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Left underarm pain and chest due to anxiety
Does anyone else have that symptom! It's like the only one that lingers for me and it makes me anxious even though I know that it is due to my panic disorder..try telling my brain that...I have had this disorder since I was 15, take 20mg paxil for it...just until recently the anxiety have manifested and has been really bad. I feel anxious all the time. I'm now taking lorazepam for the attacks but still have this ache in my arm?? WHY? I'm going to the dr tomorrow to get it checked out but it's really playing into my panic....
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I have been noticing these same symptoms, but I do not know if it is anxiety or heart attack.. How does one get a heart attack? My pain is in the left arm under the armpit. I have been feeling sad and stressed out because of finals.
Yes it is easier said then done! I have really made progress the past two days and haven't focused on my arm pain and what do ya know it went away!! I think for me I am in such a hurry to just be done feeling anxious that when it doesnt happen I get discouraged. I just have to keep working on feeling better and keep with therapy. I won't let this control me!!
I am seeking therapy and am not taking the lorazepam everyday. I def appreciate your feedback! It makes me feel better and realize that I am not alone!!!
My anxiety manifests itself in exactly the same way, in that I begin to feel left arm pain. I begin focusing on it immensely, at which point I wait to notice any other heart attack symptoms, shortness of breath, nausea, chest pains, etc. Funny thing, when your mind tries to look for it....its usually finds it, which in turn leades to a panicked state.
I have never taken meds for it, but I'll tell you my coping mechanism. It has a lot to do with my confrontation of the idea of death. It works for me (most of the time) and so maybe it can help you too.
MY APPROACH:
-I am noticing pain in my left arm
-I know that it cannot be a heart attack. I am too young. I do not have heart disease. I have been looked at by doctors on numerous occasions who go to school for years and years to know how the body functions BETTER THAN ME.
-If it is a heart attack, or some other serious condition, my worry of it will neither stop it OR spur it along.
-It would be better to live on, than to continue waiting (in the sense of giving more attention and focus, forming a sense of panic) to die.
-BOTTOM LINE: My anxiety causes pain. Pain is part of life, and this pain certainly doesn't keep me from doing anything (walking, talking, etc).
-When you learn to live with it, you focus on it less, and you give it less prominence.
Once again, this is easier said than done. I entirely understand how EVERY time you feel it, it somewhow feels like "this time is different, this time its for real." Try to let go, try to trust your body. It's doing everything it needs to be doing.
I have never taken meds for it, but I'll tell you my coping mechanism. It has a lot to do with my confrontation of the idea of death. It works for me (most of the time) and so maybe it can help you too.
MY APPROACH:
-I am noticing pain in my left arm
-I know that it cannot be a heart attack. I am too young. I do not have heart disease. I have been looked at by doctors on numerous occasions who go to school for years and years to know how the body functions BETTER THAN ME.
-If it is a heart attack, or some other serious condition, my worry of it will neither stop it OR spur it along.
-It would be better to live on, than to continue waiting (in the sense of giving more attention and focus, forming a sense of panic) to die.
-BOTTOM LINE: My anxiety causes pain. Pain is part of life, and this pain certainly doesn't keep me from doing anything (walking, talking, etc).
-When you learn to live with it, you focus on it less, and you give it less prominence.
Once again, this is easier said than done. I entirely understand how EVERY time you feel it, it somewhow feels like "this time is different, this time its for real." Try to let go, try to trust your body. It's doing everything it needs to be doing.
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Are you receiving mental health services? Medication like Lorazepam is for acute symptoms, absolutely not for everyday use. Taking medication for anxiety is only effective when you have a purely physical cause for the issue- an endocrine problem or biological illness. For mental health purposes, medication is meant to put you in a receptive state where you're calm and rational enough to benefit from therapies such as counseling, psyhotherapy or behavioral therapy. It's a lot like putting a band-aid on a cut- you feel better when you can't see it, and by not picking at it, the cut can heal.
How your anxiety manifests itself will also change with time. As I came to realize that I had a good strong heart, my chest pains went away, and my anxiety attacks changed to shortness of breath, nightmares and mood swings. They've been managed for some time now, thanks to behavioral therapy and relaxation exercises. It's good that your doctor is working with you, but it might be far more helpful to work with a mental health specialist who focuses on anxiety issues. You and he or she can work together to find the right combination of therapies or exercises to help you.
To refine what happeh said, exercise is always the universal first treatment for anxiety. It isn't so much energy related as it helps your mind focus and stimulates a series of biochemical reactions that help minimize the symptoms of anxiety. If you're not already walking or exercising regularly, if you're physically capable, you should absolutely be getting at least 30 minutes a day. Walking is a great way to start. You'll find than within a week you'll come to rely on your private walking time to clear your head.