View Full Version : Phobia of heart attack
Grumpy_guts
26-06-08, 22:17
Hi everyone,
This is probably going to be a long post as I've never put all this into words before!
Quite simply I'm terrified of having a heart attack.
This is different to being scared by the symptons caused by a panic attack: palpitations, skipped beats etc. Rather, this is panic attacks and anxiety caused by the fear of having a heart attack.
Oddly, this is very specifically heart attacks and not strokes :shrug:
The roots of this seem to lie with a few events that have occurred in my past as well as the fact that heart disease seems to run in my family.
I personally know two guys who had heart attacks (neither fatal) in their late 20s and both these incidents occurred around the time my panic attacks first started.
I had my first panic attack after taking some particularly strong speed (amphetemine) in my early 20s. I'm not proud that I took drugs when I was younger but I don't really regret it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some enjoyable experiences but wouldn't have categorised myself as a heavy user of anything in particular. I no longer take any recreational drugs and very rarely take any medication stronger than paracetamol. I perhaps drink more than should but I do not clas myself as a heavy drinker and don't drink every day nor go on day-long benders.
Interestingly and considering the company I have kept and my frequent visits to clubs and raves, I have never taken ecstasy. The reason for this is a lad I used to work with died at the age of 17 after taking a number of ecstacy tablets. He had a heart attack...
I was reasonably fit when I was younger and played a lot of football in my 20s but have always struggled with my weight, mainly due to my fairly heavy drinking and poor diet in my younger years. As mentioned above, my drinking isn't as heavy as it once was and my diet has improved considerably although I'm sure there's still room for improvement.
Now in my 30s, I am nowhere near as fit as I once was, which I'm sure doesn't help with my anxiety. I've tried to get fitter by going out running with my g/f and by going to the gym but I often end up having a panic attack before, during and after the excercise. The trigger is always my heart rate and of course, being so unfit, it takes a long time for my heart rate to return to normal after excercise, often triggering a panic attack. Certain gym machines monitor your heart rate whilst you use them and this is often enough to trigger a panic attack as merely being able to see my heart rate rocketing up is often to freak me out!
This creates a vicious cycle. I know I need to excercise to keep healthy yet the act of excercise often makes me have a panic attack about having a heart attack!
In the past I have obsessed over my pulse, frequently taking it and monitoring it over and over again, freaking out over minor fluctuations.
In fact, I had numerous tests on my heart a number of years ago, including multiple ECGs, a chest xray, and ultra-sound, all of which showed that I was perfectly healthy. In fact all they did end up finding has a hiatus hernia! This reasurrance abated the panic attacks for a while but they returned over time as the results of the tests "expired" to my mind.
I also smoked for a long time: 17 years but finally managed to give up nearly 15 months ago. This helped a lot (for a while) because the strong link between smoking and heart disease had caused me a great deal of anxiety whilst I smoked.
My panic attacks seemed to be random at first and I can tell the same stories of going to accident and emergency in the middle of the night as I'm sure many other anxiety / panic disorder suffers can. Nowdays, there seems to be a very definitive pattern to my panic attacks and I can narrow it down to a number of specific situations, namely:
During or after reasonably heavy excercise. This means anything that noticably raises my heart rate.
In the middle of the night after drinking certain amounts of alcohol. Light to moderate drinking doesn't cause this.
During hangovers.
If I haven't slept enough or get up very early.
Before and during flights.
Occassionly on trains.Of course, from time to time, I'll have a panic attack completely out of the blue...
What I find SO frustrating is that I generally know WHEN I'm going to have a panic attack. I know that it's JUST a panic attack, nothing more and I KNOW that I'll be fine shortly after. The rational part of me KNOWS that I'm very unlikely to have heart attack whilst exercising or that the plane I'm on is going to crash yet I STILL can't control my thoughts and subsequently, the panic attack. I simply have to ride it out until it passes.
Wow... looks like I've "unloaded" a bit here! There's more to tell but I'll stop there now. If anyone's still reading at this point, they must have the patience of a saint!
I'd love to hear from anyone else who suffers from a similar type of anxiety / panic disorder and in particular, anyone who shares my phobia of heart attack!
Cheers,
Terry
One of the things that helps to avoid having a heart attack is reducing stress levels. So stop stressing yourself out.:D
My mum had a coronary when I was 9, her brother had circulatory problems and had pulmonary embolism and died aged eighty, her other brother had a CVA, her sister had 4 heart attacks. My dad had heart problems, has did most of his siblings but they still got on with life and all died in their seventies and eighties.
I don't really think about it. I have my cholesterol level read once a year and I like to check my B/P. I don't drink or smoke or eat fatty foods but most of the time it is out of sight out of mind I'm afraid.
Stop thinking about your heart in a negative way, think of it as a brave, hard working little organ that would like some TLC :hugs:
:flowers:
Hey there
Well your in good company on this site, there are lots of us that have heart phobias/heart attacks etc...
Drinking will cause palpitations, it does with me, not only does it cause palpitations, it causes anxiety. I notice if I drink, I hit an all time low the next day.
I am nowhere fit as I could be either, I really want to go to the gym and go running and stuff, but I am terrified of letting my heart beat fast, as like you it leads to a PA.
I have recently been in hospital and had 3 ECG's all normal, so I know my heart is sound and working properly.
Its great that you have stopped smoking your body will already be reaping the benefits from that 15 months on.
Its also understandable after seeing the effects of heart disease that you would be anxious. I would to.
Try and be positive, have you spoken to your doctor about your fears? Perhaps be honest and say and then you may recieve the reassurance you need.
Also keep coming on here, its full of great advice, and very friendly people
Emira
x
Granny Primark
27-06-08, 07:53
As youve probably read in my posts I too have a family history of both heart attacks and strokes.
2 aunties age 25 and 42 of strokes and my mum age 60 of a heart attack.
I had 6 couselling sessions when I first began suffering with panic attacks 3 years ago.
First one I was told panic attacks cant kill you.
Sixth one I was told I could be induced to have a panic attack and then showed how to breathe correctly and come out of it but due to my high blood pressure it was dangerous!
It kind of defeats what I was told at my first couselling session.
I have never smoked and used to to disco and tap dancing twice a week til I was 42.
However I do love wine, but have cut down my consumption and started to drink more water and also more fruit juice.
Last week I started swimming. Ive been twice in a week and feel so much better for it.
Its brill excercise and even tho ive had a lot of really bad stress in my life this last week I think it has really helped me.
I really need now to alter my diet but im finding it really difficult. Ive been a cheesaholic for years! lol
My moto is "everything in moderation"
But my mum used to say "you die if you worry and you die if you dont"
Grumpy_guts
27-06-08, 13:46
Thanks for the replies guys! It's great to know I'm not alone with this.
I'm fairly lucky in that I don't suffer on a daily basis with the panic attacks any more and that I have a understanding partner who herself has suffered from panic attacks in the past.
Unfortunately, I don't think she can get her head around the heart thing as she enjoys exercise, going running and going to the gym. Hence why I signed up here!
@Trixie - Thanks for your comments. I don't think that I "stress myself out" over it though. I'd say I'm pretty much ok most of the time and I don't think about my heart at all 95% of the time...
@Emira - yup, drinking gives me palps for sure, which is one of the reasons I've cut down. What I tend to find with drinking related PAs is that I get them several hours AFTER I stop drinking and not really WHILST I'm drinking. The normal favourite is in the middle of the night and these are by far the worst panic attacks I have to deal with. I have to get out of bed and pace up and down until the PA subsides and my racing heart calms down, which can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours! What's interesting with these is that the panic attacks actually wake me up, which suggests that they're happening sub-consiously whilst I'm asleep!
They're made a LOT worse if they happen when I'm not at home ie. when we stay at a friends or relatives house or in a hotel. Hangovers (which I seem to get from merely being in the same room as alcohol these days!!) can be pretty bad too and once again it's 10x worse if I'm not at home.
I probably have a slight issue with alcohol too in that I do enjoy a drink as does my other half and am starting to find situations where people are drinking (most recently, a wedding) a bit stressful because I know there's a good chance I may have a panic attack later in the night should I drink too much. I know that some people will say, "well, just don't drink". My first problem with that is that it's so unfair: why should other people be able to drink and have a good time and me not? Secondly, it aint much fun being amoungst a group of people drinking and enjoying themselves and I would suggest any who says otherwise is perhaps kidding themselves a little!
I'd like to clarify that I'm not talking about mad drinking binges here, I'm talking about 4-5 pints of normal lager! :mad:
@Granny Primark: I've had counselling sessions too on two different occassions and gave up with them pretty quickly. The first time, they asked very few questions and almost immediately prescribed me Citalopram and shuffled me out the door. The second time, the counsellor latched onto the fact that I had a bad relationship with my father and harboured a lot of resentment towards him about my turbulent childhood. Fair play, seemed reasonable at the time so I confronted my father and we had the most frank and emotional discussion that we've ever had where I told him exactly how I felt. Although I did feel better for doing so, it didn't make a blind bit of difference to my PAs and in fact appears to have driven my father and myself even further apart and now we only just about keep in contact! Doh! :shrug:
---------------- Now playing: Indian Ropeman - Stand Clear (http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/indian+ropeman/track/stand+clear) via FoxyTunes (http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/)
BeltaineInchy
27-06-08, 18:18
Terry are you me? but younger, lmao.
I've posted somehwere how I started getting HA, specialising in heart attacks somewhere else, but suffice to say that the trigger for my panics was originally from exercise, resulting in high pulse rate, and hence .....
Also PA's from drinking 'too much' - I reckon that was fear of hangovers as much as raised pulse.
Anyway, I've nearly made it to my mid 40's now and still haven't managed to have a heart attack, and I'm starting to think I may be imagining the problem.
My advice is a gradual increasing exercise regime. The exercise will build your fitness and stop it acting as a PA trigger, it also builds your stress tolerence as well.
On your first exercise session don't do enough to tire yourself. For example jog 100 steps and then stop, don't do any more. Next day jog 150 steps, next day 300, then 500, then 1000. Feel free to miss days, but always do more than the previous days run. I did this and within a few months I was jogging 2 1/2 miles. I didn't jog every day, about three times a week, and ok a couple of times I went a bit too far and triggered a pa, oops. As I didn't die though, it meant the next time I triggered one by doing too much I knew what it was and handled it better.
I haven't had a pa from exercise for a few years now so it definitely works to get rid of that trigger. I had a 9 month break in exercising because of arthritis but I recently went back immediately to about 1/2 mile jog, and within a week back to 2 1/2 miles. No panic!
Now I'd love to say I don't get HA anymore, but I'd be lying. I'm still paranoid about having a heart attack but at least now I know that it isn't going to happen, whatever I feel. It's now a matter of getting rid of other triggers.
Inchy
...
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My biggest worry is my heart as well. My dad had his first heart attack at 29, triple bypass surgery at 30 and died at 40. I have had three "episodes" of high blood pressure brought on by pregnancy(normal now) and my mom and sister have high BP as well. My cholestrol is good but my "good" cholestrol level is low, quite low so that worries me.
I have had so many tests etc and trips to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack that I have lost count.
I use to take my BP about 40-50 times a day. I also have a similar fear with exercise regarding my pulse but what mine is, is that because I am active etc my pulse rate drops quite low in the evening. Down into the low 50's and sometimes 40's. That terrifies me even though my doctor is not concerned.
I truly dont know if I will ever recover from the insane fear of having a heart attack but I am determined too.
What I have found that helps during times of the extreme worry is that my dad was sick. He was given a year to live at age 30. Yet he didnt worry about it. He just lived. Didnt panic over BP numbers or pulse, just lived each day to the fullest. He lived 9 years longer than expected. Yet here I am with what I am told is a healthy heart and I spend all my time worrying that something is wrong. If he could live his live why cant I?
Im new to the site and this is my first post so...Hi. lol
The first post on this thread explains exactly what I have been going through for the last year or so. I cant explain the relief of actually hearing that someone else is going through the exact same thing ive been going through. the post could have been written by me. lol. It helps to know that I am not going nuts.
I always thought that I had it all "together" in my life. but that has been blown out of the water recently. The last year or so I dont think that there has been an hour that goes by without me thinking that I am going to have a heart attack. in turn it will trigger a panic attack and I will lose it. It has lost me 2 jobs both of which I enjoyed and pretty much turned my life on its head.
I have gotten to the point at which i can manage my panic attacks but I usually have to stop whatever it is that I am doing and do my breathing exercises and relaxation techniques for a few minutes. (which the book that I am reading says is good practice...and it is) but it is usually at inopportune times (note the job losses). the panic attacks are getting better and I can usually catch them before they get to critical mass.
The problem still remains with the heart attack phobia that is triggering the panic. It comes up in my head like clockwork. I have thought about it and Im 25, I dont do drugs, I have recently lost about 80 pounds, I quit smoking, I drink alot less, I eat better. I have gone to the ER several times for it and after several EKGs and chest xrays and blood work checking for clots they tell me im healthy...but for some reason I cant get my mind off of thinking that Im gonna die of a heart attack.
Any responses or advice on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Well Terry what can i say, your first posting is exactly and i mean exactly how i used to be. and how i used to feel.
Now i have played hockey for 18 years every weekend i have always been active and although im a big ish bloke i am relatively fit.
$ years ago i had a masiive panic attack after a all day drinking session and after bieng in A and E having all the tests my heart is perfectly fine and i have the blood pressure of a fit 18 year old . Im 33 years old.
Nowdays i tend not to think about the anxiety about having a heart attack anymore but am still very wary and worried about doing excersice.
I have bought myself a wii fit strangely enough that is very good cos it eases you into different parts of fitness, and you can also do it within your own home.
I learned that caffiene was a major cause of my panic attacks and only now drink decaff tea and dont touch cola or anything like that. i still love a drink of guinness every now and again but dont drink to excess like i used too i could sit and drink up to 20 pints of cider on a saturday without even thinking about it but them days are definitely over..
You didnt mention wether you drank any coffee or tea or even eating lots of chocolate can cause that feeling of panic and anxiety so its worth looking into.
I always think you may aswell just live your life no matter what because for all the time you sit there worrying about what could happen you may aswell not be living at all. and thats not a good way to go through life guys .
Enjoy it while you can guys it only come around once !!!
luisdelobo
23-06-09, 00:08
I have suffered heart attack phobia and related panic attacks for about the last 12 years.
The problem is unlike a lot of other phobias heart attack is probably one of the two biggest killers in this country, so it is a realistic possibility.
mine was triggered by muscle spasms in the chest wall after taking ecstacy.
The feeling that you are going to die right there and then is obviously pretty scary/traumatic. like most people that suffer from this particular phobia I ve had all the tests and pestered the life out of several GP s . Everyone case scenario is slightly different and personal to them as are the cures/ remedies
but for what its worth heres what has helped nuture me back to some semblance of normal life. (in no particular order )
: talking about fears and worries, getting it out/ off your chest no matter how crazy it might seem
:knowing help is at hand,knowledge, ie books websites, doctors etc they say a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing but extensive knowledge can only help its re assuring!
:breathing techniques, and I do nt mean trying it for a bit on off and dimissing it as a failure but persistant practice over a period of time,
the breath controls the heart rate and if you have control of your breath you control a lot of symtoms that accompany a panic attack about a heart attack.
: persistant low impact exercise ie over a period of 2-3 months. things like yoga , swimming, gentle cycling, pilates, walking, meditation, things that help build stamina and that free the mind are great
: focus drills , without generalizing most people I know that suffer from panic attacks tend to have short attention spans and can be people that like to have control over things, not a good combination and I include myself in this category
:knowing whatever does,nt kill you makes you stronger! each worry that you deal with and overcome becomes like another layer of strength which is added to your persona/ character
: worry less about yourself and more about others , panic attacks simply cannot occur if you are thinking about someone other than yourself.
: live in the moment , the thought of something bad happenening is always worse than the reality
don,t want to sound presumptious / like a know it all
hope something is of help to someone because everyone desrves to be happy¨:)
I too worry that worrying will cause a heart attack. I spend many a hour checking the aches and pains in my ribcage. I bet I lose a third of my day checking and rechecking.
I like the bit you put about your test expiring. Mine expired some time ago in my mind. The further in to the future I go the more need I have to revalidate my tests...lol.
I have a post on at the moment which confirms my obsession.
I too like many others on here have had close relationships with people who have died from vascular related problems or have had Heart Attacks.
I have stopped drinking altogether as only one drink can give me Palps. I drink less tea and coffee especially the cafinated stuff.
I eat smaller meals as Large meals make me feel bloated and give a pressure in my rib cage when sitting down.
I used to run and go to the gym. Now I walk to work and back briskly everyday and have done for 14 months. I have given up on the High intensity exersise as like you the risk of having a heart attack is too much for me to bear.
In actual fact just write all the things that make you feel uncomfortable and try working round them by doing something else. It has made a difference to me.
In summary Heart related anxiety has done the following for me:-
Stopped me smoking
Stopped me taking recreational drugs
stopped me taking all but lifesaving medication
Stopped me doing high impact exercise
Stopped me drinking Alcohol (still go out with my friends and have a laugh)
Stopped me eating large fatty meals. (plenty of oily fish)
Stopped me from sitting and doing no exercise.
If somebody said what vices do you have I would say the only vice Anxiety.
In hindsight it has made me live a better healthier life. The downside is I still worry.
Take care
Mee
Hey Terry,
I can totally relate to your article. I am 21, and pretty much went through the same phase of 'college life' and trying out different stuff. I did smoke marijuana a couple of times, and enjoyed it. But one day, i ended up stoned and alone in my room and things got pretty bad. I had a horrible paranoia attack and i thought it was the end of me. Its been 2 years now and altho my friends still laugh at me about getting so worked up that day, to me that day just brings back really bad memories, and every time i think of it i get all panicky.
Anyway, I quit drugs after that, as I never enjoyed it. My friends still get stoned around me and even offer me a drag but every time i look at a joint now, it just brings sudden chills in me. Neways Im happy Im clean.
Basically what im trying to say is that i went through the same shit. I started getting frequent panic attacks. My fear and worry was so much that i lost my appetite, started losing weight. I love travelling, but after that incident, i couldnt get myself to sit in planes. hell i was even scared to sit in a car with the fear of a car crash. my friends noticed my weight loss and the fact that they said things like "ur losing weight, are u sick?" made me even more sicker and even more panicky.i started staying indoors. i would even find it hard to stand for more than 15 minutes in a mall. this even got my parents worried. i went through all types of checkups and the doctors just told me i was weak as i wasnt eating rite. i didnt have the courage to talk to anyone about it and that fact that no one knew what i was going through made it a whole lot worse. I finally confronted my sister, who told me its ok to feel like this after what I had been through. but that i shouldnt think its the end of my life.
Like I said its been 2 years, and my panic attacks have reduced to a great extent. But I still get them somewhere out of the blue. I get tensed up on the smallest of things. I have a fear within me while trying out new things and sometimes also while doing regular things. Not to mention the fear of death. Because of that one horrible day, now i cannot stop thinking about death. and fear of losing loved ones. and that mostly causes my panic attacks. and i feel even worse because i know i can stop all this nonsense by just not thinking. but often become a slave to my mind by letting it wander more and more with such negative thoughts. I dont think i need therapy for this, but hope that i will get better with time. Time heals us in many ways.
I am just glad I came across your post. Its assuring to know that there are people out there who have experienced the same things like me. It makes me feel like im not alone.
Best Regards
Aby
My anxiety developed fast and hard, and since then I have had a similar fear of heart attacks. Even more, I fear allowing my heart rate to be raised, which leads to me avoiding exercise, which exacerbates my fears. Moreover, my ex-boyfriend has a multitude of heart problems (which weren't diagnosed until after I broke up with him - I'm not heartless!). Inverted T-wave, oversized/active adrenal glands, and an extra rib (or a misshapen one, something or other), paired with overweightness and bad life choices... I witnessed him having a heart attack during our walk to breakfast one morning! My grandfather died shortly after a heart transplant for an oversized heart, and my father has had high cholesterol. My mother shares my anxiety disorder, as has my grandmother, but neither of them were and are quite as open about it. Even at 22... I worry because my last physical and blood test came back with slightly high blood pressure and cholesterol. It should not be that way at 22, right?
My anxiety had diminished for a while, but has reared it's head again in the past few weeks. I'm starting meds again and almost have a panic attack every time I feel the side effects come on. I can always stop it, but I always have to remove myself to a quiet place and have a talk with myself. "I'm okay, I'm not that sick. I've gone through this before and the outcome will be the same." I'm going to go for more walks, as they seem to have always made me feel better when I'm anxious. When I feel really good, I'll take out my new rollerblades. When I get the chance, I'll swim (despite all these fears of heart attack, I can swim all day with no problem! It's strange, but I won't question it!).
However, I run into issues when I express my irrational fears of heart attack with my family. Many times when I've gone through waves of fear, my family has quickly gotten tired of it and given up on me. My fear of feeling fear came from this, I believe, since I was always yelled at when I was afraid as a child.
But you have to make a deal with yourself. You're going to take that walk and you're going to be okay. If you feel tired after, that's okay, take a break. Sit and have some water, turn on a comedy. Laughter will burn as many calories. :) But you have to keep that promise to yourself. I'm guilty of not following through, and I'm suffering the consequences.
It has always helped me to remember that when I felt good, I felt really good. When I was on my meds last I could do whatever I wanted and the fears all receeded to the back of my mind. Thinking back to that is a huge reminder that all of this is just in my head!
anthony.noll.online
05-09-10, 15:31
Hi Guys,
I have to say that I have been trying to deal with this fear of having or causing a heart attack since the age of 17. Im now 32. (I had about 4 years when it didn't cross my mind from about 26)
This is a bit of a breakthrough for me because, however silly it seems, searching for this topic and even writing 'heart attack' is enough to start me off.
I know how it all started and I know its a fear. But Im scared of making it a reality.
Im feel Im scared of myself (I should tell myself the opposite)
I took acid when I was 17, a black micro dot, and the main feeling was in my chest and I thought I was going to die. Around the same time my friend died at 16 of a genetic heart condition. Adding to this was a school art teacher at the time who told me, a probably unfounded fact, that between 20-30 years is a higher risk group for heart attack.
After the drug, I had heavy panic attacks for approx 3 years. What has stayed with me is this irrational fear that if i get stressed about it I can cause a heart attack or will eventually cause one. Its a fear of pain. I worry and I can cause a feeling of a build up of pressure in my chest and then I start to panic.
Main times are when I have nothing else occupying my mind.
- Bedtime
- Journeys (train, flights, passenger in car)
- When Im happy and things are great
- Right now because Im writing about it
- During exercise when I feel my pulse in my chest
- When Im sitting relaxing and I feel my pulse in my chest
- When anyone mentions anything about hearts
- The day after drinking
I need to get a grip because I eat and drink healthy, I don't smoke, and Im fit and slim. A healthy lifestyle is the upside to this fear. But as someone on here already said, my main vice is anxiety.
This is mind over matter for me and probably for all of you too.
Its reassuring seeing that other people worry about this.
I 100% think its helping to write all this suff down and I encourage people reading this to do the same. Im feeling relief.
I will not go through my whole life scared.
Im taking my mind back.
Anthony :)
Hi everyone,
This is probably going to be a long post as I've never put all this into words before!
Quite simply I'm terrified of having a heart attack.
This is different to being scared by the symptons caused by a panic attack: palpitations, skipped beats etc. Rather, this is panic attacks and anxiety caused by the fear of having a heart attack.
Oddly, this is very specifically heart attacks and not strokes :shrug:
The roots of this seem to lie with a few events that have occurred in my past as well as the fact that heart disease seems to run in my family.
I personally know two guys who had heart attacks (neither fatal) in their late 20s and both these incidents occurred around the time my panic attacks first started.
I had my first panic attack after taking some particularly strong speed (amphetemine) in my early 20s. I'm not proud that I took drugs when I was younger but I don't really regret it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some enjoyable experiences but wouldn't have categorised myself as a heavy user of anything in particular. I no longer take any recreational drugs and very rarely take any medication stronger than paracetamol. I perhaps drink more than should but I do not clas myself as a heavy drinker and don't drink every day nor go on day-long benders.
Interestingly and considering the company I have kept and my frequent visits to clubs and raves, I have never taken ecstasy. The reason for this is a lad I used to work with died at the age of 17 after taking a number of ecstacy tablets. He had a heart attack...
I was reasonably fit when I was younger and played a lot of football in my 20s but have always struggled with my weight, mainly due to my fairly heavy drinking and poor diet in my younger years. As mentioned above, my drinking isn't as heavy as it once was and my diet has improved considerably although I'm sure there's still room for improvement.
Now in my 30s, I am nowhere near as fit as I once was, which I'm sure doesn't help with my anxiety. I've tried to get fitter by going out running with my g/f and by going to the gym but I often end up having a panic attack before, during and after the excercise. The trigger is always my heart rate and of course, being so unfit, it takes a long time for my heart rate to return to normal after excercise, often triggering a panic attack. Certain gym machines monitor your heart rate whilst you use them and this is often enough to trigger a panic attack as merely being able to see my heart rate rocketing up is often to freak me out!
This creates a vicious cycle. I know I need to excercise to keep healthy yet the act of excercise often makes me have a panic attack about having a heart attack!
In the past I have obsessed over my pulse, frequently taking it and monitoring it over and over again, freaking out over minor fluctuations.
In fact, I had numerous tests on my heart a number of years ago, including multiple ECGs, a chest xray, and ultra-sound, all of which showed that I was perfectly healthy. In fact all they did end up finding has a hiatus hernia! This reasurrance abated the panic attacks for a while but they returned over time as the results of the tests "expired" to my mind.
I also smoked for a long time: 17 years but finally managed to give up nearly 15 months ago. This helped a lot (for a while) because the strong link between smoking and heart disease had caused me a great deal of anxiety whilst I smoked.
My panic attacks seemed to be random at first and I can tell the same stories of going to accident and emergency in the middle of the night as I'm sure many other anxiety / panic disorder suffers can. Nowdays, there seems to be a very definitive pattern to my panic attacks and I can narrow it down to a number of specific situations, namely:
During or after reasonably heavy excercise. This means anything that noticably raises my heart rate.
In the middle of the night after drinking certain amounts of alcohol. Light to moderate drinking doesn't cause this.
During hangovers.
If I haven't slept enough or get up very early.
Before and during flights.
Occassionly on trains.Of course, from time to time, I'll have a panic attack completely out of the blue...
What I find SO frustrating is that I generally know WHEN I'm going to have a panic attack. I know that it's JUST a panic attack, nothing more and I KNOW that I'll be fine shortly after. The rational part of me KNOWS that I'm very unlikely to have heart attack whilst exercising or that the plane I'm on is going to crash yet I STILL can't control my thoughts and subsequently, the panic attack. I simply have to ride it out until it passes.
Wow... looks like I've "unloaded" a bit here! There's more to tell but I'll stop there now. If anyone's still reading at this point, they must have the patience of a saint!
I'd love to hear from anyone else who suffers from a similar type of anxiety / panic disorder and in particular, anyone who shares my phobia of heart attack!
Cheers,
Terry
Imagine in your head there are two balls, a red ball and blue ball. Each ball when picked up acts in a different way. The red ball can 'only' act negatively and the blue ball can 'only' act positively. It is 'impossible' for either ball to act in any other way, the same way that it impossible for you to hear music with your eyes.
Now imagine that before you do anything like move, speak, think,walk, breath anything that involves you taking some sort of action these two balls appear in your head.
Now before moving forward with your chosen action the brain requires you to pick one ball. There is no choice in this game nature has designed you to pick one or the other. But don't worry no one ball is harder to lift , each ball is lifted as simply as the other, 'with ease' , its simple 'you pick', 'you get'!!!
The problem with anxiety is that it makes you feel you are unable to have a choice in this game, which couldn't be more wrong. 'Understand' that your emotions, senses, brain and body were designed to work with and protect you ,they are your closest Allies. There is nothing on this planet that is more able to give you what you require to have a good natural life!!!
So once you choose which ball you want the brain instructs the body to act in the way you have chosen. The brain doesn't care which choice you make it doesn't hold grudges against you it does exactly what you tell it to do 100% of the time, it responds to your commands and yours only!!!
This is not a joke or just a guess, it is fact!!! For example i am unable to flick a pen across the room unless i choose to. The pen will go no where unless i pick it up and throw it!!!
You may think that you are not able to follow this information or use it but the fact is that you just have, maybe without even knowing. Every single thing you do, absolutely everything no matter how small from blinking , crying, smiling, dancing, reading, reading each single word, with each individual letter that you read, your brain makes a decision, a choice and then tells the body how to respond to that choice.
These choices can happen without us even knowing these choices are called instinct. A choice that you have previously made is stored as a memory the more memories you store the more instinctive the task becomes. Once a task you have seen before arises a choice of options appear in your brain some are negative some are positive each one holds the feelings and emotions that you felt the last time and all the other times that this task appeared.
So basically what i'm trying to say is that the way you feel is chosen by you, nothing else can make that choice, only you. Remember one ball [choice] is no harder to choose than the other like lifting your right or left arm they both respond on your command.
With anxiety these two balls [choices] appear in some cases every second of everyday so much so you find it hard to choose so often. This is because you are not really choosing!!! in fact you are stalling the choice process and if you don't choose quick enough the brain responds for you in 'one way' only to protect you.
If you pick a hot plate up while not paying attention your brain gives you a split second to choose if this is 'really' want you want to be holding if you don't 'respond' it will assume you would want to make the same choice as last time and drop the plate, yet it is clearly possible to hold a hot plate for as long as you choose, say some one offered a million pounds to you to hold it you would right?, and as long as with each time a choice appeared in your brain you chose 'yes' to keep holding the plate, it cannot be dropped!!!
So to overcome any anxiety or fear simple choose the 'blue positive ball' once the choice is made your body does the rest and responds once again to your command to give you exactly what you need to deal with your choice, big or small!! The most important thing is to CHOOSE, don't pretend to actually do it!!!
Its so important to remember that you may be confronted with these choices
many many times before you feel safe enough to not choose and allow your brain to simple do it for you!!! It needs to no for certain that without question this will always be the choice you want to make in order to protect you!!!
Once it nows this it wont ask you again!!
If you only choose 'positive' you 'cannot' feel 'negative' it is impossible the only way this can happen is when the choice appears again you choose the wrong one or don't choose!!! Its so simple pick and stick!
You cannot feel anxious unless you choose to trust me!!! Choose positively and you will be cured from the moment you do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anthony.noll.online
05-09-10, 15:56
Thank you CHOICES :)
Im working with this now
Anthony
freedom or jail, clips inserted, a baby's bein born
Same time my man is murdered, the beginning and end
As far as life go, it's only natural, I explain
My plateau, and also, what defines my name
First it was Nasty, but times have changed
Ask me now, I'm the artist, but hardcore, my science for pain
I spent time in the game, kept my mind on fame
Saw fiends shoot up, and do lines of cocaine
Saw my close friends shot, flatline am I sane?
That depends, carry Mac-10's to practice my aim
On rooftops, tape cd covers to trees
Line the barrel up with your weak picture then squeeze
Street scriptures for lost souls, in the crossroads
To the corner thugs hustlin for cars that cost dough
To the big dogs livin large, takin it light
Pushin big toys, gettin nice, enjoyin your life
is what you make it, suicide, few try to take it
Belt tied around they neck in jail cells naked
Heaven and hell, rap legend, presence is felt
And of course who you are is the letters that spell . . .
"i am like.." Earth Wind & Fire, rims and tires
Bulletproof glass, inside is the realest driver
Planets in orbit, line em up with the stars
Tarot cards, you can see the pharaoh Nas
"i am is like.." Iron Mike, messiah type
Before the Christ, after the death
The last one left, let my cash invest in stock
Came a along way from blastin, techs on blocks
Went from Seiko to Rolex, ownin acres
From the projects with no chips, to large cake dough
Dimes, givin fellatio, siete zeros
Bet my nine spit for the pesos
But what's it all worth, can't take it when you under this Earth
Rich men died and tried, but none of it worked
They just rob your grave, I'd rather be alive and paid
Before my number's called, history's made
Some'll fall, but I rise, thug or die
Makin choices, that determine my future under the sky
To rob steal or kill, I'm wondering why
It's a dirty game, is any man worthy of fame?
Much to success to ya, even if you wish me the opposite
Sooner or later we'll all see who the prophet is
"i am like.." Sex to a nympho, but nothin sweet
I'm like beef, bustin heat through your windows
I'm like a street sweeper, greenleaf reaper
Like Greeks in Egypt, learnin somethin deep from they teachers
I'm like crime, like your nine, your man you would die for
Always got you, I'm like Pop Duke you would cry for
I'm like a whole lot of loot, I'm like crisp money
Corporate accounts from a rich company
I'm like ecstasy for ladies, I'm like all races
combined in one man; like the '99 summer jam
Bulletproof Hummer man
I'm like being locked down around new faces, and none of em fam'
I'm the feelin of a millionaire spendin a hundred grand
I'm a poor man's dream, a thug poet
Live it, and I write down and I watch it blow up
Y'all know what I'm like, y'all play it your system every night
Now.......
Good poem ..but I take it by the first two lines ,you didnt write it ? Could you explain the relevance of this please .I seems like a description of someones life ,is it yours ? I see the relevance of choice ,but fail to see anything else .Or maybe thats it eh ? Sue :unsure:
It's lyrics from a rap song by Nas, pretty irrelevant really.
bottleblond
09-09-10, 17:07
freedom or jail, clips inserted, a baby's bein born
Same time my man is murdered, the beginning and end
As far as life go, it's only natural, I explain
My plateau, and also, what defines my name
First it was Nasty, but times have changed
Ask me now, I'm the artist, but hardcore, my science for pain
I spent time in the game, kept my mind on fame
Saw fiends shoot up, and do lines of cocaine
Saw my close friends shot, flatline am I sane?
That depends, carry Mac-10's to practice my aim
On rooftops, tape cd covers to trees
Line the barrel up with your weak picture then squeeze
Street scriptures for lost souls, in the crossroads
To the corner thugs hustlin for cars that cost dough
To the big dogs livin large, takin it light
Pushin big toys, gettin nice, enjoyin your life
is what you make it, suicide, few try to take it
Belt tied around they neck in jail cells naked
Heaven and hell, rap legend, presence is felt
And of course who you are is the letters that spell . . .
"i am like.." Earth Wind & Fire, rims and tires
Bulletproof glass, inside is the realest driver
Planets in orbit, line em up with the stars
Tarot cards, you can see the pharaoh Nas
"i am is like.." Iron Mike, messiah type
Before the Christ, after the death
The last one left, let my cash invest in stock
Came a along way from blastin, techs on blocks
Went from Seiko to Rolex, ownin acres
From the projects with no chips, to large cake dough
Dimes, givin fellatio, siete zeros
Bet my nine spit for the pesos
But what's it all worth, can't take it when you under this Earth
Rich men died and tried, but none of it worked
They just rob your grave, I'd rather be alive and paid
Before my number's called, history's made
Some'll fall, but I rise, thug or die
Makin choices, that determine my future under the sky
To rob steal or kill, I'm wondering why
It's a dirty game, is any man worthy of fame?
Much to success to ya, even if you wish me the opposite
Sooner or later we'll all see who the prophet is
"i am like.." Sex to a nympho, but nothin sweet
I'm like beef, bustin heat through your windows
I'm like a street sweeper, greenleaf reaper
Like Greeks in Egypt, learnin somethin deep from they teachers
I'm like crime, like your nine, your man you would die for
Always got you, I'm like Pop Duke you would cry for
I'm like a whole lot of loot, I'm like crisp money
Corporate accounts from a rich company
I'm like ecstasy for ladies, I'm like all races
combined in one man; like the '99 summer jam
Bulletproof Hummer man
I'm like being locked down around new faces, and none of em fam'
I'm the feelin of a millionaire spendin a hundred grand
I'm a poor man's dream, a thug poet
Live it, and I write down and I watch it blow up
Y'all know what I'm like, y'all play it your system every night
Now.......
What on earth does this have to do with health anxiety please?
Lisa
freedom or jail, clips inserted, a baby's bein born
Same time my man is murdered, the beginning and end
As far as life go, it's only natural, I explain
My plateau, and also, what defines my name
First it was Nasty, but times have changed
Ask me now, I'm the artist, but hardcore, my science for pain
I spent time in the game, kept my mind on fame
Saw fiends shoot up, and do lines of cocaine.......
I think a lot of people will find these lyrics offensive Choices. Furthermore, it has absolutely zero value or relevence here and think it should be removed.
If you 'truly' no who 'you' are and i mean truly, you already know how to use it!
If anxiety is you, then carry on being anxious. If its not why do you act like someone else?
These lyrics tell a story of one persons life , a story of how he sees him self .
You need to really take a step back and really look at what you want from life and use the real you to get you there, stop believing what anxiety tells you, unless that is the real you!!!!
I rote messages to people who i felt were asking for help, not to those who didn't!
To be confronted with replies from those who have found there way out, and now 'work for' and 'socialize' around it baffles me! They had no need to ask questions to me!
I do not work for this website! unlikes some others! So am not gaining anything from telling you what i know! I don't need to make friends with you people! I don't want thank you's, and im shore not hear to act nice!
Im hear to give you hard truth and believe me it hurts, 'the' only answer! Tell you the facts of how you step out of this sh*t hole you believe your in!
Depression is not anxiety! yes your right it is a chemical imbalance and can be helped by medicine, helped not cured! , anxiety does not work the same way it only covers up the problem . So the sun will still shine even if your hands cover your eyes! U need to change how you respond to your anxiety to be able to change it! There is no other way!
Maybe what im saying is to much to soon for some of you to take in, i may of simple told you the answer and hoped you would work out the rest of the sum your self!
To you with the health issues, go to your doctor get them to test any inch of your body 'fully' ,force them if you have to but do it!
If they tell you your healthy, then for god sake believe them they no alot more than you do so trust in them.
Im
I think we all gain something from supporting others. Be that you "work" for the site or are a member....well in fact we are all members and no one is paid
The ethos of the site is support and encouragement. It cost nothing to be nice and I for one enjoy being nice to others. The very nature of mental health issues leaves people fragile and so many are not ready to confront head on these issues but they are not here to be hurt by the comments of others.
Becoming a member of this site is a privilage and as such should be treated as such. As with most memberships we all have a responcibility to each other and to the site. There are certain rules that we all agree to before we join but if we dont agree we need not join.
quote"I do not work for this website! unlikes some others! So am not gaining anything from telling you what i know! I don't need to make friends with you people! I don't want thank you's, and im shore not hear to act nice!
Im hear to give you hard truth and believe me it hurts, 'the' only answer! Tell you the facts of how you step out of this sh*t hole you believe your in!..quote
It would seem from the above that you are in a bad place but maybe you dont mean to come across as very aggressive. You may just need the support of the other members or friends and may be that is the answer for you at this time.
nomorepanic
09-09-10, 19:36
I do not work for this website! unlikes some others! So am not gaining anything from telling you what i know! I don't need to make friends with you people! I don't want thank you's, and im shore not hear to act nice!
All admins and chat mods are volunteers on here. No-one "works" for NMP.
Who exactly are "you people" - that was a very rude comment to make.
If you are not here to act nice then I think you are on the wrong website to be honest as we will not tolerate rudeness and being downright abusive to other members which you did in a reply to another post that had to be removed as it was against our rules.
Why exactly are you here and why won't you answer any of our questions about your background history of what you suffer with?
I don't work for this site, i give up my time and lots of it freely to help others.
I don't like the "you people" remark, and you will have to act nice or you won't be on this site for much longer if you're not.
This is an anxiety site for people who suffer anxiety!!
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Its really good just to read the rules....it helps
I think you're a bit delusional tbh Choices.
You can't ram something down people's throats. For God's sake please don't become a therapist.
bottleblond
09-09-10, 20:22
Choices
To say we more or less choose to have this condition is utterly rediculous. If you truely believe that then i doubt very much you have suffered more than a boil on the end of your nose because anyone who has genuinely suffered with any aspect of this condition would never preach such pure and utter garbage! I am seriously offended with your so called theory behind something that i have suffered with for the majority of my life.
Thanks for your insight but i'd rather read genuine sufferers posts.
Lisa
anthony.noll.online
09-09-10, 22:58
Well this has got a bit heated hasn't it :/ ... The focus of this chat has totally shifted away from its original topic. It would be good to get back on track with personal accounts and simple helpful advice for people who need it.
The first post by the now infamous Choices combined with reading others stories and writing my own account was really helpful to me.
Im currently working on training my mind and body to respond differently to my fears to stop the anxious nervous response that keeps me anxious for hours or has in the past made me snowball to a panic attack.
When I feel my mind shifting I tell myself I have a choice and I make the choice not to do that to myself.
Try it.
And anything you find on here to be irrelevant or not helpful... ignore it.
Try not to focus on what you don't need. Take only what is helpful and positive.
Hi guys,
* my story is EXACTLY THE SAME as "_Aby"
* and a lot more similar to "anthony.noll" and maybe many others too...
* it all started with "Marijuana" cigrette
* and from then i am having PHOBIA of heart attacks...
i am copy pasting the whole story right here, it might help MANY many others...
"I was a totally perfect person, but i do smoke cigarettes heavily like 15-20 daily (I QUIT IT!), some times even chew tobacco (I QUIT IT 2!), i have tried marijuana couple of times as well ocasionally (I QUIT IT 2!),
nothing was wrong with me, i got my studies goin on good, i got my job goin on quite well..
it all happend on this 8th Nov, 2010 i tried marijuana with some friend and came home late night, and was in its buzz that suddenly i felt like fainting and some heart pain like feeling.. i could feel my own heart beat! i felt like my heart was about to stop and i will gonna die there and then.. i breathed! i rushed and drank some water.. it didnt get over, then i went to an hospital emergency! they checked me up my heart beat, b.p both high! they gave me some injections etc, that calmed me and i slept!
Next day in the morning i was quite ok, but as soon as the night approached i got the same feeling may be even worst!, i was thinking that my heart was seriously damaged, and i will be facing an heart attack in a short time, i had to go to emergency again.. stupid doctor told me its still the buzz of marijuana u to smoke(20 hrs passed to smoke).. etc eat and sleep well.. i just slept some how..
i got to my local dr. next day show him the symtoms, he thought i got some stomach problem. 4 days after that i got the same feeling some times even worst.. i got my LFT(lever function test), blood test, and urine test all came PERFECT. (doesnt help)
after few days i checkup myself to my office dr. as i got a panic attack in the office, he checked me, elevated heart beats and b.p, he sugested me to have a ECG test.. that day i got ECG 3 times, i got perfect ECG with some "PALPITATION" problems heart skips beats(thats common)
heart palpitation is not dangerous and many people have this problem.. so i hope it will not cause any problem...
from that day i am having this anxiety feeling it is always with me now from 8th Nov today is 20 Nov, and i got these feelings when i am on my peak(dizzyness/headaches) i am very scared some times that i hope its not a heart problem, damaged heart or something??.. or should i have some more tests? or some medicine will help me? shuld i start exercise, i dont know..
but now i am comming to know that this is Aniexity problem with me as more i continue to read!"
But few +ve things i believe this aniexity taught me were
Stopped me smoking
Stopped me Chewing tobacco etc.
Stopped me marijuana(that i use ocasionally with friends)
Stopped me taking recreational drugs
stopped me taking all but lifesaving medication
Stopped me doing high impact exercise
Stopped me eating large fatty meals.
and yeah i forgot!
guys thanks you all for sharing your experiences it helped me like HEAVEN! :)
and i know it helped other too...
Take care!
I too have phobia about my heart and it is driving me insane.
I've been to different doctors, numerous trips to the hospital, I had countless ECGs, blood work, chest xray, and echocardiogram and it all came back normal. When I got the results I felt fine, but when I started to feel the "symptoms" again I get panicky. I know these are just the process that I have to go through to get better.
My doctor told me that people like "us" need assurance, love, and support from our family. and he said it takes 2 years to fully recover from this "disease".
I want to live a normal life
michaelccc
08-01-11, 14:21
i literarly fear a heart attack every single day. i have a hiatal hernia which doesnt help matters. i read so much about heart attacks. every racing heart of tightness in chest wall almost sends me russhingn to the emergency room. i've had about 50 ekgs. stress test , echocardiogram. everything is normal except for a possibly light mitral valve prolapse. one doctor says i have a very mild prolapse another doctor says i dont. i'm so scared and confused for about 2 years now. everyday in fear of a heart attack. it causes me to get panick attacks. i've had panick attaks for 10 years . never feared them always knew they wouldnt kill me. but then one day i experienced a skipped heart beat and that set off a chain reaction of a fear of arrythmias and now the fear of arrythmias turned into a fear of coronary arterial blockage heart attack.
I too have always worried about my heart, ever since I was in middle school. I too avoid exersice, for fear of inducing a stroke or heart attack. It sucks because i am now avoiding the very thing that would make my heart more healthy.
Hello all!
I too have recently started suffering from a heart attack phobia.
I have had panic/anxiety attacks since I was 13 yrs old. I am now 32. However, as of recent, my anxiety has been a lot worse. It is literally controling me the entire day. It does not go away, it never subsides it is going non stop. Well, because of this I started having chest pains and palpatations and it is because of this that I have found myself in the hospital ER a few times. About a year ago I had a complete cardio makeup done at the trauma hospital in Minneapolis, MN. I met with a Cardiologist, had a CT Scan, had a Stress Test and all of the blood work I could handle. Needless to say it all came back normal. Now, it made my anxiety subside for about 6 months but for some reason now, I am not able to lose the fear of a heart attack. I went into the ER a few nights ago and had an EKG plus a CT Scan with contrast. It too came back completely normal. Yet, I cannot shake the feeling of a heart attack. I get tight chested for a while and feel like I cannot breathe, or take a deep enough breath. I am not anxious when this happens but it still happens. I am not sure if my anxiety is subconsious and is so used to controlling my body that it is doing these things even though I am not thinking anything negative? Either way it is have a detrimental effect on my everyday performance.
Since going to the hospital I have really been paying close attention to any/all pains I have in my upper body. Thus, adding to my worry. Currently I have an ache in my back, on the left side of course, and it is making me think the doctors may have missed something.
I am wondering if anyone else here has felt the same things?
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