Stress Center Peer Support

Looking for some reassurance. This last week I feel like I am having trouble breathing. My chest feels very heavy, like someone is sitting on it. I feel I have to take big breaths and sometimes feel I have to cough to take a breath. I am in a worry mode that something is wrong with me healthwise over every little thing that is different in my body. I have been thinking of making a doctors appointment for quite some time, but am truly anxious/scared to go to the doctor so maybe that is why I am feeling this way. Does anyone else feel like this? I don't feel like I have a cold or respiratory infection as I don't feel congested or anything. I don't remember it feeling this heavy when I had anxious episodes before. If anyone has felt this way, please reply.

Thanks.

Hello Poohbear,
I have tightness in my chest from time to time and it is a result of stress. Please try to do the relaxation cd if you have the program. Also try walking it will help you not to focus so much on your breathing. The tightness comes from tension and it can be very painful. Please take care of yourself and do not get scared or discouraged.

I've also had these feelings before especially in the morning. I sometimes get so caught up in how I'm feeling and I start compensating and breathe harder that I end up hyperventilating, I then have to force myself to do my breathing exercises because I know it's all due to stress. I hpe this is of some help to you. Just try to relax and don't forget your breathing.

hi i to am having chest sensations, burning, tightness, aches, you name it. i am so focused on it i know i am making it worse. this has been going on for about 9 months on and off. after reading some of the posts here i do feel better knowing that other people have the same symptons. i rub ben-gay on my chest which seemed to help plus i take xanax when needed and that does releave some of my stress which makes it better. it is more annoying then anything becase i keep thinking i have heart problems.

good luck

Thanks everyone for replying. I'm pretty sure it is stress but I seem to be obsessing about it constantly. But I did go for a walk and it did help and when I do focus on something else, my chest doesn't feel as heavy so I think it is just stress. But I feel the same way Lou...I feel like I am going to get sick or that something is wrong with me.

So how come I know that there are breathing exercises and the relaxation tape and I feel I practice to some degree of the breathing but I am still letting the littlest body symptom scare me and my anxiety scare me. I have had anxiety/panic before and have come out of it, so you would think I wouldn't let it scare me anymore cuz I know it will subside, but now I am to the point where I am constantly thinking about it and feeling very down and cryie because I feel beat again.

Any thoughts on this?

You are not beat in any way, shape, manner or form!! One of the biggest mistakes we make is letting ourselves think that way. Make a point, from this moment on to never say or think that again. When the thought comes, take it captive and repeat the positive self talk to yourself. Pick a phrase such as: �I'm just feeling anxiety right now, it will pass,� or �I can breath it's just the symptoms of anxiety and it will pass.� Make something up, and repeat it over and over. Make notes for yourself and post them on the bathroom mirror, fridge, or dresser and where you will see them. When they catch your eye repeat them, out loud, to yourself. Self talk is so powerful you won't believe the changes when your attitude changes. The no#1 reason you have anxiety in the first place is because of your negative self talk, change that self talk, with a constant bombardment of positive dialogue and the change will occur without you even knowing it.
Think of it this way: It's a fight: You vs Anxiety. You're in a boxing ring and anxiety comes out of it's corner trying to knock you down. do you run out of the ring and try to escape? No!! If you did you would be counted out and lose the battle. You have to fight back and not just a jab here and a jab there. You have to come out of your corner with guns blazing. Throw more punches at anxiety than it throws at you and you'll come out of the ring the champ!!

Just for reassurance purposes, (cause I know how we love reassurance) I too have struggled with the tight chest, I can promise you that it is anxiety related and that it can be fixed without any damage, but if you are still anxious about this problem contact your doctor, get him to refer you to a lung specialist.(I'm Canadian so this is a lot cheaper for me to do) But I can guarantee this is what will happen: you will see the lung specialist, he/she will get you to ride a stationary bike, jog in a spot or jump rope for a few minutes. You will breath into a tube which will measure your lung capacity. they will measure your heart rate and then the Doc will give you a clean bill of health and then you'll take the advice given to you through the replies to your post. Either way will bring you right back here to positive self talk. Your option.
You are in my thoughts, and I DO care.

If you have any further questions or concerns feel free to make another post or contact me directly at: <A HREF="mailto:mapleleafkideh@msn.com">mapleleafkideh@msn.com</A>

****Note: Your body is THE most finely tuned instrument/machine you will ever own.

Lance

My name is craig i have a question of my own, i just signed on here to get some badly needed answers i have suffered with panic attacks from 21 to 27 i finally was given a medicine that worked a miracle, kown as Zoloft. for 1 year i was normal then my mother was killed in a automobile in 2003 oe year after my recovery i started gettig parnoid that i was going to catch a panic attack fially a couple a months went by a had a breakdown or at least thats what i believe i had, i paniced and was crying uncontrollably, i was brought to th emergency room where they gave me some xanax and slept for a couple an hours finally i was released. For a couple of months i was fine no problem the out of no where it hit me extreme tiredness my eyes feel heavy and i actually fell asleep at the wheel thankfully some one was riding with me and shook me i was really scared from that point on, i went to the doctors and explained to him what happened they tried me back zoloft but it had a different effect it actually caused me to have a panic attack, so they took me off at the same time they did blood work for cause's of chronic fatigue and other thing's that would cause extreme sleep syptoms but came back with good results ad they told me everything looked good. The doctor said i might be depressed but i told him that some of the systoms of depression i dont feel i surely didn't feel suicidal or sad so i was given different medicatios like effexor, paxil, welbutrin, buspar, and cymbalta and a couple more can't recall off hand. one worked for me the last one cymbalta made me feel like my blood pressue was high and feeling of emotional numbness but it also kinda helped i wasn't so tired or panicy. so now i am on othing have been for 2 months and my syptoms are slowly worsening my syptoms now are extreme tiredness, i also have syptoms of hypoglaciema, low sugar but whe i test my self my sugar is fine, oh i am not a diabetic i had the doctor check for that but told me i wasn't. Last but not least heavyness in my chest slight anxiety i am still better then i was from the ages of 21 to 27 i am now 33 PLEASE CAN SOME ONE HELP ME WHAT SHOULD I DO ?

You poor man. My heart goes out to you. This is a scary and confusing disorder that we have. Are you seeing a Psychiatrist or a regular doctor. I would recomend a Psychiatrist who really know their medications. The death of a parent is horrific in itself.............it is my greatest fear in life is to lose mine. do you think you maybe grieving the loss of your mother?

I sometimes have the heaviness in my chest. Right now I am dealing with not feeling like I am getting enough oxygen and am scared that I am going to stop breathing. I will just have a wave come over me of like tingles and it makes me think that I am going to pass out. I have to take a few deep breaths, but just haven't been able to shake the feeling. I haven't went to the doctor, I can't really afford it right now. My fear is that it is not anxiety, which I have had since I was in kindergarten and I am now 23. I carry my anxiety with me all the time and have trouble falling asleep becuase I think I will quit breathing in my sleep. These messages and the program has given me hope, but just not relief yet.

I think you need to see a psychiatrist too. Also, get some counseling. You may just now be dealing with your mother's tragic death. There are meds your doctor can prescribe for "as needed" use such as xanax. I too have suffered since my late teens (I am now 43) with anxiety issues. I will go for years without a problem and then WHAM out of the blue an anxiety attack. The last time that happened I started this program which helped tremendously due to I knew I was not alone! Learning you are your own safe place is helpful too. I currently take Cymbalta and love it. It has changed my life. Get some help, you are too young to be feeling the way you do. Good luck.