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I've always struggled with ocd and anxiety. I found over the years whenever something goes away something else pops up to take its place. Heart disease, kidney disease, cancers, end of the world, fear of dying itself, etc. I'm only 27 years old yet I feel like I'm out of time to change, to enjoy life. I feel like my clock has run out. A lot of things are changing for me which doesn't help but I know losing my father at 40 to heart disease plays a factor. I don't believe I'll get old and that terrifies me. My father did drugs, ate terribly and made a lot of bad decisions that lead to his passing but for some reason an ending is all I see for myself. Please I'm desperate for any and all advice.

So, let me start with the fact that I'm 23. All my life I have dealt with social anxiety. It use to not be as bad as it is now. When I turned 18 I went to college, a couple times actually. The courses I chose didnt work out because it was sort of what my mom wanted for me. Also the professor had some assignment where I had to speak in front of class so I would drop out. Anyway, I went on to try and have many jobs but I would always quit. Because it is so much easier to stay home then to face my anxiety and work 8 hours a day 5 days a week. So, my boyfriend and I have been together for 2 years now. He wants a life with me, marriage, babies... and he is the manager of a store. We are struggling for money right now so until things are fixed we can't have a future. I love him to pieces. He recently offered me a job. I want to take it but I don't know if I can ever get up the courage to work. I want to but I'm scared. I don't wanna fail him again. I was walking today and found this website. I don't really know if this is how you're even supposed to use this site but here I am, writing this here. Maybe I really want help this time. So, anyway, if anyone has any tips or anything... It would really be nice. Thanks to whoever reads this. (:

Hello everyone, first time posting here. I’ve been very concerned and have myself completely convinced that I have either ALS or MS. Over the past 2 years about, my left hand has felt weaker than the right and also the left hand is noticeably smaller than the right, especially the area below my thumb knuckle connecting to my wrist - also the palm area around the thumb (which I read in article was a sign of ALS) There is a skin fold at the base of my thumb because of this. I still can do things with my left hand, but it’s very awkward and clumsy. My hand also gets very sore and achy and the pain travels up my arm. I’m thinking this might be muscle atrophy? I’ve attached a picture of both hands for comparison. I also get bad headaches on the right side of my head and twitching all of my body especially at night. I notice the twitching most in my legs and eyes. My lower back tends to get sore very often as well. I’ve fallen in such a dark hole constantly worrying that I have something wrong with me. I find myself examining myself all day and being completely obsessed with my health. I’ve read every forum and like I said, I’ve just convinced myself that I have one of this diseases. I know I need to get things checked out, but I’m even more petrified to go to the doctor because I’m certain I’ll get the diagnosis that I dread. I’m hoping this is just anxiety getting the best of me. I hope I don’t sound crazy. Any help is so appreciated. Thank you all so much.

Pulmonary Hypertension is diagnosed with an mpap of 25 and up (as measured by RHC.) My estimated MPAP on my echocardiogram was 25. Since the rest of my heart is normal the cardiologist says I don't have pulmonary hypertension. I tried asking her to explain why I'm normal and she just said this is a single estimate at one point in time and that they must look at the whole heart and symptoms in order to diagnose. But she also said the estimate was pretty accurate. To note I feel fine, I went in because of shortness of breath on planes, occasionally while sleeping and a few times from laughing. I can walk far with no problems,I am female and a young adult. Online I read about echocardiogram pulmonary pressure accuracy which has many contradicting studies. Some say echo is too unreliable and may over and under estimate pulmonary artery pressures. Sometimes the articles will say that echo can overestimate RVSP by as much as 10+- mmhg. I read that the RAP which is used to get the final pressures, can be over estimated causing inaccuracy. However most websites with the over and underestimation quote one or two of the same studies so I question their legitimacy. Other websites with different studies quoted say it's like 80-90% accurate. Basically I've seen ranges of like 50 to 90%+ accuracy and I don't know who to believe. My cardiologist did say I'm normal... But I'm so bothered by her saying my estimate is likely accurate. How is that normal??? Here is my echo report in summary: MPAP was estimated to be 25 mmhg.My left,right heart were normal size and thickness. Vena cava was normal Respiratory variation at >50% with RAP 5-10 mmhg. All my valve flow patterns were normal. Trace regurgitation of the Tricuspid valve and trace to mild in the Pulmonary valve. Noted no evidence of diastolic dysfunction. I don't know what to believe and it's scaring me. I wake up everyday feeling panic. It's like a habit at this point. Then I Google 3 hours trying to convince myself it will be ok. I feel mentally ill and sad. I tried and can't get a second opinion. What should I do? Do I need to just accept what my cardiologist said and live my life? I was afraid of flying and having kids because of this and both are part of my life goals.

Hi all! I’m totally new to this site, but definitely not new to HA. I’ve been suffering for 11 years. I’m usually pretty good at managing it but occasionally I just get hit with a wave of anxiety that just knocks me down for weeks, sometimes even months at a time. I’m in nursing school and now that my midterms are done I have more time to focus on myself. In the last week alone I have managed to convince myself that I have ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, a kidney infection, a UTI, and now breast cancer. The other symptoms I was having are easy chalked up to a running injury I sustained on my hip a while back and stress, but I’ve always had this lump on my left breast. I exam my breasts weekly because I’m so paranoid but I feel like this thing has changed, I feel like it’s bigger! It’s still soft and moveable, I am about 4 days from starting my period so that could be the case, it’s a bit painful too but that could just be from my constant poking at it. I’m just starting to really second guess myself and I’m convincing myself that I don’t really know my own body. I just feel betrayed and confused. Normally I would go see my doctor but I moved 12 hours from home for school so I have no friends and family around either. I’m just feeling really doomed and upset about this, I’m hoping that someone has had a similar experience that can maybe help calm me down.

I am freaking out so bad. I was sleeping around an open window on October 5th. I was up doing my laundry and waiting for it to be done because I needed new clothing. I slept very lightly until I heard the buzzer on the washer. I was in the room and sleeping, I fear I got bit by a bat. I was up to my face in bedding. I have an itching on my neck which is very annoying. I fear it might be a bite because they are unseen and sometimes unfelt. It feels itchy and other than that it is sonetimes hot feeling. I have been havibg this weird sensation for a week. It has been about three weeks. I fear I will die of it. I am shaking at night so violently with anxiety. Only other weird sensation is my hand feeling icy hot. I feel like I have gotten a run down feeling. I know they go to hibernate in October, but I fear for my health and safety. What is the probability of a bat getting into the room through the window, biting my neck, and leaving the room without me knowing? My family loves to have the window open and I am always checking for bats downstairs... Because they could easily make home down there with the open window making easy access. ??? I am still so anxious.

I've been searching the internet for symptoms similar to what I'm experiencing and stumbled upon this forum. For as long as I can remember I've had anxiety but now I find I have health anxiety. I can't tell what is a real symptom of a dreaded disease such as cancer or something my mind has created due to fear of cancer. Basically I've been having upper back pain radiating down my right arm. This has led to what I can only describe as rib muscle spasms. I also have other pains in my back that come and go. All of this is on the right side only. Last Friday my husband insisted we go to the ER and get to the bottom of this. I was crying hysterically and having panic attack a bit I went. By the time I got there all my symptoms were gone because I was so afraid of just being in a hospital. I ended up having blood work, an EKG and a chest X-ray - all of which were normal. I felt better for about three days. The pain wasn't gone but it was getting better. Now today I gave pain in my ribs again and it feels like something is stuck under my ribs. Of course I think it's a tumor. The more I think about it the worse it feels but I can't stop thinking about it. I'm out of my mind with worry and convinced I have cancer even though I was just at the ER. The weird lump feeling wasn't there when I went so that wasn't checked. I can't take the worry anymore and I don't know what to do. I'm terrified to go to another doctor. Can anyone else relate to what I am going through? I just can't imagine all my symptoms are from anxiety but am hoping they are. I'm just so scared.

Hi All! My name is Desiree. I am a 27 year old female. I recently had my first panic attack back in early May. I believe most of my anxiety comes from the fear of having some sort of disease. For instance I've had headaches for about 3 weeks and I immediately go to the worst case scenario. Even though I had a CT scan done in April for the same symptoms. I am trying to over come my anxiety naturally, but its so hard. I'm too scarred to take medication because of the addiction and side effects I've read about. I try to stay off google but its so hard, it like feeds my anxiety. I've had so many symptoms never in my life would I think would be related to anxiety. I'm hoping I can meet new people who are going through what I am, its hard to talk to someone who doesn't have what you do, they just seem to nod and I feel like I'm wasting my time with them.I still cant shake the symptoms, and its been two months since my last panic attack. Well I hope to get better for myself and my son. This affects my daily life, and its just a horrible thing to go through. Hoping to meet and chat with you all soon.

Background Information: for those that don't know a Vericocele is a problem that occurs with a damaged vein in the testicle that becomes inflamed, I was recently diagnosed with one and this question is geared more towards people who also have one and can answer my questions with personal experience, emotional support is of course always welcomed. So I've been researching the condition and I have some questions about it. 1. I had read that they are capable of causing chronic constipation but it was only one source, and I can't find any other information about the the relationship between the 2 conditions, and I've been experiencing chronic constipation lately and I was wondering if anyone else with a testicular vericocele has experienced constipation? 2. It's embarrassing to say but I can't shake the feeling that I'm having difficulties performing sexually, or at least I think I am. My long time girlfriend has told me that everything seems normal but I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong, I'm 22 and I shouldn't feel like I'm having a hard time maintaining an erection, now I've considered that maybe knowing that there is some kind of damage to my genitals is causing a mental block but I'm curious if anyone with a vericocele has experienced something similar, and I'm curious as to wether or not there is an actual physical link between sexual performance and this condition. Apologies for the long winded post, thank you in advance to anyone who can offer information.

Today I found an odd yellow Spot on my right arm just below my shoulder, I don't see any discoloration anywhere else on my skin but seeing this still concerns me. Could it be an odd colored bruise? It's not tender or swollen or anything like that, just discolored

Psalm 91:1-16 Fear creeps into our life and wraps itself around our mind and heart. This can happen so subtly that we don’t recognize how anxiety has affected our decision making, our health, and our spirit. Ultimately, many people miss God’s best because apprehension keeps them from stepping out in faith to do His will. The fear may seem unimportant at first, but left unchecked, it begins to interfere with our life. Physically, we may experience tension that keeps us from relaxing and enjoying the day’s pleasures. Anxiety can lead to health problems, especially if it is constant. Mentally, our mind may be clouded by fear, which can limit what we are willing to think about and consider. If that should happen, our dreams and creativity will almost certainly be stifled. But the mental paralysis that often accompanies unchecked fear is most dangerous to our spiritual life. Unless it is entrusted to God, a single fear can easily rule over us, coloring our attitude with a general sense of disquiet. We become indecisive, worried that we will make the wrong choice. So we are trapped, trying to avoid anything that might make us anxious. Consequently, we stop growing as Christians and are usually hindered in our work and family life, too. If you allow yourself to be paralyzed by worry, you cannot be placing complete trust in God and following Him wholeheartedly. Make an honest assessment of your life, and ask the Lord to reveal places where fear is holding you back.

Hello all, I'm an almost 19 year old that has suffered from hypochondria for years. Recently, my cardiochondria has gotten far worse. I'm 5'6/210 pounds for reference, and I do not eat well. I have been experiencing severe bloating/gas since about Friday, and burning left arm/under left breast pain. I thought it was something bad that I ate, but this is worse. I cannot tell if it's heart related or not, as today was the worst day. Not only did I have these symptoms, but I had vertigo as well. It feels as if there's squeezing on the general left breast/left arm area, and sometimes there feels as if there's a lack of blood flow to said arm, as I can feel blood go back to my left hand and whatnot. I'm nervous that I've been having a silent heart attack, as the bloating/indigestion has left me sick to my stomach, moreso on today since any other day. help? what to do?

To start off, I'm 14 years old and have a family history of anxious depression. Despite symptoms that Anxiety may cause, I'm still convinced that I have a brain tumor. It all started when my dad and I made a trip to England back in late october through early november. Pre-flight, and during flight, I was super anxious. I have a horrible fear of the plane falling out of the sky at any given moment due to any given ridiculous circumstance. Once we got off, I was exhausted, but a quick nap helped with that. About a week went by, and I noticed that when I woke up in the morning my limbs trembled while propping myself upright. I didn't think much of it at the time, because I had no other symptoms, so I just brushed it off as morning weakness. Also, when I woke up, I got numbness and tingling in my fingers which I brushed off also, because this can happen when you sleep on your hand. It was about 2 days after that, when In a restaurant, I felt my the side of my head. It was sore to the touch. When I got back to where I was staying, I noticed that when I squeezed something rather lightly, my hands trembled a lot which is something I never noticed before. I should also mention, that when I was there my diet was pretty poor, not sure if that matters, though. I immediately came to the conclusion that I probably had a brain tumor, after hearing someone a while back say that trembling hands are a sign. One of those days, I also got a really bad migraine, which does run in my family. A couple days went by, and I forgot about my symptoms almost entirely, until the day before we left back to my home in California. Mind you, I was, of course, super anxious the day before the flight. In the early morning, I had a random nosebleed, which pretty much secured my fears. I thought completely that I was going to die of a brain tumor. I stopped worrying about the flight until we actually boarded the plane, in which I started sweating and didn't stop until near when the plane landed. When I got off, I was exhausted and almost felt like passing out. This could have been from dehydration, but I couldn't really tell. In the days to come, my symptoms got worse. I became sensitive to light and sound, and had a sharp pain in my left eye that lasted for days, until the pain traveled to my right eye in which it lasted for a couple days there. I also became really light headed with those pains/headaches. I developed excessive eye floaters, which is pretty strange. Also, I couldn't really discern where the sound I was hearing was coming from. For example: When I heard someone talking in the room behind me, it sort of sounded like they were coming from a room in front. This added to my ever increasing anxiety which really didn't help. After about a week and a bit, most symptoms except sensitivity to light and sound, as well as perhaps a slight on and off headache were gone. I was rather relieved. It was several weeks after that in which the symptoms came back, but rather differently. This time, it was only lightheadedness, but much worse from last time. Keep in mind I still had and have the sensitivity to light and sound. I developed a ringing in my ears that comes on sporadically at random times. I can provoke and increase the ringing in my ears by clenching my jaw and jutting it out. the lightheadedness has since mostly subsided, but to this day I still feel it a little bit. Right now, the day I'm writing this, 12/16/16, I have a slight amount of lightheadedness, and a strange pain in my head that occurs when I move my left eye to the right. I also have the random and sporadic ringing in ears. My last and most strange symptom is the excessive eye floaters, which are really pronounced when in a bright and open environment such as looking across a field. It's been over a month since my symptoms started and haven't really subsided. Can someone help with expertise in areas of neurology or something like that? My parents think it's just migraines and anxiety, but I think otherwise. Any suggestions? I will keep this updated.

I was recently diagnosed with depression and anxiety by my Psychiatrist. I was so afraid to begin seeing a Psychiatrist, but I eventually did and have been to 2 sessions so far. He prescribed me 3 medications. Lexapro, Seroquel, and Klonopin. I am to take the Lexapro and Seroquel with a Klonopin at bedtime, and an additional 2 klonopin throughout the day. Has anyone had success with these medications. Some days I feel ok and others I don't.

Hello everyone. I recently posted on here about IBS, depression, and anxiety. Well today I am not doing that good in terms of my anxiety. I am so afraid. I apologize for being graphic, but on Saturday, I couldn't sleep and awoke at around 2:30am, I went to the bathroom and had a long narrow stool then pushed out tiny narrow pieces and my lower stomach was hurting. I also never go at this time. The next day it was similar but I let out what looked like mud after the initial solid stool. I am so afraid. I am hoping that I don't have c****r. My left lower back has on again off again discomfort. Today I went to the bathroom at my normal timt and it was short and hard and had white mucus in it. I am freaking out. My daughter will be 1 on the 27th and I am so afraid that I won't see her grow up. I feel like crying under a rock.

Back in the end of February, I went to the doctor for routine bloodwork, everything was fine except that my cholesterol was a bit high (not high enough to be on medication), but also my liver enzymes were elevated. My AST was 124 and my ALT was 319. When I received these results, they immediately repeated the test and included Hepatitis A, B, and C as well as my GGTP. The AST went down to 116 and the ALT went down to 302, the GGTP was 150. They then sent me for a CT Scan of my abdomen and pelvis. The results were the there was a 3cm hypodense region consistent with diffuse fatty change, but in the notes it said "3cm indeterminate hypodense region" further characterization with MRI is recommended. So I went to my cardiologist who referred me for the MRI. The MRI confirmed "diffuse hepatic steatosis" which is a fatty liver. I drank, but no hard alcohol and not in great excess. I then followed up with a gastroenterologist who told me everything would be ok. He did a DRE on me and it was negative for blood. Fast forward to about two months ago, I had my blood retested again. This time the AST went to 56 and ALT 175 and GGTP 88. The AST and ALT should both be below 40 and GGTP below 70. So now to my IBS concern. Back when this whole thing started, I was overweight. I am 5'11 and weighed 210 to 213. When I got the news of my fatty liver, the doctor told me that I had to eat better, so I immediately and abruptly changed my diet. I cut out pizza, cake, cookies, red meat, soda, and alcohol to be on the safe side. What happened was I went from that weight to about 183 to 185 today. Everyone is telling me that it is because I drastically changed how I eat. I have had no fast food and almost zero junk food. I started eating a healthy breakfast, something like honey nut cheerios, a triple 0 yogurt, plain oatmeal, and some fruit like a banana. Sometimes I will have eggs on whole wheat. Lunch I make healthy choices and my wife doesn't fry food anymore. I almost completely cut out fried food. Lately I have noticed that my stool habits are changing. Sometimes it is thin but not pencil thin, Sometimes it is long and well formed. Sometimes it is dark brown and sometimes it is light brown. I usually go in the morning within about 30 minutes of waking up. What scares me is that randomly I will go during the day, but not too often. When I am off work on the weekends, sometimes I will go three times during the day. One thing I have notices is that the tip of the stool is hard but the rest is soft sometimes and sometimes I have to give a push in the morning, not a strain, but a slight push to get it started and then the rest is usually ok. Lately I have been having passing slight soreness in my left abdomen, but sometimes my right side also. Also I have been having lower and upper back discomfort. None of these pains are unbearable, more annoying than anything. I often find myself crying hysterically and I even went to numerous doctors and ER's. They all felt my stomach and said I am fine, they even looked at my bloodwork and CT scan. One ER doctor gave me low dose Xanax 0.25mg. I have never taken anything like that in my life, I find it makes me sluggish and slow. My CT scan said "no bowel obstruction or wall thickening" and my MRI was good, my CBC was fine too other than the issues that I mentioned earlier. My issue is that I read symptoms online of colon c****r and am scared to death. My moms father died of it at 62 and my mom had a NON c****rous polyp removed. I have an old boss who died of it in his mid 30's. I feel neurotic and afraid to do anything anymore. I have an 11 month old baby girl and a wife and I am shaking in my boots. I have read that IBS is more likely for someone younger, but that it is more predominant in women, and that scares me too. Like I said, I have never had blood that I can see, the only time that happened was when I had a hemorrhoid, but the doctor definitively said it was a hemorrhoid. I have read so many websites that I can't even count. I always think well what if the back pains mean it spread to my lungs or worse. Everyone I have talked to said it is my nerves and doctors have said that it is anxiety, The pains in my abdomen and back come and go, they are not 24/7 or excruciating. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Thank you all for reading my novel of a post.

So, I was pretty much up all night last night because I was having this constant fear running through my mind. This happens maybe twice a month at maximum and has been going on since I was 9 years old (I'm 19 now). I can't talk about it with my parents because last time I brought it up, they brushed it off and didn't really help me with it. This fear is keeping me from having any confidence when it comes to moving out on my own when I eventually come to that point. I recently found out that I can't sleep in my own room without having problems falling asleep because of this fear I have that has caused many panic attacks and is taking it's toll on my sleeping habits. This is a little bit difficult to explain, and I'm too terribly great with words, but i'll try my best to explain it. So, to start off with, I have a fear of the dark, so I have a nightlight that I use so it's not at all dark when I go to bed. There are some exceptions, like when I go to bed when the sun is still up, if the room light is on and I fall asleep, someone will usually turn it off eventually, and in those cases i'm totally fine but I typically have to be really tired for that to happen. The next thing I'll take some time to explain is there are some times when I feel like there is something there. For Example, if I'm trying to fall asleep in my room, i'll turn to the side, and suddenly I feel like there is something behind me. I tend to get that feeling mostly when I'm in the dark, But also if I'm alone somewhere I'll start having that feeling, only a bit more intense. I've even gotten to the point where I've had a few panic attacks in my dreams! I had a dream of the same panic attack I had exactly a year after the date I had the original panic attack. I would like advise on how I might be able to deal with and/or fix these problems i'm having. I don't want to bring it up to my doctor and have them prescribe a pill for something they don't totally understand, because it's a pretty loaded topic and has a few things to consider before I may actually be able to do anything about it but i'm willing to do almost anything to fix the problem.

A person can experience a panic attack when they least expect it. This can cause a great deal of fear and anxiety for the person. Many people do not know what they should do when dealing with a panic attack. As a result, here are 6 quick steps a person can follow when a panic attack strikes unexpectedly. 1. Stop What You Are Doing The first thing a person must do when experiencing a panic attack is to stop whatever they are doing. A panic attack can be very uncomfortable and can affect a person's everyday thinking. This can cause a person to have trouble focusing which can be dangerous. Be safe and stop whatever you are doing at the time. 2. Take Deep Breaths Secondly, a person should take some deep breaths to help feel better and to get rid of some of the excessive fear and anxiety. There are also many kinds of breathing exercises a person can learn to follow with the help of a mental health counselor. Taking some deep breaths can help a person relax right away. 3. Distract Yourself Next, a person should try to distract themselves from the panic they are experiencing. A person could get some fresh air, listen to some music, take a brisk walk, read the newspaper, or do something relaxing that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This is a great way to get your mind off of your current anxiety. 4. Get The Facts Of Your Situation Many people feel like they are going to die when they experience a panic attack for the first time. The fact is that you will be ok and that it takes a few minutes for the anxiety to go away. Talk to a counselor and get the facts of what a panic attack is and what you can do when a panic attack occurs. 5. Don't Dwell on Your Thoughts A person must not dwell or focus on their thoughts during a panic attack. The more a person tries to reason out their thoughts the longer a panic attack lasts. Try to keep your mind blank and free of any negative thoughts during a panic attack. Read some positive statements from your favorite self-help book to help overcome your negative thoughts during a panic attack. 6. Get Help It is important to talk to a qualified professional in order to learn how to survive a panic attack. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with any panic attacks that may occur in the future. Talk to your doctor or go on the internet to get a list of mental health counselors in your area.

There are times that we encounter fearful and obsessive thoughts that can be difficult to manage. For some people, the more they try to get rid of the thoughts, the stronger the thoughts become and the more difficult they become to manage. This is very common for people who deal with OCD. Here are six techniques that a person can use to help manage their fearful and obsessive thoughts. 1. Don't Dwell on The Thought The first thing a person must do is not to dwell or focus on the fear provoking thought when it comes. The more a person tries to reason out the thought or focus on the fear behind the thought, the stronger the thought becomes. The next time you encounter an obsessive thought, get into the practice of not dwelling on it. 2. Visualize a Red Stop Sign A person should visualize a red stop sign in their mind when they encounter a fear provoking thought. When the negative thought comes, a person should think of a red stop sign that serves as a reminder to stop focusing on that thought and to think of something else. A person can then try to think of something positive to replace the negative thought. 3. Take It One Step at a Time Learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. 4. It's Only Fear. Remember that the difference between an obsessive thought and a regular thought is that an obsessive thought is based on fear. With this in mind, try to find the source of the fear behind the thought. Once you find the source of the fear, learn to manage it. Ignore the fear behind these obsessive thoughts, regardless how the strong the fear may be. If you ignore the fear behind these thoughts, then the thoughts become easier to manage. 5. Challenge Your Thoughts With Positive Statements A person should keep a small notebook of positive statements that makes them feel good. Whenever they come across a positive and uplifting verse that makes them feel good, write it down in a small notebook. A person can then carry this notebook around in their pocket and whenever they feel anxious, they can read their notebook. 6. Get Help Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future.

Hi everybody, i want to share my concerns.It all started one year ago when i suffered a major injury to my neck. I fractured my thyroid cartilage which is a pretty rare condition. 3 CT scans were needed in order to prove that. The doctors couldn't figure out almost, so that was the first time where i lost trust for them.Since then i'm always worried about my health and started looking things up on the internet to figure out what problems could i have. My phisiotherapist recognized that i have a mild scoliosis at my thoracic spine, a more severe scoliosis at my cervical spine and he sent me to the chiropractor to adjust it.Before i went to the chiropractor 2 days before i started to look up things on the internet that are related to spinal adjustments. I've found out some pretty scary things about that which are : stroke, damaged nerves and damaged discs.When i went to the chiropractor i remember that i was pretty much terrified of what could happen if he adjusts my spine. The adjustment went "well" so to speak, in that moment i've felt better my posture was better, my neck was longer.However at my way home 4 hours later after the adjustment was made, my neck started to become really stiff, and on the back of my neck, on the left side it started to burn really hard, and i started to panic , like i thought that im going to have a stroke.Since then i had many symptoms: shortness of breath, dizziness, blurred vision, my ears are ringing, sometimes i loose my balance ,some stomach turbulence, brain fog, and i have headaches ( mostly on the left and right side.)I asked my chiropractor about stroke and he told me that if i was to have a stroke i would got it immeadiately after the adjustment was made, or in that day. I asked my phyisiotherapist and he told me that when the adjustments were made it shocked my whole body and thats why i have these symptoms. I recognize that i'm pretty stressed most of the time mostly after the chiropractic visit.Sometimes i fell asleep and i woke up in the middle of the night, an im tired during the day.It's been already one week after the chiropractic adjustmetns and i still feel dizzy, with a lack of balance, my left ear is still ringing, i can't properly think, i have sometimes shortness of breath, and i have sometimes headaches on the left side and the right side of my head.I researched many things and the one thing that stuck with me besides after neck adjustments is the danger of stroke, and restricted arteries which causes blood insufficiency. I have some questions for you guys because im really confused right now. Am i in danger of getting a stroke? It's been already 1 week after the neck adjustments. How fast a stroke develops? Could it be long ? i mean weeks after the adjustments?Could it be that my arteries got restricted and i get smaller quantity of blood to my brain? Are these symptoms related more to anxiety or more related to chiropractic? After one week i still feel dizzy, unbalanced, blurred vision, brain fog, headache, ear ringing, stomach turbulance.. What should i do , think ? Pls help me out, im feeling hopeless right now..

HiI have GAD, but as some of you may know by my posts, dizziness has been with me since July 2015. THis week has been bad for me. Started on Monday I had to see my ENT to have some test done to see about the dizzieness, the dizziness I have is feeling like i'm on a boat, swaying and rocking, the times its bad are when i'm sitting and laying down. I also have the feeling of walking on marshmellos and the floor moving when I'm walking. Well the day of the test i had anxiety but was able to handle it, i had the VNG test and got thru all but the last part, they put the warm air in my right ear and oh my I felt like I was falling and the room was moving it was horrible. So they stopped the test, I went back down to see the doc to get results and the dizziness i had with the test was still there so I took a xanax and that helped. On tuesday got to work sat down at my desk and bam, the feeling of falling and moving hit and I couldn't get it under control, I was so very scared so another 1/2 a xanax and it helped again, it lasted until i got home and i felt it some again, so anxiety again. In the past 2 weeks my left arm has been hurting when i put it in certain positions, let me go back for a minute, I have been have Atlas orthogenal adjustments on my neck since december, i read it can help with headaches, dizziness and neck pain, its a chiropractor thing but not with the bad popping of the neck, they x-ray the neck to see if the C1 which is the atlas bone that holds the head in place is out of place and if so they begin with gentle adjustments that are done with a machine that looks like a gun but it put vibrations in the C1 to put it back in place. So on to yesterday and the arm pain, I called my regular chiropraactor and told him about the atlas stuff and he said come in so we can adjust the arm, and the ATlas doc said it was okay, so I went in and he found my shoulder was out and my upper rib, well he fixed and by the time I got home I think I scared myself thinking oh no what if I messed up my neck, so needless to say the floor was bouncing and when i sat down i felt like i was falling backwards and flipping. I didn't take the xanax instead i put ice on my neck and layed down, I didn't want to keep taking the xanax, I need to get well with the pills. Does all this sound normal with anxiety? I don't know about any of you, but do you ever just feel like you don't know the difference between being sick and anxious anymore. The ENT did say I have vestibular dysfunction and the part of the ear that tells the brain your not moving is stuck in the moving position so the brain thinks i'm moving even when I'm still. He said to take the xanax as needed and we will start therapy in March to retrain the brain to compensate with the ears. The xanax does come down the ear system, but I;ve read taking it can also stop the compensation process. I guess I should just listen to the doc. Today i have an appt with my endocrinologist to see how my thyroid levels are and i'm anxious about that to. Its been so crazy with the levels since Oct when i had the steriod injections for the neck pain, the steriods actually killed the thyriod meds i was taking and the anxiety came back bad. So i think all this crap this week has caused my anxiety to sky rocket, what do you think? I have been nervous since monday when i did the test and the dizziness hit, i have not been able to stop thinking about it. Do you ever do that obsess on one bad thing and then its happening again? I find I obsess about things all the time. It literally takes me months of obsessing before i can let it go. So now i'm having the same falling dizzy feeling i had on monday. i'm so tired, i'm so upset with how i think. I can't go to my psychologist any more coz i cant afford it. so i'm trying to get thru on my own. I find it odd how a mind can focus so hard on things and cause all this fear and worry. Then can go for years with none of this and have one health thing happen and it all comes back. I've been reading some books and doing a workbook on worry and anxiety. I spend alot of time talking to myself, telling myself your ok, it so silly. I'm afraid all the time, the slightest thing about health in myself or anyone will trigger fear, then anxiety and this awful cycle starts. I'm really tired. I pray for help everyday, sometimes i wonder if i'll get thru this, so i'm sad to.anyway thanks for listening

Has this happened to anyone else? Please let me know I'm not in this boat alone. I've felt fear all morning and I've been taking 500mg of Cipro every 12 hours for 3 days.

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've been here and in a way that's a good thing because for a while there, my anxiety seemed to be kept at bay. As I am in the health anxiety forum, that is obviously my problem. I am always always scared of some symptom that I feel or worse, a symptom that my son encounters. Let me give you an example, a couple of months ago, back in December, my son had a slight headache two days in a row. While I knew the causes, a part of me could not stop thinking the worst. After those two days, no more headaches so my anxiety gradually faded. To be honest, I think - no I know my health anxiety always rears its ugly head when I'm in a stressful situation. And that indeed I am. It started out last November when the company I worked for - a start up started paying us late. Since then it was a constant battle with them to get paid. In the middle of this period, that's when my son, who is 9, got his headaches. Then Christmas came and we weren't really doing much work wise, so the stress level went down, but it went up again when during the first week of January, my company laid me off. To say that I was stressed is an understatement. Thankfully though, not long after that, I was offered a job. The job that is a dream come true in a sense - because it means moving to Thailand for 6 months for training. But then I would have to leave my son. So that stressed me all over again. The fear I had over this pain I kept having on my left arm since stupidly pulling and pushing a very heavy wooden cabinet started gnawing at me. I kept thing what if it was something awful. Then I finally decide that I won't take the job in Thailand, just recently, but to take another job where I am but then I'm getting stressed again because I keep anticipating all my friends are going to tell me I'm being stupid for not going. And our maid when on vacation so I have a heavier load of chores than normal which includes feeding the dog - our yard dog. Now our dog is quite excitable and jumps all over especially when he sees me and yesterday, after I fed him I saw I had a wound in my hand - no he did not bite me - but I started thinking what if he got saliva on me while he was barking and jumping and it got into the wound. The wound is very small, like pin-sized but still it's an open wound. And mind you, I know that getting rabies at this point from my dog - who just had his annual rabies shot last Jan 13 would be next to impossible. But my mind keeps thinking what if what if? He is not with other animals. He has his own fenced off yard that he runs around on day in and day out - so there are no other animals with him who can bite him. So again impossible. And logically in my head, I know our previous dog, Yoda, was one who loved going off on his own in our neighborhood (permitted here) and he would come home sometimes with bites from dogs he has played with or fought with yet, I never got scared of getting anything from him. And Yoda was my brother's dog so he took charge of him and I don't even know if Yoda had shots but Ewok is mine and I know that he has shots, so why am I more scared of getting something from Ewok but not with Yoda? It's crazy. I'm so anxious that I feel kind of hot right now. I just took my temperature and it's 36.9 - no fever - but I feel like I'm not. I know it's the anxiety talking and logically I'm being stupid but I can't help it. It's always like this with me. I hate it so much. I'm always obsessing over some disease. And I don't want to do that anymore. I probably should just bite the bullet and go to a psychiatrist who can prescribe me meds because I can't do this anymore. I can still function, but the worry and stress over these what if scenarios in my head are probably going to make actually sick and I do not want that. I hope you guys can help me. I know a lot of you deal with the same issues. I do not have medication but maybe there are exercises or things you guys do that you can advise me on to help me out? Thank you so much in advance for your help. xoxo Jo

I have had health anxiety that comes in huge, horrifying waves for almost 4 years now, but ivehad a general fear of dying since i was a little girl. It has been extremely difficult living with this lately. Its put a strain on my relationship with my family, my boyfriend, myself. People dont really relate, so I feel alone. I slacked in school work, and I started a new job that Im not even excited about because all I do, it feels like, is wait for death. I am usually fun and happy and I adore living. Im just hyperaware of my mortality, and it scares me so much. any little pain or tweak or anything in my body and I immediately spiral down into this big crazy meltdown. I try to get through this every day, and lately it is a struggle.

Hiya Guys, I'm not sure if this is the most appropriate place to post this but I struggled to "file" my issue. Two nights ago I had recurrent dreams where I imagined that I was having panic attacks. Normally my "episodes" are not what I would consider a panic attack because although I'm anxious and have embarrassing physical reactions I'm not actually scared?!?! However in my dreams I am terrified I have woken myself and my partner and couple of times screaming in my sleep. The issue is I'm worried that I'm actually having panic attacks in my sleep and prior to this I would occasionally wake up mid anxiety episode. So I'm now worried that if my anxiety can be this intense when I'm asleep that the level of intensity and fear I'm experiencing may also begin to manifest in real life. I've agreed a sleep strategy with my partner that I'll ask him if I'm okay or what he thinks is wrong with me and if.I can make him say sausages I'll know I'm dreaming because I'm struggling to establish the difference between dreams and real life especially when I'm tired,. If I ask him in real life there's a specific reply he will give to assure me I'm awake. I'm not sure this plan will work but it gives me hope. I'm just wondering if any of you have experienced panic dreams and whether you just dream them, or they have an effect on your physical body and also whether you experience any signs before your episodes intensify? I'm mostly confused and worried (go figure!) so sorry if this sounds a bit scattered. Stephanie