What is going on here?!?!?!

About a year ago I started having anxiety attacks....bad ones! My doctor put me on Atavan (as needed) because taking the other medicines made me anxious (go figure)...I cant even take the atavan now! To top it all, all this anxiety gave my acid reflux...and i was put on prevacid. The prevacid helps but not constantly and I ALWAYS have a stomach ache and feel nauseas!! This turned into a phobia...I am so petrafied of actually being sick in public i am starting not to go places! I went to the beach for my birthday and had to leave because we werent close enough to the bathroom (just in CASE i got sick) i started sweating at the gym and then convinced myself it was because i didnt feel good...i left. Its getting crazy!!!! I cant live like this and I dont know what to do?! Do you think adjusting my GERD meds may solve the whole issue or do you now think its time for therapist intervention?

[SassyLassie]

You have agoraphobia, meaning fear of going out in public. The fears that you mentioned are very real and consistant with anxiety. I have two books by Dr Claire Weekes and she talks about the exact same things you described. One is called "Hope and Help for your nerves" and the other "Peace from Nervous Suffering" I would not be without them. They are so easy to read and such a big help. You can get them on-line through Borders or Amazon.

I don't think you are actually physically sick, it is your fears and such telling you that you are, and this can seem very real. You could see as therapist, sometimes they help. Here is a link to our Agoraphobia site, there are lots of folks there that have the problems you do and they will be able to share their stories and what they do to help it. Here it is: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Agoraphobia/show/300