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1486478 tn?1307462997

Anxiety Taking A Toll On My Body

I've been close to three months with anxiety, and I can feel it everyday. What started as one thought turned into a never ending wave of "what ifs" that turned a completely normal, borderline apathetic, young, invincible feeling teenager, into a constantly worrying shell of his former self.

I've been overweight much of my life since the age of 10. Never cared about how it looked on me, but there's always been that part of me who wanted to be healthier. I never dwelled on the thought though, or was prepared to take any drastic steps. My mantra was "I'll live my life by whatever makes me happy."

I've always been the victim of over-abundance of food simply because a taste causes me to want more of it. It was like, I wanted more so I could keep tasting the goodness of the food over and over again. Not really a food addiction, but a taste addiction. I never ate based on mood. That's what music's for.

Well, three months ago, we found out a close friend of ours was walking down the street with her young daughter, and just collapsed out of the blue and died of a massive heart attack. She was fairly large too, but was fairly active, unlike me who other than going places like school or the store, or whatever, pretty much has lived a sedentary lifestyle, exercising occasionally, but it was never routine.

The thought entered my head of what if. What if I'm next. I became scared. Then realized, I haven't had any tests done to know what really IS going on with me, so scared turned into constant worry. I started feeling it in minor ways, until I had my first panic attack on the way to school one morning. Since then, it's been a constant nightmare that has totally taken over my life, and is trying to destroy it completely until I've lost the will to live.

The thing is, unlike typical anxiety, it's no longer purely fear induced. It's physical. I feel it every single day, and it's how my body feels that causes the fear, and not the other way around, and my physical sensations keep me locked in this never ending cycle, that NOBODY has seemed to show interest in helping me get out of. I feel like the only way to get help is to wait until I'm totally suicidal and ready to end it all. Thing is, I'm too much of a pansy to actually commit suicide. LOL!

If I could cure all the physical symptoms that anxiety has unleashed on my body, I could EASILY cure my mind and part ways with my anxiety, but I just don't know how, and there seems to be a big lacking of information on getting rid of the PHYSICAL symptoms of anxiety. It's all about mental, and that's not where the problem is. That's where the problem takes me.

I need help, guidance, assistance, SOMETHING to help me take the right steps to getting my body back on track, so the bad thoughts in my mind will go away, because it's my body that feeds the thoughts.
5 Responses
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Avatar universal
Well you seem like you are right on track with the effect your mind can have on your body. It's incredible, I know. But just as much as it can cause pain and discomfort, it can cause bliss and relaxation as well. I know it sounds cliched or easier said than done, but once you know how to get there, you'll wish you had started sooner.
From my perspective, this trigger of fearful thoughts happened for a reason. It seems to me that you know on some level that adopting a healthier lifestyle is important, not just for your physical body but mentally as well.We hear it all the time but until we try it for ourselves, we don't understand just how significant it is. I was never an overweight person myself, and honestly didn't "need" to exercise in that sense, but I did anyway. And immediately I found a more optimistic perspective on everything. I slept better, my anxiety diminished and I had more energy in everything I did. It was like exercise and healthy eating fell hand-in-hand; it motivated me to be healthier in ALL areas of my life, easily, and every aspect of it has benefited.
Because of this (as well as trial of prescription meds and other unheathy attempts to control my anxiety) I am a big believer that doing things the simple, natural way is the best way to go.
Knowing that you are on the way to a healthier body will give you peace of mind. You will see how quickly things change.

Send me a message if you need any other tips. I'd be glad to help. :-)

All the best,

Brittany
Helpful - 0
1486478 tn?1307462997
Getting rid of the physical symptoms. That's all I need.

The mental process then would be a cake walk.
Helpful - 0
1514106 tn?1290407685
When I was going through nursing school 12 yrs ago, I was convinced that I had a heart problem.  I had chest pains so bad one night that I called the ambulance and just sat there waiting to die because I just KNEW my heart was going to just stop beating...I had a stress test performed at the cardio unit in my hospital and guess what it showed... NOTHING.  My heart was picture perfect... as soon as I found that out I never had another chest pain or shortness of breath again.  It was all in my head and just obsessing over having a heart attack actually made my body have symptoms.  Your mind is a powerful thing... if you think about something enough or obsess over something so much in your mind, eventually your body begins to follow.  Have you ever read the book "The Secret"?  It actually says that just thinking about things in your mind will make them come true in real life.  Oprah says she even used her "mind" to get the role in The Color Purple.  Bottom line is...change your thinking...  Imagine you feeling good... imagine nothing negative in your life.  If you feel something negative coming into your thoughts then change it and think of something good.  When my oldest daughter was 1 yr old (that was 19 yrs ago), all I did all day was watch the news... well, you know that there is nothing good on the news...  I was depressed for several weeks and didn't know how to get out of it.. someone had suggested to me to stop watching the news because it's all I ever did and hearing about murders, kidnapping, and people losing their houses is never good to hear all day long.. so I did.  I stopped watching the news and I stopped reading the paper...  I honestly DID feel better, I wasn't depressed anymore or have such a feeling of doom and to this day I don't watch the news (unless something important is happening).  Surround yourself with positive things and you will begin to feel better I promise.  I know it's not what you were expecting to hear.. I mean it's not like go take a pill and you will be cured instantly.. it is a process.. you didn't get to where you are mentally overnight and it will take more than one night to get you back to feeling normal again.  Once you train your mind to start thinking positive thoughts again, it won't feel so forced and it will just come naturally to you... I do think that surrounding yourself with positive people is a MUST DO.  Get away from negative people, they will only bring you down.  Also..  I was very heavy at one point..I weighed over 300 pounds..  I'm now down to 150 and look and feel great... so I know about the weight struggle thing too..  I lost a lot of weight by cutting out sugar, soft drinks, and bad carbohydrates.  I ate lean meat, ALOT of sugar free jello and broth type soups with alot of veggies in it for the first 6 months.  I used a saucer instead of a plate at all meals and I only ate half of a sandwich if we went to a fast food place or had to go out.  My kids or husband would finish the rest.  I also cut out french fries completely..  and I Used to LOVE French Fries...  now they are an after thought...  I kept my protein intake high and ate only the carbohydrates that would have some benefits to it not the bad type.  Also, if you are craving something don't deny yourself what you are craving.. usually there is a reason you crave something.. and if you put it off now it will only come back later with a vengence..  so always allow yourself at least a taste of what you are craving but don't eat any more than 3 bites if it's bad for you or your diet.  Hope this helps and good luck to you!  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, I'm new here so this is my first reply.  I'm not sure I am doing this right.  I had many physical symptoms that I went to the doctor for.  I had intestinal issues that would not go away and a feeling of just feeling like something wasn't right.  I never felt good.  I could not eat most days and was constantly nauseated.  I had a lot of tests and they all came back fine.  I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder with agoraphobia and panic disorder, and clinical depression or bipolar it keeps changing.  This goes back to 1997.  I am now 35 yrs old and I must say I had no clue my problems were mental until I actually was diagnosed.  It seems that I'm not sure what came first the chicken or the egg.  Then I realized it became a cycle I felt sick which would make me anxious which would make me feel sick....etc.  I've learned over the years that I had to accept myself as being a person with some "issues".  I have found the right medication which took a really long time.  I think if you do choose to go the traditional medication route, you need to be patient and give them some time to help.  I also go to counseling sessions which helps with certain things but they taught me some relaxation techniques and coping skills.  It isn't a cure of course but it can help you better understand what is actually going on inside your brain.  I found that when I found the right combo of meds my symtoms of panic attacks started to diminish.  I think nothing is a cure all but things can make it more managable.  I've thought if your mind is not right your body won't be either.  The areas of the brain are more similar then you think.  Remember your brain controls your entire body and how it functions.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey.
I have suffered with depression and really bad anxiety since I was about 13. I am almost 20 now, and I just started getting help. My anxiety was so bad that I got eczema on my stomach, arms, legs, and back.  You can definitely see a doctor about getting medication to help reduce anxiety. Its working for me. Also you should go see a counselor. You won't believe how much it helps just venting to someone else & its completely confidential. For me, just hearing myself actually helped me get to the root of my anxiety. If you don't wan to see a counselor, you can always journal your thoughts and feelings. Anything that comes to mind, just write it down. it seems weird at first, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes, and you will get a lot off your chest. I really hope this helps. I know what you're going through and its not easy, but I encourage you to seek out help because its definitely available. I will pray for you guys!
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