Dizzy spells

I'm 24 years old, and honestly, I’ve spent my whole life under constant stress and anxiety. But I always handled it fine—or so I thought. I never really stopped to think about myself because I was too busy trying to take care of everyone else. Between looking after my sick mom and dealing with a husband who just doesn't step up, I completely neglected my own needs. Then, out of nowhere one night, it felt like I was actually dying. It was terrifying. Everything just went black, I felt like I couldn't breathe, my legs felt heavy like rubber, and it was like I was just fading away. I rushed to the ER, but they told me everything looked fine and basically said, "Go home and drink some chamomile tea." Since then, I've been obsessed with finding out what happened. That night, they suggested it might have been a panic attack. On top of that, I found out I have WPW syndrome in my heart. They told me it isn't serious, but hearing that sent me into a tailspin. Now, I can't stop crying. I'm terrified of dying. I barely leave the house because I'm constantly hyper-focused on every little sensation in my body. Now my heart even skips beats sometimes, which just fuels the fire of my anxiety. It feels like everything is hitting me at once. My therapist prescribed some valium to take as needed, but now I'm struggling with these intense dizzy spells. I'm genuinely scared. Could all of this be caused by psychological distress and grief, or is there something physically wrong with my heart? Nothing brings me joy anymore. I feel lost. I feel like I've wasted so much time neglecting myself, and now that I finally want to get my life together and rediscover who I am, I feel like I just can't do it.

Grace Richardson23 said:I'm 24, and I've spent my whole life under constant stress and anxiety, though I always managed to push through... mostly because I wasn't thinking about myself at all; I was too busy trying to take care of everyone else, including my sick mother, while dealing with the fact that my husband has been neglecting me... then one night, out of nowhere, I felt like I was actually dying. It was this sudden sensation of darkness, choking, heavy rubbery legs, just fading away... I went to the ER and they told me everything looked fine, suggested I just drink some chamomile tea, and sent me home... since then, I've been searching for answers, and they told me it was likely a panic attack... I also found out I have WPW, a heart condition, which isn't dangerous, but it still shook me to my core... now I'm constantly crying, terrified of dying, rarely leaving the house, and hyper-focused on every single thing my body does, especially when my heart skips a beat, which just fuels the fear... it feels like everything is hitting me at once... my psychiatrist prescribed some valium to take as needed, but now I'm struggling with these dizzy spells... I'm genuinely scared... could this all be psychological, or is there something physically wrong with my heart? Nothing brings me joy anymore, and I feel lost... I neglected myself for so long, and now that I finally want to fix my life and rediscover who I am, I feel like I can't...

You're far too young to be living in fear of death. Try not to let things spiral into such a negative outlook... there are so many ways to make life meaningful. We only get one shot at this, and we should probably try to make the most of it. Do your best to stay calm and steer clear of stressful situations whenever possible, because they take a massive toll on anyone, regardless of age... from what you've described, it sounds like you might be experiencing vertigo. Not just a lightheaded feeling, but that intense spinning where everything goes dark and you feel like you're falling or dying during an episode. I'd suggest seeing a doctor to have your neck checked out—specifically the cervical spine. Sometimes issues in the vertebrae can affect circulation or blood flow to the brain, which might be causing those dizzy spells...