New here with really bad anxiety and obsessed with heart.

[Mark801]

Hey everyone. My name is Mark.

First off let me start off by saying that I'm a very anxious perosn. I have a panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, GAD and health anxiety. I'M Like so miserable with my lfe right now.

I had this for three years but recently it has gotten worse and I wound up in the hospital. I'm completely obsessed with my heart and I'm constantly checking my pulse and I just feel like Im going to just drop.

I was checked out by a team of cardios who said that my heart is fine. Ive had an echo 3 ecgs blood tests and a chest xray about 3 weeks ago. I was put on xanax to help with the anxiety.

But ever since ive been home im always checking my pulse and im completely obsessed with my heart. I just had a panic attack because i felt like my heart was stopping and when i felt my pulse i felt the irregular heart beat and it caused a panic attack.

Im so scared that i have a heart problem even though ive been thouroghly checked. My heart skips, flutters, thumps, races, pounds, and it really scares me.

Does anyone else feel like this?? I'd really appreciate your responses.

[looking4answers]

Hi Mark,

Im sorry you have been suffering so much.. Anxiety can really be annoying sometimes.. It sounds like you have had better attention to your heart than most of us here and there is really nothing to worry about but .. yes I know easier said than done.

Im 55 and have been struggling with the issue of worry about the heart for many years off and on.. I suppose it depends on what is going on in my life..It seems when im either bored or really have nothing else to worry about it goes back to my heart...although I have been checked so many times for heart issues..

The symptoms you describe I have experienced since I was a child but in my childhood I never told anyone because I thought everybody felt that way and then I was hospitalized in my 20's and then found that I had real bad anxiety but was tested just as you were by specialist for anything and everything.. Just hang in there and try not to worry so much..Try to focus on something else ,,anything ,everything , just try as hard as you can everyday to not think about it.. Good luck to you and we are here for you. We all feel the way you do .. so at least you have someone to talk to about it..Hope this helps.. Michael

[Mark801]

thankyou for responding.

The thing that scares me is that im terrified of having an arrythmia. and i feel like my heart rhythm is never normal...even though if i ask my mom to feel my pulse..she says that its fine.

Just now i actually felt my heart stopped and i started to feel like i was blacking out. This completely made me terrified and it drove me into a panic mode.

now im sitting here scared to even move cuz im terrified that i have a weak heart.

[And1404]

Hey Mark, I too used to be a bit like you when I encountered my first real bad panic attack and bout of anxiety, my pulse used to be like a vibration in my wrist because I was so hyped up in my panic. I know its hard, but if the docs have checked you out and there was anything wrong with your heart they would have found it. The reason yr heart is jumping, thumping etc is that it is overstimulated due to adrenalin in yr system caused by being over anxious. I just read a really good book called Self Help for your nerves by Clare Weekes that I think would be of benefit to you. It made a lot of sense to me. I have suffered from anxiety, panic, racing mind etc for 19 years. Let me know how you get on, if you dont manage to find a copy, let me know and I will post it to you.

[Mark801]

thank you for responding. i would really appreciate it if you posted it to me. ive heard about it but cant locate a copy...

[NeverRelaxed]

Mark, Ive been the same lately...for the past two months rly....Ive been obessed abt ever facet of my body at some point, And everytime It turns out to be absolutely nothing..Ive had brain scan...numerous EKG's...Countless doctor visits etc..And its all been for nothing..Its just your mind playing horrible games...i can say relax and try to take it easy but i know how hard that is..So all Ill say is, It WILL pass.

[Maj]

Hello Mark,

Firstly can I say that you are not alone. There are many people here who have symptoms EXACTLY like yours. Don't despair. The very fact that the doctors have said your tests are clear is great. It shows that your heart is healthy and that there's nothing to worry about. Palpitations are suffered by many of us. I've just had an awful time with them when I was at my worst. But they are completely harmless. And the more you worry about them the more they are inclined to just happen - I've been there so many times. Try to accept that you are having symptoms of anxiety that can do you no harm and try and accept these feelings in the meantime. When you lose your fear of them they will happen less. You will turn a corner so please don't despair.
Myra

[lucyeast]

hi
i too feel exactly the same as you obsessed with my heart check my pulse every 5 mins or so and often feel like im gonna pass out i too have been told its anxiety but i find this very hard to accept.
hopefully it will pass soon

[kats]

Hey everyone. My name is Mark.

First off let me start off by saying that I'm a very anxious perosn. I have a panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, GAD and health anxiety. I'M Like so miserable with my lfe right now.

I had this for three years but recently it has gotten worse and I wound up in the hospital. I'm completely obsessed with my heart and I'm constantly checking my pulse and I just feel like Im going to just drop.

I was checked out by a team of cardios who said that my heart is fine. Ive had an echo 3 ecgs blood tests and a chest xray about 3 weeks ago. I was put on xanax to help with the anxiety.

But ever since ive been home im always checking my pulse and im completely obsessed with my heart. I just had a panic attack because i felt like my heart was stopping and when i felt my pulse i felt the irregular heart beat and it caused a panic attack.

Im so scared that i have a heart problem even though ive been thouroghly checked. My heart skips, flutters, thumps, races, pounds, and it really scares me.

Does anyone else feel like this?? I'd really appreciate your responses.

hi mark, im suffering with health anxiety an in therapy for it, with constant worry bout everything an my heart always got my fingers on my pulse, i put a cushion over me an when my partner mves it ive got my fingers on my pulse, anxiety is a cruel cruel thing an very scary but hun you are not alone with this

[sammie23]

Hi Mark. I myself have been an anxciety sufferer for many years and this you have posted is no stranger with me. I myself used to check my pulse all the time and i noticed every beat even more so when i was lay in bed at night. I had 2 ecgs done and was checked over by my doctor about 15 times and this is no exageration. I completley convinced myself that i was having a heart attck or that something was seriously wrong with my heart but the horrible thing about was that the pain was there in my chest too. But the more i thought about it the worse it become. I had the rapid breathing , palpatations, heart missing beats and sometimes id be lay there and all of a sudden its as if id missed a beat or forgotten to breath and id jump up and take a deep breath then that was it, rapid heart again. Alls i can really say to you Mark is that noticing it and concentrating on it or even thinking about it when its not happening is the worst thing you can do. I found distracting myself helped or completley blocking my mind from thinking about anything. But also Mark its learing yourself and your mind that you are not dying, and you do not have a heart condition and you will not let this take over your life because i did for so long. Its no laughing matter but i can actually sit here and think to myself " God ha i cant believe i was so obcessed with my heart".... But it is all about realising Mark that this is in your head hun and you jsut keep telling yourself that and you will begin to notice it going. I really do hope this helps you. I got through it and so can you xxx