Live in fear of having a heart attack
Posted , 3 users are following.
10 years ago i wasnt well had to go to hospital and it turned out my heart wasnt beating regularly, it was fixed and have not had the same problem again.
but everytime i get a twinge in my chest i panic and get anxious and stressed which makes the pain worse so off i rush to the hospital yet again they do all the tests find nothing all ok and say its health anxiety
i go to a cardiologist every year who does lots of tests all ok
why cant i accept my heart is ok and stop being so anxious.
its a vicious circle i get anxious and stressed which causes chest pain which makes me more anxious and stressed especially night as i lie there staring at the ceiling. i have tried mindfulness and meditation but could not really understand what to do and neither helped me relax.
0 likes, 5 replies
jan34534 jean23222
Posted
sorry you are going through this. Sounds like what is happening is that fear has taken over your thinking but you have to remember that fear is just an emotion. It is not based on fact or reality. The fact is that your tests are all normal and that is something you can count on. I know it’s easier said than done but you can feel a lot better.
you have to purposefully and intentionally choose your thoughts. When you get a fearful thought in your head, don’t follow it! You can acknowledge that it’s there but then you need to release it and maybe even watch it float off or disappear or whatever works for you. You can replace it with a positive thought. But you have to be relentless.
One very important part of this is to practice proper breathing because that keeps you in the present moment and keeps you away from the fearful thoughts that are really worry about the future or what could happen. The only thing we have is the present moment.
It’s important to stay in the present moment. I practice this every day and I find them on YouTube. just search for present moment meditation or breathing and present moment meditation. Proper breathing also helps relieve anxiety and lowers the heart rate so you can relax. there are great meditations on YouTube. One I like is called it’s OK by Lauren. Very soothing.
Don’t worry about having to know what to do when you listen to a meditation. Just relax and listen.
when you tell your brain that there is something wrong or that you are scared, it’s going to react with more symptoms. So the more you do that the more embedded that thought will be in your brain and that’s not what you want to do.
if you are really struggling, think about getting some online virtual counseling for this. I do that once a week and it’s great! I actually look forward to it.
always remind yourself that your testing was all good and normal. That is the fact. Anything else is baseless, emotional and non-factual.hope you feel better soon!
jean23222 jan34534
Posted
Hi
You are correct about my brain it goes into overdrive especially at night during the day I can keep myself occupied but at night I might wake up at 1am and then lie awake for hours worrying even more
I like the idea of virtual counselling online I will look into it I might be able to talk to someone when it's the middle of the night and I am wide awake as it will be daytime somewhere
jan34534 jean23222
Posted
and if you can’t find a counselor at 1 AM, play a relaxing meditation for sleep. I do this when I wake up in the middle of the night and I fall asleep before it’s even over. There are hundreds of them on YouTube. There’s also sounds you can listen to such as rain, Nature Sounds, also they have people that read stories. There’s even one called bedtime stories for adults. They’re not quite as childish as the ones for children. But they’re relaxing. whatever it takes to distract you and get you back to sleep. I really like a soothing meditation called it’s OK by Lauren. She has a very soothing voice and makes you feel very comforted! Hope you feel better soon!
frances02122 jean23222
Posted
Hi Jean, i too have suffered with chest pains of every type since my 20's. I paid to have an echo scan last year to prove my heart was ok. I have suffered with acid reflux for years and found that caused chest pain both from the acid irritation and trapped gas. Now in my early 60's i have gall stones which can cause pain that mimics a heart attack so am getting my gall bladder removed next month. My pain has changed over the years, i just get used to one type then it changes to torment me again. Have you any digestive issues that could be causing your pain ?
jean23222 frances02122
Posted
My GP thought of digestive issues I had CT scan of my stomach, pancreas, liver and kidneys all clear even a test for coeliac
I think it's all in the mind one little twinge and it escalates and I can worry for hours especially at night which means no sleep and then tired the next day