Recurrent damp/heavy feelings in chest since birth - please help!

[supervin]

I am currently 19 and I have an inherited blood condition: Beta Thalassemia Minor.

Ever since childhood, I have always experienced a persistent and ongoing dampness/heaviness feeling inside my chest. This feeling oscillates throughout the day where they come in a series of "attacks". This has greatly affected my mental well-being and happiness where it triggers feelings of anxiety, fear and guilt for no apparent reason as a result of these attacks. Furthermore, I continually feel a lack of self-confidence. What's odd is that this chest feeling comes and goes without pattern, regardless of whether I was in a good mood; but when the "attack" comes, I instantly stop feeling happy. I am quite positive that it is the chest feeling which causes the fear etc. and not vice versa. I am uncertain as to whether this is more of a medical or a psychological problem.

Firstly, I have always suspected that it was possibly due to the Beta Thalassemia Minor condition as it directly affects my blood and possibly the heart, hence the chest area. However, this is just my own theory.

The second possibility that I've always wondered is that the chest feelings originated psychologically; e.g. trauma. During my earliest childhood years (from 3 to 5), I had experienced a number of traumatic incidents (some I can recall well): scalded right-hand with boiling water requiring hospitalization; car accident; frequent sickness such as asthma; witnessing domestic violence and quarrelling between parents, in front of me; and experienced beating with a stick.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[supervin]

*Bump*