Stress Center Peer Support

Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm new.

I've always been an anxious person. But, when I started college, everything was fine. I was living a normal, worry-free life.

I turned 20 last June and I started my junior year of college in September. Life was good, I was busy and was doing well in school. Then, around October, I started getting really depressed- it seems to have come out of nowhere. This depression lead to anxiety- more anxiety than I've ever really experienced in my life. At my worst, which was around November, I felt chronically stressed-out all the time and had trouble relaxing and sleeping.

This is when I started experiencing what people have been telling me is panic, or panic attacks. I was really skeptical because I have experienced panic before (when I was 11 or 12) and it felt like I was having a heart-attack. But this time, I felt it in my head. I was scared I had a tumor, or something. I felt numbness and heaviness in my head. It's like something I've never experienced before. At times, I felt like I was passing out. This caused me to see a doctor and they gave me an MRI.

The test came back negative, but now and then I get sporadic pain. I wake up with a dull headache almost every morning. I'm just concerned because I've never heard of panic sounding like this- it's always a faux heart-attack. Does it make sense that my panic feels like a stroke or something that's literally "in my head"? And are headaches really a symptom of depression? Maybe it's just fear?

I guess my question is: is this what panic feels like for some people?

SarahBaby,
Yes anxiety can come in all forms really it can.
If you have been checked by your doctors and everything comes out fine, I'm certain you don't have a thing to worry about. It's anxiety. I have been more stressed of late and have been having headaches myself, also I feel like I have a heavy weight on me, ton of bricks so to speak. It's just anxiety. Anxiety comes in all forms, and it is debilitating sometimes.
If we allow it to be. We have to think more positively in order to keep it at bay. This program will help you accomplish that. I hope you have ordered the program. It truly is wonderful, and you are on your way to better and better days. Always remember, its just anxiety, and it wont hurt you. You are fine, everything is ok. Hang in there and just keep doing the program, it will truly help you so much.
Your New Friend
Angla

nope absolutely you get headaches from depression. and nothing really helps like you cant just take tylenol and it go away

i've actually been put on medicating for it way back when i didn't know it was a part of this really i didn't even think about it till you said somethig. the meds really didn't help and i guess i just gave up tiring to figer out why.

HI Sarah: Your headaches are most likely from your anxiety. You may be clenching your jaw while you are sleeping, that is what I did. Try to get into a routine for a relaxing sleep. I usually journal before bed, get all the day's thoughts and worries onto the paper, listen to the relaxtion cd, dim the lights, etc. I even fall to sleep listening to a sound machine set with the ocean sounds.

After I started to get into the relaxing evening routine and working the Program, especially Session 3, I have been waking up without a headache. I was clenching my jaw so much during my sleep without even knowing it that I had horrible headaches in the morning. The dentist told me that I was definitely clenching my teeth, I even cracked a root from the pressure.

Good Luck
Lisa

Hey Angla, Lisa and Jai!
Thanks so much for the advice. I have ordered the program and I am just waiting for it in the mail. I am looking forward to using it. I am very grateful that I have so many resources (including this online community) to help me in this difficult time. Again, thanks for the support!

-Sarah