Stress Center Peer Support

Hi,

I have dealt with anxiety since I was a little girl and don't frequent these boards too often but mostly do when I'm feel panicky. I'm having one of those moments and really need some comforting words. Now, I hope I don't sound crazy since I tend to put things together in my head so here it is.

I worry about my health A LOT. I started having problems with my menstruation a couple years ago (I'm 24 years old and tend to spot for about a week before my period) and have been to my doctor several times in order to try and fix the situation. Having this problem alone makes me super anxious. I was on some medication a year ago and my spotting stopped the entire time I was on it. Despite knowing this I still freak out that I have some horrible illness since I had to come off the medication (due to side effects) and the spotting returned. I am most freaked out, like big time (!) because I have my yearly appointment coming up and I always get super anxious when I go. I'm really scared that when I tell my doctor that the problem is still present two years later that he is going to say something to freak me out (like he thinks I have something terrible). I am SO worried about this.
On top of that...I am going to sound kinda nutty... but I have always worried about this thing that my mom probably shouldn't have told us but she did as children. She went to see a fortune teller years ago (I know, my palms already begin to sweat!) who said that one of her daughters was going to marry the boy next door. She also said that she always saw one girl (my sister and I were very identical twins when we were kids). Anyhow, my mom always interpreted this as us looking so alike that she only saw us as one person. I'm freaking out because my sister has been dating this guy and she just moved into his building which makes me think that she will eventually marry him. It freaks me out because the fortune teller didn't say anything about the other girl (me) and said she only saw one girl...which also freaks me out because I keep on thinking that something bad will happen to me.
I hope this doesn't sound too crazy. This is how my brain works as an anxiety sufferer and I really need some comfort from what I've mentioned. I feel so panicky right now. Could someone help rationalize with me?

First, take a very deep breath. If you haven't tried your relaxation CD, do so. It might just help. You should also realize that worrying about health problems is a MAJOR symptom of anxiety, you are definitely not alone in it. Getting nervous before your yearly is something I use to go thru all the time. It didn't help that everytime I was there my blood pressure would sky rocket and then they would want to put me on meds for that because they were worried about high blood pressure when in reality it was my anxiety. The only way I eventually got past this is by realizing that this is one of the ONLY doctor appointments that you actually schedule when you're healthy! You're healthy and you're going to this appointment to keep yourself healthy. You need to remember that the dr's are there to help you maintain your health. Secondly, psychics feed off of reaction. I'm sure the psychic said something to your mother about her "daughter" and got a reaction realizing that she had a daughter. She didn't push any further because she knew that she had one thing right. My mother use to visit them all the time. She was told that her daughter would have twins in the near future (my mother is a twin). 6 years later I have one little girl. You can't take everything that is said to heart! Try to relax and rationalize (which is not easy when you have an anxiety disorder). You will get thru this. It's anxiety and it's not going to hurt you.

Chantel,

Oh dear...you are stressed aren't you?! Numbero uno...I have also had the physical issues you are describing off and on during my life. Frankly, this can all sometimes be related to diet. I have had issues with ovarian cysts that cause all kinds of issues...and many studies have shown that the CAUSE of these could be very closely related to diet... If you go to the doc regularly and have had these symptoms before and there was nothing major wrong...chances are there isn't something major wrong now. You do need to get to the root of what's going on, but it's probably just imbalances in your hormones or something like that.

Take a deep breath. I'm sure you are fine.

Now, when it comes to the fortune teller...
Frankly, I don't give much thought to them at all. I don't know what your religious beliefs are, but I'm just going to throw this out there. I am a christian, and while I do believe there are SOME people who have the gift, I believe that a good portion of them are not acting or hearing from God. The rest of them I think are just straight cons and full of crap.
This person could be some yahoo who is out there speaking things and actually impacting others lives (example: YOU!) and be totally full of it girl!! This person could just be some con who doesn't even remember your mother going in to see her, and here are her "words" affecting your life!!
The only people I believe that have this gift and actually hear from GOD are not sitting in a little room making money telling peoples' fortunes. The Bible specifically talks about them. The only people who get a "word of knowledge" from God & can see other's future do so in the name of Jesus, and are ALWAYS right on ALL details, and God does not give them this gift to sit around and profit off of it!! Any other reading is not coming from God. This is my personal belief and the Bible backs that up...I don't know if you believe in the Bible or not.
Lastly, EVEN if this was some true info your mom got (which again, I think most fortune tellers are cons, and the ones that can tap into the spiritual realm are a lot of times not hooked up with the right side!) just because there was nothing mentioned of you says absolutely nothing at all!! You are turning it in to that with your anxiety! Perhaps that person was full of crap, perhaps that person just didn't get anything relating to you. The chances of the person being the real deal are probably less than the chances of you having some major illness. (And that's pretty slim.) Then, even if it was the real deal, it still doesn't mean there is anything negative portrayed on to you.
And what if some con is keeping you up at night and making you anxious...what if your own interpretations of what WASN'T said about you is doing it????
I hope this helps in some way to bring you peace. When you connect with God himself, you don't have to fear these things.
The only way your life is being snuffed out is by placing faith in things that are more than likely not even true! And guess what...you are creating that life for yourself...the best thing about it is you can create a different belief for you life whenever you decide to!

Be blessed, and be FREE.