Health anxiety question.

[Devin76oh]

I've gone from a cognitive anxiety to more of a health anxiety issue over the past 4 months. I was able to control the cognitive (thanks to my faith and God) and now I am battling the fear of this health anxiety. Primarily the fear of heart attacks and strokes.

I've done all the test (blood/X-ray/EKG's/holter monitor/stress test) and everything comes back normal.

I am getting upper middle back pain (pin point sharp pain) only lasts a couple of minutes and goes into my arm and sometimes my jaw hurts. This is coupled with, of course, chest pain/pressure. No increased heart rate at all though.

Well I guess my question is, has anyone else had the back pain and arm pain as well and jaw pain? The reason why I freak out is because of the similarly in symptoms with heart attack and stroke.

It gets better but sometimes I can't seem to kick this issue. I almost feel depressed and sick in feeling like I'm coming down with the flu or something. Thoughts anyone?

[Beevee]

Hi Devin

In my experience, you have no control over the anxiety which will happily flit from one thing to another, or anything which has any meaning to you. Give up trying to control it and the anxiety will gradually melt away. I started off with health anxiety, which switched to relationship anxiety with generalised anxiety (fear of everything else in between!) thrown in for good measure! I got rid of it all because I literally made friends with it and gave up trying to control it and let the thoughts and feelings have their say without resistance or interference from me. Takes a bit of practice but you get there.

[Leelaa]

I used to have the same issues I used to fear dieing. So the littlest pain I would worry . One time I was on my way to the hospital because my arm hurt and my own mind made it worse then what would be just a normal pain. On my way there I had to have my driver pull over because my hole body went numb . He called 911 right there off the ramp and the ambulance came and had to give me oxigin because I was hyperventilating and you know what I never did feel the pain in my arm after that. But I have learned since then what our minds can do to our body . Just remember anxiety can not kill you. And it makes things hurt and it makes things worse then they are . If you had tests and things are ok then you have to retrain your brain to tell yourself your ok . If your heart is racing and your chest is tightening it's because your body is fighting and protecting (flight affect) what your mind thinks is wrong . That's why your heart races because it's being protected if you were having a heart attack your heart would slow down . And anxiety will give you the symptoms of a heart attack if your mind thinks your having one . When you think bad thoughts adrenalin takes over and tightens your muscles and makes them spasm and soar . I hope this helped some .. take care.

[Hidden]

I have also noticed my cognitive anxiety will turn to health anxiety at times. Like others have said I think that anxiety will try to find a foothold anywhere it can. Once you start feeling better in one area it finds another place to haunt you. As soon as my cognitive anxiety eased a little I started fearing that I was damaging my liver because of my medications. Anxiety is terrible in the way it will try and undermine anything it can. I hope we all find some peace from it. Best wishes.