Originally Posted by
ankietyjoe
Yes it's normal, but I think there's a mental tweak you can apply here to help tolerate symptoms.
I remember when I was truly battling anxiety a few years back I had thought patterns similar to this, that anxiety was a separate 'thing' that haunted me and created suffering. I recall feeling that no matter what I tried, there would always be something else that caused more anxiety.
Something I eventually understood is that the fight or flight mechanism is there to protect me. It's a system in the body that's designed (ironically perhaps) to keep you alive at all costs. It's not something you can control or switch off, that would be evolutionary madness.
You mind, your body, your hormonal reaction to things (adrenaline, cortisol) are all part of one feedback system that works automatically. The only thing you can actually control is the way you react to things. So it's not actually your brain trying to make your heart race, it's a system wide reaction to perceived danger, an adrenal response, and then the side effects of adrenaline...one of which is increased heart rate. Beta blockers don't stop the adrenaline, they simply reduce your hearts reaction to adrenaline. They haven't solved anything except a reduction of one symptom. Your body is still in the state of overcharged adrenal flood, so those other symptoms you feel aren't the cause of fight or flight, they're part and parcel of it.
The key to solving this conundrum is how you react in the first split second of the awareness of panic. Try thanking your body for trying to look after you, but the danger it perceives isn't real. It sounds bonkers, but it IS a giant feedback system and how you react to the first rapid heart rate will dictate how you feel for the next 10, 20 or 30 minutes.