Confused :/ - Anxiety Message Board

Alyssa139 · 07-07-2008, 09:37 PM

I am 18 years old and every little thing that hurts on me makes me think I have something seriously wrong with me. I can take a little pain and turn it into a big disorder that I may have.

My boyfriend tells me that I'm just overthinking it and I've noticed he is correct. If i get the slightest pain anywhere I think and think about it until it's something alot bigger.

I was reading another thread that said that symptoms like that could be cause by anxiety. Is that what could be causing me to blow everything way out of proportion? I am under alot of stress a good bit of the time and I have also had a panic attack before. I would really like to know so I can try and figure out how to keep myself from doing that. It's like I think my pains alot bigger than it is so it becomes alot better and it's messing with my life. Can someone help me?

Lindaru · 07-07-2008, 10:28 PM

Stress can definitely bring on health anxiety. I myself have a fear of just keeling over if I do anything to exert myself (even house work).

You might want to try discussing it with your doctor. Other options would be to seek out a therapist that deals with anxiety disorders or even find a group therapy (a lot of them are free but not sure about where you live) where there are others in your situation who you can relate to and share ideas for coping.

Health anxiety seems to be the most common because it plays on our own fear of pain, suffering and death. When someone close to me is really ill or hurt, I sometimes have nightmares about myself dying.

You are not alone and you need never be. Seek out help. Hopefully your boy friend will be understanding. If you do choose therapy, ask him to go with you. He will be able to see what it is you are dealing with. Many times, significant others who do not have it, just do not understand until they hear it from a professional.

Best of luck and keep us posted!

Lindaru

calidreaming · 07-08-2008, 02:02 AM

i was around the same age when i had my first panic attack, i was 19, now 23. since you are young, you may have actually had this your whole life, its just now starting to pop up, as most of these types of disorders do around that time.

are you in college? i know that triggered ALOT of my panic attacks. moving constantly, tests, boys, ugh. all of it is stressful.

if you want to understand more of what you have, go see a therapist or start out with an anxiety support group. you will notice a lot of them sound just like you! i always thought i was alone with this too!

i was convinced i had a brain tumor for almost a year. even with CAT scans, spinal taps, blood tests, many doctors... it turned out being anxiety. once i went to a support group---it was like a big DUH, this is all anxiety.

you are too young to worry about this stuff, get some help before you waste more time on it!

Alyssa139 · 07-08-2008, 08:27 AM

Most of my panic attacks have not been very bad, I'll just freak out and start shaking and crying uncontrolably. Luckily, for those cases my boyfriend has been great support. He doesn't have panic attacks but somehow he understands when I'm having one and is able to calm me down eventually.

I had my first major panic attack not too long after I turned 16. I consider this one major because I actually couldn't control my body at all, I just fell on the floor and stayed there. It really scared me but my mom later explained to me that she has gotten them before too so I guess I get having them from her.

I would really like to go talk to a therapist, but my parents already complain about the bills they are having to pay for when I hurt my leg a few months back. For some reason they aren't real big on taking me to the doctor unless it's something major. Actually, back in Jan I got real sick on a saturday and kept saying I needed to go to the doctor but no one would take me because they said it was nothing bad. My mom finally took me that wednesday and it turns out I had mono. I think this is what adds to my stress too.

I could go on and on with stuff that causes me stress right now. I am going to have to be real careful when I start college classes this fall to make sure I don't get too stressed out.(I'm in two online classes right now but they aren't too bad) My boyfriend tells me sometimes that I need to be less serious and have more fun. I couldn't figure out why I was like that, but I believe it is becuase I have grown up way faster than most people through my circumstances.