Stress Center Peer Support

Hello everyone! I am new to this but have been dealing with anxiety my whole life. I think I finally figured out where my anxiety is coming from and am wondering if anyone else has the same issue:

"If I get an unexplained pain or some kind of change in my body I will obsess about it or let it bother me to the point where I will have a panic attack. Even if I get it figured out after my panic attack the cycle of attacks and anxiousness doesn't stop its cycle."

I don't have attacks from OUTSIDE influences but INSIDE my body influences--fear of the unknown maybe. I will sometimes avoid going somewhere if I don't have a way of leaving just in case I all of a sudden don't feel good and need to leave.

Anyone else can relate? After listening to the tapes it seems like all the issues being discussed are about stress from the outside world--what about when the stress is being caused from within??

Jacqueline,

As you read this board more, you will find there are PLENTY of people who get anxiety from any from any little body twinge or symptom. They feel something off that a regular person would brush off, but we start obsessing and "what if-ing" over it. What if it is this, what if it that? Then we get ourselves worked up. So what you are experiencing is just part of this disorder and you are have plenty of company. As you listen more, you will hear Lucinda say she was a real hypochondriac.

However, the good news is that you can use the same skills used for an external stressor on an internal stressor. Just keep going through the program and really do what it tells you to. I was lazy the first time--I did not write down my negative thoughts. I thought I could just mentally turn them into positive thoughts. Don't fall into that trap, write them down and then write out your positive thought replacement.

Welcome to the program and to the StressCenter.com forum. Hope everything works out well for you. Keep in touch!

Yes, this is classic anxiety and I have the very same problem. Mine started with what you would call "external influences" Got panicky with heights, freeways, seminars, church, standing in line. Mine morphed to start including fear of illness. Primarily my heart. Just knew I there was something wrong... palpitations would have me in tears sometimes. Then I did get sick and it really accelerated. However, it was just an illnes, no matter how unpleasant. But, the anxiety kept me sick longer than I should have and made the whole experience much much worse than it should have been.

Some of the stuff on the tapes seemed foreign to me too. However, its the same problem manifesting itself differently for everyone. Keep going! The program works and this forum is a wonderful place for advice and support.

Don't "symptom surf" or consult "Dr. Google". Even though you are seeking comfort it will do nothing but scare you worse. Recognize the fear of the symptom as the irrational, scary thought that it is. And, do what Samcat says... write those thoughts down and get them restructured. Start showing your brain what a liar anxiety is.