[ken9018]

I’ve been diagnosed with esophagitis. I’ve had all the tests done and I’m now prescribed meds for it. My stomach still hurts randomly and sometimes bad. It gives me panic attacks and I feel like I’m dying. I’m also deathly afraid of having stomach pain and diarrhea . Everyone says it’s nothing wrong with me and that I’m fine. How do I accept my diagnosis and wait for the medicine to work and move on with my life and astop these panic attacks I've been having...

[Skeezyks]

I'm sorry you are struggling with this. I'm an older person myself & I seem to be gradually accumulating a plethora of different problems none of which are of any current trouble to me but all of which have the potential to turn the lights out permanently, if you know what I mean. I'm simply waiting to see which problem comes up the winner, so to speak.

I wish I had some creative solutions to offer you. I don't. However here are 8 articles, from PsychCentral's archives, on the subject of health anxiety as well as on panic attacks:

Tips for Coping with Chronic Illness

8 Ways to Live With a Chronic Illness

OCD and Health Anxiety

Hyper-Worried About Your Health? 3 Tips to Help

Calming Health Anxiety

https://psychcentral.com/lib/tips-to...-attack/?all=1

https://psychcentral.com/lib/living-...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/blog/everyt...dium=popular17

[WishfulThinker66]

The fact you have a diagnosis and medications seems to indicate some sort of a light at the end of the tunnel. It may be a long road to get there but there is good potential that things are going to improve. Or at least that is the way I am understanding your situation.

What can you do in the meantime? I suppose you can treat yourself well. I think it is all too often that we with mental illnesses forget to do this. We forget to 'give ourselves permission' to feel the way we do and hence fail to legitimize what we are going through. I am guilty of this too. However, when I remember to do this -give myself permission to be anxious or depressed- it becomes a more soothing relief. So this is my answer to your question of what you can do to assuage your angst. Give yourself permission to feel that way - hell ya, you have a right to.