My story

[tyzhane]

Hey everyone, I just joined this group when I saw how much i related to the things that you guys have been going through. I just wanted to share my story. So, to start off I am 18 years old and am in my first year of college. Before this time I have lived a very regular life, never had any serious illnesses, worked out on a semi regular basis and went about everyday life regularly. But started about 3 months ago I became extremely stressed out due to leaving family, friends, moving away from home and so many other things that come along with starting college. This is when I began having panic attacks. I've been having them every since, sometimes they don't come for days, and then sometimes they happen 3 days in a row. I believe that I am also suffering from some depression, not only from environmental factors, but also from the symptoms that I've been having from my anxiety that I believed were life threatening. They come and go and also have changed a bit but overall I have experienced:

headaches, pressure in head, burning sensation in head and inside of body, twitching in right eye in muscle spasms in body, tingly/prickly feeling in legs feet and hands, heart palpatations, slow heart rate, decrease in apetite, extreme chills, hot flashes, confusion, memory loss, hard to think, weakness in body, fatigue, hard to think of words/concentrate, fatigue, muscles aches, blurred vision, chest pains, troubles breathing, weight loss, dizziness, nausea etc.

These things really had me on a downward spiral because I thought that something was really wrong with me although all of my blood tests and other tests that were ran came back to be okay. This has really affected me with me school work, because I lost the motivation and ability to concentrate when normally I was always on top of my work. I wake up everyday, and just wish that I was back to my old self, I pray all of the time and I was just really in a horrible state of mind. Luckily, I was blessed with an amazing support group of friends and family that helped me through the way, but it was still hard because my really good friends are away at other colleges and my family are always busy so I was feeling really alone at one point. I am starting to deal with it better because I am sure that it is anxiety which is workable and not a life threatening illness. I've been to the ER maybe 10 times or more due to my panic attacks, because it time was more intense and scarier than the last. I really send my regards to everyone that has to go through this because I can say first hand that it is a horrible experience. But the POSITIVE thing is that it can 100% get better with the proper help, guidance, and lifestyle changes. I am at the point where I am just trying to get it a little bit in control so I can return back to my school work how I need too. But I am till going through all of the symptoms and fighting everyday.

[amberwave]

Wow, I feel the same way, all anxiety symptoms. Try progressive muscle relaxation, on YouTube. Try therapist, mine is so out of control that I had to start lexapro. Good luck to you. Also when you feel it coming on try yo keep busy, and talk yourself through it, that third have felt this before, your okay, your safe them tell it not today too go away. Be well

Amy

[tyzhane in reply to amberwave]

Thanks, the attackw have actually come to a minimum at this point, its just the symptoms and derealization that i deal with