Somatic disorder

[Sasical]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone that suffers from somatic disorder can help me.

I have accepted that I have somatic disorder, I don't have panic attacks or agoraphobia any longer but now my anxiety manisfests in physical symptoms. The problem is that very often the symptoms are quite alarming, like extreme tachycardia, half my body going numb, etc...so I never know if I should ignore the symptoms or not. I always think, but what if this time I ignore them and they are real? But of course, I also know that the WHAT IF's are anxiety....aaaargh.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated as I'm having a really bad time. Thanks x

[Pugglesworth]

Hi.

I'm not a doctor or a therapist and I recommend you see at least a doctor to rule out any physical problems that may be causing your symptoms. Once that is out of the way, you can start down the symptoms that anxiety can bring.

The good news is anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways. The bad news is some of them can be quite alarming. Even when you know they're related to tension, adrenalin, cortisol and a whole host of other systems our body has for survival. I also do not have any phobias, but I do have persistent symptoms that come and go, wax and wane on a fairly regular basis. These include chest pain, headaches, trouble sleeping, pins and needles on my skin, lower GI issues, upper GI issues, shoulder pain, neck pain: you name it. Sounds terrible. How do I cope?

Well, that's a good question. Sounds like I'm in a lot of pain and suffering. Well, it's not pleasant all the time, but it's not unpleasant all the time either. Good days and bad. Most are OK. And OK is just fine. I do have physical health issues, but those are being treated with medicine, exercise, eating good and getting good sleep when I can. I do have mental health issues and those are being treated in the same way.

I see you've been on this board for awhile. I wonder if you've ever read Dr. Claire Weekes book Hope and Help for Your Nerves? If you haven't, I can't recommend you pick it up enough. She was the first doctor to normalize my somatic experiences. It's an older book, but still my favorite as far as explaining how our nervous system works, what causes our symptoms and how to deal with them.

[Sasical in reply to Pugglesworth]

Thank you very much for your detailed and helpful reply!!I haven't seen A doctor, I think I have seen about 20 (without exaggerating), GP's, cardiologists, gineacologists, neurologists, gastro docs...they all tell me "it might be" this or that, but no one has ever said "this is happening because of this" and they keep referring me from one to another and I'm in a bit of a limbo.

Also I do have to mention that due to some past experiences I have lost my faith in doctors quite a lot so that doesn't make tjings any easier.

About Claire Weekes, her books and audio tapes were the biggest help in me overcoming panic attacks and agoraphobia some years ago. Maybe I should re-read them and see if they apply to what is happening to me now.

I'm also in perimenopause so I guess tjat doesn't help either.

Sorry to sound like such a Debbie Downer but I'm going through a bit of (long lasting) rough patch.

[Pugglesworth in reply to Sasical]

Not a problem.

You've covered your bases it sounds like on the doctor front. Doctors won't tell you what is going on without proof. At least mine didn't. And even then, they can be wrong.

I've read and re-read Dr. Weekes so many times I've lost count. I find something new every time. I find her audio books helpful too. The reassurance goes a long way for me.