How do you all cope with your Illness and not let it consume you? Again I have not been diagnosed but I feel something is wrong and my anxiety is high
Anxiety: How do you all cope with your... - Lung Conditions C...
Anxiety
53 Replies
•
My husband Pete has sarcoidosis, COPD, osteoporosis and chronic back pain but he also has a positive mental attitude. That’s what keeps him going, along with myself and the rest of the family of course.
Try and enjoy each day as much as possible and don’t dwell on what might happen.
Wishing you well. Xxxx
• in reply tosassy59
I'm so stressed out. I can barely be around my loved ones.
Rigcu1 Sassy has given you a perfect example of how somebody with serious medical issues copes with life,encompassing a positive mental outlook is fundamental in tackling health issues.it would appear that Anxiety is your primary medical condition and the sooner you seek help for that i think the better you will feel about your future health and life in general,you really need to engage with your lovely wife and family and start to live and not let this anxiety consume your life.
Please seek professional advice as there is a limit as to what we as a group can offer in terms of support and additional advice.
Best wishes to you Ski's and Scruffy x
• in reply toskischool
Skis thank you. So let me say yea anxiety is through the roof, because I have a tightness in my chest, feel tired, and have interrupted sleep. I worry it's more than anxiety so it's really stressful for me. Got to get back to trusting my doctors
skischool• in reply to
You need to see someone who specialise in Anxiety,please ask your Gp to refer you otherwise you will go round in circles with this,there is no stigma attached in seeking this advice and there are professional out there who can help you,
sandylo• in reply to
I've had all the same sympoms for 9 years only have 3 hrs sleep most nights I look on it as the norm now for me
Hi if you have tests and they have come back negative why don't you believe them?
It does seem clear that you have health anxiety and you would get more knowledgeable replies from a specific anxiety site. Have a look at the link. x
healthunlocked.com/anxiety-...
• in reply tohypercat54
I did thank you for those. Honestly I have yet to see a pulmonologist. But I have been seen by 2 cardios, urgent care, WE, and primary care. All say I'm good. HyperCard I'm deathly scared of the lung doc
They have done xrays and a quick echo and things look good. Oxygen levels were also good with the pulse oximeter
Anxiety can cause all the symptoms you describe and often does. What lung disease do you think you might have?
• in reply tohypercat54
Ipf keeps storming my head
IPF and PF are relatively rare. Do you have the following symptoms?
I do feel tired and lost some weight whole stressed out on a trip to london. That's all
casper99• in reply to
I lost 2 stone in a few weeks through stressing about my health.
Get some help with it off your doctor. The sooner you deal with it, the quicker it will stop xx
hypercat54• in reply to
You haven't got PF or IPF then!
• in reply tohypercat54
One more thing is I don't sleep through night. Heart races wakes me up
No shortness of breathe or dry cough. Pain inside my chest I'm in a bad place. Been seeing a counselor and taking lorazepam
jackdup• in reply to
Have things changed or gotten worse since taking the Lorazepam? If they have then have a look at the side effects here as anxiety, behavioural problems, abnormal thinking and a list of many other potential side effects can be caused by it. Instead of helping it may be making the problems worse, but check with your doctor before stopping taking them if you suspect they may contributing to your concerns.
Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine and I know someone who always reacts badly to benzodiazepines. She doesn’t think she is any different but her thought process is completely different and often can’t put things into perspective when she is taking benzos, often to the point of being somewhat irrational, but again she doesn’t think she acts any differently. There are numerous other changes in her as well when she is taking them. I know they help a lot of people as well but some people’s thought process changes for the worse when taking them.
I sure don’t know if that is contributing to your situation but certainly worth considering, especially if things seem worse since you started taking them.
So as you can see I have pretty much self diagnosed myself IPF and it's got its grip on me. All the scary stuff you read online with life expectancy and stuff. I'm 38 got 4 kids and a great life. And it's upside down right now. We are having a party today and I'm trying to get some advice on how to set that aside and have some fun. It's been a while
Ricgu1 My wife died of respiratory failure,one of the contributing factors of her death was IPF,i know a considerable amount about this disease,its diagnosis and it's symptoms and you would almost without doubt after your recent Xrays,which were clear,been invited for subsequent high res Ct scans to go some way to confirming its existence.in your case this has not been so,need i say more..
Regards Ski's
Ok thank you all for responding and providing me feedback. I'll just keep the faith and focus on today
I really think you need to get a grip, if the tests are ok why are you still looking for something. Enjoy your life and be grateful that you can, there are alot of people out there with serious problems that are unable to. Seek out a councellor that can help you overcome your fears.
• in reply toIzb1
I have been counseling now for 4 weeks. I'm working on it!
I have had a lung disease since i was 15yrs plus a rare blood disorder that produces clots in the lungs. From a young age i realised that yes we all have bad days and ask why me ? What is this ? Why cant i be normal ?
Well life is never easy and i have always taken each day as a challenge and every morning since being told i wake up and take a deep breath. This for me helps me start the day knowing i still can un aided as many others can not.
Feeling ill is not fun at all and it can feel worse if the illness is not noticeable . Try and start thinking of what you can still do and turn the minuses into pluses.
One day at a time 😎😁
• in reply toCarkaisabellacolin
Ok great feedback!
Anxiety is ruling your life. It’s easy to say stop and get a grip but that’s so hard to do with anxiety. It’s about distracting your thoughts. Try doing done guiddd meditation each night before bed. There are plenty of free apps. Also try writing down three things you are thankful for each morning. This really helps you think about good things and puts you on a good path for the day. Believe me, your mind can make things seem a thousand times worse. I would speak to your GP or see a therapist if you can’t self manage this as the symptoms you describe can all be part of anxiety
• in reply toSparkywoo
Yes I have a team of therapist working for me now
I keep my mind occupied on other things. I try to concentrate on the moment - the people around me, the objects, the sounds. I plan positive things to do today and in the future, and force my mind to think about those with excitement and anticipation instead of thinking about the things that make me anxious. I deliberately change one thought for another - whenever I have a negative thought I replace it with a positive one. I have used "fake it to make it" with others, but don't need to any more. I find a cause to support that really engages me (such as financial injustice, a political campaign, world peace or whatever) and actively support it, engaging with others who also support the cause and helping them further the goals. I try to stop thinking about myself, and concentrate all my thoughts on others.
• in reply toErgendl
That is great thank You! The wife woke me up and said you can still be a dad today if your chest hurts, you still have a purpose for the day
Marielove• in reply to
I hope you get help for anxiety. Lots of walking, eating right, and counseling. I have done this for years now. I take a medication for anxiety. There is a problem when you self diagnose yourself with IPF. Doctors would know this. You would definitely without a doubt have been diagnosed through your doctor's ...I've had a friend with IPF. He lived overwhelming each day with new experiences in his life....he always looked ahead. Try to keep your self in the present...you may always fight anxiety yet there is so much you can do to help yourself. Good luck to you. Many blessings.
Rigcu 1 ... Don't forget that anxiety can cause so many symptoms because you start to breathe in a different way (it's called hidden hyperventilation) and you don't realise you are doing it , that can cause chest pain , back pain palpitations, breathlessness, dizziness, headaches, tingling hands numbness etc etc and you feel generally unwell because you blood gases have changed , it's easy to get into this pattern and remain in it until you get control back of your body if all your tests are clear ! Good luck !
Always look on the bright side
To start with my anxiety was very high to the point that I couldn't sleep and needed anti depressant medication (which worked). I came off those after about a year - my GP advised against this but I did it slowly. After about a year things started to change gradually for the better. I started to learn what would help and I seem to be in a good maintained mode now. I'm forever searching for what might work and I have changed my life style considerably to accommodate these changes. So it all came at a price but worth it - I like life and living. X
• in reply toLizzab
So do I Thank u!
What are you feeling stress about .. Are you getting some test done ....I have been there plenty of times dealing with depression over my health I know how you feel .. This group helps we can write out our feelings and we under stand .... But what is causing this .....
• in reply toClamdigger
Needing to see the ling doc for final confirmation of my symptoms. Frightening of course
Get a diagnoses we cant help you unless you do and it does rather waste the time of people who need to help others
Robinc 10...your reply was rather cold and unhelpful so one would ask " WHY DID YOU WASTE YOUR TIME.This man is suffering with worry and stress.Its a condition that is real to him( just like all others).So please add nothing if its not helpful.
I do have to agree with Robin up to a point though I wouldn't have been so blunt. The poster clearly doesn't have a lung disease unlike the rest of us but seems to suffer from anxiety. I have already given him a link to a more appropriate site for anxiety and I think he would be much better off on there with others like himself who fully understand. There is only a limited amount we can do on here. x
With a busy life like yours finding time for yourself is difficult your symptoms sound like a cry for help, if as you say, the various investigations are clear. Try a Mindfullness course,you might be surprised by the result. There are short courses on line that are free,it requires discipline but not too much.Above all be kind to yourself.
• in reply toCulvennan21
Yes I'm having a tough time being kind to myself. Guilt and shame
1st of all thank you to everyone whether kind or blunt. Please understand I'm not here to abuse you all as resources. Its interesting how i even found you sll beung my initial symptoms started on a vacation to london! I am very worried and had a private convo w one of you that I'm in fear of seeing a lung doc. I have had clean x rays, a clean quick echo , blood work etc. The lone suspect was my blood gases that I believe were above ph levels. My doc said it was because I was hyperventilating. But when they drew my blood I was already stable under o2 for at least 30 mins. Thats an outlier, plus for 6 weeks ive been waking up every hour or so heart beating fast. Could be anxiety. Honestly ive been vusiting this forum more than anything else , not sure if that helps. But its because you all have been helpful. I'm working on gaining the courage to see lung doc, just scared guys sorry for any inconvenience.
Hi this is why I have been advising you to use the anxiety site instead of this one. There are many on there with health anxiety and they will be able to tell you what is normal and what isn't. I doubt there is anyone on here with the relevant experience and knowledge to help you with this. They will for example be able to tell you that what you are experiencing with anxiety is very common and perhaps if a few respond you might believe them. They are very helpful on there too.
Although this site is open to all it does deal specifically with those who do have lung disease and whilst some do have anxiety as well it is different with you. Their anxiety usually springs from their illness rather than the other way round.
See your lung doctor and once you get the all clear start dealing with your anxiety ie tell your primary doctor and get some help with it. x
I'm going to continue to ramp up the counseling for my anxiety then go see the lung doc. Right now I'm not sure I could handle any bad news from the lung doc. Going to get my courage back, I finally got out of the house today ion my own again. Everyone on here has been helpful and I wish you all a great rest of your weekend.
@rlgcu1 - have you spoken to the BLF helpline? 03000 030 555 blf.org.uk/support-for-you/...
Give them a call. Talk to them, they’ve got very good staff, clinical staff, willing and waiting to listen and help.
• in reply toSymes
Thx symes but I live in the U.S.. I did call a lung hotline bere
rigcu1
Hi, so sorry that you feel this anxiety, most of us on this forum have problems, the members often have their own answers and ways of dealing with their situations. A lot depends on age as to the treatments you can get. I've researched around the world by email and phone calls. From when you are diagnosed all is not lost and boy will it keep you busy.
Subject to age you can have lung transplants, lung reductions, lung valves, lung coils and even stem cell treatments, lots to think about. You can find a lot thro' the web but do be careful as often you get the very worst scenario which can frighten you witless, ignore most of that and concentrate on the positives of the condition. You must however take things a little easier, energy is not plentiful, do not attempt high energy activities yet you can get exercises with a pulmonary rehab course, they will only let you do exercises that they think suitable. Instead of feeling anxious go get some info on the various options,there's a lot to read that may keep you from fretting.
IKeith
• in reply tolKeith
The web has me in a panic Keith. Wish I would have never read any of it.
rigcut1
Hi again, the web has a lot to answer for like I said many of the articles on there often give info on the worst case scenario and can be very deceiving. Try to disregard it ( although that may be difficult now you've read it). Many of the people on this forum have had symptoms for years and have found their own way around it and how to cope with it, you must do the same.
Don't despair there are treatments out there concentrate on finding the positive, it's there to be found.
IKeith
• in reply tolKeith
Thanks Keith. I won't give up hope I pray for all of you every night just fyi
Just an update I have requested mayo clinic and local pulmonologist to contact me. Not sure I'll answer but I took that step.
Update I went to see a shrink who prescribed me with some new meds. I did sleep last night did wake up once and my heart was beating rather fast. Pushing through a state of depression and this sleeping aid she gave me has me lethargic. Trying to bring my anxiety back down so I can then go see the lung doc and go from there. It's Friday everyone have a great day!
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