stressed out

[mummy21]

I am 53 year old single mother of 7. I have been subject to abuse and trauma for 15 years and I am now due to suffer the loss of my home due to gross ijustuce. I care for a disabled son and now reached a stage where suicide may be the way out of my psychological pain as there seems no way out. My stress related physical problems include
incredible pressure in the chest at times with palpitations and referred pain. Cardiac tests are negative, prescribed valium, nexium for gastric reflux, but I cannot tolerate drug side effects. The stress is huge and these chest pains just
worsened in the last 2 weeks. I'm having a last ditch to save my home from the trustee in bankruptcy, there is a tiny hope, however my health especially these chest pains are disabling. Any advice? Any spare $300,000?


This discussion is related to Anxiety chest pains.

[SilverLining00]

Hi - First off, suicide is not the answer.  I know you are under great stress, but suicide isn't going to solve the problem, at least for your children.  Concerning your chest pain... I get similar symptomotology when I get stressed, and the more stressed I get, the more frequent the chest pains become and the more they radiate.  All my tests were negative as well.  The doc suggested in might be vasospasms.  Then my BP decided to start spiking on occasion (usually when I saw him, but at other times as well).  I felt my life was beginning to fall apart, and I had lost control of it all.  I still don't know what is/was going on physically. It scared me and just added more stress.  Since this occurred for me last spring, I was quite worried.  I'm 50, and spent the last 21 years raising children and was looking forward to "my time".  I suddenly felt that I was facing my mortality at any moment, that I would never get to have "my turn".  This stress has made me begin to rethink my priorities, of what is truly important to me, of what work I'm doing and what work I want to be doing.  Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of all of it.  I decided to do what I could to make my life better, and put it back on track.  I had to put things back into perspective.  What was most import for me to be happy... First, deal with health.  Stress is awful, and as you and I can attest, scary at times.  Take one day at a time, and worry only about what you can do something about, put the rest aside.  I started making time to exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, it clears the head.  Walking is great, because you can do it anywhere.  I use my daughter's dance mat and game for Sony PS.  That's actually fun.  At first the exercise, helped my mood only, but now, I've noticed, that my chest pains are nearly gone.  Give your body a chance to recover by giving it a release through exercise.  Try to eat healthier food choices, that helped me as well.  Both of these helped to give me a sense that I wasn't totally helpless in this.  
As for your losing your home, I am truly sorry for you.  I hope it works out that you may keep it.  If not, keep in mind that even when very bad things happen, most often something good comes out of it.  You may not see it immediately, and it may not be anything you were looking for, but it comes eventually.  I have had some horrible things happen in my life, and as I look back on them (and still wish they never occurred in the first place), I recognize them as providing me with ways of making unexpected positive changes in my life.  They were excruciatingly painful, but after seeing how things have evolved since them, can see how in some ways, my life was better for it.  Try to hold on to your hope.  Remind yourself that whatever comes, you will get through it, and you will cope with it.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.