Anxiety and Stress Forum - Case Study = Me!.. Newbie to Panic Attacks/depression :-(

Age - 26
smoker
drinker

drugs - very occasional, canabis & ectasy :-/

sorry this is long but I needed to share my experiences as they currently stand..

Hi guys n gals,

not sure how I found this site,but I did..And i'm glad I did..

Here's my story... I'm a 26 yr old from the uk.. Smoker and drinker though only at weekends really... Binge nights out like most of us do..Have done for a few yrs now.
Have recently started to get the classic symptoms of panic attacks..
Constant chest pains/heavyness (nothing severe,but they are deffinatly there) - pains going to back,arms and wrists - constant worry that there is something seriously wrong (general worry in life of dying and developing cancer or something) - headaches - dizzyness - unable to concentrate - twitchy nerves - feelings that i'm gonna black out/die

i went to the docs recently for something completely seperate but briefly mentioned my chest pains too,didnt mention the rest. She said it could just be indegestion and not to worry.

Anyway having read up a lot on anxiety/depression I think its more likely to be this.

I suffered a severe panic attack after coming back from a lads holiday abroad a few months ago - i'd had a week of heavy drinking and sun (as you do),although the last day I didnt touch any drink. I came home and felt like crap - felt spaced out like i'd done drugs and that,even though I hadnt touched any for months. I started to panic as to why I felt like this and this then bought on a panic attack. My parents tried to reasure my I wasnt going to die but I couldnt shake off how I felt. It got worse and I called out paramedics,they calmed me down and said I was probably just dehydrated and to drink lots of water for the next few days. I did this but still couldnt shake my feelings off,i eventually went to a hospital for a quick visit and was reasured once again that i'd be ok and nothing was wrong. No checks were done.

I became delusional for a few days because I rememeberd i'd really overdone it one night on holiday and ended up passed out on a pavement for half hr or so ( my mates said the'd never seen me that bad before) and I got it into my head i'd been drugged or something on holiday!

A crazy and irational thought,but one I couldnt shake off when I got back from my hols..Especially the way I was feeling.

Since that first panic attack I have only had 1 more milder one in the car (which wasnt nice) I managed to shake that 1 off..

Ive generally felt ok since but now recently ive started getting the chest pains and signs again, this is pretty much constant and daily.
I keep thinking the worst and try to shake it off but cant.

The thing I am finding difficult is the pains seem to be constant,even when i'm not actually thinking about them. I think I subconsciously am though.

I'm now trying to quit smoking and am drinking a lot less than I normally would when I go out.

I know we are all different but I do feel I have an underlying depression of life in general and also after a failed relationship about 2 yrs ago.

It all seems to have crept up on me slowly.

My mates and family wouldnt say i'm that depressed,i prob hide it well..But I think deep down,i am.

Anyway i'm not really to sure what to do now.. I dont want to end up on medication and I dont really want to keep seeing doc's.

I havnt seen a psyciotrist and again I dont really want to go down that route either.. I feel I cant really talk to friends or family though as they are just not going to be able to understand.

Anyway if you've read this far, I thank you for reading.

I'm gonna excersise more and generally try n live a healthier lifestyle,which should hopfeully stop my worry and pains.

I sympathise with people going through this in their lives too :-(