Any suggestions for how i can overcome my medical anxiety?

[danielsc15]

Hi guys, Carly here.

A few days ago, I posted about having some pains in my ribs, chest & back and so many of you were so helpful with that and i was hoping I could get other suggestions as well.

I've been suffering with anxiety since I was in 5th grade (I just graduated high school in May) and my anxiety has gotten progressively worse over the last few years. It also goes hand in hand with my depression and I often go up & down with both anxiety and depression. (If it's not anxiety bothering me, it's depression and vice versa)

I think the main thing that has always boosted my anxiety is my fear of having anything severely medical happen to me. I would have panic attacks about passing out, feeling like i am not able to breath, getting sick, having a seizure, having a heart attack, having my lungs collapse, etc. I think those medical fears have a connection with a fear of having something happen that I don't particularly have control over. The biggest medical fears I have had lately are worrying about my heart & lungs. The fear of something as terrifying and serious as a heart attack or spontaneous pneumothorax happening, has been eating me alive and I need some suggestions to try to overcome those medical fears. These fears and the heart & lung fears especially, have taken months of my life away because I'm terrified of doing anything that could cause a complication like that. I am prescribed several anxiety & depression medications currently, but am going to see if there are other medications that work more efficientely. (I'm on Citalopram now and it doesn't seem to be doing anything and I've been taking it since August and am prescribed Larazopam for any serious anxiety attacks, but can't take that a lot since it's addictive and I can only use it "as needed".) Please help me find some reassurance & suggestions on how i can start forgetting about these medical fears and can go back to my normal life. Thank you.

[HeatherJones]

I am on Xanax and it works in controlling my anxiety issues. You can talk to your doctor to change your medicines.

[danielsc15 in reply to HeatherJones]

Hi heatherjones,

I definitely will talk to my doctor about Xanax and other medications. Thank you for your reply & suggestion.

[Lee33 in reply to HeatherJones]

What mg zanax do you take

[Michael83]

Hi

I find talking to people on here helps better than meds. ( I'm on the same meds as you, If you want to talk I'm here. It could be about anything really just doing anything to take you mind of things can work.

michael