Is it really just anxiety?

[Manonthesea]

Hey guys so this post is a first for me. I'm pretty sure I have bad anxiety but it is impossible for me to believe that I do not have a health problem. This all has been building up for years, I've been worrying about my health every day. I almost never get sick, not even a cold but still I feel like my time on earth is limited! I have keratosis pilaris, a harmless skin condition that leaves small acne like bumps on my skin, primarily on my upper arms, shoulders, waist and thighs. I've had it for as long as I can remember but over the past few years i feel there is something more to it. I constantly fear that I have some sort of disease or virus. My worry got so bad that I took an HIV test that came back negative, the worry went away for awhile but it soon came back. I am now suffering phyical symptoms like, dry mouth, irregular appetite, irregular bowel movements, cold sweaty hands, trembling, pounding heart, and the feeling of a lump in my throat. I know all of these symptoms can be related to anxiety but it only makes my anxiety worse as the symptoms make me worry even more that I have a health issue. I have trouble falling asleep at night as I lay in bed and worry for hours. I have been taking sleeping pills lately but they make me drowsy the next day which only worsens my anxiety. A few days ago I had a breakdown over the phone with my wife where I just cried and told her all of my feelings. It felt good to cry and let it all out but it was only temporary relief.

I guess I just need to vent these issues I'm feeling. When I get home in about a week I am going to have my doctor perform every test in the book on me, I feel that that is the only way to leave this feeling behind even if it is bad news.

Anyone have any suggestion on how not to worry, how do I forget the worry, the fear, please help!

[JoeFTB]

Hi mate I can relate obviously not too the skin condition you have but to the other things like I feel like I need to have every test under the sun to make sure there is nothing wrong with me I'm having bowl problems too and people are telling me its down to worry from the anxiety as well as all your other symptoms my doctor is sending me for CBT it's a counselling course that's supposed to help anxiety look it up and go back to your doctor and elk them about your anxiety I'm in the same boat as you mate we can get through it

Hope this helps stay positive

[Manonthesea in reply to JoeFTB]

Thanks for the reply. I'll have to talk to my doctor about that. It's amazing how anxiety can effect us physically like this.

[Speedychick81 in reply to Manonthesea]

Cbt is a good place to start

[Manonthesea]

So I have about 6 more days until I go home. Looking forward to seeing my doctor!!!

I talked to my sister who takes Zoloft for her anxiety and she re-assured me that I am most likely having these symptoms because of the anxiety. I decided to start exercising 2 days ago after I first posted, I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio followed by a brief weight session. The fear has dramatically dropped since staring this but the symptoms are still there.

I still worry but not nearly as bad as before. How long do the physical symptoms of anxiety typically last? Will I have these symptoms until I completely rid myself of anxiety? I'm mostly concerned about the dry mouth. If that went away I would feel so much better. The lump in my throat comes and goes. Anyone else have the dry mouth symptom? How long did it last?