Is it normal to always think your having a heart attack

[Bp499279]

I am 39 male and for the past week i have had a head cold and pain in my left armpit or pectoral area and being that im a panic and anxiety problem, i always relate everything to my heart, i cant believe im back to thinking like this again. Does anyone get symptoms that feel this way???

[Alexjohnfuller94]

Hello mate I'm currently laying in bed at 2:18am with that exact feeling in my left pectoral area stabbing pains and shooting pains every now and again and I get it nearly every day and it causes me so much worry and keeps me awake HOWEVER the crazy thing is, I can tell you that you will be alright and it's only your anxiety but I can't tell myself that lol it's a difficult thing to get round personally but I can understand it is the anxiety talking and causing us to feel these symptoms as our muscles are contracting and we are feeling false symptoms as our minds are so focused on it

[Bp499279 in reply to Alexjohnfuller94]

I do the same as u bro, i lay in bed at night and my brain doesnt tirn off all i have is egative thoughts, if i get bit by a mesquito i think i have west niles,, haha,, i am currently trying to get off my valium and stop smoking so shit is rough. I have realized we need to relax alot more and just be easy.. i hope you feel etter bro, its all in our heads but affects our lives physically. A good thing to do to relax is open the freezer and take a big deep breath of cold air..

[Alexjohnfuller94 in reply to Bp499279]

I'm going to try the freezer thing as weird as that sounds lol, yeah mate I literally have to browse stuff on my phone until I am ready to pass out from being so tired sometimes if I'm having a bad night

[Bp499279 in reply to Alexjohnfuller94]

Yes there is solutions to it, i was in prison for 2 years and beat the problem, by the time i came home i didnt have any panic attacks or anxiety but as soon as i was out it seemed to hit. Reality and responsibility will just make u freak out.

[Alexjohnfuller94 in reply to Bp499279]

Whats funny about what you said is that one night I was having a really bad night and I told my partner that ifeel like the responsibility and stress of life I thin k is to blame and that if I got myself put in prison I reckon I could beat it lol but obviously it's not a good idea however man it's good that you beat it in prison, do you ever try to really think why it was that you could do it there and not here? Is it simply because now you are out you have to actually focus on your responsibilities and life and the role you play every day

[Bp499279 in reply to Alexjohnfuller94]

Its the stress out here in real life.... in prison its all routine and repitition, same thing everyday... no surprises to trigger you.. i try to live in a routine and have my shows i watch and be in bed by a certain time to beat it.. its about routine and no distractions getting u off track..

[Alexjohnfuller94 in reply to Bp499279]

Do you think you would find your anxiety and worries if you could have routine that stays consistent in your life?

[Agora1 in reply to Bp499279]

I agree Bp499279, anxiety does not like surprises. Changes are the hardest thing to accept. Having been in the hospital for anxiety at one time, felt safe because of the routine of the day and evening.

[Hidden]

Hello, sounds like you are anxious at the moment...your post was sent three hours agoafterI had gone to bed. Are you still having pain in chest and armpit? Do you have a heart doctor or a doctor that treats your anxiety?

[Bp499279 in reply to Hidden]

I do have a family doctor, i am on valium, its not that im anxious at the moment, the problem is that im always anticipating it so every little disconnect sets me out in space

[Hidden]

Oh, so you are always diligently aware and preparing to go into the fight or flight mode. Kind of on guard or at attention. Got you.

The other posts sent were really on target. Life fluctuates with changes every day, and some are unexpected.

I like some others who responded, try to plan my day ahead of time, so that I am secure in knowing where I'm going and what I am going to be doing, including rest periods to regather myself and just chill in a safe place.

This gives me a sense of order and control and so that reduces my anxiety.

Days come when something completely "wrecks" my little plan, and that can cause anxiety. But I try to let go of my plan for that day and see what I need to do to deal with the unexpected changes that occurred. I have to give myself a little time to take a few moments of breath before I react to that disturbance in MY PLANS, rather than immediately freaking out. lol

There is an old saying that "Life is what happens while we are making other plans", or something like that.

Hope this is of some help to you. Particularly since some of us share your concern about the anxiety.

[Bp499279 in reply to Hidden]

I just feel hazy in my head and really spaced out... my pains have subsided and now im just all nerves..

[Hidden]

Yeah, anxiety is hard on us. Be gentle with yourself and enjoy the absence of pain at the moment. "You're all nerves" ...meaning you're anxious. Try to think of something you enjoy...music, a comic TV program, a movie, exercising moderately, call a friend and just let him/her know you're having a bad time and just want to chat about sports, or food, or family,,,whatever. Steal the energy back from the anxiety by doing something else other than feeling like "all nerves". You can do that you know and deflate the "nerves" by using the energy to do something else.

Hope this helps, and that the remainder of the day goes better.

[Bp499279 in reply to Hidden]

Yes i used to drive my wife nuts with talking to her all night, i would have episodes of throwing up and frantically telling her to take me to the hospital,, lol she would get me in the car and start it up while i was in it crying like a bitch and sit for a few minutes talking to me and then we would go back in like it never happened.. its just frustrating not feeling normal and clear headed. Maybe its the weather or im sick...

[Hidden]

Or maybe you have anxiety that needs to be controlled. Reread my last reply. I think about you and wish you all the best. You can get better. You and your family deserve better.