I am so happy to have found this page and all of you who have been just as lost and curious as I. Not that I wish these symptoms on any of you or wish any of us were living with this. I have felt alone for so long like I am the only one who has this. I am a 27 year old mother of 2 boys and i have had anxiety problems since I can remember, which is probably the seperation of my parents at the age of 10. I am the type of person that doesn't like to think that I have anxiety because I don't notice it often. I don't really feel anxiety or stress, guess it comes so easy to me. The problem of not being able to breath or like there is a Semi truck just resting on my chest started right after the birth of my first son. His father and I were splitting up and needless to say that did not put me in the best of places....so here comes the anxiety. I ended up in the emergency room with hives from head to toe and I felt as though I was having a heart attack. There was such tightness in my chest I couldn't breath. It was like someone was putting their fingers around my esphaugus just squeezing away. The doctor at the E.R told me I was having an anxiety attack and that the chest sysmptoms sounded like "globus". I was then put on antideppressants and an antiacid medicine. The problems stopped. I was so baffled by all of this, the thought that "I" needed to be on pills with a newborn was just not right! So I stopped about 4 months later when it seemed as though everything was cool, calm, and collected. Now almost 8 years later with this happening every once in a while, not lasting longer then a few days. Some days worse than others, here I am having trouble breathing again, back at the ER with hives and that Semi Truck! And all the while I was thinking that doctor was crazy and I never needed this medicine, I noticed that the past few weeks for me have been very hectic at work and at home. So with my bottle of Atarax and Valium, a long with other calming remedies I'm feeling much better. But I thought to myself, I can not be the only one living with this, I found you. When I had explained my conditions to other doctors, not believing that ER doctor 7 years ago, they seemed to agree with me that this wasn't my problem but yet I was a little high strung! Highstrung I thought.....yeah right! But like I said, here I am. I have found that if i put my mind to it and make myself relax and on my medicine at the same time,the symptoms start lightening and I can breath again. So he was right, it is mind over matter. This is all controlable when you learn to relax and not let even the trivialiest of things get the better of you. Seems a lot easier said then done...trust me I know, after 7 years....it's a lot easier said then done! But I am letting you know this because of all the medication I have been on and off and on again, it truely is peace and the RIGHT medicine for you that you will find the symptoms faltering. I hope that this may help some of you and ease a little bit of the anxiety of not knowing what to do or how to do it, or who to believe and trust. You are NOT a lone and you are NOT crazy. We are the only ones that truely KNOW our bodies and what is wrong with us. Not one doctor in the world can tell you what's best for you unless you make that doctor clear on what works for you and what doesn't! In my case, I should have listenend to that doctor and trusted him all along. This situation could have been prevented and it was, when I was on the medicine he thought i should be on. But yet I let mind over matter take control in thinking....who me? I don't need pills!!! Well, I do, and I'm much better for myself and my children. I hope that you all find what works for you and you find relief and peace. Thanks for sharing my story with me and I have enjoyed reading yours with sympathy and respect to know that we are not alone. Good luck in finding your peace with anxiety!