Looking for reassurance for my anxiety symptoms and that I’m not crazy.

[Orange0424]

This is my first post so I’ll try to make it short. I had my first panic attack in December and have been to multiple hospitals and multiple doctors. Started feeling new symptoms I think related to anxiety and looked them up on the internet and now think I’m dying. I have brain fog or what I feel like is bad memory, I have neck pain, muscle twitches, problems sleeping, and am constantly worrying.

[EleanorRose]

You’re not crazy ☺️ You’re having a difficult time at the moment but that doesn’t make you crazy.

The internet is not your friend when it comes to searching for symptoms. Many people, myself included, have managed to convince themselves of certain death based on the internet - and we’re all still here to tell the tale.

If you’ve seen doctors and been to the hospital, use what they said as the medical information you need - try not to Google! It’s really hard and really tempting but all it does is heighten your anxiety.

The symptoms you describe are all things that could result from anxiety. Sleeping problems are hugely common and something I’ve been struggling with recently too. The muscle twitching and neck pain sound like you’re tense.

The cruel thing with anxiety is that the symptoms make you anxious, the anxiety worsens the symptoms, you worry more etc. It can be a vicious circle sometimes.

The other thing that it sometimes helps me to remember is that something might not be anxiety BUT that doesn’t mean it’s something serious. For instance, your neck pain could be unrelated to the other things- maybe you just slept awkwardly. I don’t know, but there’s a huge range of possibilities - ‘Anxiety’ or ‘Death’ aren’t the only options.

You definitely sound like you’re having a difficult time at the moment and everything you describe sounds like anxiety. Take comfort in what the doctors have told you. If you have a symptom you’re particularly worried about, talk to the doctors but believe what they tell you - don’t go to the internet for a second opinion.

Take care

Eleanor

[Hidden]

Welcome to the site Orange

If you have Anxiety, the feelings and sensations you are having will be down to Anxiety and Depression. Also the tendons and muscles will stiffen and cause pain.

Sometimes is general if you have been lifting and carrying that can also cause problems especially if your posture is not that good.

Problems with memory again can be caused by Anxiety and stress as you try and relate to your body sensitivities, it seems your health is ok, and you need to be able to relax and find ways to divert your thoughts and life expectations

Your GP has explained what is causing your problems, Try Relaxation Technique Mindfulness that should help you loosen yourself up and feel relaxed

BOB

[Jeff1943]

You must choose between real doctors with the latest technology and Doctor Google who always tells you what you don't want to hear.

Remember, a doctor is talking about you and you alone, what you read online is designed to fit millions of different readers.

Believe me, what your doctors told you is the advice to take. Do not belong to the "they must have missed something" brigade. Doctors hardly ever do and you are NOT the exception.

I suspect those doctors told you they can find nothing physically wrong. That's a good start because it confirms what you already know: panic attacks and your other symptoms are caused by anxiety not some terminal illness. No, you are not going to die even if it feels that way.

I will now tell you what is happening to you.

Things have occurred in your life to cause you anxiety. Over work, disappointment, toxic relationships, loss, grief and worry are just a few of the possible culprits. We can all put up with a certain amount of anxiety but when we reach anxiety overload our nervous system flips. It's had enough and it becomes over-sensitised. From then on you can expect every small worry and concern to be magnified ten times by your fragile nerves.

Health anxiety is a good example. A pain in the chest must be heart failure when in fact it's muscular tension. An upset stomach must be an tumour when it's actually a common response to stress. Always we think of the worst case scenario.

Anxiety generates more fear hormones which generate more symptoms which generate more fear anxiety which generates more fear hormones.

But none of these bad feelings are real organic illness: anxiety is a brilliant mimic. That's why your doctors found nothing wrong with you organically.

So what's the way forward? First you must neutralise whatever is causing you anxiety. Change your job, drop your troublesome 'friend', move somewhere else, stop feeling an obligation to relatives who treat you like s**t. Whatever it takes.

Second, stop scaring yourself half to death by always thinking the worst. Accept physical symptoms as fakes created by a nervous system on the blink. Just accept for the moment all the bad feelings and symptoms. Stop fighting them and accept them instead.

It won't bring instant relief but acceptance will start the process whereby you stop generating fear hormones. Gradually your nerves become less sensitive until one day not too far hence you begin to feel more relaxed, less intimidated by problems you can easily solve and less subject to a false sense if general doom.

That's the story. If you have another panic attack just take deep breaths and carry on as normal. Accept it. Pass though it rather than trying to swerve it. Carry on and the bad feeling will pass.

Many of us here have felt what you're feeling. But through understanding, reassurance and constant practice we have regained our lives. What we have done you can too: it is a well trodden path that leads to recovery.