Health anxiety has me scared to exercise!!

I LOVE you All! I thought I was the ONLY person to think these things!!!!! Thank you GOD for letting me find others!!!! I've been suffering from these thoughts for 26 yrs....long yrs. I'm 49. Countless ER , doctors, testing and I can't get it through my head!!!! This all started growing up with my dad who suffered with an extremely rare medical condition that aged him physiologically, so I developed a phobia of heart and health issues. Everything you're all saying is things I thought or think. It leaves you not only isolated, ashamed, embarrassed but it steals your happiness and quality of life. I smoke so that is definitely making it worse for me. The depression from it is daunting. I was overweight my whole life but, now a small person thanks to my primary who asked me to take off 1-3 lbs per month. He promised me not only could I lose the weight but keep it off and he was right! I started in 2012 after a spinal injury and it took me until 2017 to take it off and keep it off. You can do it CLR!!! I can give you simple things and you will succeed! I did it with diet alone because of my injury. First is, you can't lose weight for vanity and remember nothing ever tastes as good as the first bite which leads you to portion control and healthier eating without giving up the things you love! You can only weigh yourself once a month also. I know you can do it as long as you're patient. Best part you learn to love yourself along the way. I signed up for a gym recently and panicked too! My friends suggestion; go slow. Walking in the door and take your time feeling comfortable until you can get on the treadmill and or bike. Throw a small towel over the screen so you're not looking at your HR, listen to relaxation music or music that makes you happy. If you can only go 10 mins it's a start.....all you need is 30 mins a day, 5 times a week. I'm trying this myself!!!! My gym has massage beds and chairs so that's a bonus for relaxing.....if anyone is up for it we could start a little support group for the gym, suggestions, recipes, quitting smoking etc on one of the apps out there so when we're scared we can text each other....KIK or something like that with our user names from here!? Perhaps we could just keep the discussion here as well. Anyway, I hope this helps not only you but others. I am just so grateful to have found this discussion and know I'm not alone!!!! You all really personally gave me hope today!!!!

Hugs!

Wow you sound just like me! The only difference is, is that I’m super fit and have been excersising very well until I developed anxiety about my heart. I’ve taken blood tests, ekgs, and even an echo cardio gram all saying that my heart is fine. I’m always checking my pulse and worrying about my heart stopping for some reason! I hate it and it’s making me depressed! I can’t seem to go to the gym without leaving in with an anxiety attack not even finished with my workout. I get really lightheaded and dizzy, have chest pains, ringing in the ears, head aches, feeling natious and faint. It’s horrible, and so weird how the mind can do this. You aren’t alone, stay strong bro!

I know this is a bit of an old post, but if any of the posters here are still active, how are you getting on now?

I'm 31 years old, male.

A few years ago (before covid) I had an incident happen to me at work which I think was a panic attack.

I was just sitting at my desk reading emails when I suddenly felt this strange feeling all over my body. It was dreadful.

I can't remember the feeling exactly, but it was an odd feeling over my whole body. I went to get some air and then really started freaking out as my heart felt like it was beating weirdly. My colleague ended up calling an ambulance as I thought I was having a heart attack. By the time they got there, I was feeling a bit better and when they checked my pulse and blood pressure, they said I was ok.

I went to the doctors after and had an ECG, multiple blood tests, 7 day heart monitor and an ultra sound type thing where they can see the heart (echocardiogram maybe?).

The doctors told me everything came back fine and that I was fit and healthy (I worked out with weights around 4 times a week and went jogging 1 - 2 times a week)

Over the years, I managed to convince myself it was just anxiety and things were getting better, but a few months ago, I was in a queue in a restaurant on holiday and I passed out and collapsed on the floor.

I had been drinking the night before and was hungover. Plus I hadn't had breakfast and hadn't drank much in the morning (I passed out around midday)

The doctors did blood tests and ECG which were fine and just blamed it on the alcohol and the lack of food/drink, but it has set my anxiety levels right back to 3 years ago.

I now am not doing any workouts or jogging as I'm so worried something is wrong with my heart even though all signs seem to point to it being normal.

I'm just finding it really difficult trying to figure out how I can keep this up.

Sorry for the wall of text