How do you know if it's Anxiety or not?

[tretre115]

I have alot of thoughts that I have a annurism or Im having a heart attack I was just wondering how you tell the difference between Anxiety or if you are really sick? I have a chest cold and I keep thinking its cancer or that Im just gonna drop dead. I feel like I cant tell anyone in my family cuz there just gonna think I am over reacting. So any help will be greatly appreciated!!

[aikidokan]

your first clue that it's anxiety is that you are concerned about an aneurism AND heart attack at the same time.

It is highly unlikely that mild symptoms would signify an aneurism, and it is even more unlikely that both would be happening at once.

What you are likely experiencing is anxiety, and because your body is in freak out mode, it wants you to listen. It wants you to help it relax, and stop ignoring the signals it is giving you.

I have experienced the same thing. I have thought I have heart problems - so I had EKG, ECG, holter monitor, and blood tests done. Expensive hospital bills with all the same result - I'm healthy. So then my thoughts changed, and I thought when feeling dizzy that it must be my brain. Then I had a series of colds that I got because I work with kids for a living, and I thought that I would stop breathing, or that I had HIV because I kept getting colds.

It's an endless cycle unless you listen to your body and intervene these irrational thoughts.

If you still feel uncomfortable, get checked by your Dr. That's always peace of mind.

Rick

[tretre115]

Yea i had panic attacks about 2 years ago i went to therapy and i took celexa. I got off the celexa with the help of my doctor . But now just about 1 month ago these thoughts happened where i was thinking every ache and pain is something so severe and i start to panic. I am seeing the therapist again and I am now back on the celexa for about 2 weeks I am slowly feeling better until i got this cold i feel like something is gonna happen to me. I just miss thinking the way i use to not that every little pain is gonna kill me!

[cj29]

First of all, please don't feel bad for having anxious thoughts.  Anxiety is a part of millions of peoples lives and it is nothing to be ashamed about it.  The odds are that you have all of these different diseases is highly unlikely...intrusive thoughts and the worst case scenarios are often the least likely to occur, but that is provides no comfort we suffer from anxiety in my opinion. Have you had anxiety for a while now or have you every considered getting counseling?