Anxiety Problem...

Censorsh!t

I'm not too sure where i should put this thread but hopefully here will be ok, if not please feel free to move it.

Ok, so over the last year, almost 2 years, I've been having problems kinda with my stomach/oesphogus area. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, kinda bubbly, and doesnt subside til I lie down. It's a horrible thign to deal with, I can't go out anywhere without the chance of it starting up, and then I just want to go home, because after a few hours it gets to a stage where I feel like throwing up.
But anyway, I was in and out of hospital for tests and I was on different medications, and nothing was found in the end. The doctor told me she's pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder, and this was my body's way of dealing with it.
I don't know what exactly is making me anxious... sure, recently there has been a few things on my mind, but this problem has been going on since I was perfectly care free (well i thought?). Maybe it's because I'm a very very shy person in general, and i do find this holds me back a lot, and i do wish I was more confident...but once again, I've always always been really shy, and dont see why it should come out just now.
The doctor said maybe I should try acupuncture, and my mom is going to check it out for me. has anyone here had experience of acupuncture and how effective it is? And if anyone has ideas on how to get rid of anxiety, that would be appreciated.

wylo

Have you looked into meditation or hypnosis? It can be very effective. It is probably something you will have to have patience with getting over, I don't think there will be any over night trick.
You could also look into Cognitive behavioral therapy for your confidence. It is supposed to be very very effective.
best of luck anyway

LegacyUser

i've actually heard of similar problems like your one before. it definitely sounds like an anxiety disorder. i actually suffer/suffered from one so i've read up a lot about them. however my one isn't related to yours. i've heard of people having panic attacks over the thought that they were going to get sick whenever they went out in public....kinda like yours.

i would concur with the other poster regarding using CBT. it is very effective for these kind of disorders. however, i would wary over using hypnotherapy as i personally found it useless for my treatment of anxiety and i spent a fortune on it.

i wasn't surprised at all when you mentioned your shyness as it is highly likely to be linked to your problem. there could be deep issues that need to be resolved.....like unassertiveness, negative thoughts, irrational beliefs and low self-esteem. i would advise that you see a cbt therapist....one that has dealt treating panic disorder. also, do a lot of research yourself on the net.....you probably think your a freak but your problem is more common than you think! good luck!

LegacyUser

i feel so sorry for you, im pretty sure i have an anxiety disorder too and feel it is ruining my life have no idea what to do about it or how to tackle it, my only explaination for it is that i never knew life without worries all my childhood was spent worrying about very real day to day worries, and now ive grown up and have made a really stable life for myself free of the worrys i had the only uncertain thing in my life now is the things out of my control like my health so now i spend my time checking for illness and worrying sick that theres somthing wrong with me.
I cant believe that everything is ok and that lifes good im just waiting on the next bad thing to happen out of the blue. its an awful way to live and worst of all i cant tell a soul have plenty of friends but like you im shy and dont like to talk much instead i lie awake nights on end worrying about getting cancer or heart attacks.
my advise to u is to try and keep busy because its the only eay i feel better is through distraction, try and find things to do other than worry. good luck

LegacyUser

All I can say is try to manage it before it takes control of your life. I lost my job 2 years ago because of an anxiety related series of conditions i developed due to being very unhappy in that job but i refused to acknowledge the problem so it just got worse till i ended up a complete mess.
I would frequently experience severe chest pain that would leave me a nervous wreck & thus made working near impossible. When i had this investigated they could find nothing wrong with me. I eventually realized it was all a side effect of extreme stress.
You need to sit down & assess your own circumstances & try to figure out whats causing your anxiety. Forget acupuncture & all that stuff, its something you have to figure out yourself. If theres something or someone annoying you on a daily basis it can eventually lead to serious anxiety problems.
Good luck.

Johnny Bitte

Hey,
By the sounds of it it is General Anxiety Disorder or Social Anxiety Disorder.

I have suffered with mine greatly for 10 years now and panic attacks to booth.
I was quite shy myself when I was younger, even meeting someone I knew on the street caused me to be nervous which I believe was a factor.

There are a number of treatments available which I will list below but the one thing I will stress is get it sorted now.
My original treatment was "You'll be fine now" from a professional and from then on I had to constantly hound my GP to get different treatment and research them.

Talk to friends and family about it, seriously, not talking to them can lead to you being shut in and closed of from people without noticing.

I am currently seeing a Psychologists once a week and the root of the problem is finally coming to light and actually improving my condition in ways I never thought could happen. This is something I have to recommend.

Other treatments I have had over the years were.
CBT: Cognitive behavioral therapy which is relatively new but is being hailed as a great treatment. For me it did not work because of external factors but it is worth a go.
Hypnotherapy work amazingly for me. After the first session I was flying and basicly cured but it turned out to be a temp solution.
Medications: There are some like Xanex which are just relaxants but are very addictive and only calm you down for a short period.
Specific ones for these disorders are Lexapro which I was on for a year and found it amazing. But unfortunately when I came off them to see how things would go the problem returned.
I 'm currently on Lyrica, which is used to treat Shingles but is being used for anxiety now as it works on the nervous system and I have to say its looking good.

Good luck and hope you get its sorted.

NB:The worst thing about any kind of Psychological disorder is the fact that no one wants to talk about it. If you broke your leg no one would have a problem with it but the second the mind is effected everyone gets weirded out. Quiet recently I began telling people about it and the freedom from hiding it was great.

Censorsh!t

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I know it's something I need to get sorted now, but it's so difficult when I'm not really sure what exactly I'm anxious about. I have made a big effort to just tell people when things are bothering me, and it feels so much better than holding it in.
The only thing that I can seem to blame it on is my shyness and low self esteem. my lack of confidence really does hold me back and I'm always scared that poeple think I'm weird/ too good to talk to them, when really, I just cant find the confidence to talk to people.
At the same time though, I have quite a few good friends, and we all get on great. But I do wish that I could make new friends also...or at least be able to chat with people that i dont know.
This whole thing started around when I started college 2 years ago, and got worse from there. But, I like college quite a bit, and i'm not stressed by it, I only have 9 hours a week, and I dont struggle for good marks. I admit that I did hve a horrible patch, concerning my friends and boyfriend and stuff, and I kept that in for ages, but I sorted that all out a good few months ago.

A few people have mentioned CBT. I'll defintiely look it up and do some research into it.

I had exactly the same problem for four months from May to September 2008. I had made what I considered to be the worst mistake of my life and I now believe it was my body's way of responding to it, I'd say it was even an anxiety attack. At the time I thought it was a stomach ulcer but I was very lucky in that in September 2008 I was given the opportunity to undo the damage I caused - once I did I was fine again and it hasn't happened since.

It certainly is horrible, a constant nauseous feeling and you don't know if you're going to throw up or not. Also makes eating virtually impossible because you either feel full or feel like you'll just puke it back up. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

wylo

op, Im not sure if im allowed up links but it would be a shame to take this down because its such a great site to get you started, and its all free.
http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome/new/splash
You might be using it for months , but if it does the job, great. The symptoms you describe are all brought up in this site.
Remember, keep reminding yourself that a problem like that is the equivalent of any other problem with a body part, like another poster mentioned, the broken leg.
Its a problem that can be fixed.
Best of luck

994

Acupuncture hasn't been shown to have any actual benefits. Also some places don't sterilise needles properly.

nyarlothothep

have you also checked what you eat/drink? Milk is an effective neutralizer of stomach acids in my experience, might help I dunno.

Censorsh!t

I've checked on what I eat alright.
I eat pretty healthy, don't eat much junk food at all. I try eat little and often, but that doesnt seem to help either. I'm presuming, seen as they couldnt find any acid reflux, that it's not too much to do with my diet.

The doctor described what I have as sort of an irritable bowel syndrome, but in my oesophegus, rather than my bowel, and that it was caused by anxiety.

LegacyUser

Hi Op,

I posted an earlier message on this thread. there's a couple of things i want to say to both you and the other posters on this thread.

Firstly, from what you have you have described, there is nothing physically wrong with you....i have no doubt that it is true that you do have a nauseous feeling in your stomach. But as the doctors advised, you do not have an ulcer or any physical condition which is causing it....it is purely a result of the anxiety you experience on a daily basis which is causing this sensation. There is scientific proof available which shows a strong link between various physical ailments which are a result of anxiety and stress like IBS. The cure is to address the mental issues which are causing this stress/anxiety.

Now you have stated that there is no major issue in your life which is causing you anxiety but from my experience i expect that there are many 'smaller issues' which accumulate to leave you in a tense or edgey state. For example, you may feel apprehensive or experience anticpatory anxiety over an upcoming event.....this may be a social situation which has made you feel uncomfortable in the past.....e.g talking to strangers, doing presentations, mingling, etc. There are a whole variety of these situations that you may encounter in your daily life....these all combine together and have a signifcant negative effect on your mental health.

Usually but not always, people who suffer from the symptoms you descibe have experienced traumatic and negative events when they were younger. For example, they could have been bullied in school or had a parent who was over critical to them when they were a child. You may feel that you have gotten over these experiences since they happened so long a go but sub-consciously they have had a lasting negative effect on both your behaviour and thinking processes.

One previous poster suggested maybe trying certain medications to relieve your symptoms....these can be good for certain one-off high anxiety events but they are not a long-term cure....in fact, it has been shown that when individuals who use these medications try to come off them....they can experience severe withdrawal symptoms with their anxiety coming back stronger than ever.

Which leads to be to once again recommend the most successful treatment used for anxiety disorders which is cognitive behavioural therapy. Don't take my word for it, check out the NHS and IHS for info and you will see the same thing. I myself used an excellent audio series made by Dr. Thomas A richards for my CBT and this has been without doubt the most important reason for my recovery. I currently attend a behavioural group in Dublin where almost everyone attending has done the same tapes so i can see how effective they have been for others, not just me!

I urge you and any others out there who suffer from anxiety to take action. I know myself how frustrating it can be and how it can hold you back from fulfilling your full potential. You owe it to yourself....and the good news is that it can be overcome.

LegacyUser

I had the same issue. had to leave my job due to bullying boss causing me to become a nervous wreck. CBT totally saved me.

It does not make make everything better immediately, or ever, but it teaches you to control yourself and manage your stress levels. its tough work but totally worth it.

Note you can find yourself drifting back into your bad old habbits after a few years so its important to be mindfull of your state of mind at all times. best of luck.

Xluna

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I'm not too sure where i should put this thread but hopefully here will be ok, if not please feel free to move it.

Ok, so over the last year, almost 2 years, I've been having problems kinda with my stomach/oesphogus area. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, kinda bubbly, and doesnt subside til I lie down. It's a horrible thign to deal with, I can't go out anywhere without the chance of it starting up, and then I just want to go home, because after a few hours it gets to a stage where I feel like throwing up.
But anyway, I was in and out of hospital for tests and I was on different medications, and nothing was found in the end. The doctor told me she's pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder, and this was my body's way of dealing with it.
I don't know what exactly is making me anxious... sure, recently there has been a few things on my mind, but this problem has been going on since I was perfectly care free (well i thought?). Maybe it's because I'm a very very shy person in general, and i do find this holds me back a lot, and i do wish I was more confident...but once again, I've always always been really shy, and dont see why it should come out just now.
The doctor said maybe I should try acupuncture, and my mom is going to check it out for me. has anyone here had experience of acupuncture and how effective it is? And if anyone has ideas on how to get rid of anxiety, that would be appreciated.

I'd recommend a psychologist rather than an acupunture specialist. It sounds like either social anxiety disorder or general anxiety disorder and should be treated. If it's G.A.D. then you would be anxious even when on your own. If it's S.A.D. then the anxiety should be significantly less when you're on your own.

LegacyUser

Hi OP

The same thing happened me a few years ago. I was told nothing was wrong on a few occasions after numerous tests. I ended up really sick and in hospital for a week. It turned out I had a stomach ulcer and the only way it shows up is by an endoscopy test. If this problem continues is suggest you request one (if you haven't already)

starmix08

wylo wrote: »

op, Im not sure if im allowed up links but it would be a shame to take this down because its such a great site to get you started, and its all free.
http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome/new/splash
You might be using it for months , but if it does the job, great. The symptoms you describe are all brought up in this site.
Remember, keep reminding yourself that a problem like that is the equivalent of any other problem with a body part, like another poster mentioned, the broken leg.
Its a problem that can be fixed.
Best of luck

Thanks so much for posting this link, feeling similar. Ive been looking for something like this and going to give it a go.

Raminahobbin

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I'm not too sure where i should put this thread but hopefully here will be ok, if not please feel free to move it.

Ok, so over the last year, almost 2 years, I've been having problems kinda with my stomach/oesphogus area. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, kinda bubbly, and doesnt subside til I lie down. It's a horrible thign to deal with, I can't go out anywhere without the chance of it starting up, and then I just want to go home, because after a few hours it gets to a stage where I feel like throwing up.
But anyway, I was in and out of hospital for tests and I was on different medications, and nothing was found in the end. The doctor told me she's pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder, and this was my body's way of dealing with it.
I don't know what exactly is making me anxious... sure, recently there has been a few things on my mind, but this problem has been going on since I was perfectly care free (well i thought?). Maybe it's because I'm a very very shy person in general, and i do find this holds me back a lot, and i do wish I was more confident...but once again, I've always always been really shy, and dont see why it should come out just now.
The doctor said maybe I should try acupuncture, and my mom is going to check it out for me. has anyone here had experience of acupuncture and how effective it is? And if anyone has ideas on how to get rid of anxiety, that would be appreciated.

I have had loads of acupuncture and am currently studying it.
It definately sounds like something acupuncture could help, but go and have an initial consultation with an acupuncturist and see what you think. They'll be able to give you a more thorough examination and a personalised treatment plan.

, I can see if any of my classmates live in your area- we are currently taking patients for clinical practice. If you're unsure about acupuncture, someone might be able to give you a few free sessions so you can see what it's like.

LegacyUser

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I'm not too sure where i should put this thread but hopefully here will be ok, if not please feel free to move it.

Ok, so over the last year, almost 2 years, I've been having problems kinda with my stomach/oesphogus area. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, kinda bubbly, and doesnt subside til I lie down. It's a horrible thign to deal with, I can't go out anywhere without the chance of it starting up, and then I just want to go home, because after a few hours it gets to a stage where I feel like throwing up.
But anyway, I was in and out of hospital for tests and I was on different medications, and nothing was found in the end. The doctor told me she's pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder, and this was my body's way of dealing with it.
I don't know what exactly is making me anxious... sure, recently there has been a few things on my mind, but this problem has been going on since I was perfectly care free (well i thought?). Maybe it's because I'm a very very shy person in general, and i do find this holds me back a lot, and i do wish I was more confident...but once again, I've always always been really shy, and dont see why it should come out just now.
The doctor said maybe I should try acupuncture, and my mom is going to check it out for me. has anyone here had experience of acupuncture and how effective it is? And if anyone has ideas on how to get rid of anxiety, that would be appreciated.

Hi OP
I have the same problem. I was in Australia for 9 months and while it was good on the most part, I suffered an awful amount of stress. I had constant money worries, which weren't helped by the fact that there were no jobs in Ireland to come back to, I had friendship problems that come with travelling with friends, and I had an abusive boyfriend who in the end dumped me.
I was working in an office and while all this was going on I began to get awful stomach pains every day. It would last for hours. It felt like I had a football travelling all the way through my intestines. Not only that, but I had massive amounts of trapped gas, which also lasted hours, and it was difficult to hide- you can't spend your whole shift in the toilet. I always had diahorrea too but that didn't bother me too much. The pains and the extended gas were the worst. They only happened when I was in work and would last the whole day. It felt like someone was punching me in the stomach and strangling my guts! It didn't matter what I ate, whether it was healthy food or junk, it happened. Jobs were very scarce and I was so poor I literally could not afford to leave the job for even a few days so I had to stick it out.

I came back to Ireland in November and had no stomach problems apart from the odd single fart, and I still often had diahorrea, but that was all it would be- no hours of extended trapped gas and pain.
In December, after weeks pain free I did ONE shift in a bar as a favour to a friend. My stomach was crippled the entire day and the extended gas was there too- it was awful. After all those months of suffering in silence I finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It can be brought on by stress, which makes sense because I only get the pains when I am working. The job itself wasn't too bad but I had so much other stuff churning in my head that I guess I must have been far more stressed than I thought- I am an awful worrier and will toss and turn in bed for hours over the smallest thing.
After diagnosing me the doctor gave me medication and the difference is huge. I don't get diahhorrea any more and I don't get the big farts either (sorry to be graphic). I won't know for sure if I am better until I am working and I can see if the pains and extended trapped gas flare up again but I would highly recommend you ask your doctor about IBS.

oil painting

Censorsh!t wrote: »

I'm not too sure where i should put this thread but hopefully here will be ok, if not please feel free to move it.

Ok, so over the last year, almost 2 years, I've been having problems kinda with my stomach/oesphogus area. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, kinda bubbly, and doesnt subside til I lie down. It's a horrible thign to deal with, I can't go out anywhere without the chance of it starting up, and then I just want to go home, because after a few hours it gets to a stage where I feel like throwing up.
But anyway, I was in and out of hospital for tests and I was on different medications, and nothing was found in the end. The doctor told me she's pretty sure I have an anxiety disorder, and this was my body's way of dealing with it.
I don't know what exactly is making me anxious... sure, recently there has been a few things on my mind, but this problem has been going on since I was perfectly care free (well i thought?). Maybe it's because I'm a very very shy person in general, and i do find this holds me back a lot, and i do wish I was more confident...but once again, I've always always been really shy, and dont see why it should come out just now.
The doctor said maybe I should try acupuncture, and my mom is going to check it out for me. has anyone here had experience of acupuncture and how effective it is? And if anyone has ideas on how to get rid of anxiety, that would be appreciated.

Hi OP,

I have experienced this also, and i went to therapy and talked it out of me, what i understand about it is that you dont get anxious for no reason, you feel anxious because you feel trapped somehow like there is a build up of emotion in the body, the stomach is the area that holds all our emotion, if you are a shy person are you afraid of confrontation or voicing your opinion, do you embarrass easy? this throws up feelings of shame guilt and fear these are all the base feelings of anxiety, what is the first thing that comes to mind that you are anxious about usually that is your answer, if certain people make you anxious or a certain environment then you know you are getting close to the problem source.

Censorsh!t

Thank you again for all the replies
Also, thank you wylo for the link, I'm currently giving it a go!

There is a free counselling service in college, and I have been very tempted to go to it, my only problem is actually going there and making an appointment. I know it would help, to just kind of get anything out of my system, things that I havent told people and that.
I do like the idea of taking up a few more hobbies, to try relax me and destress. I currently go horseriding, and do find that spending time with my pony, ust taking care of her, can help a bit.

theg81der

I would not be so quick to give in to doctors saying its anxiety related. That seems to be their blanket statment for anything they can`t explain.

I have been told I have anxiety twice first time I had epilepsy and the second asthma both of these issues took years to resolve one 5 years and one 10years. I, like you, believed them even thou I maintained that I was not feeling anxious or depressed. I subsiquently started to think about what was making me anxious or depressed and long story short we can all focus on little things in life, life can be difficult I ended up with alot of unneeded heavy, addictive medication.

I had some stomach problems which they also tried to say were anxiety (more unnecessary medication) which turned out to be helicobactor a bacteria. I also had some discomfort in my lady area which they assured me I was being axious about nothing and my doctor said quote " you can`t feel cancer" I ended out having CIN 3 pre cancer cells!

If you know its real and you feel it and you are not generally an anxious person I would look at anxiety as a last resource. Try not eating rice, I had a bad stomach for a while and a woman I know, who had had part of her stomach removed, listed rice as one of the main things she couldn`t tolerate, I then realised my daily rice desert was causing the problems. Look into diet related changes first, no meat, light meals etc. If that does not work I would try doing meditation every day see if you notice any improvement. Even things like sitting down with your meal maybe eating on the run is not suiting your stomach.

Sorry about the long post hope it helps!

oil painting

Censorsh!t wrote: »

Thank you again for all the replies
Also, thank you wylo for the link, I'm currently giving it a go!

There is a free counselling service in college, and I have been very tempted to go to it, my only problem is actually going there and making an appointment. I know it would help, to just kind of get anything out of my system, things that I havent told people and that.
I do like the idea of taking up a few more hobbies, to try relax me and destress. I currently go horseriding, and do find that spending time with my pony, ust taking care of her, can help a bit.

Sounds like a great resource to have close by Op, I did counseling in college too, i also had access to reiki and massage, it was brilliant to have and cost a 5er, i found the reiki really good, he really helped my energy lift, he became such a good friend to me that i thanked him in the final year book, Are you interesting in reading any self help books ? FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY by susan jeffers is a good one, Also www.hayhouseradio.com is a free radio station on line with many great weekly shows from the likes of Wayne dyer and Esther and Gerry Hicks and Doreen Virture does all the angel work, It a great resource.


It really nice you have access to the outdoors and your pony, it must be so freeing,

Best of luck XX