HEART IS GOING TO STOP!

Hey Shane! 

I totally understand where you are coming from. I have the constant fear my heart is going to stop as well, especially when I am trying to go to sleep. I find it very hard to get out of bed and move around and this is actually the first day I have gotten on my computer in awhile because of the fear I'm going to over work myself or something, which is understandable because the pain/fear is very real even though it is most likely being caused by your anxiety. One thing I have learned to do is when my heart rate is up, I open a timer and I breath in 4 seconds, then hold for 8 seconds, then breath out for 8 seconds. Another thing you could try (which helped me the most) is guided meditation. There are many guided meditation applications out there for iOS/Android and if you don't have a phone you can always look up guided meditation on YouTube, you will find many there.

My favorite for apps would be Breath and another app called Calm as for youtube I recommend The Honest Guys.

Sometimes when I'm laying in bed (actually most times) I can feel my heart beat all over my body (including my fingertips and feet, it's horrible and a constant reminder) but as soon as you get into the zone it is a lot easier to ignore. 

All the best xx

I also feel like this a lot. I struggle to exersize in case it does something to my heart and think about it just stopping a lot!! I think it's actually a really common preoccupation to have When you have anxiety, especially if it's a more health related anxiety. I've read that gradual exposure is a good way of getting over fears, so you would gradually start exposing yourself to situations where you think your heart might struggle e.g. Gentle work or exercise. The more you do it the more you learn that nothing bad is going to happen and you increase the 'exposure' over time to the point where you are no longer frightened.

Good luck Shane!!

Shane,

 your heart is not going to stop! As uncomfortable as anxiety symptoms are, they absolutely cannot hurt you! Even when someone's heart is racing, such as mine has many times, it will NOT stop!

 I am a former nurse and I also suffer from anxiety. 

 what is happening is that fear and negative thinkingis taking you over and that needs to stop. You deserve to live with peace of mind and happiness so  be a fighter for yourself  and be relentless! 

I have had anxiety for over 30 years and I finally decided enough is enough! I did some research and read an excellent book called mindfulness meditation. It teaches us how to separate the negative thoughts from ourselves. Also explains the proper way to do relaxation breathing so that you do feel like you're getting enough air. Some meditations found on YouTube also deal with the issue of breathing. I mention this below

If you can pick a copy up of that book it will be well worth it.

 let me share with you some things I have done that really helped. 

Remember....FEAR  stands for false evidence appearing real.   Which means sometimes when we have symptoms we think they are related to some terrifying disease, when in reality the odds are much higher that they are not.   Our minds  will go to the negative if we let it, so we must be in control.

Don't let fear take you over! Be a fighter for yourself! 

 2.   Secondly, I go to Google or YouTube and look up hypnosis for clearing subconscious negativity. You don't really get hypnotized it's just a really great meditation.I put in my earbuds and lie down and listen to them. They teach us to separate our thoughts that are negative from ourselves. This is something I think could really benefit you!! They completely  calm down my brain and body to the point where I almost feel like I'm floating. This is such a great thing to do for your brain and overall health. I do this a couple times a day  specially when I'm laying down to sleep. There are MANY to choose from just pick the ones that you like.  There are meditations and anxiety, negative thinking, depression, etc.  There's also positive affirmation ones that are helpful too. I play them in my car and while I take a walk. The more you listen to these the more your brain and subconscious will believe them in the better you will feel

 it will just calm everything down when you  are having an acute anxiety attack 

3.   Stay active! The worst thing you can do is sit around and think too much about all this. It will bring on more anxiety. As well as the symptoms. When I exercise my body completely calms down and the symptoms often go completely away. 

4.   Stay social! This helps keep your mind off your worries. The less you are alone the better at least until you manage your anxiety. Just do things that you enjoy. 

When  feeling anxious or anytime you'd like, do deep breathing. Breathing through your nose for about five seconds and make sure your stomach rises. Then exhale through your lips as though you're blowing out a candle slowly for another five seconds. Do this as many times a day as you need to. It helps if you're lying down but you can also do  it's sitting. 

 The point of doing the breathing exercise is to bring you back to the present moment  when your mind starts going negative. Focus on what the air feels like when it's coming through your nose and what it feels like when it's leaving your mouth. 

Eat healthy! Stay away from processed foods especially sugar. Sugar has an inflammatory response including in the brain. This will just increase your anxiety and can possibly bring on depression. 

Don't forget to smile and laugh! Everything will be OK once you get a handle on this. Keep fighting for yourself and I hope you feel better soon!