Having really bad thoughts

[ryangreen]

I woke up about 30 minutes ago with really bad left sided chest pain and that feeling of impending doom.

I am really thinking that today will be my last day on earth as I am on the verge of a major heart attack or cardiac arrest this can't just be anxiety anymore there is definetly something wrong with my heart that the ECG and holter have missed I am really not sure what but this isn't normal or right

[Andrash]

I woke up about 30 minutes ago with really bad left sided chest pain and that feeling of impending doom.

I am really thinking that today will be my last day on earth as I am on the verge of a major heart attack or cardiac arrest this can't just be anxiety anymore there is definetly something wrong with my heart that the ECG and holter have missed I am really not sure what but this isn't normal or right

Believe it or not, I woke up this morning with the very same symptoms. Sharp chest pain and terrible feeling of dread.

I drank tea and antacid, went for a run before work, went to work, had lunch with my colleague and now I am in the office, preparing the presentation for the symposium tomorrow and checking NMP simultaneously :)

The point of the whole story is-9 hours after the rude awakening, I'm still alive and kicking. So will be you.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Hi Ryan,
That chest pain that you and most people on here (including me) describe is a very real pain and is a number one symptom of anxiety. When your sympathetic nervous system (the part of your body responsible for "fight or flight") sends out excess adrenaline it can cause your heart to pound, race, and the terrible "heart attack" like pains come down to that same adrenaline causing your muscles in your chest wall to constrict and spasm. It all feels absolutely dreadful, and when you don't understand it (or believe what is actually happening) it can feel positively life-threatening----but it absolutely can not harm you!

The feeling of impending doom is listed everywhere as another main symptom of panic attacks. If you keep thinking this can't "just be anxiety"- you are not aware of the monstrosity of real physical symptoms that occur with adrenaline surges. They are real, painful, uncomfortable- and can torment you....., but once you accept they are harmless overall- you will quit fearing them. When you quit fearing them you will quit telling your body it is in danger. When you stop doing that- your body won't feel the need to "protect you" by releasing even more adrenaline-- and the symptoms will lessen and eventually go away.

Have you thoroughly read the "Symptoms" and "Panic Attack" information at the left of this page? Please do so.....it opens your eyes to a truthful assessment of what is going on.

[Andrash]

Hi Ryan,
That chest pain that you and most people on here (including me) describe is a very real pain and is a number one symptom of anxiety. When your sympathetic nervous system (the part of your body responsible for "fight or flight") sends out excess adrenaline it can cause your heart to pound, race, and the terrible "heart attack" like pains come down to that same adrenaline causing your muscles in your chest wall to constrict and spasm.

Very true, and very nicely explained. For me personally, chest pains are usually caused by acid reflux, which is in turn also caused by anxiety-so there you have two reasons why your chest can feel really sore.

As for the impending doom feeling-although my anxiety is better controlled than, for example, two months ago, I still get these from time to time. Usually in the morning after I wake up. That's the reminder that my nervous and endocrine system is still messy after months of heightened anxiety, and that I need to keep a watchful eye on it not to relapse.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

How are you doing, Ryan?

---------- Post added at 10:24 ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 ----------

Taken from page at left:

Heart palpitations, chest pain, irregular beats, flutters, skipped beats---

What you feel:

One of the most worrying symptoms is chest pains or a tight feeling in your chest. The immediate thought is "heart attack" or "stroke" and this only worries you more. You may also notice that your heartbeat is incredibly fast or irregular at times having palpitations and again this leads to the worry that you will have a heart attack.
Often the chest muscles may feel very tight, and sometimes they can become painful if they are tight enough to spasm. Because the individual may become concerned that they may be having a heart attack, their fear will add to the stress biology which can not only worsen the pain, but can produce other symptoms similar to a heart attack such as profuse sweating, light-headedness and numbness in the arms, feet or face.
These increased symptoms can also cause more fear which then can turn into a panic attack
Your heart feels like it skips a beat or flops in your chest. It sometimes may feel like a tickle in your chest that makes you cough. If you take your pulse, you'll notice that sometimes the beats are unevenly spaced.
You may experience a tightness or pressure in the chest. Sometimes you may feel shooting pains, or muscle twitches, or just an uneasiness or fullness in the chest area which causes you concern
There is no evidence that panic and anxiety has any adverse effect on the heart and the pains are easily explained.
What causes this:

Stress biology causes the heart rate to increase. It does this so that the body is ready to take action. It's like in drag racing, drivers get their RPM's up prior to the green light so that they can hit the light with maximum torque. Since the stimulant hormone adrenaline, the body's super fuel, is produced when danger is perceived, the heart rate is naturally increased.
Once the stimulant is used and eliminated from the body, the heart rate will return to its normal range.
Moderate regular exercise helps to regulate this symptom.
When you start panicking the whole of your body becomes tense and this includes your muscles.
The chest pains you experience are due to the constricting of the chest wall muscles and the muscles between your ribs and not due to any actual muscles in your heart and the best cure is to start stretching these muscles gently to relieve the pain. Although you may not feel like doing any exercise whilst getting these pains, try stretching your arms above and behind your head, out to the sides and bending over gently to relieve the pain.
Naturally most people are dreadfully worried about their hearts but if your G.P. has given you the all clear cardiac wise - then do not be alarmed if the chest pains and palpitations come back and last for more than a day. If it is related to panic, although it is painful and worrying, the pains will subside if you try gentle exercise and ignore them.
Regular exercise and deep relaxation help to minimize this symptom. Also, staying away from artificial stimulants such as caffeine, chocolate, high doses of raw sugar (such as pastries, sweets, cookies, etc.) and smoking help to keep this symptom in check.

---------- Post added at 10:26 ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 ----------

Also taken from "Symptoms" at left of page:

The Fears: going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings---

What you feel:

You suddenly become afraid that you might lose your mind or that you are not able to think. You may also feel that you are not able to remember things as easily as you once did. Sometimes you become afraid of having a nervous breakdown. You also may have periods of 'crazy' thoughts that frighten you, or those thoughts 'just pop up' are bothersome by the content.
You fear that what you have is terminal and nobody knows. You may also fear that the chest pains are a deadly heart attack or that the shooting pains in your head are the result of a tumour or aneurysm. You feel that any one of the symptoms you experience are life threatening. You feel an intense fear when you think of dying, or you may think of it more often than normal, or can't get it out of your mind.
You feel as though something extremely bad is going to happen but you are not sure what. You may also feel as though your world is coming to an end.
You may become afraid of something that you had normally thought was not fearful. It may be a sudden fear of being alone, a fear of inanimate objects moving or talking, or an unsubstantiated fear for your safety to name a few (the fear that you may hurt someone or yourself when using a household knife is common. For example: you fear that you may uncontrollably stab a child, mate or yourself when using a kitchen knife).
You may feel that now you are frightened or have fearful feelings about almost everything, even things that have no real reason to feel that way do. Even small challenges well up fear in you, and seem difficult or destined to doom or failure.

What causes this:

An over stimulated nervous system can alter our feelings, impressions, thoughts and sensations involuntarily (by itself), because it is so interconnected with the brain. In addition, high stress biology produces increased feelings of fear and anxiety as a side effect. When you couple these heightened levels of fear and anxiety with randomly altered moods and thoughts, it becomes clear how these distressing and bizarre thoughts can seem so frightening, confusing and real. Simply stated, when the brain and nervous system are stressed, they can play tricks on your perceptions.
When these symptoms first appear, they often shake the individual's composure. Further episodes can erode their confidence leading the individual to question their sanity and stability. With the growing apprehension and concern over their questionable mental state, added anxiety increases the already high levels of stress biology which in turn produces more fear and more anxious thinking. If left unaddressed, these symptoms and the concern about them can become entrenched.
In this situation, it is important to remember that both the increased fear AND irrational thoughts are symptoms of an over stimulated nervous system. Despite how real these feelings may seem, they are false impressions caused by high stress biology. They are not signs of serious mental illness. They are symptoms only.
To remedy this, when the symptoms appear:
Recognize that these irrational fears are caused by the over stimulated nervous system and are symptoms only, not a serious mental illness. Do your best to remain calm, since added fear only compounds the symptoms. Thought stop or thought swap to change your self talk about what you are feeling. Make sure you are giving your nervous system ample rest. Accept the fact that these symptoms will come and go until your nervous system has received sufficient rest. Remember that you have the choice on what to do with each thought that comes along. You can dismiss, change, or act on them. You do so by choice.

---------- Post added at 10:32 ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 ----------

So, in conclusion, Ryan:
1.) The doctors have said they think you have anxiety and have given your their educated, professional opinion that your heart is healthy.
2.) The tests (which don't lie) have cleared you of any heart issues.
3.) You are seeking reassurance on an ANXIETY site.
4.) The above articles could be written precisely about what you are experiencing- the words you use and the words above are interchangeable.
5.) You have the personal testimony of many, many here that experience first-hand the exact same things- and many of us are ready and willing to accept that the dragon we face is anxiety.

If you are ready to start recovering....it is time to focus on the illness that actually has you.

[ryangreen]

I am doing better the anxiety is nagging at me but not full blown panic mode anymore.

my rational heart tells me there is nothing to worry about my irrational brain is setting alarms off

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Good! These are true first steps to recovery!