not what i wanted to hear

[mirry]

Im really p-ssed off at the moment,
I went to my cbt today and my therapist told me I need to work hard on my anxiety because it could in the future cause heart problems and immune system problems.
Well ive been in a right mood since going there and then to make things worse i looked it up on the internet and found one study saying panic can cause heart attack.

I really need to know the truth "NOW" ,
can any one please tell me the truth.........im feeling desperate to know:(

mirryx

[Keitharcher]

Mirry

Whoa you are in a panic arent you, I looked it up as well and it appears that panic can cause heart attacks in very extreme circumstances and only then if the patient has a bad heart condition. A lot of if's you migght notice, therefore its safe to assume that panic attacks will not adversely affect your heart

Keith

[clarissa]

Oh dear, sounds like the CBT hit the wrong button. Calm down, if you get to uptight you might have a panic attack, and that will feel like a heart attack and you will be so scared that you will have all the pains everywhere, especially down your arm and across your chest........
NOW take a deap breath, and think as logically as you can, getting very worked up and anxious will not help and that could cause a slight increase in your chances, but we all have to be rational, and try to look on a bright side. Have a laugh, ask your CBT next time you see her if she has ever had a panic attack and get her to describe it to you, I did with mine and she told me such utter drivel, I got on far better with her after that I knew she had never actually had one.[)]

there's a place that I dream of when I sleep, so peaceful, so quite, I call it mother earth.

[scoobygirl2005]

Aw Mirry mate. Poor you. You scared me now saying that! lol. Why don't you ask your doctor about it? Cos you said it was the therapist that said that, go to your doctor and ask them instead. Hope this helps.

Scooby2005
x x

[mirry]

thanks for the reply keith,

Ive had ecg done and it was ok but i do worry cos heart problems are strong in my family - my cousin had his first heart attack aged 31 and is now awaiting a new heart and my other 2 girl cousins have had heart attacks in there 30s and my nan had a hole in her heart and angina and my grandad had heart attack and died young.

What report did you read about this and was it a reliable source ?

mirryx

[mirry]

thanks everyone for the reassurance, i was so shocked at what he said i felt too scared to ask any more questions about it.


I have to go back to him on Thursday and ive decided im going to have it out with him on this cos hes made me ill.
(I think i do have health anxiety from the way ive reacted to this) .:(

On a positive note I did drive the car down 2 long roads with him

mirryx

[mico]

That was a pretty stupid thing for your therapist to say really. Especially since the chances of your anxiety increasing your risk to heart problems is tiny, if not non existant.

I would imagine that this was maybe his way of trying to scare you into more enthusiasm for your CBT practice.

'Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding Danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.'

[mirry]

thanks micro, im starting to calm down cos i must admit out of all us panic sufferers on here ive never heard anyone post saying i had a heart attack last week cos i had a panic attack lol.

mirryx

[Quirky]

Hi Mirry,

I don't think anyone has died or got ill just from a panic attack. If it did affect someones heart it would be because they already had a heart condition I would think. I once asked my cardiologist if anxiety/panic affects the heart and he said no it doesn't. Hope that helps.

Lisa

[Phill2]

Hi Mirry
From what I've read it only occurs in people who have existing heart conditions
Phill

Don't believe everything you think.