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anxiety/panic symptoms

I get some of the strangest feelings that I hope/want to attribute to my anxiety disorder. The majority of my anxiety is health anxiety and I have convinced myself that I have nearly every disease (mostly terminal and terrifying). I am curious what others experience because of anxiety and how they cope? I am planning on beginning an antidepressant as this anxiety has ruined my life, I don't enjoy going anywhere anymore and have a very difficult time with my relationships and work.
Some of the things I experience in no particular order are as follows:
Severe back and neck pain (shooting, aching, mostly neck and shoulders, mid back pain)  
Shooting pains in arm and down to my fingers
Body zaps (a sudden rush through my body, almost like being electrocuted...this is very weird and difficult to describe)
jaw pain  
racing heart
flushed skin
frequent urination
headaches
tons of stomach aches, GERD
feeling disconnected from my body
unable to yawn or take deep breathes

There's a few other things but these are the majority of them and throughout the day i experience them in some way and have a hard time believing that they all can be anxiety related... I guess I am looked for peace of mind, or some advice as to alleviate my health anxiety. Perhaps you have experience with antidepressants that you could shed some light on? Or tips and tricks to help quit these "symptoms"?

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358304 tn?1409709492
How long have you been feeling like this?

I agree with cj29.

I am a veteran here on medhelp. I was thrown right on pills immediately about 8 years ago or so when I first started having extreme anxiety.

Looking back, I never would have taken that approach FIRST before medication.

But I was uneducated back the, and just took my Doctors word for it that I needed medicine to keep my anxiety at bay.

Years later, I realized my meds were making me sicker, so I found a specialist who helped get me off my meds.

It was a life changer.

I then did counseling/therapy, and I now even though I still have bouts of anxiety and symptoms, I am learning each time how to accept it for what it is, and be strong and move past each episode.

I figured, medication was only a band aid for my episodes years ago, which helped, but then only caused dependence.

So why not do therapy, learn how to cope THROUGH the anxiety spell, because, for me, the anxiety spells eventually ALWAYS leave.

Keep in mind this is my story. And we are all different. :)

I do know, whichever route you decide to take, you will be okay either way, and anxiety will pass.

I just always advise my friends who are experiencing anxiety for the first time to work your way UP the chain.

Try counseling, diet changes etc. Then, if all else fails, try the medication route as a last resort.

God Bless! Take care!
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Avatar universal
When I went through my experiences with anxiety and panic, I tended to follow two "patterns" that seem to be frequent for many of us here in this community.  First, I became oversensitized to basically every physical 'symptom' that felt out of the ordinary.  For example, normal everyday aches and pains became magnified and much more noticeable.  Second, I also misinterpreted these symptoms as something catastrophically wrong with me when the opposite is true.  

The best of piece of advice I can give is to go get into therapy if you can.  For me, learning about it, gave me the tools to confront it and deal with it long term.  
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