Coping with Anxiety - Chest pain

[kakotrixis50]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on here, I wanted to try sharing how I feel in an effort to see if anyone else happens to be going or has been through similar.

I would say that I am an anxious person as in, if there is reason to get anxious, I will get overly fixated and anxious regarding the subject.

Past few weeks, (more than a month), I have been under some stress from university and coincidentally (or not according to the multiple doctors), I've started having some scary symptoms. Mainly it is a dull tightness around my chest, sometimes to the left but mainly around the breastbone/center. It also affects my leg and causes me to feel very weak/lightheaded. It would happen no matter my situation, resting, walking, it'd just come on.

As one would do, I went to the emergency department the first time it happened as my chest started to hurt and I was nauseous, and I had a blood test done along with an ECG, both were fine. After that, I had more visits (to the emergency and GP) and tests done but none showed anything (inc chest x-ray, troponin for heart testing, multiple ECG's, doctor's diagnostics etc).

All they could say is that this is anxiety. I obviously want to believe that but my main issue was that this happens even if I'm not anxious in the present moment when the symptoms start. I live with the fear that this is still something that the doctors didn't see, and I guess that in itself does cause me anxiety.

I've been trying to take up breathing exercises in an attempt to alleviate the situation. However I would appreciate any feedback anyone has on here or similar experiences, something to help my thoughts. I also enlisted for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as advised by the doctors.

[pink83737]

I know the feeling, but I think the doctors know what they are doing otherwise they wouldn’t have that job!

[Hidden]

I've had the tightness in my chest this episode for about 3 months. It gets worse in the winter time when I am in the house more. Yes, it's anxiety if they're telling you that. Unfortunately, no one has explained what's happening to you so it will continue to get worse...because the more we worry about it the more adrenaline and other flight or flight chemicals are racing through your body. I am not doctor. I am a person who had my first panic attack and several trips to doctors over the years and always told "you're fine and there's nothing wrong with you". The problem with not explaining how the body works that only made things worse. I knew I felt really scared, had pains and tightness in my chest, and always felt like I was on the verge of passing out. Had someone really explained it to me like some doctors do today I probably wouldn't have had so many years of fear.

My brain (and many of my relatives; this in genetic) is out of balance of GABA. GABA is what keeps us calm and takes away fear.

I think whoever wrote the book "The Princess and the Pea" probably has anxiety and panic attacks. I think we are super sensitive and super internally focused.

The best counselor I got about 10 years ago helped me greatly. I say that even though I still react in anxiety to many things. But now I have tools and can enjoy life.

I am medicated with anti-anxiety drugs. Many doctors alarm signals go off when you ask for them because unfortunately addicts on the street like these drugs. Ugh. It makes it hard for those of us who don't abuse them. Instead the doctor puts many on anti-depressants. They made me worse. Anyways, I am on a benzo daily and I will be forever. The thing many of us do is get medicated. The panic goes away and we stop the meds. Then we're surprised and fight it when it comes back. I think that's because there is great benefit to cognitive behavior therapy. If you really just started getting you could be the fortunate person who only needs CBT.

I signed up for annual membership of calm.com ($59 a year). This has been very helpful.

Learning to be in the moment, allow panic, allow body sensations to pass, and many other techniques are helpful. They just don't fix in a minute.

Good luck. You are not alone. There are millions of us and this has been around since time began. The word agoraphobia (fear of the marketplace) is from ancient Greece.

[Cockneyblue in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, this was really informative. Thank you again for taking the time to explain, this will, no doubt help a lot of us x

[AnxiousAria]

CBT Will be great. I just started this month and already feel a lot better. I also get tight and heavy chest and it sucks. I usually check my HR on my Fitbit a lot to make sure I’m physically OK and it’s just anxiety.