Health Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Hi everyone

I’ve been struggling with health anxiety for a while now and have had so many tests to rule out medical causes of physical symptoms that I have experienced. I am at the point now that I know and accept that I have health anxiety and that any kind of physical sensation that feels out of the ordinary sparks my anxiety. The problem is that this often results in a panic attack. I am so much better at dealing with them when they happen and I can get them to stop more quickly than they were but I would like to get to a point where they don’t come in the first place. I’m just looking for any tips or positive stories really on getting the panic attacks to stop all together. Any ideas?

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Hope83

in reply to Gothlic

2 years ago

I highly recommend the techniques from Claire Weekes books for dealing with panic attacks. Another one that I have liked is one called ‘anxiety and panic: how to reshape your anxious mind and brain’ by Dr Harry Barry. It tells you in detail about how the brain works and causes stress and panic in your body. Understanding it has made me feel more in control. Basically what I try to do now is to not fight the panic attack. I accept it for what it is and that the panic attack itself can’t harm me. I tend to just say to myself ‘this is horrible but not harmful’ over and over and stay still and just let it come. It is hard at first because it’s the opposite of what your body is telling you to do and sometimes, even where deep down I know it is a panic attack, my brain is telling me that it’s something more. After doing this for a while though it really has helped me to bring them to an end more quickly. I just wish I could stop them starting in the first place.

Wishing you luck!

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Hope83

in reply to Ajrea2

2 years ago

Thanks so much. I actually started doing a gratitude journal and then it tailed off. As well as the anxiety type books I’ve been reading some more spiritual type self help books, not really religious, just about energy and how thinking about the wrong things can bring more of what you don’t want into your life - it’s really interesting. I try my best to just put positive thoughts and energy out there but it’s so hard with anxiety because it’s like your hard wired with these anxious thoughts...especially when every physical sensation that isn’t usual causes even more physical symptoms. I think I will pick up the gratitude journal again like you said. There are so many good things in life that you just forget when your anxious aren’t there.

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designguy

2 years ago

Hello Hope, you're having the panic attacks because you are having anticipatory anxiety about the physical sensations. Thinking about them and trying to not think about them or hope they don't turn into a panic attack are all active ways of engaging anxiety, which maintains the anxiety. Like Bevee said, when you accept that your body is sensitized from a panic attack and it takes awhile for it to calm down you will start to recover. Full recovery begins when you can accept the panic feelings, know what they are and know that your mind and body are playing tricks with you and don't believe them. It's scary as hell at first but after a few times you will realize it is no big deal.

What helped in my recovery was to encourage and welcome them to happen. I figured I had already experienced the worst that could happen, which was the panic/anxiety, so I had nothing to lose. i was also totally determined to recovery.