Dealing with anxiety

[JC82]

Hi,

For quite a while now, I have been worrying that I have all sorts of physical problems.  Feeling skipped beats, dizziness, strange feelings in the chest has made me worry of heart attacks, heart failure, valve problems, hole in heart etc.  Aches in the abdomen area has made me worry about kidney failure, aortic aneurysms.  Some soreness in breathing makes me worry about pulmonary embolus and leg pains make me worry about DVT.  The list pretty much goes on and even as I write it, it looks quite ridiculous.  Problem is, when I do have the aches and pains, it sure doesn't seem ridiculous anymore.

If it is in fact just anxiety, is it possible to make myself believe that its just all in my head?  I've tried so many times to get this idea into my head, but all logic just seems to leave me when I feel some pain or aches or dizziness.  I've talked to my parents about this and they keep saying that its up to me, that all I have to do is be stronger and get rid of the thoughts.  It makes logical sense, but I still find myself struggling.  Sometimes I think that people that don't have anxiety simply don't understand how my mind works and they think its easier to overcome than it really is, but other times, I think I'm just weak to not be able to overcome it.

Do other people feel this way too or is it just me?

[imcrazy2]

Oh, sweetie, EVERYONE on this site feels the same way you do,  that's why we are all here!!!  Have you tried any medications?  Therapy??

[anacyde]

Yep, been there.  Good news is it can get better, but it isn't an easy road.  It will require a lot of getting to the root of why you are so anxious in the first place.  People like to chalk it up to a chemical imbalance so they can stuff you full of pills to make it better, but I'm not of that mind.  Pills did nothing for me except take the edge off an acute attack.  it was willpower, determination and a great deal of soul searching that got me my life back.