I think I have anxiety along with RA and who knows what else

[Tiffanymakaylah]

Hello I guess I needed to finally join a group - I've been feeling like crap for 4 years now. I found out I have rhumetoid arthritis last week and seehing a Rhumetologist tomorrow. But I'm always thinking I'm dying almost all day and all night. Especially at night when I'm trying to relax. I think my anxiety started two years ago when I was abusing coke, redbull and pain pills. I almost died - I was rushed by ambulance and they had to stop my heart and restart it- after that I was told something looked wrong with my heart so I went to the heart institute and found I had SVT - basically irregular heart rate and extra electrical wave. Ever success that started in my moms shower on vacation - I now have anxiety getting in the shower and basically think I'm dying every day. My quality of life sucks now. I stopped everything but the pain meds because I have pain and I think it helps calm me down a little bit. I won't take xanex or anything - just don't like them. Had 1 once and was out for two days. Anyways - I feel like I can't breath all day and I must have lung or heart issues- I've gained a good 15-20 pounds over the last year because I just sit around depressed and feeling crappy all day. I don't know but I'm not liking life anymore and just want this to stop!

[Agora1]

Hi TiffanyMakaylah, what a beautiful smile you have. I'm glad you did find our forum. It sounds like you can use a little support and understanding right now. You've been through some tough medical issues which most likely took it's toll as Anxiety. When anxiety starts with a certain situation we need to remember that it's not that place that controls whether you have another episode or not, it's your subconscious mind feeding negative thoughts. It's best to break that thought before it grows into avoidance completely.

Feeling like you can't breathe all day can be a symptom of anxiety that has nothing to do with your heart or lungs. (only a doctor can reassure you of that). Chronic pain certainly feeds into anxiety even when knowing where the pain is coming from. Once anxiety takes over enough to make an impact on the quality of your life, it does need to be addressed. It doesn't have to be Xanax but some short term medication as well as talking therapy can motivate you to start joining in on life again.

I have Fibro and the pain may not compare to RA but pain is pain. We need to reformulate how our mind accepts what we have been given in life. We can either give up and lie around feeling hopeless or we can gather up our strength and believe that life is worth living. Maybe not like we once remembered but with some adjustments it can be worthwhile.

I hope you come back to the forum and use it to your benefit. If nothing else it provides you with some friendships of knowing you are not alone. I'm so glad you took that first step in going forward by joining in. My best x