A month or so ago I was having joint pain, I went looking on the internet to find out what it could be – very wrong – and I started to feel like I had some bad disease like multiple sclerosis. This gave me anxiety attacks, palpitations, negative thoughts, crying, I thought I was going to die. After this I went to the doctor and did a blood test for rheumatism. I did say I thought I had MS, but I didn’t dare say anything about my fears. When I was told that it was just joint pain, it all became less, thankfully. After that I thought I might get depressed, started looking on the internet again, but I didn’t think I fit the bill. Yet I was left with a nervous feeling in my stomach, the feeling that something was going to happen. And the negative thoughts, about myself or about my children and husband that something would happen to them. Is it possible that this is due to the hormones, I stopped taking the pill 2 months ago? I did have a miscarriage 4 months ago, which I thought was bad, but I feel like I’m over it. It’s not all day that I feel so down and anxious, just at certain times. Then I really have to jack myself up and think positively. What could it be?
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If you don’t know what’s going on with you, it can be cause for a lot of worry. Consulting the internet can strengthen that. Worrying can then lead to thoughts such as “Oh dear, I have a serious illness” or “Oh dear, I’m dying.” With such fearful thoughts it is logical that you will feel anxious. It can even trigger a violent fear response, with your whole body reacting as if it is in serious danger. You will suffer from, for example, palpitations, perspiration, shallow breathing, tingling in hands and feet.
These bodily sensations again evoke fearful thoughts such as ‘Oh dear, I’m going to pass out.’ We call this a panic attack. You will then end up in a vicious circle, where you will only feel worse. Your fear can then spread to other areas, such as the fear that something serious will happen to your loved ones.
Just as you feed this fear with your thoughts, you can also feed your feelings with positive thoughts. You yourself describe that your anxiety decreases if you have another explanation, such as your hormones. So it is important to make your thoughts real and even better positive. If your thoughts are focused on possible depression, you will naturally start to feel more depressed. Suddenly, a dip day that everyone has at one time or another will be a sign of depression.
Think positive
Fortunately, the opposite is also true. If you manage to focus on all the positive things on a daily basis, then you will experience your life positively. If you think on a dip day, ‘Out of seven days I’ve only had one dip day, so I’m actually doing quite well.’ Then you will immediately feel good.
If you are unable to convert worrying thoughts into positive thoughts, writing them down can help. Placing your tongue against your roof also encourages peace of mind.
Anxiety and depressive thoughts quickly gain ground when you are vulnerable. Hormones can play a major role in this. A miscarriage and stopping the pill can both cause you to become hormonally out of balance. It can also take a while for the balance to be restored. This recovery can be stimulated, for example, by applying acupuncture.
My advice is to at least discuss your story again with your doctor. He can then do further diagnostics and possibly rule out things. And perhaps acupuncture can also do something for you. And especially focus on positive things. Optimism contributes to health and happiness. And it is to learn.
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