I am new to this and hoping it may be of help to myself or others to share my story and receive feedback so here goes. Ive always found myself to be a worrier, an overthinker, and pretty high strung in general. I am 29 now, a full time student, and I work full time. Over the past ten years I've found my anxiety worsening exponentially. I find myself picturing worse case scenarios in everyday things like driving, shopping, even the food I eat. I'll be in tears over not being able to remember if I left my hair straightner plugged in and that my house is currently burning to the ground. I picture horrible things happening to my loved ones. I'm incredibly self-conscious and think everyone is looking at me and judging me, for what I don't know. Even more recenlty the physical manifestaions began. The symptoms are too long to list but to name a few: a pressing weight on my chest thinking I'm having a heart attack, pins and needles and tingling, a fealing of weightlessness, stabbing pains in my head and face. It became so extreme I went to the ER on numerous occasions, only to be told there was nothing wrong with me, or at least nothing they could find. Just this last week I was finally able to get into a regular doctor, (this can be difficult as I don't have health insurance). I was perscribed kolotopen and citalopram (sorry for spelling). I've only been taking them for a week and I know it's an entire other discussion of the dangers and side effects of medications but I will say this. For the first time in I don't know how long, I'm starting to feel normal. I'm able to handle every day stresses again. I'm still me, I'm not a drugged up zombie, in fact i never take a whole kolotopen, which are the kind of as needed pills, i break them in half which my doctor said was fine. Anyway i just want to say there is hope and though I know medication isn't the only way I was so desperate and am feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time. I would love to hear what you guys think, your opinions, and maybe other things that have worked for you. I'm also curious if people are experiences some of the same bizarre syptoms I have because I always thought of a "panic attack" as being someone hyperventaling and feeling their heart beat fast and mine are so much more. So thanks in advance for any support <3