Stress Center Peer Support

Hey everyone, i need help with my anxiety. how to relax? or meditate and not worry. my mind just races on its own. when im doing good, i stop and think of my symptoms. then there they are, "THEIR BACK" CHEST PAINS. i just went to the ER today, again, the feeling of tightness in my chest to the shortness of breaths, and feeling bloated and gassy.my EKG was normal, they said it looks like a 13yrs old heart, my blood was taken, my cholesterol/thyroid, came back good and normal. no signs of diabetes/heart disease. according to my symptoms, i had Gas Reflux/ bad indigestion. so they gave me maalox. i felt better, but i was still worryied about my chest pains. they said, u need to releive stress, and get my anxiety under control. i try, i was doing good on the program, soon as i got to 4, i was having trouble. the program was hard to use. im at a stance, dont know what im doing wrong? how do i relax/ rest/ meditate, i got the meditation tape. but i need something else, to keep me occupied/distracted. is anyone who has the same symtpoms please let me know,it makes me nervous, and trust me i really dont need that. also, does a guilty concience affect anxiety?

EXERCISE HELPS ME ALOT,ANGELA. I ALSO NEED MEDS. I DON'T HAVE MED PHOBIA. I WOULD TRY ZANAX OR KLONLPIN. THEY STOP A PANIC ATTACK IN IT'S TRACKS. I NEVER TRIED TO FLOAT THROUGH ONE . GOOD LUCK ........MALIKYE

Hello Angela:
I've been through what you describe. Some things you need to be clear about: they ran tests on you and you don't have any physical problems - so you can stop worrying about your heart - your heart's fine. You said, "i stop and think of my symptoms. then there they are"... well, so there you have it - your mind is creating the physical symptoms (which is what I do as well). You have to work on your thought process - that seems to be the key for you. I understand the physical symptoms are real for you, but it's your mind that's creating them. I think once you work on the positive thought processes, you will feel relief as far as the physical symptoms. Remember to fight the "what-if" thinking.
Regards

thanks malikye, i am just now starting to exercise, well actually, start walking, and i do feel better after i do. but as far as meds. i do have phobia, my thing is being addicted, also, i need to know whats causing the problem before i can cover coat it. thats my whole thing, i got through this with therapy, and yoga, and eating right, and journaling, and it was gone for 2+yrs. then it hit back last year. so i know i could do it again, its just harder it seems like. but im definetly gonna keep ur advice in mind, ill be meeting with some dr.s soon. regarding different types of therapy. and if meds are on the list, im gonna be open to the idea...no guarantee's..

NorCalMark
thanks for ur insight, i too needed to hear that,first that, im not alone, and to know that it is my own thoughts creating my bodily symptoms. this sucks. i tried mind over matter, thats where im stumped. i dont know how to relax the mind, or keep it occupied. im confused? im trying to positive affirmations but its really hard..

IM STILL CONFUSED! HOW DO I RELAX! AND KEEP MYSELF FROM THINKING OF PHYSICAL PROBLEMS.

Hey Angela..Just read what you wrote and now I can definitely see how we are similar...I am the same way with my "what if" thinking...If I feel one slight pain on my chest I start wondering if somthing is wrong with my heart...Usually when I get nervous or anxious I feel bloated and feel like I have to keep burpin, its weird...We are also similar bc I had my first panic attack a year ago..For 2 or 3 weeks after that I was nervous and all..But this time it came back worse...Almost like a relapse...Anyway I'm here for ya ...Angelo

Angela, I know it is strange to do, but the Relaxation tape has worked for me....I darkened out a room in my home and I can relax pretty well.. The breathing part is what helps me relax most. Sometimes I just listen to the relaxation tape when I am doing stuff around the house. Also, Exercise, Exercise......keep at it...I just started to run and now I am running over 3 miles and it has seemed to help me a lot....Keep trying..it will get better..

thanks you guys, angelo, & gamer4life.. i needed to hear ur advice. first of knowing, im not alone, and i just to be focus, and not so much scared. and ur right, as soon as i feel any discomfort. it triggers.i will definetly continue to use the relaxation tape, and exercise, thank u guys, ill keep u guys updated. ok. so far today was a better day.. thank u...

Hello again, Angela:
I know how frustrating it is and how difficult it is to stay positive. It will definitely take some work to change your self-talk habits. However, you seem to be young, so your body and mind will be resilient and will recover. You just have to KNOW that there's nothing wrong with you physically. Period. You need to re-program your mind, like a computer. Also (and this was difficult for me) we have to continue to be active. We have to continue to stay busy (work, family, hobbies, yard work, whatever). Stay engaged - and when you get a thought that seems to knock you off track, just say, "I'm busy, I don't have time for those thoughts" and continue on.
When you do your relaxation, think about a comfortable place (mine is sitting by the lake I grew up at). Soon you'll start "re-programming" your mind. Best regards, M.

thanks NorCalMark,
im trying to stay busy, it just feels like, the negative thoughts are so freakin powerful, that my mind goes blank quick. and all i can come up with is. im ok, im ok, just breathe..i was so messed up today in class i couldnt shake it. i just kept breathing, trying to focus, tune it out, but it was so powerful. in a senario like that, how do i cope?

IM STILL CONFUSED! HOW DO I RELAX! AND KEEP MYSELF FROM THINKING OF PHYSICAL PROBLEMS.

I was you several years back to a tune of over $20K in medical test, seeing specialist at local hospitals, then at university hospitals. I was told I was anorexic and of course did not believe that one. That is where I changed. A doctor telling me I had something I knew I did not. By why wasn't I listening when ALL those other doctors told me they could not find anything. Because those physical symptoms are so very hard to deal with and so very hard to believe that anxiety can do this. I was not a believer, even when my sister said that your mind is so much stronger than you give it credit for. It is hard to believe that all those scary symptoms are just anxiety, but I was not giving anxiety any credit for causing me to feel that way, but it really was.

Write down a bunch of positive thoughts, or just search here for positive threads, print them out and have them handy. Watch the starting lesson where they explain what the physical symptoms are. Listen to that OVER and OVER again until you buy it. I did that because I am a hard sell. (after all I ignore what my sister was telling me many times over months of me going to doctors because I was sure they were wrong.

Massages help. I did not get many, maybe a couple here and there, but they did help much.

Keep going and do not fear. You can and will overcome this.