[JackUK]

Hi. I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I'm trying to figure out if I have a psychological issue or a medical one.

I've always had a "non-stop" brain that is constantly whizzing a billion random thoughts through my head 24/7 (literally driving me crazy to the point I can't sleep or function sometimes), but lately, at random yet more and more frequently, I've been having this "thing" where I feel like there's something wrapped around my throat and I cannot breathe (even though there is nothing physically there). My heart races in panic because I feel like I can't breathe and I'm gonna pass out. Sometimes this feeling lasts half a second, sometimes it lasts a minute or two.

I'm wondering if this is a psychological issue, or perhaps a medical one (my throat feels like its being closed off), but it happens at the most random times, more so when stressful and emotional thoughts enter my brain.

Is this something I'd go to a GP about, or a hospital? Does anyone have any suggestions on what it is, and how to fix it? (Hopefully I've explained it well enough). Many thanks in advance.

[JackUK]

Edit/Update: this has never happened to me before, only in the last week or two it's been happening, hence why I'm a lil freaked out by it. Thanks.

[unaluna]

My GP has a sign on his wall that tells patients to always call him first before going to the ER (hospital). I have a family history of people dying young from heart attacks and strokes, so I have always, since my mid-twenties, when I started working full-time, seen a GP regularly, ie MORE than once a year.

A psychiatrist once asked me, "how long have you been having these racing thoughts?" and I was so surprised - I thought, well, aren't you SUPPOSED to just think as fast as you can? Otherwise how do you get any work done? How do you keep up in life? Then when I was given Prozac, it felt like my brain finally relaxed. So there isn't really a line between medical and psychological - it's more of a uniter, not a divider, as we say in the States But I do hope you can see someone soon.

I think hankster made some pretty good points. It sounds like a psychological/emotional thing (anxiety) to me but if you haven't seen an MD then by all means do so. If there are no physical illnesses causing these problems then maybe your doctor can prescribe something to help or refer you to someone who can help.
Good luck and welcome to the site

[lynn P.]

Welcome to PC JackUK - the first step for you would be to get a doctor check up with blood work, to rule out physical problems. If that comes back good then your doctor can explore the psychological side. One thing you can do is, slow deep belly breathing and do this any time you start to feel stressed. Do this also a couple times a day - take ten minutes - inhale slowly using your stomach muscles ...hold for a few seconds...then exhale slowly. Keep doing this until you feel more calm. If it turns out you're having some anxiety and panic issues - learning not to fear them helps a great deal.

[Perna]

It does sound like an anxiety symptom but, either way, as the others point out, I would go get it checked out with my medical doctor.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by JackUK

Hi. I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I'm trying to figure out if I have a psychological issue or a medical one.

I've always had a "non-stop" brain that is constantly whizzing a billion random thoughts through my head 24/7 (literally driving me crazy to the point I can't sleep or function sometimes), but lately, at random yet more and more frequently, I've been having this "thing" where I feel like there's something wrapped around my throat and I cannot breathe (even though there is nothing physically there). My heart races in panic because I feel like I can't breathe and I'm gonna pass out. Sometimes this feeling lasts half a second, sometimes it lasts a minute or two.

I'm wondering if this is a psychological issue, or perhaps a medical one (my throat feels like its being closed off), but it happens at the most random times, more so when stressful and emotional thoughts enter my brain.

Is this something I'd go to a GP about, or a hospital? Does anyone have any suggestions on what it is, and how to fix it? (Hopefully I've explained it well enough). Many thanks in advance.

for some people everything you posted about is nornal
for some people everything you posted about is a medical problem
for some people everything you posted about is a mental problem
if you google your symptoms you will get over 46,000,000 results of what this can be including medical mental and normal

bottom line we cant diagnose (tell you what your problems are) here. our doing so could end up telling you that you have a mental problem when you are normal or tell you, you have a medical problem when you are normal or tell you any variation of normal, mental or medical..

all we can do is tell you what our own treatment providers called these symptoms with in our selves..

my own treatment providers called this many different medical, mental and normal things depending upon accompanying symptoms.

some of those things my treatment providers called in me, what you are going through are...

psychosis
depression
Dissociative Disorders
anemia
sleep deprivation
lack of fluids
possible ms, parkenson's
anxiety
panic disorder
heart condition....

the list goes on..

my suggestion talk with your treatment providers (medical doctor, therapist, psychiatrist... what ever treatment providers you have) they are the ones that can diagnose what this is with in you.

[Towanda]

I agree with what everyone has posted - get it checked out by your MD.

That being said, it - the symptoms - sound very similar to what my daughter experiences when she has panic attacks. Stress sets it off, she feels something like a band around her throat, tightness in her chest. Lasts anywhere from a minute or two to half an hour.

Definitely see someone and get it checked out.

[JackUK]

Thanks everyone that commented and offered advice, it is much appreciated. I shall be seeing a doctor today. Kind regards.

[JackUK]

Originally Posted by lynn P.

Welcome to PC JackUK - the first step for you would be to get a doctor check up with blood work, to rule out physical problems. If that comes back good then your doctor can explore the psychological side. One thing you can do is, slow deep belly breathing and do this any time you start to feel stressed. Do this also a couple times a day - take ten minutes - inhale slowly using your stomach muscles ...hold for a few seconds...then exhale slowly. Keep doing this until you feel more calm. If it turns out you're having some anxiety and panic issues - learning not to fear them helps a great deal.

@Lynn - thanks for the info on what to do about breathing and muscles; if you can recommend any good resources I can check out to know more about how to work on my breathing and calming down etc in relation to panic issues, that would be much appreciated.

[JackUK]

Thanks to everyone who commented and offered advice, it is much appreciated. I shall be seeing a doctor today to discuss it. Kind regards.