Is it anxiety or am I actually sick? (help please)

[standingalison]

I apologize in advance if this is excessive. okay so im 17 and ive been having a lot of problems recently. firstly i have been diagnosed (by a pro) with depression, OCD, and anxiety in 2014, but lately the anxiety has been too much to handle, in January of this year, i got sick one night at 4am and i threw up three times. that sort of started my worrying. i was constantly worried i would throw up again and started obsessing over what i consumed and how much. i went to the doctors and ER alot because of constant nausea and abdominal pain. i was really worried something was deadly wrong with me but no one found anything but a sinus infection. a little later on i was admitted to a hospital for a couple days and they did regular labs, an ultrasound of my stomach, and an upper and lower scope and still nothing. even later on i was sent to a GI doctor and he said i have IBS with constipation and i kinda stopped worrying about my stomach. My ears have been clogged for two months so i started to worry about that, my pediatrician says theres no fluid in my ear but stuff could be blocked in my inner ear and she just cant see it so shes sending me to an ear doctor on the 10th of this month. my daily symptoms are: ear pain, constant headaches, pressure headaches, blurred vision that sometimes lasts for days, dizziness and fatigue, weak body, jaw and neck pain, chest pain(or heartburn), back pain, weak and achy limbs, throat tightness, coughing, stomach pain, and occasional nausea. alot i know and its freaking me out. i always research things and worry over different things, currently im convinced i have a brain tumor. i just worry too much, i do see a therapist but hes out of the country for awhile and its just overwhelming, my mom is tired of me worrying but i dont know how to stop. im afraid if i stop worrying that theres something actually seriously wrong and i should be worrying about it. so basically im worried about what will happen if i stop worrying. i dont know how to feel better i feel like im dying all the time. i have panic attacks over this. i kinda just wish the doctors would tell me somethings wrong so ill know how to fix this. could this all just be anxiety? my mom thinks my head pain is because everyones sinuses are really bad right now but alot of the time medicine doesnt work, im also homeschooled and pretty unhealthy, im not overweight, but i dont have any physical activity during the day and i havent for almost three years now, my mom also thinks that has a lot to do with my pain. i want to start eating better and exercising but its hard to when i dont feel good. could all of this really just be caused by sinuses/allergies, IBS, and constant anxiety. have i just literally worried myself sick? i dont know what to do anymore i feel like ill never feel better sometimes. i dont know where to start i just dont want to die over something i cant control. someone tell me what to do please

[Croft1987]

I've had something kinda similar, I developed anxiety and emetaphobia when I was 8 because of a medical procedure which went wrong.

I became so frightened of everything to do with sick that I could make myself really ill by just thinking about it, I stopped leaving the house, eating certain foods etc because I was so scared, ive even decided now that I won't have children incase they are sick. I'd panic so bad when I felt sick that I'd end up having a fit or collapsing.

Eventually I saw a councillor who taught me ways of dealing with it, I still struggle now I'm nearly 30 but I'm no where near as bad.

Try talking to someone to see if you can get some coping techniques. One I was taught was to start at your toes and tense every muscle in turn up through my body to my shoulders when I started to think about sick, the distraction would calm me down a lot of the time.

I know it can be tough, I hope you feel better and won't let it consume you the way I did ☺

[stoneym]

Hi standingalison,

You are so young to have all these worries and anxiety. You may have physical ailments, I don't know, but you will still have to live in your body for the next 60/70/80 years, so why not, with the help of your mum, try to only do the very best for your body.

Maximise your nutrition, at home during the day, making sure you are not deficient in any nutrients, by eating at least 10 organic if poss, veg and fruit, every day - make soups and smoothies. Eat and drink only to benefit your body; - no sugar or processed stuff. Improving minerals and vitamin levels should enable all your organs and body systems to work better.

Switch off electronic devices mid evening, and have a wind down routine as you prepare for bed & for tomorrow.

On waking each morning, go to the window, look towards the light (not at the sun) to switch on your day hormones. Walk outdoors, exercise indoors or out, or hoover the floor, or clean some windows etc.. don't sit around thinking for long periods of time.

If you want to be healthier - do healthy things. A pill may temporarily stop a pain, but will not make you healthier.

You don't want to spend your life at medical appointments. I know it's not easy (I have panic attacks and insomnia and lots more) but you have to change things or you will go on getting what you've got. Good luck