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Hello Emily. The waiting for the results of an MRI would make most people worried or scared, let alone someone with an anxiety disorder. The procedure is also pretty distressing to someone who suffers from panic attacks, as I can testify, spending an hour in one a few months ago - complete with the contrast dye and that claustrophobic cage this around the head and neck. Ugh. Did the consultant give you any indication as to when you can expect to hear back? During the waiting phase it's understandable that the anxious mind can run away with some distressing hypothetical scenarios. But that's all these fears are, hypothetical and unrealised. To dwell on them too much now, will fuel more unpleasant symptoms and likely panic. The key thing is to acknowledge such thoughts without judgement, keep busy and if you have access to a therapist, go see them and talk it out. You can never change the outcome of something by worrying yourself silly, but you can make yourself feel a great deal worse by doing so. You've done the right thing by getting a scan and hopefully you'll be able to put your mind at rest soon with the results.

Hi jlm, as Sunny and Jon have said, just be completely open. Both about yourself and to whatever is recommended as treatment. In the event that you are prescribed meds, be prepared to wait a while for the benefits to kick in and also for any potential side effects - which you mustn't read too much into, or overreact to. We can help you cross those bridges as you come to them. In the meantime, I hope your appointment this week goes well.

A very interesting question. During therapy one or two people in the group asked about giving up coffee altogether and the therapist's advice was that for those who enjoy a cup of coffee, to cut it out altogether would in itself be a form of avoidance. The same principle applied to people who enjoyed a beer or glass of wine - but not to hazardous or alcohol dependent people, who are in fact best advised to stay clear. The theory was that if people became programmed that coffee or alcohol would trigger say a panic attack, then it would become a self fulfilling prophecy, leading to further potentially damaging avoidance behaviours. Smoking cigarettes definitely stimulates the central nervous system and can make some people more agitated and nervy. Not to mention its lethal. I think with coffee and alcohol - moderation is key. And on a day when your anxiety is high, best left alone. But speaking as someone who will still sometimes have a sneaky smoke if say on a night out with work friends, I think it has to go. Obviously pick your time to start to scale back and have a date in mind where it goes altogether. Depending on how string your addiction is, some nicotine patches may be helpful!

Aw, thanks both! Every now and again I have a lightbulb moment It is so hard when everything in your body is screaming this is it, I am dying. I remember last September when I had my c****r scare, a couple of key moments: one where I turned to my wife and told her I could feel myself slipping away....(so sad) and another, a couple of days before surgery, where me and two of my closest friends went out for beers and ribs at a BBQ restaurant and I made them promise to look after my wife and kids. I was just so convinced it was 41 and out. It was almost like the Last Supper! Even though my prayers were answered and I got amazing news from the scans and histology, the whole experience left me a mess. And it was down to the therapy I received and finally taking (actually begging for) the SSRIs offered to me way back in February, that got me out of it. (I only mentioned the ribs 'cos I'm starving right now)

Thank you. I know just how distressing the symptoms can be, so if occasionally something that I post has even a slight positive effect or gives someone some cause for optimism then great. Hopefully your follow up appointment can clear things up for you and you can then start to pull back from medical appointments and the anxious anticipation they can bring. It might be that there are no medical answers for some of the things you experience which means the ONLY thing left to do is work on managing the anxiety and accepting the uncertainty.

Hi Flip. Just a thought but I think it could beneficial to review this episode with your therapist in terms of how you behaved at different stages over the past weeks. You have in this thread a detailed diary of your thoughts and fears, together with interactions with others who have given support and advice along the way. Some kind of reflective engagement or maybe reading your posts back and thinking how would this Flip talk to the one from a few weeks ago? This approach might not appeal to you right now or ever! And it might be too soon to relive what was clearly a very traumatic time for you, but you could mention it to your therapist as it might give you some valuable insight into your thought processes, which will help you with any future challenges that life can throw at us.

Hi Cutecat, interested in the way you position "the ONLY positive news is....". Should you not be encouraged to hear all three of those tests were good and healthy? So notwithstanding the concern most of us would have with an abnormal MRI, the other tests have shown no issues? So that's also a cause for encouragement. And of the scan abnormalities that were found, have you been advised either of these are causes for concern? And the pending neurology appointment which you are dreading, has another doctor advised you to have this, or is it driven by you and your HA? Nasty symptoms and HA can lead into a cycle of seemingly never ending medical appointmeets and a quest to find something tangible to prove you have a physical illness. If I look back into last year, some weeks I had medical diagnostics, bloods, scans, therapy, GP 'bothering' almost every day of the week! That's how bad the HA had got me. How I managed to do all that and carry out my job, I don't know! I am just glad that I have the HA under control now, but it is a daily challenge to let the symptoms 'just be' and not get tempted to get back on the medical merry-go-round. I am sure you WILL get there too. You are 22 not 90, and you can move through this period and watch it disappear in your rear view mirror.

Hi Ryukil. As Jon says you are trying way too hard to accept and getting frustrated when it doesn't happen. You closed your first post with: "In order to be truly accepting do I have to release the tense hold on myself? Or is it enough to just stop trying to "fix it" and go about my day however I feel?" Ummmm - definitely the latter. I'm not dissing muscle relaxation and exercises to release tension as they are great tools in the anti-stress and general well-being locker and will complement ACCEPTANCE very well.

What I've repeatedly heard is that we must practise mindfulness regularly when we are not / less anxious, in order for it to be of benefit when we are in an anxious state. I've not mastered it myself yet but it does make sense when you think about it.

Hey Brit. Sure these things can come on even when you don't feel anxious per se. But there will have been a trigger that caused it to escalate into a panic. Sensation = negative thought e.g. 'omg what is this?!' = more sensations = more tension and more fright etc etc. It feeds on itself in order to build up and all seems very REAL and threatening. I seem to recall you being recently checked out for your heart health. If this is the case then it is very likely a classic anxiety response to a twinge or other sensation. The key is to not react to that first sensation, palpitation, muscle pain etc. That way it doesn't become the full blown 'event' for you. You have probably over exerted yourself in the snow and pulled something! Go have some more fun out there with your friends today. Fun and laughter helps

Hi Rainbow. I think it could help you, yes. I've recently started reading Mindfulnss: A practical guide to finding peace I'm a frantic world. I bought the kindle edition which also allows you access to some accompanying audio guided exercises which are also good. I will post my overall view on it once I'm done.

Hey Sunset, that's a real difference! I'm so glad you feel more positive about it now - I was a little concerned you wouldn't go back after your post last week! I can tell that you're building trust and confidence in your therapist and with every session you're going to become better equipped to manage your anxiety. Well done for keeping faith and keep us posted

There's a view that this is down to our cortisol levels (stress hormone) typically being higher in the morning. This can definitely make you feel worse first thing, especially during a period of high anxiety.

I've certainly had physical symptoms that lasted for months before and some which come and go over a longer period. Maybe you're thinking about panic attacks, which only last a relatively short period before they (and you!!) are spent....

You sound overwhelmed with it all. So many of us have been there so you are in good company here. You are doing the right thing by seeing your doc this Thursday to tell them how you feel. I know it seems a long way off when you feel the way you do but we can help you in the meantime so don't feel alone with this. The jaw clicking and headaches can both come from stress and tension - pretty common to see in anxiety sufferers. Your toothache is most probably what you think it is but the pain sure won't be helping your mood right now. It's going to be hard but you could try some progressive muscle relaxation techniques to release some of that tension. Look into it - you can do it anywhere and it helps. You can also look up guided relaxation recordings. You are overwhelmed and it feels awful. But you are NOT dying.