lemonade27

Sorry if my post wasn't very clear. I meant online psychiatry, as in through a website that offers psychiatry services, where you meet with a psychiatrist via webcam. I was thinking that would take location out of the equation. Even if you can't find any psychiatrists in your area, you should be able to find some online. But if you have no money to pay, that might not be the most helpful thing. Have you heard of Partnership for Prescription Assistance? They're a website/organization that helps people who can't afford their prescriptions. Some people are able to get medication through them for free.

Have you tried online psychiatry? This is what I've had to do since I couldn't find any in my area that take my insurance either. Also, you could always try a sliding fee scale.

I had an echocardiogram done but the test didn't find anything. I don't feel out of breath. The pain is at the top of my stomach. I have GERD and I think it's related to that. But if it were just GERD, it shouldn't be triggered by exertion or thinking about exertion. I think it must be psychological or stress/fatigue related.

So one of my symptoms, my main symptom actually, is that I experience chest pain when I think about or attempt to do a task. I feel unhappy most of the time because I have to push through this pain everyday because I work, and when I go home to rest there is nothing to look forward to because even leisure activities like drawing or reading cause pain, making them difficult to do. Is this a common symptom? Does anyone else have this?

Anxiety can cause symptoms that look like serious health problems, for sure. I've had panic attacks before, and even though I was familiar with the symptoms of panic attacks, I still didn't recognize them at first. I thought I was having a medical problem, and that I might have to go to the hospital. What's weird was, I didn't even think I was anxious, at the time. I've also had a panic attack that was triggered by paying too much attention to my heartbeat and worrying that I might have a heart problem. That time, it actually felt like my heart suddenly stopped beating for a few seconds, and I felt this wave of weakness come over me, and I became so weak that I literally could not move or even lift an arm for several seconds, and I felt like I might go unconscious. But even that turned out to be just anxiety and completely harmless, and it hasn't happened since. I've heard something that can help for people who have anxiety like this is to try inducing symptoms, like doing shallow breathing, so you can experience the physical sensations that make you anxious and realize they're not harmful. It's like exposure for a phobia.

I've reached the point where I'm finally realizing I can't work, and it's hard for me to accept. I keep comparing myself to others who have more severe depression. I keep thinking people with depression who can't work are those who can't get out of bed in the morning and show up. Surely if I can get to work everyday, I can do my job, right? I just keep feeling like it's my fault, like I'm just not trying hard enough. Like I just need to try harder to do my work tasks, try harder to focus and pay attention and remember things. I feel like no one would believe me if I said I can't work, because I can get out of bed, take showers, feed my cat, and go out to eat. But I think I'm starting to realize I've been focusing so much on how I feel others would judge me that I miss the obvious. I can't function normally, consistently. Some days I can go for a walk, other days I can't. Some days I can get something done at work, other days I can't. Has anyone else struggled with this? Have you found that others are generally understanding of your limitations, or do they tend to not believe you and think you should be able to do more?