I have had GERD for years, so I can really sympathize with you. It is tricky because it is so interconnected with anxiety. GERD can make anxiety worse, and anxiety can make GERD worse, so it can be kind of a double-whammy. But it IS possible to treat it, get better, and learn to live through the flare-ups.
Here's what I did:
(A.) First off, I stopped reading all of the worst-case-scenario junk about how it's going to lead to all sorts of hideous illnesses that are going to kill me -- that is statistically as unlikely as winning the lottery.
(B.) Secondly, I stopped calling it Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease -- GERD -- and went back to thinking of it as heartburn. That doesn't sound nearly so ominous. When we were kids, we called it "throw-up burps" and didn't make a big deal out of it. It was only as an adult that I started freaking out about it. I find that medical terminology can sometimes make a common ailment sound like a terminal illness, so I try to keep it simple.
This problem is very common and is easily treated -- most people respond very well to the many good medications that are now available for it. If you have no medical insurance, you might try your local county hospital or if you live near a university with a medical school, you can often get free treatment there. Also, Prilosec, which prevents excess stomach acid from being formed, is now available over the counter (see your pharmacist).
(C.) For me, the worst thing is that it often makes me feel as though I cannot breathe (chest tight and hurting), and I used to get afraid that I was going to have an asthma attack. Now I try to answer those anxious thoughts with a more useful thought: If it is just heartburn or gas, I can probably do something to relieve it fairly quickly. Then I immediately take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (which is a natural antacid) in 2-4 ounces of water, walk around for a couple of minutes, and let out a terrific belch -- 9 times out of 10 my chest feels better within minutes, and so does my heartburn. Baking soda works wonders for me, but everybody has their own favorite remedies. (I love that giant belch -- it is so satisfying and tangible!)
(D.) When my heartburn is in a nasty flare-up state, I use liquid Tagamet (prescribed by my doctor) because
