Heart Attack FEAR

[Spike78]

Hi

Does anyone else worry about their heart and whether they are likely to have a heart attack. My biggest fear is dying and leaving my family behind. I have always worried about dying but it became more of a problem for me when my dad suddenly died in November 2008 of heart failure.

I am so convinced I have a problem with my heart and that I am going to have a heart attack. I have been to see a Private Consultant Cardiologist because my own GP wouldn’t send me for tests due to the fact that he said there is nothing wrong with my heart. So far over the last year I have had an ECG, Echocardiagram, Stress Test (on a treadmill) and a Cardiac CT Scan of my heart.

All tests came back fine which whilst costing a fortune and being reassuring hasn’t really stopped me from worrying. I am a 38 year old female, my BP is normal and I am not overweight.

I went and saw the Cardiologist again at the beginning of December because I kept getting chest pains and he said that with the results of the tests I have had done there is a 5 year window where I am unlikely to have a heart attack.

BUT I am still worried.

HELP????

[Andromeda]

Hi spike.

Unfortunately all the reassurance in the world isn't going to help you unless you deal with the underlying anxiety.

I'm really sorry to hear about your dad, this obviously triggered the fear inside you.

It's very common in people with health anxiety to be triggered by the sudden death of a loved one, i myself fall into this category.

Death is life's only certainty, and something that most people choose to ignore as I'm sure if we all were to sit around and dwell on it, there would be a lot more depressed morbid people in the world. We are reminded of death every now and again, and health anxiety manifests itself when we don't address these fears that surface.

Have you undergone any talk therapy? CBT? etc?

First and foremost, you need to trust the doctors you have seen. They are medical professionals and trained to diagnose. If a cardiologist says your heart is fine, your heart is fine!

Secondly, the fear of death is a hard thing to tackle and something, i believe, everyone feels.
I don't think there's a way to overcome it unless you are particularly religious.
Instead you have to try to tell yourself that obsessing over death is preventing you from living your life. You can't worry about things that are out of your control.

All you can do is try to live healthily and appreciate each day you're given by living it to the full and trying to accept death as a part of life instead of fearing it! Making sure that 'everything is in order' so to speak to ensure your family would be able to cope in that sense if anything ever did happen.

When the negative thoughts about death creep into your head, replace it with a positive one about life, the fact that right now you are alive.

:hugs:

[zombie]

I've had a heart attack and triple bypass, some 14 years ago now. (I was 36) It did me a bit of damage, I now have a heart murmur and a slightly enlarged heart. (But I can still run 10K, in about 55mins on a good day..:))

The first couple of years following the attack I had exactly the same feelings you've experienced so I know how you feel. I've had every test in the cardiologists book and a few that aren't.

The one tests that really will identify a heart problem is the stress test, if you've had one and the results are fine that's as good as it gets you're probably as fit as a horse.. I kid you not, it's a tough test that shows up 99.99% of heart problems.

It's probably got more to do with losing your dad than your own health, losing you dad is a biggie.. in anyone's life.

[Dazza]

I totally feel for you...this has been my biggest fear for the past 3 1/2 years since my first panic attack....

I live with this fear every day.... my father had a heart attack at 42 (i'm 38 now) and two of his brothers did. my dad survived, but one of his brothers died.

I've had every test over the past 3 years; countless ECGS, blood tests, CT, stress test and MRI with perfusion. All tests were normal..... and yet still, EVERY day, I worry about it .... today I've got pain and tightness in my neck and sometimes in jaw... so i'm worried again!!! today the nurse at my work checked my blood pressure during symptoms and it was 140/80...she wasn't concerned, said it was only up a little.

I really feel for you on this, because it's horrbile....we're just always waiting for it to 'happen'!!

hugs