Do i have severe Anxiety problems? I can't cope nomore.

I'm a female, 18 going on 19, and i've had some sort of Anxiety since my early teens without realising what it was. I was bullied a bit at school cos i'm naturally very slim and just cannot put any weight on and people used to call me Anorexic etc, and it really made me insecure and on top of that i have a large mole on my face so i got bullied for that at times. It got so bad that i refused to go out cos i was just so paranoid, i would worry to death about going out to like family parties, the cinema, up town or even food shopping cos i hated being around people i didn't know that well and was paranoid incase they would look at me funny, my parents just called me a hermit and thought i was weird. I have slightly improved over the years but other Anxiety problems have appeared, i'm frit to death of dying, i constantly worry about it, like when i hear a plane or even a helicoptor above my house i panic and think it's gonna crash into my house, i worry about someone killing me and i especially worry that i'm just gonna die just like that from like a heart attack or that sudden death syndrome thing, i'm so scared to go to sleep, it's like i'm obsessed with the feeling of going to die. I live in a constant worry to the point it's given me Irritable Bowel Syndrome and constant tension headaches, but i'm also getting these chest pains in my lower left breast like behind my breast bone that rises up into my neck and left arm, i'm convinced i've got a heart problem now, what i feel just becomes incontrolable, i can't stop it no matter how hard i try. I have been to the doctors and told her about the Social Anxiety problems but that was before all this fear of dying came and she's referred me to a Phyciatrist, who i'm seeing at the end of August. But i don't think i can wait that long, i just cannot cope, my parents understand my problems now but they don't really help me. I think the only thing that will help me calm down is like tests to tell me whether or not i've got like a heart problem or whatever, i just dunno what to do anymore.
Should i go back to the doctors and tell her that i'm feeling alot worse? What can she do about my chest pains or whatever? Just put it down to Anxiety or get some tests? I'm just not happy or feeling well until i know for sure my health is okay, it's like i need reassurance constantly.
Is my Anxiety severe? What can i do?
I'm losing my mind here :(
Sorry it's soooo long!
Xo.

[remar]

you should call your dr. and tell her that your feeling worse and can't wait to see the phyciatrist. hopefully they can get you in much sooner. if not, them maybe your dr. can give you something for the anxiety until then. the chest pains are probably a symtom of your anxiety. there's alot of us here that have chest pain and get all kinds of tests done only to find out our hearts are fine. any physical problems your having should probably be checked out, but i bet it's the anxiety causing them. take care. remar

[longnow]

Hello,

I was where you are many years ago.  I kept going for tests which always
came out fine even though my anxiety was getting worse.  Medication
gave me side effects that I could not live with.  Prescription drugs
are great in an emergency but emergencies don't last a lifetime.
There are plenty of Md's who will tell you that they do and that you'll
have to take medication for the rest of your life.

The cause of anxiety is the inability to retain or hold on to minerals.
Stress causes the loss of minerals through the urine in people
who have impaired immunity. Supplements of calcium and magnesium
are a waste of money.  The specific mineral I could not hold on to
was magnesium which just happens to be a calming mineral.  The cause of my
problem was lack of magnesium but magnesium supplements
just gave me diarrhea.  The solution was magnesium chloride
applied through the skin.  It works like Epsons Salts
(magnesium sulfate) but lasts because it penetrates the skin and
goes to the blood.  If you mention this to your doctor he will
laugh and dismiss it.  If you google it you will find what you need
under "transdermal magnesium".  And no, I don't sell it.
I got mine through a Dr Allen Pressman CCN PhD who
knows more than most nutritionists and much more than
most MD's.  You can listen to his NYC radio show anytime
on his website or even set up a phone appt.  

Lifestyle changes will not cure anxiety but caffeine, lack of
sleep, alcohol all make it worse.  Nothing will work on anxiety
if you take caffeine, alcohol or need prescription or off the shelf drugs
for sleep.  
      

[suzi-q]

You are definitely suffering from anxiety and I feel the undercurrent of it all is depression.  You feel that once you find out your health is fine, you will feel better.  I felt the same way.  But, what happens instead is your anxiety/depression grasps onto another irrational fear.  It continues until this cycle is finally ended, and that is where the psychiatrist comes in.  First of all, you have this fear of the heart and I would go back to the doctor and see a cardiologist.  Just to be on the safe side.  I feel it is from your anxiety, but for your peace of mind, you will need to have a doctor check once again.  Also, get a complete physical..blood tests, etc...rule out all medical situations.  

I agree with one of the posters who said to see if you can get a sooner appt.  If not, there is medication that can help with the anxiety, but at your tender age, I would prefer to NOT medicate unless it was absolutely necessary (that would be the psychiatrist's decision).  

Just know that you will get better....you will feel better...you will NOT have to live in this hell that you are in right now.  Many of us have been where you are at different times of our lives and have made it through.  You are going to be a success story also.  Hang in there, chin up and try to think positive.  Best to you.

[laydeechaz]

Thankyou for replying :)
The chest pain i get (going to put it into more detail) is anything from a sharp pain to a tingling/stinging feeling mainly in my left lower chest (the bottom half of my breast) that can radiate to the left upper side of my body up to my neck/shoulder and down my arm, i also get upper left back pain and back pain on my breast bone. I don't usually get pains in the middle of my chest or the left upper middle, but i have had the same pains in my right lower chest. My other symptoms are shaking/trembling of my body, pains in my fingers, the tension headaches, fast heartbeat, hot flushes, sweating and constipation caused by my IBS that was diagnosed by my doctor about 4 months ago.
So should i go back to my doctor and tell her i feel worse and the fear of dying is getting worse?
Would she really take me to get an EKG or whatever it's called to be on the safe side or for my peace of mind? I'm sick of all this now.
My parents are gonna love me asking them to take me to the doctors yet again, i haven't told them about the fear of dying, thats all they need really.
Do you think i could become depressed? Or is this also a sign of depression?
Thankyou yet again!

[suzi-q]

I would have never thought I was depressed.  But once I got into therapy, so many feeling came out that I finally realized that it was all inside of me that was causing all these physical symptoms.  

I had all of your symptoms minus the chest pain.  I would get tightness every now and then, but not like you are describing.  Personally, I would have it checked again. Of course your parents are going to flip, but do it anyway.

You do not have to tell your parents about the fear of dying.  That will be between you and your psychiatrist.  Just tell your parents that you are feeling worse and need to get to the doctor sooner.  Tell them you want to get help as soon as possible so you can feel better.

Keep us posted.

[laydeechaz]

Okay, thankyou :)
I will make another doctors appointment this week, but i have to be taken by my Dad cos i have a fear of buses (damn social anxiety!).
My mum thinks i'm bit of a hypercondriate she's really not the supportive, i really am trying to overcome my fears and forget about it but it's so hard when you worry constantly 24/7.
I do hope it's just anxiety related, i'm sure it is though, i've just gotta learn how to calm down and not think about things.
Last night i was so on edge that i felt so clammed up and that i couldn't breathe, i was well shaky and figity and just couldn't relax and i got the chest pains and light headedness, which is horrible, i'm scared that it'll lead to a panic attack one day.
I think most of the chest pain is nowhere near my heart, and i also get other things along with it.
But thankyou for the help, i don't think i'll tell my mum about the fear of dying cos she'll just get stressed and start yelling at me =/
xxxxx

[suzi-q]

My mom was the same way when I went through it all.  She called me a hypochondriac also, which I think does come along with the whole anxiety package.  I am glad that you are going to go back to the doctor.  It will help put you more at ease.  

The way that you felt last night sounds like you were having a bit of a panic attack already.  Please do not fear them.  It will pass and you will be fine.  A panic attack in no way jeopardizes your health.  

I hope that you can relax soon. Hang in there.  I am here for you.

[laydeechaz]

Hello again :)
Yeah it's really upseting when you're family don't really understand and can't help you, my mum didn't even know what Anxiety was =|
But i did mention about my fear of dying to her earlier cos she asked me whats wrong and it just came out and surprisingly she was quite concerned, but just said to wait 4 weeks to see the Phyciatrist, hmmmm.
I can't wait though, i'm just getting worse daily.
Yeah i think i was having a mild panic attack, thats what i'm scared off, i don't wanna have one worse.
I really wanna go and see my doctor again and tell her that i'm concerned and is there anything she can do in the meantime, i'm not sure if she would send me to get some tests on my heart, but i don't think i'd feel satisfied or happy or let alone happy if she didn't, cos i just need to know whether i'm okay or not, i can't cope with the not knowing part, do you think she will send me to get an EKG cos of the way i feeling about it?
I'm at a loss with what to do.
Thankyou for replying each time :)

[suzi-q]

Go back to the doctor.  Tell her about your chest pains and that it is truly frustrating you and making you feel worse.  Usually if you tell a doctor that you are having chest pains, no matter what your age, she has to follow protocol and check your heart.  I am sure it is related to anxiety, but I truly understand that you have to "know".  I was the same way.  I begged to have an MRI on my head because I was convinced I had a brain tumor.  Of course, I didn't (thank God) but it did help put me at ease.  Tell her that it is driving you crazy not knowing and play it up.  Beg for a heart check if you must.  I am sure she will follow through.  

Also, I see your fear of panic attacks.  The more you fear them, the more you will get them.  I am telling you the truth, do not be afraid of them.  They feel horrible but they DO PASS and they do not hurt your health in anyway.  So if you get one, ride with it, and know that it will pass.  Hang in there.  Let me know when you are going to the doctor.

[laydeechaz]

I'm going to try and make an appoitment this week, but it's difficult cos my dad works long shifts, so i'll have to wait and see and just cope in the meantime.
I hate feeling so paranoid about something, cos it's constantly on my mind and i just cannot sleep or relax. I suspect Anxiety symptoms get worse and more constant the more you worry and stress.
Going to the doctors and telling her about it and her just saying it's Anxiety won't make me any better i just have to know for sure without guessing what it is thats causing, but people with Anxiety get different types of chest pain, everyone is different, but yes it doe's calm down when i'm calm which is a good thing i hope.
I'm not sure whether i am getting mild panic attacks. I get this feeling where i have to breath really heavily for upto a minute and i get random spasms of shakes all day throughout the day, which is really annoying. And i also get terrible upper left back pain pretty much all the time.
I will definately let you know about my doctors appointment :)