Hi - well not sure where to start with this really as I feel I have many things I should explain! Firstly I am a 24 year old student of Criminology and Criminal Justice in my 2nd year of university.
For the last year and a half I have suffered on and off with anxiety. I first noticed this about two years ago and it would present as a feeling of dread,restlessness,feeling like i needed to get away from where I was (even though i was only sat watching telly at home) in a nutshell i felt like i was going mad and losing control! The only reason I knew this was anxiety was because i work in a mental health centre. I noticed that this anxiety would appear the morning after a night out drinking (during this time i was in a very unhappy relationship with a guy who would disappear for weekends at a time and i was sometimes unfaithful on these nights out)
During the last year the anxiety has got worse and now often comes out of the blue with no apparent trigger and I have begun to have other symptoms such as numbness and tingling in legs and sometimes arms and the feeling as though my whole body is vibrating just as I’m about to go to sleep. The first thing i noticed was the vibrating at night - it scared me and the first thing i did upon waking was google which of course brought up MS and made me think “oh god that must be what i have” Then a few months ago I noticed the numbness and tingling in legs and one arm. This made me think of what id previously read about MS and again i started paniking. Then i read how anxiety can be caused by MS and i started to think maybe this is what has been wrong all along! i worried for weeks that i had ms and couldnt get it out of my head, constantly goggling! then one day i simply woke up without any symptoms and felt fine -all the worry had gone! Fast forward a couple of months and now im back to being convinced I have ms!
As i write this I have recently split up with the partner I spoke about, I am having alot of difficulties with my anxiety and univeristy and I am also suffering quite a bit financially. I will focus on one symptom so much and convince myself i have ms, read up on it then ill start having all the other symptoms like right now i have a tingling feeling in left leg and my forehead feels like the skin is tightening on it!
Basically I am scared, i dont feel as happy as i used to be and im in a constant state of worry that i have ms and then some days i think dont be silly you havent got ms…youve got anxiety and youve convinced youself so much that you symptoms of anxiety are just getting worse! so sorry for long message but does anyone have any advice??
Firstly, ((Hugs)) - poor you, you sound absolutely stressed out.
I’m afraid I don’t know an awful lot about the link between MS and anxiety. It could be because after a diagnosis, people with MS become anxious, or it might be that anxiety is a symptom of MS itself. This might be a question that someone else here can answer.
I think you should consider seeing your GP. Your GP can then discuss things with you and perhaps perform some blood tests. Simple things like a vitamin B12 deficiency can cause all sorts of neurological symptoms and more.
It may also be worth talking to your GP just to discuss the anxiety you are experiencing (if you haven’t already).
I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help. But please do see your GP, they might be able to put your mind at rest with something very simple.
I suffer with anxiety but I have symptoms of ms and I’m being seen by a neuro and under going tests. best thing you can do is go to you’re gp like pandagal says and have basic bloods done or maybe get help with a Cbt therapist/counsellor, if symptoms return then get checked out again if you’re bloods are clear, it will give you peace of mind. Good luck xx
The trouble with Googling symptoms is that it tells you about conditions that are a potential matches with those symptoms. Truly, this is VERY misleading without some information on how common this or that condition is. In other words, even if your symptoms seem like a good match with (say) some obscure and rare complaint it is STILL very unlikely that you have that obscure and rare complaint. Common things are more common than are rare ones such as MS.
But never mind that. Anxiety is neither rare nor obscure and it sounds as though it is casting a shadow on your life at the moment. That is a real problem, here and now, and I agree with PG that you should talk to your GP. Anxiety is such a strong and emotional thing, and you describe very clearly how hard it is to talk oneself out of fears, even if we feel that they are irrational ones. Basically, you can’t easily think your way out of a situation that you didn’t think your way into.
Talk to the GP. Life is too short for you to be soldiering on in misery when there is help available.
Thank you both so much for your advice! I have been to GP regarding anxiety and have been put onto an online CBT course which has helped slightly with the anxiety but with health anxiety it just seems to be a vicious circle! I must say that this website and forum has been a godsend because although I’m scared and anxious, I havent actually been diagnosed yet the people on here who have actually been diagnosed seem to be constantly upbeat and happy with life so does make me think if i have got ms i will get through it - I will see GP tomorrow and see what they say but again thank you again xxx
