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I suffer from health anxiety. It comes and goes. About 9 weeks ago I developed a dry cough to which was chalked to allergies/sinus. It would come and go. But always in the Back of my mind was something fatal. After meds and so on, it came back and now I have a heaviness in my chest. I also have a hoarse voice in the morning which my Prilosec used to take care of. The tightness in my chest is sometimes so bad I think I am being suffocated but my heart rate and so on is normal. I had a lung X-ray which is normal and seen a Gastro to set up a scope. I mentioned esophageal cancer to him and he said don't think that way but didn't make me feel much but I can't get the scope until August. I also feel thick stuff in my throat at times which I know can irritate the esophagus but I can't get cancer out of my head. It's consuming me. Sometimes I feel normal then others I am completely defeated with dark thoughts . Then I get a feeling of a lump in my throat or a strange feeling when swallowing, all of which make me even more crazy. I need a way to try and chill and turn my mind offZ my meds don't seem to help and even if I am busy the thoughts consume me 24/7. Any suggestions? Thank you for listening

Hi everyone. I'm new here. Just joined bc i was reading some threads on anxiety and chest pain and thought why not ask here. I'm so anxious. I'm nervous. I used to take anxiety meds but stopped about 2 years ago. I ran out and never went for a refill appointment. Usually it's social anxiety that i deal with. It's been manageable up until recently. 2 days ago i started having indigestion and heart burn. Which i never get. That pretty much went away then i started having chest pain. Not pressure but sharp pains on my left side where my heart is 😭 but its mainly when i bend over or lay down. Its so strange. So i went to the dr today and told her what was going on. I should also mention I've had some other symptoms such as ear ache, headache and green mucus when i blow my nose (sorry if Tmi) well my anxiety got brought up and I could tell she thought the chest pain was due to anxiety. She wrote me a script for an antibiotic and said the chest pain may be due to early bronchitis or an infection but basically brushed it off. Didn't run any test. She listened to my heart and breathing and said it sounded fine. I feel defeated. Part of me wants to go to the ER just for piece of mind but then again...covid. I'm not sure what I'm asking here. Except has anyone else had sharp chest pains and it not be serious? My mind keeps jumping to the worst case scenario. I honestly feel like the chest pains are real but my anxiety is making it worse. And to top it off the antibiotic are causing major stomach upset. Anyone out there dealt with something similar?

8 Tips to Help Cope With Panic and Anxiety Do you suffer from panic attacks and/or anxiety? Here are 8 tips proven to help you cope and overcome them. 1 Sleep - Try to make sure you get a good nights sleep. Sleep is very important so your body is fully rested for the battle ahead. It's hard work suffering from an anxiety disorder and fatigue can happen often. When you are fatigued you let your guard down. Try and get 8 hours sleep each night, if you can get yourself into a good sleep pattern and schedule you are preparing your mind and body the best way possible. 2 Eat well - Make sure that you are eating a good variety of fruits and vegetables daily, as well as complex carbohydrates and protein. These foods are known to boost serotonin levels (the happy chemical) in the brain and which will enhance your mood. You should try to eat lots of foods that contain B Vitamins, such as greens, beans, eggs and lean meats like chicken and fish. I always start the day with a large glass of fruit smoothie, shop bought ones are great but you can have fun making your own too! As an extra boost I sometimes add a couple of spoons of flaxseed. 3 Exercise! - I can't stress the importance of exercise in overcoming anxiety. Light to moderate exercise every day, it doesn't have to be strenuous. A 30 minute walk, swimming, light jogging, sports. It is entirely up to you but something you enjoy. Exercise boosts your mood and it also helps you to sleep. 4 Hobbies - The key to beating those damaging anxious thoughts is distraction. There is nothing worse for someone with anxiety than sitting around on the couch and ruminating. Find something to distract yourself, and something that takes your whole attention, but is also fun to do. Arts and Crafts, pets (I have 4 cats and I love to play with them) Photography, cooking, anything you love to do. It makes you feel good just to realise for an hour or so you didn't think those nasty 'what if's' 5 Write a journal - Writing down your thoughts, fears, whatever is troubling you can be very therapeutic. A lot of our anxieties are bottled up inside us and we ruminate on them. You may suffer physical symptoms of anxiety, write these down too. Having a journal is like having a record of everything you felt and feared, all the symptoms, all the worries, all the things in your mind that you wish weren't there. Write them down and get them out of your head. 6 Sunshine - Vitamin D is crucial and there is no better way to get it than from the sun. 15 minutes a day goes a long way. Feeling that sun on your skin, that warm feeling, summer and fresh air. It's a great mood enhancer. Of course always remember to wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen if needed. But do yourself a favour and take 15 minutes out of your day to sit in the sun, relax, read a book, whatever you like but let that sunshine through your eyelids. 7 Breathe! - We often don't even realise it, but when we are anxious we often don't breath right. Shallow breathing through the chest doesn't give enough oxygen and you can easily find yourself hyperventilating, and we all know what happens then, panic! The answer is belly breathing, nice and slow. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth and watch as you breathe that your belly rises and falls. Do it nice and slow and you will feel yourself getting calmer. You can find breathing exercises online to suit your needs. 8 Relax! - Take 30 minutes to an hour every day just to relax, just for you, 'ME time' Whatever you want that to be. Yoga, meditation, a nice bath with lavender oils and candles. Reading a book, playing a game, paint your nails, video games. This bit is personal for you and it's to give yourself a reward at the end of the day, or beginning whichever you choose, the point is it is for YOU. Because you have earned it.