Hi

Hey i'm missy. 23 yrs old..... and sick of feeling the way i do...... i feel sick constantly and scared all the time..... i have no explanation of why i feel the way i do. i've tried so much to help it and have been offered councilling but am on a 7 month waiting list....... not very helpful now huh??? i have panic attacks some big some small.... some i control some i can't.... every thing i do revolves around me being sick ( either throwing up or diahreea) it used to be just sick that i couldn't deal with and now its got worse........ i just want some help that doesn't cos loads and is effective..... i have lost sooo much self esteem its ridiculous.

i used to be this fun loving bubbly girl that my boyfriend fell in love with and now he says he never sees her. I'm depressed alot of the time... and can't let go and enjoy myself through ridiculous amounts of worry......
oh i just don't know wat to do n e more. its been going on for too long now......

help someone please Xxx:( :( :( :(

Hi Missy

Here's an explanation for the way you feel...

When a human experiences fear the hypothalamus of the brain stimulates the pituitary gland to release Adrenocorticotrpic Hormone, which in turn triggers the Adrenal Cortex to release adrenalin into the blood. This binds to receptors on the heart and lungs and also causes certain blood-vessels to dilate to ease blood-flow to the major muscles in the arms and legs. With more blood going to the arms and legs, there is less blood available for the digestive system. This is why you feel sick all the time. This is a perfectly normal biological response that everybody experiences when they feel fear - hence the phrase "sick with worry".

Fear also causes a reaction in the bladder and bowels causing them to want to empty quickly - hence the phrase "sh*tting yourself".

The way your body is reacting to anxiety is perfectly natural. The only difference between you and everyone else is that you are experiencing fear more often than they do.

It is possible to limit the effects of adrenalin with light exercise but it is the anxiety you really need to address, not the physical effects of it.

I don't know if this helps at all but I wish you all the best.

Chris x

Hi! I hope that you'll be better soon, Missy. By the way, I am also new to this site and I'm so excited to chat with all of you.

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rox07

one thing you will learn in therapy is to not attempt to control the attack. breathing exercises and letting it run its course (music can help this - i prefer pachelbels canon in d major if i am at home).

trying to control it can make it worse somtimes. for just knowing im not actually gonna die, no matter how rapid or wierd the heart is acting, helps tremendously.