Sudden Adult Death Syndrome

[polly81]

Need some help please.

Hearing about all these sports players among others just dropping dead and it's really got me worried. These people's hearts are just stopping and they're dead just like that. Fit, otherwise healthy people just dropping dead!!
I know alot of these people have been over-training probably most of their lives thus putting extra strain on their hearts etc but it can happen to people who aren't into sports too. It sounds ridiculous I know but I just can't function anymore with this hanging over me. I stay awake at night until my eyes no longer can stay open as I fear I will die in my sleep from this.
I feel ill everyday and getting panic attacks thinking of this impending doom!

Thanks for reading and any advice or reassurance would be much appreciated and I hope we can all get through this health anxiety together as it really is sole destroying but I'm trying to keep positive

[dazzadoo123]

hi polly just wanted to let you no that i think most anxiety suffers especially ones who suffer health anxiety fear death terrible and have like a phobia of it like just dropping dead ect ...i think these days eerywhere you look death sorta stares us in face from newspapers tv ect and all that and it certainley dont help people who have health anxiety...i so understand what your saying and understand how crippling it all gets as i fear death terrible myslelf and there was a post on this site not long ago about phobia of death you would be suprised how many people made comments ...i feel your pain its gotta be the worst phobia ever out there ...

[polly81]

Thanks dazzadoo123!
I appreciate that. Think alot of us would be doing better if we were born in another time, a time when T.V and the internet weren't so prevalent! Wish you the best!

[dazzadoo123]

no probs polly
so wish i had answer to the problem but in honesty death phobia has got to be the toughest one of them all :-( ive had it years its horrible ...wish i could be like normal people and not think about it but because we have health anxiety its not possible its like linked as otherwise why would we worry about heealth if you get me :-( i agree theres way too much coverage everywhere regarding it like ..not good maybe talk to like a pastor see if that maybe helps i dunno ive tried loads things but it still overwhelms me at best of times .x

[spacebunnyx]

Hi Polly,

I have similar anxieties and can't say I know of any solution really yet. People don't talk about death much even though it is such a fundamental thing. However, these days you can EXPECT to live a long life.. what we hear about in the news, gossip etc. are the freaky incidents that happen very rarely. Sometimes I wonder "what if I'm that *rare* person that goes before their time..." and I get anxious. Once when I had horrible anxiety I spoke to a relative who's an Intensive Care doctor and she said "No one really knows when they'll pop their clogs... but do you want to spend this precious life worrying or do you want to spend it living it to the full?" and "If you are terminally ill, which you are probably not, why are you getting anxious? you need to save all your energy to fight it".

She has no fear of dying, she deals with it every day. Wish I could bottle up her fearlessness - I'd be minted selling it to people on NMP!

[Trbfan]

I unfortunately have these same fears, and yes it does happen, but it appears that is not the norm at all. Most people do live to their expected life span. Usually when something happens to a younger person its due to a car accident or something like that. Things like those soccer players make the news because it is rare. In as many as 90% of them a simple scan would have shown the issue, and it could have been stopped and some know they have the condition but play on anyway. The average life span is something around 75 for a reason. A majority of people have to live longer than that to just get to get the average up there for all the accidents that happen. Anxiety over this exact thing really is devastating.

[polly81]

Thanks spacebunny and Trbfan.

Great replies, every bit is a help so thank you.

It really is devastating having this worry, constantly. I'm afraid to exert myself in case I die which is completely irrational I know but hard to tell my brain this.
It all started with palpitations a few months back and a vibrating feeling in my left side, rib area. I had started doing aerobic exercises around this time but I think at the back of my mind I was always very conscious of my heart and afraid to let go completely. So I really don't know did my anxiety bring this on or is there something wrong. I have had bloods done, resting ecg, stress test and an echo of my heart but I'm convinced they have missed something. Just writing this makes me think how bonkers I sound!!! It's like any intelligence I thought I had is gone out the window. I hope these antidepressants kick in soon as I can't live my life this way forever.
Wish ye all the very best x

[mrsnobody]

i think this is a big worry for alot of people with ha