Worrying about Worrying

[sadie]

Hi all

I was just wondering if anyone had any words of wisdom on my present problem.

I worry a lot about my health like many people with anxiety. In particular, I worry that an imminent heart attack is waiting to happen. I have had lots of ECG's over the last 4 years and a 24 hr ECG too, all which were normal.

When my anxiety is at its worst, I always get the fluttering chest and pains around the heart region. I always worry that this time this is it and I always live to see another day. I worry though that the next time will or could be it and fear it.

At the moment I have a tight throat and chest and when I take a deep breath soemtimes I feel a flutter in my chest. I have been to see my GP who has said its anxiety and to try and relax...... I am doing my best with this but this is a new symptom for me.

Does anyone understand what I am feeling? and is there anything I can do to try and put these fears into perspective better to prevent worrying everytime I get a symptom that I will die sometime soon.

Thanks

sadie

[henri]

hi sadie,
there are lots of people on here who share your fear and i'm sure they'll be along soon to give you lots of good advice.
i don't worry about having a heart attack but i do suffer from a tight throat/chest. i find the best thing to do to get rid of it is to practice abdominal breathing and do my relaxation tape to try and relax. i think when you get a tightness like that it's to do with muscle tension so any relaxation techniques you can use will help.
hope that's of some use,
henri x

[carlin]

Hi Sadie,
Sorry you are feeling a bit rough at present, i understand how you are feeling, but i would say that you must try to be re-assured by your doctor. If they suspected that you had a heart problem, they would have detected it and sorted it out by now. As you say, when your anxiety is at it's worse you tend to notice it more, this is exactly how i feel, but i also found that when i'm not so stressed or am doing something else i don't notice it so much? People keep telling us to relax, it is not easy, but it does help, take care and keep in touch.

[BrandyK]

Hi, It's all anxiety.. I had chest pains to just like you I know its hard to relax but just try hard..

and if you had the test's and such your heart is healthy!!

Brandy

[lainey]

Hi Sadie

Just another symptom of dear Mr Anxiety I'm afraid, I used to worry a lot about a heart attack, infact I even convinced myself I had angina as my arms were aching too especially my left one, but then realised it was all to do with tension in my neck muscles as us sufferers tend to hunch our shoulders without even realising.

Take care

Elaine x

[sadie]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I know its all anxiety.... I just have to keep working at changing my thoughts to more positive ones and doing my best to stay in the present moment.

Hope you are all feeling ok too.

sadie

[Meg]

Yes Sadie - you're absolutely right....

Not just positive but rational.
Work things out in terms of probability v imagination running riot.

How is job hunting going ?

Love

Meg

[sadie]

Hi Meg,

I have an interview next Thursday morning for a job so hopefully it will go well. I will keep you posted.

Hope your well.

sadie

[linjane]

Hi Sadie,
Good luck with your interview, and keep positive!!!

I did reply to this post when it first went on, but didn't realise till later that I hadn't logged on!!! How daft am I??

I'm sure you know that a lot of my health anxiety is related to my heart and it missing beats/fluttering etc., and it absolutely terrifies me. I have recently started taking propranalol and hope it will work or at least give me some relief.

Hope you are feeling ok now, take care,
Love, Linda.xxx

[cannuk]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Just another symptom of dear Mr Anxiety I'm afraid, I used to worry a lot about a heart attack, infact I even convinced myself I had angina as my arms were aching too especially my left one, but then realised it was all to do with tension in my neck muscles as us sufferers tend to hunch our shoulders without even realising.
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

As I read this my shoulders literally dropped to a normal position from their hunched position. I wonder how long I have been hunching without knowing. Even know as I write this, if I think about it I can tell they are creeping back into a hunched position.