back in their office in a few days. maybe a few weeks... so they give you the referral you asked for or hinted at because they know it's the only thing that'll ease your mind. they might even be doing it because they don't want to deal with you anymore. you're briefly relieved you have the referral and will get an answer once and for all... but after the initial high, you start freaking out about it. you think to yourself "if the dr thought i was fine, he wouldn't have referred me. they know something and aren't telling me because they don't want to alarm me." extreme panic sets in. this is only exasperated by the fact that referrals to specialists tend to involve long waits and the potential for multiple appointment to get to the bottom of the issue that will turn out to be something minor (like a pulled muscle) or anxiety.

like I've said... and others have said... if you had lung cancer or something serious like that, you'd have way more serious symptoms.

Thanks I’m just finding it hard to cope because I’m so scared I don’t have any help at the moment and I just the thing that scares me the most is the What if it is that And the fact that this back pain won’t go away I just don’t know what it could be or how to make it go away I don’t know if u have any suggestions what it could be or what to use it’s just scaring me because I don’t know what it is ive Got pain at the top my spine and both shoulder blades when taking deep breaths so basically my upper back I just want to get this solved and get better

 

[matisworried]

Thanks I’m just finding it hard to cope because I’m so scared I don’t have any help at the moment and I just the thing that scares me the most is the What if it is that And the fact that this back pain won’t go away I just don’t know what it could be or how to make it go away I don’t know if u have any suggestions what it could be or what to use it’s just scaring me because I don’t know what it is ive Got pain at the top my spine and both shoulder blades when taking deep breaths so basically my upper back I just want to get this solved and get better

i know it's hard, but you need to stop thinking about the what ifs. i mean... what if you got struck by lightning today? or hit by a car? lots of bad things can happen at any time... but it is worth worrying about all of it? no way.

now look at the odds: first, getting lung cancer under the age of 40 regardless of whether you smoke or not is considered "rare." if you're under 21 it's considered "very rare." if you're a non-smoker, the odds are even rarer still. even if you ARE a smoker, only 10-15% of smokers get lung cancer and the average age of diagnosis is 70. most smokers die from other smoking-related diseases (like copd, heart disease, etc.)

to continue with that train of thought, what are the odds of pulling a muscle in your back? especially if you live a sedentary lifestyle? did you know it's one of the most common reasons for people to visit a doctor? I'd say the odds of you pulling a muscle are thousands of times higher.

I've got back AND neck issues and when things acts up, sometimes i can barely turn my head and the act of standing up is so painful that i almost black out. when i have issues, it can take weeks or even months for them to resolve. why? because those muscles are constantly being used and stressed. why does it hurt when you breathe? you likely pulled a muscle close to your lungs that's getting irritated every time you take a deep breath... and since you can't not breathe, it takes a lot longer to heal. your anxiety is only making things worse because you're hyper-focused on it and that only intensifies what you're feeling.

 

[Akenn]

i know it's hard, but you need to stop thinking about the what ifs. i mean... what if you got struck by lightning today? or hit by a car? lots of bad things can happen at any time... but it is worth worrying about all of it? no way.

now look at the odds: first, getting lung cancer under the age of 40 regardless of whether you smoke or not is considered "rare." if you're under 21 it's considered "very rare." if you're a non-smoker, the odds are even rarer still. even if you ARE a smoker, only 10-15% of smokers get lung cancer and the average age of diagnosis is 70. most smokers die from other smoking-related diseases (like copd, heart disease, etc.)

to continue with that train of thought, what are the odds of pulling a muscle in your back? especially if you live a sedentary lifestyle? did you know it's one of the most common reasons for people to visit a doctor?

I've got back AND neck issues and when things acts up, sometimes i can barely turn my head and the act of standing up is so painful that i almost black out. when i have issues, it can take weeks or even months for them to resolve. why? because those muscles are constantly being used and stressed. why does it hurt when you breathe? you likely pulled a muscle close to your lungs that's getting irritated every time you take a deep breath... and since you can't not breathe, it takes a lot longer to heal. your anxiety is only making things worse because you're hyper-focused on it and that only intensifies what you're feeling.

Yes I agree. I was super focused on my heart. I developed health anxiety from a health scare. Our minds tend to wonder in thousand different what ifs. It made me much worse. Now when I get the chest pain I have to tell myself they already checked my heart and they said I'm fine. Of course I have relapses in my thoughts and I start worrying again. My back started acting up which doesn't worry me too much even though its painful as you said because I had these problems before. I know its probably flare due to being under higher stress. Thank you I really can relate to what you posted. A week ago I was still with constant worrying and made me very sick. This week in a different state of mind which hasn't helped my back but helped other issues I was having from worrying.

 

[matisworried]

I'd add that being hyper focused on your pain not only causes the pain to intensify in your mind, it likely causes actual additional pain due to increased muscle tension caused by anxiety. basically, by freaking out, you're actually making everything worse.

 

[Grey dolphin333]

I'd add that being hyper focused on your pain not only causes the pain to intensify in your mind, it likely causes actual additional pain due to increased muscle tension caused by anxiety. basically, by freaking out, you're actually making everything worse.

Thanks it doesn’t help when you see and hear things on the news and the not knowing it’s scary do u have any idea in general how long referrals can take I’ve been referred to the respiratory and also a doctor who deals with anxiety also if any of you have any tips on how to cope because I get sudden panic attacks about it also thanks for replying I appreciate your insight and it feels slightly better to have someone to talk to about it

Yes I agree. I was super focused on my heart. I developed health anxiety from a health scare. Our minds tend to wonder in thousand different what ifs. It made me much worse. Now when I get the chest pain I have to tell myself they already checked my heart and they said I'm fine. Of course I have relapses in my thoughts and I start worrying again. My back started acting up which doesn't worry me too much even though its painful as you said because I had these problems before. I know its probably flare due to being under higher stress. Thank you I really can relate to what you posted. A week ago I was still with constant worrying and made me very sick. This week in a different state of mind which hasn't helped my back but helped other issues I was having from worrying.

I use to be focused on my heart to its scary because you just want to be ok and healthy and the back pain has scared because I’ve never experienced it in my upper back before I’ve had pain in my lower back before only when I moved that cleared up and now all of a sudden my upper back is hurting when breathing deeply so it’s scared me I just find it hard to stop thinking about it I just hope everything gets better so I can get back to normal

 

[matisworried]

Thanks it doesn’t help when you see and hear things on the news and the not knowing it’s scary do u have any idea in general how long referrals can take I’ve been referred to the respiratory and also a doctor who deals with anxiety also if any of you have any tips on how to cope because I get sudden panic attacks about it also thanks for replying I appreciate your insight and it feels slightly better to have someone to talk to about it

it's impossible to say. that's completely dependent on your location. could be a few days, could be a few weeks, could be a few months. i think the fact that you also got a referral for anxiety should tell you something.

 

[Grey dolphin333]

it's impossible to say. that's completely dependent on your location. could be a few days, could be a few weeks, could be a few months. i think the fact that you also got a referral for anxiety should tell you something.

It’s just I don’t k what to do about the pain I’ve got pain in my hip and collar bones now don’t know how to make the pain go can’t get any sleep because of it

 

[matisworried]

It’s just I don’t k what to do about the pain I’ve got pain in my hip and collar bones now don’t know how to make the pain go can’t get any sleep because of it

try some light yoga, take an anti-inflammatory, stretch, get a massage, see a chiropractor... unfortunately, you might just need to tough it out for bit. sometimes these injuries can take awhile - my back is only at about 70% right now and i aggravated it in the middle of June.

 

[Grey dolphin333]

try some light yoga, take an anti-inflammatory, stretch, get a massage, see a chiropractor... unfortunately, you might just need to tough it out for bit. sometimes these injuries can take awhile - my back is only at about 70% right now and i aggravated it in the middle of June.

I just don’t understand where it has come from I can’t take anti inflammatory tablets I’ve just aches in my upper back torso arms and collar bones and I just don’t understand what’s causing this I’m so scared of what it could be I’m only young I don’t want anything to happen to me I don’t understand why this is happening

 

[matisworried]

I just don’t understand where it has come from I can’t take anti inflammatory tablets I’ve just aches in my upper back torso arms and collar bones and I just don’t understand what’s causing this I’m so scared of what it could be I’m only young I don’t want anything to happen to me I don’t understand why this is happening

i've pulled muscles in my sleep. seriously, it doesn't take much. if you can't take anti-inflammatories, you'll unfortunately need to tough it out or try something like massage or stretching.

please don't take offense to this, but it seems like your focus should be less on your physical symptoms and more on the underlying anxiety that's keeping you from looking at this calmly and rationally. i say this because after 55 posts in this thread, after multiple people have given you many solid reasons you shouldn't be freaking out, every one of your posts centers around feeling scared. if doctors with degrees and years of experience can't ease your mind after running tests and taking x-rays, it's highly unlikely a nameless stranger without any of that stuff will be able to say anything that'll help. i know as well as anyone here how difficult it is to get out of this train of thought and how hard it is to hear someone say "this is an anxiety issue more than a physical issue" but it seems to be. not saying you're not in pain. i have no doubt you are, but your anxiety level is so high that you seem unable to even entertain the idea that this could be something that's not catastrophic.

 

[Grey dolphin333]

i've pulled muscles in my sleep. seriously, it doesn't take much. if you can't take anti-inflammatories, you'll unfortunately need to tough it out or try something like massage or stretching.

please don't take offense to this, but it seems like your focus should be less on your physical symptoms and more on the underlying anxiety that's keeping you from looking at this calmly and rationally. i say this because after 55 posts in this thread, after multiple people have given you many solid reasons you shouldn't be freaking out, every one of your posts centers around feeling scared. if doctors with degrees and years of experience can't ease your mind after running tests and taking x-rays, it's highly unlikely a nameless stranger without any of that stuff will be able to say anything that'll help. i know as well as anyone here how difficult it is to get out of this train of thought and how hard it is to hear someone say "this is an anxiety issue more than a physical issue" but it seems to be. not saying you're not in pain. i have no doubt you are, but your anxiety level is so high that you seem unable to even entertain the idea that this could be something that's not catastrophic.

I know it’s just scary when you read things online and think what if i have that the X-ray thing that was bothering me was that I read online that they sometimes don’t always pick things up and that’s why bothered because I’ve been taking all different kinds of pain killers heat pads etc and nothing has worked yet it makes me anxious like what if they missed something on it and then the pain has not gone away which bothers me and then I keep having panic attacks it’s just I’ve never experienced pain like this where it’s there when you are still or breathing but moving does not cause pain i just want this pain to go away and for to get better both mentally and physically it’s just scary when you read things online

 

[matisworried]

I know it’s just scary when you read things online and think what if i have that the X-ray thing that was bothering me was that I read online that they sometimes don’t always pick things up and that’s why bothered because I’ve been taking all different kinds of pain killers heat pads etc and nothing has worked yet it makes me anxious like what if they missed something on it and then the pain has not gone away which bothers me and then I keep having panic attacks it’s just I’ve never experienced pain like this where it’s there when you are still or breathing but moving does not cause pain i just want this pain to go away and for to get better both mentally and physically it’s just scary when you read things online

STOP READING ONLINE! if you can't do that, you're going to continue to get worse. leave doctoring to doctors. YOU are not a doctor. an anonymous blogger is not a doctor. an article on some questionable health site is not a doctor... and you need to ignore those what ifs. what if the tree outside your bedroom window gets struck by lightning, crashes through your roof and impales you while you sleep? you'll NEVER be content with anything you're told here or by a doctor if you focus on the what ifs... which is exactly why you need to stop worrying so much about your back and instead focus that energy on your mental health.

 

[Grey dolphin333]

STOP READING ONLINE! if you can't do that, you're going to continue to get worse. leave doctoring to doctors. YOU are not a doctor. an anonymous blogger is not a doctor. an article on some questionable health site is not a doctor... and you need to ignore those what ifs. what if the tree outside your bedroom window gets struck by lightning, crashes through your roof and impales you while you sleep? you'll NEVER be content with anything you're told here or by a doctor if you focus on the what ifs... which is exactly why you need to stop worrying so much about your back and instead focus that energy on your mental health.

But it said online if you have pain in your pelvic area and I have I’m scared what if that means I do have it and it’s spread i don’t know what to do to calm down nothing works for the pain I’m young I don’t want to have that I can’t talk to my therapist ive got nobody to talk to I don’t what to do to calm down I just really don’t want to have that I’m sorry I’m just so scared about these pains

STOP READING ONLINE! if you can't do that, you're going to continue to get worse. leave doctoring to doctors. YOU are not a doctor. an anonymous blogger is not a doctor. an article on some questionable health site is not a doctor... and you need to ignore those what ifs. what if the tree outside your bedroom window gets struck by lightning, crashes through your roof and impales you while you sleep? you'll NEVER be content with anything you're told here or by a doctor if you focus on the what ifs... which is exactly why you need to stop worrying so much about your back and instead focus that energy on your mental health.

I just don’t understand these pains they won’t go away I just want to know I’m ok and I don’t have that

 

[matisworried]

STOP READING ONLINE!

But it said online...

now you have pelvic pain too? do you see the problem here?