Hi all,
I have had one bout of AF about 7 months ago no re-occurrence and on some meds - 1.25mg of bisophorol.
However I cannot stop thinking about my heart, constantly checking my pulse and worried my heart will stop, AF will kick in or another form of ayrithimia will come.
How do I get out of this mindset??
I wish there was an easy answer to that. I'd make a million. First you have to understand that AF won't kill you although it might feel like it sometimes. Then understand that many people are in permanent AF and carry on life to the full. I warn a lot about constant checking as it just reinforces the anxiety problem. I joke that in my early days of AF I was always checking my BP and only ever started to feel better when the batteries in the machine went flat! lol
It will be an uphill struggle I will admit but once you understand more about AF and how it affects you it will become easier. Some people try mindfullness (whatever that is) and hypnosis and CBT can be affective. Don't give up. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. For me it was helping others to cope.
Bob
It is a difficult question but reassurance from your EP should help.
The mind is a very powerful and those of us with an anxious personality tend to worry over every little blip.
I try not to visit too many medical websites as I start imagining I have just about everything going.
If you can keep busy with things you enjoy I think it takes your mind off your heart which will carry on without you constantly thinking about it.
It's not easy, I have had AF a couple of years now but I still have panic moments. You do get used to it to a degree, pulse checking is all part of getting to know your condition and to some extent how to help fix it.
Good luck keep thinking positive don't let it take over .
Elaine
Hi and welcome!! I have had PAF for 15 months with only two 2 hr attacks, but in beginning I was terrified (would not even go to my nephews wedding) found it hard to go anywhere! My GP was sympathetic and gave me an anti depressant /anxiety pill called sertraline, took 3/4 weeks to work but was great, 11 months on I have almost stopped them (just a half 3 times week) if you chat with gp they will advise if this is good route for you, very best wishes for the future ( live each day, and enjoy)
What helped me was developing some new hobbies and rather than taking the positives each day for granted, I made myself right them down plus some breathing exercises. Sounds all cliched stuff but it helps.
The vagal nerve connecting stomach to brain via the heart can be the culprit. Once I found out my heart was fine I have focussed on brain and stomach - the latter was not in good order with slow digestion/burping and surprisingly putting that in better order with probiotics and changed/improved diet removed anxiety.
Hi I am sorry you feel so anxious. I know exactly how that feels! I have been diagnosed with af only a few months and feel anxious every day! However a few things do help me stay calm and I hope they help you too. I have taken up yoga and find this great -I never think about my heart during a session and I try to do a few poses every day at home but I find a class where the instructor takes me through the moves is best for me. I also take a health supplement called Hawthorn twice a day after meals on the recommendation of Jan de Vries a well known alternative health practitioner. I also of course take medication prescribed by my cardiologist.
As my af is I am sure is brought on my stress I bought a book called 'The Stress Cure' and am finding it very useful. There is a bit in the book which describes something called 'HeartMath'. This is an excercise which takes five minutes each day where you focus your attention on your heart area then you imagine your breath flowing in and out of that area- this helps your respiration and heart rhythm to synchronise. Focus on this area and aim to breathe evenly, for example inhale for five or six seconds and exhale for five or six seconds - choose a timescale that feels comfortable and flows easily. Take a few minutes to get the hang of the heart focus and heart breathing stages then introduce step three: Heart feeling - as you breathe in and out of your heart area recall a positive emotion and try to re-experience it. This could be time spent with a loved one, walking in your favourite place, stroking a pet or even just appreciating being able to eat or have shoes on yr feet - whatever works for you. If yr mind wanders bring it gently back to the positive experience.
It takes a bit of practise but once you get the hang of this HeartMath technique you can use if anywhere to stay calm . The interesting thing about this technique is that a study was carried out in a hospital where 75 patients with AF were taught this treatment and practised if every day for three months. At the end of this period 71 reported substantial improvements in their physical and emotional health, 56 people experienced such improvements in their ability to control their heart rhythms and hypertension that they were able to reduce their medication and 14 discontinued medication altogether.
I have only recently bought this book so I am still trying this HeartMath technique and sometimes it works and sometimes I am so stressed it does not work and I have to come back to it later. but I will keep at it because I really believe it will work for me and I hope it does for you too and anyone else with AF reading this. You have to commit to doing it every day for 5 mins. When it works for me I feel so relaxed and peaceful it's great! Good luck
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Anxiety
