I'm scared i'm going to have a heart attack

[RossA93]

Hey all, i'm a 20 year old male and for the past month or so i've been so worried that i'm going to have a heart attack :( it's stopping me from being my normal self and i hate it! For the past 2 days i've had bad dizziness and keep breaking out in cold sweats, my GP and even nurses from the NHS 24 have told me it's just my anxiety but i can't bring myself to think they're telling me the truth, everytime i get a new symptom i phone the NHS 24 because i'm worried it may be heart related, i've been smoking for 3 years but the nurse still said it's not a cardiac problem, i can't get to sleep at night and when i do i wake up covered in sweat or i just wake up every hour, sometimes i'm even scared to go to sleep incase something happens when i'm sleeping :( i'm desperate for help! Any advice will be greatly appreciated, thanks guys!

[claireypoo]

Hi, I had a major obsession about my heart when I first got anxiety. Most of my pains were in my chest and I felt dizzy and breathless all the time. What helped me most was reading Claire Weekes, Self Help for your Nerves (Amazon) . She reassured me about my heart in a way no doctors had. She was a doctor too, and described the heart as a big thick strong muscle - very tough! I was like you, I wouldn't accept what the doctors told me. It was ruining my life. I was scared to move! This was in 2006. (see my old posts). I finally lost my heart obsession completely by mountain biking. It was so scary at first, I was sure I would keel over, but I didn't. I proved to myself I was safe. It is scary, but you can get over this. X

---------- Post added at 09:02 ---------- Previous post was at 08:59 ----------

For sleep, try a glass of milk and a relaxation CD? It sounds like rubbish advice, but it really helped me.

[kurtis1990]

I'm currently going threw heart related symptoms myself. First thing I did when they showed up was I stopped smoking. It's only going to make your anxiety worse

[Fishmanpa]

I'm currently going threw heart related symptoms myself. First thing I did when they showed up was I stopped smoking. It's only going to make your anxiety worse

This is key regardless of anxiety. As a former smoker, I can tell you first hand it will cause you serious issues later on in life. It totally doesn't make sense to smoke if you have health fears. It's akin to having a fear of being shot and playing with a loaded gun.

Positive thoughts

[RossA93]

Yeah i know it's silly lol, but i began smoking before i developed health anxiety and it's really hard for me to give up smoking :( i want to though

[kurtis1990]

The hardest part of stopping smoking is the thought of how hard its going to be. The more you tell yourself that quitting is going to be hard the harder it becomes. Quitting for me was easy using NRT and the fact that its a no brainer. If your worried about your heart then smoking is the worst thing you can do. Visit your go and ask for some help quitting

[RossA93]

I'm seeing my GP tomorrow and i'm definitely gonna ask for help to quit smoking!

[cjw]

If you go to the GP beware if he suggests Champix. I had them a few years ago and they sent my HA through the roof!! I haven't had a ciggy since October. I stopped by using e cigs. They are the only thing that has worked for me. I smoked 20 a day for 20 years....I have zero willpower so if I can quit you can too!! All the best....remember you are not alone. You have similar heart concerns to me. I've had them for 4 years but am still here!! If you ever need a chat just PM me..........