Am I the only one?

[Mountie1978]

I develop pains when I am under stress and panic - usually my stomach, I get trapped gas under my ribs, I belch, I start to have panic attacks and imagine I have every deadly disease out there. It can be triggered by a pharmecutical commercial. I lost my brother last year and his birthday was 2/2. I started the belching/gas pains the week of worrying about how to help my mother deal with the first birthday without him. If I am busy, working or around others, I tend to not feel any pain. The minute I start thinking, wow, I haven't had any pain - it starts. I think I am loosing my mind. I had this begin over 30 years ago - had every test in the book. Barium enema, upper GI tilt test. Stomach produces too much acid due to stress. Was on tagment, zantac and xanan 3 times a day and stopped after about 2 years. Went through a divorce, loss of my grandmother and development pain in my legs and joints. So bad I stayed in bed, depressed , of course. I remarried, had a wonderful marriage, loved my husband and he loved my girls and raised them as his own. I lost my Daddy and thought I would die. The panic attacks came back. I seemed to get them on an even keel and then my husband got sick and died. I lost my love, my home and I just shut down. I started having chest pains, sure I was having heart attacks. Went through a nuclear stress tests. Cardiologists said it was fine - stress attacks. Started getting better , my brother had to have a liver transplant. Wife left him at the hospital, I moved in with my Mother to take care of him. He had many complications and after 2.5 year , he passed away last year. I have no home, I work part-time May-October and seems to be fine while working. I had a very hard time this Christmas, but kept busy. I started having my gas pains on Tuesday - thinking about my brothers BD coming up on 2/2. I keep thinking, o no - it's probably my liver , oh no, it's probably a tumor - oh what am I going to do. My daughters are so sick of it - I know - they know I obsess and make it worse. When I am not going through the panic, I know what my mind can do to my body, but when I am going through it, I can't stop. I stay scared and panicked. I feel like I am losing my mind. I am without insurance right now, so I was searching my area to see if there are any support groups out there - just to talk with. I pray and I know God hers me, I just needed to get this off my chest.

[deborah27]

Glad you got things off your chest. The mind is an amazing thing, but at times it feels like it is thinking us ill!

You have been able to identify and make connections or triggers for your aches and pains. That is helpful because it is unlikely that actual ill health waits for specific events and then goes away. Anxiety can be so physical, all sorts of weird and not so wonderful symptoms.

[Hidden]

Hi, the stomach is very connected to our emotions. Stress, anxiety and worry will cause stomach problems. Peppermint tea, peppermint candies with real peppermint oil will help. I’m so sorry for all of your losses, they are very traumatic. Maybe join a grief group such as GriefShare, they are all over the United States. My heart goes out to you ❤️