This Anxiety is hell

@daisypepper This type of anxiety truly is uncomfortable. Have you had any type of bloodwork done? The thyroid medication levothyroxine is what keeps your thyroid working correctly. That little gland pumps important hormones. I take thyroid medication and know if I do not take it daily I do get wiggy. May ask for a thyroid panel to see if this is contributing to your symptoms. Many times mental symptoms are because of physical things.

@daisypepper hi Daisy, I’m so sorry for your anxiety! I know how awful it can be! I can’t find anything enlightening to say other than I’m praying for you. Please keep checking in to let us know how you are doing. We care!.........Karen

Hi, @daisypepper - I wanted to add my welcome to @parus' and @karen00's. I have personally had a high level of anxiety for about 6 weeks in a row before, and it's extremely uncomfortable and hard to live that way. I can't imagine having an almost ongoing anxiety attack since December. That sounds very difficult.

I'd like to also bring in others who've mentioned anxiety on Connect, so they can provide some support and add their thoughts. Please meet @brit @kbmayo @falon @thankful. @merpreb also may have some input for you.

This information from Mayo Clinic on anxiety disorders may be helpful, especially the part under the top tab Diagnosis & Treatment on Lifestyle and Home Remedies https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961. I know you indicated you'd like to stay away from benzos, but please also note that this page talks about not only lifestyle and home remedies, but also psychotherapy. Is psychotherapy something you've pursued?

@daisypepper- I'd also like to Welcome you to Connect. My name is Merry and I am a volunteer mentor for Connect. Anxiety has been my middle name for years! I'm sorry that you are going through this. It's not fun at all. Although our bodies do get stressed by illnesses, injuries and the environment it's usually our minds- worries, etc. With that said there can be things in your subconscious mind that haven't come up to the forefront yet, but they are there.
When I get stressed, I do every-time I have to have a follow-up CT scan for lung cancer, I get very wiggy (thank you @parus,) too. Control is the biggy here. Don't you think? If some thing in your life is not within your control, bam, I'm in high stress.You mentioned that you were losing your insurance soon. Do you have a substitute for it? Do you have other plans to pay for your medical needs? If I were going to lose my insurance that would be enough for me to go into high stress mode.
Perhaps, in order to get at least a small hold on this, you could start a list of what is going on in your life and prioritize them for what you need to take care of the most, and what you have control over period.

@daisypepper Do you think that loosing the health insurance is the cause of your anxiety? Is this linked to when you were notified about this?

It is possible to work through the emotional reasons for anxiety. I have done that because I had medical treatment for conditions that had been caused by physical traumatic injuries years earlier, and those where linked into some other old emotional traumas and fears. Once I was able to unravel all those connections, and the ways that I was processing them, I realized my thinking was that of a young child, and that way of thinking was not serving me well in my adult life. I found new ways to think about distressing things that freed me from those fears. You might be able to discover some of your links if you start a journal about how you are feeling and what you are thinking. When you go back and read this later, you may find a pattern with some clues to the connections. Once you do this, you will take away the negative power of the memories and you can find a new freedom.

Hello @daisypepper Just wanted to say welcome to the group. So sorry to hear you are losing your insurance. I have what I call "free-floating" anxiety where my anxiety is not connected to anything. Like you, it is all in my body. Am having varying degrees of panic as well. I am tapering off Klonopin and I think that is causing some of my anxiety. Are you on any meds that may be contributing to your anxiety?

Hi Falon...What has worked for me is exercise every day...whether it be a good power walk or to the gym...it's better then medication...I would make an appt with your GP as well...I would also find a counsellor asap that can teach you strategies in how to deal with anxiety....out patient thru your hospital might be faster...check out herbal supplements ie st Johns Wart????? I have used Paxil years ago...be careful with a to anxiety meds like Effexor...horrible to get off. Ssri's. Much easier

Losing my insurance would do it for me. I had a panic attack when I found out we were almost bankrupt in our family business and my husband was in denial about it all. His stress, which he denied, was exhibited by a mucus drainage and gagging sound he made constantly. I was helped by a paramedic friend of my son who explained to him how to calm down a person on the squad run who was having a panic attack. His methods worked for me and I decided to never allow that to happen to me again, even if we went bankrupt. I didn't have to put a paper bag over my head, but I remember I did deep breathing and decided I would face my husband directly and ordered him to cooperate with our attorney. I was tougher about life after that. Dorisena

@daisypepper I'm so sorry to hear about your stress anxiety your having You talked about losing your insurance Are you On Medicare yet There are people who can get Social Security for medical reasons disability s.s.i. Also Cobra I insurance might be available for you Try to take deep breaths and free your mind breathing deeply can help .