health anxiety

[miami]

Hi.

Its very intresting reading all the posts about anxiety, i think it really helps knowing your not the only one with these weird symptons. I am 39 now and have always been a level headed kind of bloke and never thought this would happen to me. Its started about 2 years ago now and has come and gone ever since, all the usual horrible things dizzy headache sickness etc etc. I think trying to understand it is a big part to accept it and try and feel better although its much easier said than done. I used to love going away with mates and doing all sorts of mad things but now the thought of going abroad feels me with fear{ what will happen if i'm ill, They won;t understand me etc just only want to be at home and feel safe, Even tried to book a holiday in england last months nd spent the whole 5 days being sick dizzy ill and just wanting to get home, just want to feel like i used to?? where did this come from? never had any sign of this sort of thing before and no stress in my life nothing i can relate this to whats going on.

[Anxietyang]

I here where you are coming from. Mine too came from nowhere last October, work triggered it but my issues were already there bubbling under.

I started with health anxiety after my husband was diagnosed with MS aged 37 back in 2006. I coped but it affected me deep down and I started to question my health and mortality. Later it developed to generalised anxiety and extreme panic disorder and later to some level of social anxiety. That was from last October.

Its awful and it does make it so hard to get on with normal life and more importantly to enjoy it.

Counselling has helped me massively. Have you had any? Also a lot of soul searching trying to put my finger on what exactly was causing it, what was my actual underlying fear. Are you conscious of anything it could be? I used a technique called focussing. This helped me to identify my real issues, deep inside. There is a book on this by eugene gendlin. It may be worth a read. You can download it.

Im up and down like you seem to be but I can see light at the end of the tunnel. You will get there too. Positive thoughts, do positive things, don't let negative and unhelpful thought processes in. The old you is still in there just waiting to come back out. Always remember that. Take care. X