Can you reverse the damage?

[mummyanxious]

I've been under a lot of stress now for over two years. I'm suffering from all sorts of awful bodily symptoms daily but the worst is the skipped heart beats and odd rhythms I get. I am convinced I have done irrepairable damage to my heart. My blood pressure is normal to low, I don't have a particularly fast heartbeat. I feel like I have a worn out heart. I'm only in my thirties.
Can my heart ever go back to being 'normal' after all this time or will my body always over exaggerate any stressful situation or even stop perceiving please and experiences and events as a threat?

[illgetthere]

Good question your body will recover I believe anyway but I think once you have health anxiety it will never go I guess it's how you deal with it x

[Raphaels]

I was told by a cardiologist and my psychologist that stress alone will not hurt you. I'm trying to take that on board.

[mummyanxious]

That would be nice to believe wouldn't it, so why are we told so often that dress causes heart attacks?

[nomorepanic]

Stress can add to the problems most certainly and prolonged stress is not good for the body (and heart) so you need to reduce it as much as possible.

[Rennie1989]

illgetthere - you don't have health anxiety forever, it's about changing the way you think about things. Once you don't suffer anxiety you no longer have it.

Your heart is a very tough organ and muscle, remember that ticker has to keep going for 80+ years. Stress is not good for you but your heart won't suffer massively.

[Raphaels]

It has been researched lately that stress alone will not harm your heart. Because believe me at 60 I have had more stress than you can imagine. That was one of the problems I was concerned About.

[nomorepanic]

Stress alone won't but when combined with other factors then it has to be taken into account.

[mummyanxious]

You mean such as drinking and smoking etc?

[nomorepanic]

Yeah and bad diet and no exercise

[mummyanxious]

Oops guilty of the last one. I've got two children so I'm active but I don't do any specific excercise :(