Trust me, I am not laughing at you, but at myself. I've always said that if I read a medical dictionary, I could start with A and have at least one disease for every letter of the alphabet.
I'm a reasonably intelligent, educated 53 year old woman who has done this periodically for years. Why did it take me this long to know that most of my maladies start with "A" for anxiety?
In my case, the Internet was a good thing. I was searching for the cause (and of course, the worst possible scenario) of my symptoms. I was convinced I was having a heart attack, had a brain tumor, and a dozen other things when I came to this site on a whim.
Bingo! I had suffered (alone) for years. I was afraid to tell my husband that I was dying, I forced myself to go out, even though I KNEW that I was having a heart attack. I didn't go to the doctor for fear she would tell me that today would be my last day on earth. Suddenly, the 'asthma' attacks a few years back that mysteriously disiappeared, the 'strokes' the 'heart attacks' and other maladies all made sense.
I called my doctor for an appointment. I was certain that she would not like me to self diagnose, but I did take my self test results with me. She was elated.
I wish I could say it was all smooth sailing from then on, but things are looking up. Although we have not eliminated the anxiety attacks, we are finding ways to deal with them and the depression that follows.
You are not alone...and I understand you!
