please some advice, anxiety?...

[jpjr1989]

ok im 20 year old male.
About 18 months ago i had a traumatic incident that made me extremely depressed. I was constantly tired for a while, and went through a variety of symptoms over the year, including, tight chest, shallow breathing, which led to me constantly concentrating on my breathing pattern, for about a month not being able to breath right. this went away , then a few months later it reoccured. it can reoccur just by one irregular breath reminding me of it, then  i concentrate on my bretahing and it starts again. i have been constantly tired. In the past two months however, my depression worsened.  then i was walking out one day and i felt a click in my head and everything started spinning, i felt i was dying. it went away but now i just feel constantly heavy headed and dizzy, good days and really bad days. i wake up fine but get dizzy n heavy headed about an hour after i get up.  can anyonr relate to this, i convincedd myself i ahve had all sorts of illnesses, despite being tested for all sorts. My doc then tells me i have severe anxiety. any advice, should i go on meds?

[Basketcase830]

ive been having alot of these symptoms lately.

[jo929]

all i can say is WOW   jo

[jpjr1989]

ive had so many of those symptoms particularly, the ones associated with vision, and the lump in my throat, plus alot of the other ones. thanks for the advice

[Talz]

Thanks a Million!!

[manuel_s]

im glad you feel a little better.. heres the website i found it on.

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml

[Talz]

Where did u find this online?? I relate to about 70% of these symptoms!!!!!! Make me feel alot better, thank you!

[manuel_s]

i was just reading your post and thought this would be helpful, i came across this online..

Common anxiety symptoms include:

Body
Blanching (looking pale, loss of color in the face or skin)
Body temperature increase or decrease
Burning Sensations throughout the body
Chronic Fatigue
Disorientation
Dizziness
Dizzy
Electric shock feeling
Excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
Feeling cold or chilled
Flu like symptoms, general malaise
Hyperactivity, excess energy, nervous energy
Increased or decreased sex drive
Muscle twitching
Nausea
Nausea vomiting
Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
Numbness
Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
Numbness and tingling, and other skin sensations on hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
Sexual Dysfunction, sexual uninterest
Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
Startle easily
Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
Trembling or shaking
Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom (similar to urinary tract or prostrate infection symptoms)
Warm spells
Weak legs, arms, or muscles
Weight loss, weight gain
Chest
Chest pain or discomfort
Concern about the heart
Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
Heart – beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or ‘skipped’ beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough
Emotions (see mood)
Fears

A heightened fear of what people think of you
Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
Fear of being in public
Fear of dying
Fear of losing control
Fear of impending doom
Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
Fear of passing out
Fear that you are losing your mind
Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
Need to seat near exits
Head

Burning, itchy, tight scalp
Dizziness
Dizzy
Dizziness or light-headedness
Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
Head, neck or shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
Giddiness
Numbness
Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
Shooting pains in the face
Shooting pains in the scalp or head
When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache
TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) - clenching of the jaw or grinding of the teeth
Hearing

Frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
Low rumbling sounds
Ringing in the ears, noises in the ears, noises in the head
Mind

Deja Vu, a feeling like you've done or experienced something before
Desensitization, depersonalization
Difficulty thinking, speaking, forming thoughts, following conversations
Fear of going crazy
Fear of losing control
Fear of impending doom
Feelings of unreality
Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
Having difficulty concentrating
Nightmares, bad dreams
Obsession about sensations or getting better
Repetitive thinking or incessant ‘mind chatter’
Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders
Mood / Emotions
Always feeling angry and lack of patience
Depression
Dramatic mood swings (emotional flipping)
Emotionally blunted, flat, or numb
Emotional "flipping" (dramatic mood swings)
Emotions feel wrong
Everything is scary, frightening
Feeling down in the dumps
Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
Frequently feel like crying for no apparent reason
Have no feelings about things you used to
Not feeling like yourself, detached from loved ones, emotionally numb
Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
You feel like you are under pressure all the time
Mouth/Stomach

A ‘tinny’, ‘metallic’ or ‘ammonia’, or unusual smell or taste
Aerophagia (swallowing too much air, stomach distention, belching)
Choking
Constant craving for sugar or sweets
Constipation
Diarrhea
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty talking, pronouncing certain letters or sounds, mouth feels like it isn't moving right, slurred speech
Dry mouth
Feeling like you can’t swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
Feeling like your tongue is swollen
Frequent upset stomach, bloating, gaseous
IBS
Lack of appetite or taste
Lump in the throat, tight throat, something stuck in your throat
Mouth muscles twitching/jumping
Nausea
Nausea vomiting
Nausea or abdominal stress
Numbness
Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
The thought of eating makes you nauseous
Tight throat, lump in throat
Tongue twitching
Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
Vomiting
Skin

Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
Numbness
Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
Skin problems, infections, rashes
Sleep

Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
Jolting awake
Waking up in a panic attack
You feel worse in the mornings
Sight
Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
Dry, watery or itchy eyes
Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes
Eyes sensitive to light
Spots in the vision
Flashing lights when eyes are closed
Your depth perception feels wrong
Touch
Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
Feeling cold or chilled
Numbness
Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
Pain
Tingling, pins and needles feelings
Other symptoms are described as:
Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition to these symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:
• Having a heart attack
• Having a serious undetected illness
• Dying prematurely
• Going insane or losing your mind
• Harming yourself or someone you love uncontrollably
• Being embarrassed or making a fool out or yourself
• Losing control
• Fainting in public
• Not breathing properly
• Choking or suffocating
• Being alone

[susieq87]

If you are having as many problems as you stated, a mood stabilizer wouldn't hurt.  You might want to try it for 2 weeks and see if life gets better.  Therapy and medication go hand in hand. You probably need to find a solution, and that would be where it starts.

[RubyWitch]

When you say you had a "traumatic incident," do you mean something like a car accident or more like losing a loved one? Either one could cause you to become extremely depressed. Anxiety and depression can cause every symptom you talk about.........the tight chest, the shallow breathing, which can bring on feelings of panic because you are basically hyperventilating and throwing your levels of carbon dioxide way out of whack, so then you keep focusing on your breathing and you end up in a real vicious cycle which is also known as "hypervigilism" which means you take every little ache and pain and tweek and twinge in your body and dwell on it until it becomes yet another "thing" you need to panic about......this pattern  is so destructive both mentally and physically. I don't understand the "click" you felt in your head the day you were out walking and the subsequent feelings of dizziness and being heavy-headed. But you said you saw your doc and he did tests which all came back negative. I hope he did an MRI or at the very least a CAT scan. But if his final DX was that you have severe anxiety, I tend to agree with him and think you should give the meds a try. I may be repeating myself, but once you get into the cycle of depression and anxiety, it sometimes does take medication to get your brain chemistry  back into balance. As someone who has suffered with severe panic disorder for over 40 years, I can tell you with some authority that this is a road you want to nip in the bud. I tried many, many medications but it wasn't until I was put on Xanax that I finally found relief, from the panic attacks, the "anticipatory anxiety" that so often goes hand in hand and the depression that living with that kind of stress can create. He may not want to put you on something as heavy duty as Xanax at first............but a short course of a small dose may be all it takes for you to break out of this cycle and regain your life. Talk to him about it and your other options, of which there are lots. Consider some therapy as well for whatever this traumatic incident in your life was about. Perhaps you haven't really dealt with that and your anxiety is a result of that. I can really sympathize with your plight and truly hope you find some relief. Living with panic is no life at all. Good luck and keep us posted.
Greenlydia