Do I Have An Anxiety Disorder? Please Help!

[Nelly22]

Hello all. I am a 22 year old female. I have a history of good health, despite minor IBS, treated by Nexium, which I recently quit taking. I started having panic attacks about a year ago. I have had only a handful of real "attacks," with symptoms lasting 10-15 minutes. However, my real problem is that rather than having constant panic attacks, I have constant lower grade anxiety, all day long, every day. (If panic attacks are a 9-10 on panic scale, I'm at a constant 6.5 or 7). I am a laid back person, great life, no major worries. The only thing I worry about is my health. Constant episodes of rapid heat rate, headaches, fatigue, constant nervousness, sadness, worry, feeling like I can never get enough air, like sometimes I would stop breathing if I didn't consciously monitor my breath. I don't understand. Friends, family, doctors tell me just to "quit getting stressed," or my favorite, "just calm down." Useless advice. What should I do? My quality of life is slowly dropping every day that I have to deal with feeling like this, and feeling like I am dealing with it on my own. Please help me. I need REAL advice from people who understand.

[DeeCeeZee]

One more thing, I know you have probably heard this before,but diet and exercise really do help,especially the exercise part.It gives you 30 minutes or an hour to dwell on nothing but "Can I get through this?" .and by "this" I mean the next few minutes on the treadmill,the next few moves in an aerobics class,etc.......

[DeeCeeZee]

Please run,do not walk,to your local mental health facility.I don't mean that you are crazy,that's not what I mean by mental health facility.Most communities have at least one facility that is geared either to the working poor or even the indigent,but the beautiful thing there is,you don't have to be either one of those things to go and get help.It may be you just need a little "talk therapy",you sound so much like I did 30 years ago,don't just grit your teeth and try to ride it out,and as for the people who tell you to calm down,well,that is very easy for them to say,even if they are trying to help

[treeman]

Hi Nelly22.     You almost sound the same way I feel. Hardly ever had any panic attacks. Just plain Anxiety everyday. I have basically been like this for 18 yrs oh there are good days and bad days. I have been on meds for along time but I think some meds lose their effectiveness over a long period of time. And I understand your frustration when others tell don't worry about or don't dwell on it but that seems to be our nature. Are you on any Medication for your Anxiety? If not you probably see your Dr to see if they can help you. Treeman

[Nelly22]

ALso, have been diagnosed and treated for TMJD because of classic symptoms (clicking and cracking of jaw, jaw pain, teeth grinding, headaches). And, have had full lab work done twice over past year, all normal. Have not seen a doctor about what I think are anxiety problems.