Strange random anxiety

[Staciebobacey]

So about a month ago I got a pretty bad cough and along with that came a boil (or what I think is/was a boil) on my neck. On New Years Eve, it got huge, red and started to hurt! It only got worse the next day when I was headed out of town with my boyfriend... within 30 minutes of departing his house, I started to feel tightness in my chest, and then I had what I think was a panic attack. Feeling breathless, suddenly really sweaty and clammy, and felt like I was going to lose my mind! This happened 3 times on our 2 and half hour drive. When we returned, I went to the doctor the next day and she assumed I just had bad bronchitis (the bad cough) and gave me some medications for that as my blood pressure and lungs sounded fine. I had one more mild attack that evening, feeling like I was going to lose my mind or die. I calmed myself down and went to bed. Throughout the next few weeks it got better, but I still had the tight chest, but felt okay about it because I had bronchitis... then out of know where, three weeks later, I start to feel the same way! Tightness in the chest, especially when I lay down, and a feeling of impending doom, like my heart is bad or my brain is bad and I can't stop thinking about it, and googling it. This morning, I woke up with a mysterious brown/iodine looking stains on the palms of my hands and fingers. It looked like I was staining wood and didn't wash my hands, but I did no such thing! What are these symptoms? I feel like it is not much like regular anxiety as my heart doesn't beat faster, it stays pretty normal, I just feel like I can feel everything. My chest, my face, mouth, my head. It's driving me insane! I have never had depression and I am probably the most positive person you will meet so why this is happening to me, I don't know. I am not under a lot of stress and I am very happy in my life right now. Can anyone relate? Or do I need to see a doctor?

[Giselitta]

Hi there! You should always go see a doctor first, in order to rule out any medical issue possible. After you got everything checked and the doctor says you're ok, then you can settle on the fact that it's probably anxiety, or another psychological symptom. From what you're saying, it looks like anxiety. Even the most positive person in the world can have a panic attack or be very anxious for long periods of time. The problem is that once you felt anxious, it's unpleasant, and it gets you're attention to the symptoms you're feeling, you become very fast over attentive to every single thing your body does, every noise, every sensation, that ordinarily you wouldn't notice because you're attention is divided into many things is live, you are now noticing because you're focusing on it, and it scares you, which makes you more anxious again, and its a never ending loop. If you've seen the doctor and you're ok, and then if you're not ever been anxious, than it's certainly just a phase, with symptoms that are very real and unpleasant, but still, they'll go away. I advice a lot of sports like swimming, jogging or just taking long walks, on a daily basis, it helps with the hormones that make you feel good. And do you're best to focus on other things, there are anti stress video games that are free online for instance. Always talk to people don't be afraid of seeming crazy, everyone feels something weird at least once in life, but most people will hide it, hiding doest help, embrace what is happening to you, accept it because it is ok and things will be fine with time. You can also change your diet, avoid every foods that might get you hooked, like caffeine, sugar, saturated fat. And eat foods rich in magnesium, phosphore, omega 3, like fat fish (salmon, sardines), green vegetables like brocolis, spinach, etc. Dairy, nuts, dark chocolat. And you can freely drink infusions of coming plants like camomille, valerian, etc. Some people also respond well to essential oils, meditation or luminotherapy (specially since it's winter and it's normal to feel a little blue during the months we get less sunlight), etc. Try everything you can, the effects start within 2 weeks, and then just make that a new life style If nothing works, you still have the option of going talk to a therapist, for sometimes something bother us, and it takes someone else to help us understand what it is. Cheers!

[Giselitta]

Ps: Chest and throat discomfort as well as an impression of having trouble breathing are amongst symptoms people describe during a panic attack. I have felt them myself. But once again, before saying it's anxiety, rule out any medical condition by seeing a doctor.