Severe health anxiety

Thank you, I am hoping that CBT can give me some relief and if needed, move to medication.

I find that it helps to distract my brain. For me it’s doing crafts and reading, but it differs for everyone. Anything you have to focus on, helps with my anxiety levels. I’ve undergone 26 surgeries, so am familiar with anxiety issues, and know that having a venting buddy also helps - for me it’s my son. Just talking it out helps relieve some of the stress.

Thank you for those suggestions! I agree that the more I talk openly about what I am experiencing, it seems to be helping me.

fudge08,
This post may sound abrupt and bossy, sorry, I'm short on time, but I want to help, if I can.
Ask your therapist about "catastrophizing."
Autoimmune disease is NOT the end of the world. It can be nasty but it's not the end. I've got at least one of them.
The blood tests for autoimmune disease are notoriously unreliable. They are only PART of how the doctor makes a diagnosis. If your doc ain't worried yet, you shouldn't be worried.
As my mom used to say, "Don't borrow trouble." and
"No news is good news."
Try this (from my therapist): Set aside a specific time of day to worry. 1/2 hour, say, from 9 to 10. When you start to worry outside of your set time, yell "STOP" at yourself. You do things all day at specific times and places. You sleep at night. You eat breakfast at X time. Now you have a worry time And you will only worry at that time, no other time, EVER! This technique really, really worked well for me.
Good luck!

Your post does not sound abrupt at all and I appreciate your advice. My first therapy session is tomorrow and I look forward to getting started. Your advice to out time limit on when I allow myself to worry is helpful. And don’t worry about what has not happened.

@fudge08 I will be anxious to hear about how your first session goes today! As you may realize, it may take time to "feel" a difference.

You have been going through a lot with renovating a house, then overdoing it physically. In my mind, feeling anxious is a given as you wait for test results! That's human nature. Please be gentle on yourself. As you commented, it is way too easy to "go down a rabbit hole" looking up symptoms and attributing certain conditions to yourself. Let the experts on your medical team do that for you, helping you get to conclusions!

For today, deep breaths. You got this!
Ginger

I needed to hear that so much! Thank you. I just finished up my therapy session which is teaching me to notice the first signs that my body is ramping up the anxiety, and how to breathe, put my focus on something positive and reassuring, breathing rather than ramping up. Next session I believe I will move into how to release the anxiety rather than “storing” it in my body.

An additional small but useful technique. Find a rubberband that is a bit wide and that fits securely but not tightly on your non dominant wrist. As you go through the day simply flick it lightly when you become aware of a "worry" thought. Low tech but surprisingly effective. Also, developing a mindfulness meditation practice is useful.

I am suffering from daily severe anxiety/panic attacks that make my symptoms 10 times worse and leave me bed ridden.The only thing I’ve been diagnosed with is severe central stenosis in the C6 C7, but I get these what I think are uncorrelated but yet unrelenting headaches and neck pressure. I have tension throughout my whole body, which triggers a severe anxiety spell.I’ve been to so many different specialists trying to pinpoint all the different symptoms that I’ve been experiencing and I feel that it keeps circling back to the same place… my anxiety.I was referred to a psychologist to manage my pain symptoms, but it’s been a slow process starting bio feedback therapy. I’m not really doing any CBT or medication’s although it is something I’ve considered.I am a 48-year-old male who has been divorced for three years and is taking care of three kids by myself. I feel like I am struggling with isolation as well as depression, which can also trigger my anxiety.Anybody that suffered severe daily panic attacks have any recommendations on how to handle them or what to do?

Wow, so I assume you work full time and have full time custody of three kids? When I went through my divorce, I took care of two kids (7 and 9 when separation began) 5 days a week. I wouldn’t say I had clinical anxiety but I found life incredibly overwhelming. I had cervical neck issues and pain as well, which limited my functional ability which only heightened my anxiety. I was clinically depressed and saw a therapist 3 x week for many months. I read loads of books about sbeing a single parent. Some of the books had good “cheats” that helped save time. I wish I could remember them to share. Also had an acrimonious divorce that only made life harder.

What I’m trying to say is that a lot of anxiety is to be expected in this situation. If you had an anxiety disorder before this, I can’t imagine the anxiety you must be experiencing.

How old are the kids? Are they at different schools, which can make things harder? Do you have a good relationship with the ex? Is the divorce finalized or is this still a source of stress. Also, most people have to learn to live with less money after a divorce, adding to the stress.

It took me 5 years to become acclimated to my new roles and life position after my divorce. Now I am at the point where life seems normal. So take comfort that you are going through a lot of transitions that will improve.

Here’s what helped me.

Frequent visits to my much loved and understanding PCP. I took benzodiazepines (Valium) for a very short period while we tried several meds. I finally landed on a combination of cymbalta (an antidepressant that also helps with anxiety and pain) and Wellbutrin (I’m not sure if Wellbutrin is strictly an antidepressant or if it also helps with anxiety). But there are many good meds, take advantage of them. Most are generic, they won’t cost an arm and a leg. I also took valerian root before bed, it’s more of a general relaxant. I tried many herbal remedies, this is the one that worked best for me. You could ask your doc or try to find a reputable herbal store and discuss with employees.

Getting enough sleep is paramount, for me anyway. What I did was, regardless of if the kitchen was clean or other household chores were complete, when I took the kids upstairs to bed, I never allowed myself to go back downstairs. I did this to ensure I got to sleep early.

Another thing to consider is that maybe your anxiety is in part how your body reacts to depression. Consider asking your PCP for a depression screen. There are also quizzes online that may help.

I started exercising. Gradually increased to an hour a day. It helped tremendously. The days I didn’t work out or had a bad day, I could really tell. I had a flexible enough work schedule that after I took the kids to the bus, I exercised before work. I went to a gym to work out about the same time everyday. So a lot of the same people were there, and though I didn’t make friends, I made a lot of acquaintances, and it seemed to me that having people around who didn’t know my gory, gossip ridden divorce was helpful.

I found an excellent babysitter. For a long time I felt guilty, but now I realize it’s important to your self care to have some ‘you time’

My ex and I were on horrible terms. I learned through therapy how to disengage and not let him bait me into arguments. At times I blocked his number.

I started meditating. At first I did this with a group. I made some good friends.

I took all the help that friends and family offered.

Cannabis is reported to be helpful but I never felt comfortable with the idea of being “high” with kids in the house.

Also remember to cut yourself a break. You don’t have to be perfect at work. And there’s no such thing as a perfect parent. Just shower the kids with love, they may be hurting too.