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Weight And Muscle Loss
Hello. A little over 4 months ago I got a scare of hiv. Tested 4 times negative all up to 4 months. On October 7 of this year is when I became paranoid about it. I am a very healthy person. I workout and lift weights 5 days a week, but since October the 7th I have not wanted to eat or workout like I should. I feel I am walking around infected when all my test say I am not. I use to always be hungry and eat all the time. I have lost about 5 pounds. All I do is worry about it. Constant muscle pain in my shoulders and tingling from worrying. Is this anxiety? Also I always feel full. I have I make myself eat. No symptoms or nothing besides the not wanting to eat part. I have been a ball of nerves for 2 months. Does this sound like anxiety? Thanks in advance for your help. God bless.
I'm sorry you're going through this!
It does sound like anxiety, but I am not a medical professional. All I can tell you is that anxiety will kill your appetite, and makes you feel nervous/anxious, etc.
Your body recognizes anxiety as the "work" chemical (fight or flight). Sadly for us, it feeds on itself. If the body doesn't do anything with the chemical (fight it or run away), it thinks it needs more of the chemical to make the body do something. So it dumps in more. Ick!
Also, the body only produces hunger when the body isn't "working" - and since anxiety tells the body it's "working", it dulls the hunger response.
Have you talked to a doctor about all this? I would definitely focus on the good news that your HIV tests came back negative. Self-talk is huge in combating anxiety. When you're tempted to worry, just start telling yourself "I do not have HIV. My tests came back negative, so I don't have HIV."
Rather than jump back into your hardcore workouts, try something more gentle: swimming, walking, yoga. When the anxiety is gnawing on you, do some slow, deep breathing. Find other ways to distract yourself.
I would definitely speak to a med. pro about your anxiety symptoms. A lot of people have found success managing anxiety with therapy, a med. to take as needed, or a daily med.
Hang in there!
It does sound like anxiety, but I am not a medical professional. All I can tell you is that anxiety will kill your appetite, and makes you feel nervous/anxious, etc.
Your body recognizes anxiety as the "work" chemical (fight or flight). Sadly for us, it feeds on itself. If the body doesn't do anything with the chemical (fight it or run away), it thinks it needs more of the chemical to make the body do something. So it dumps in more. Ick!
Also, the body only produces hunger when the body isn't "working" - and since anxiety tells the body it's "working", it dulls the hunger response.
Have you talked to a doctor about all this? I would definitely focus on the good news that your HIV tests came back negative. Self-talk is huge in combating anxiety. When you're tempted to worry, just start telling yourself "I do not have HIV. My tests came back negative, so I don't have HIV."
Rather than jump back into your hardcore workouts, try something more gentle: swimming, walking, yoga. When the anxiety is gnawing on you, do some slow, deep breathing. Find other ways to distract yourself.
I would definitely speak to a med. pro about your anxiety symptoms. A lot of people have found success managing anxiety with therapy, a med. to take as needed, or a daily med.
Hang in there!
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