Hi, I'm craig a 38 year old male that had a aortic dissection 2 years ago and lived. So as most would say i have a new lease in life. Awesome I thought as well,
my recovery went fast and i was excited.
But...there was always a voice in my head when doing things, what is that pop noise? Why do i feel off balance? My thoughts were not clear.
It's the medication I said to myself or something is wrong. Well...something was wrong an irregular heart beat caused by anxiety! Afib....
Here is the thoughts in my head after diagnosis...
What does a person do then? How careful must i be? Am i dying? How should i prepare? Should i quit my job? No...im fine but why is it hard to walk sometimes?
Ugh...a year and half into this relationship with anxiety i tried filling for a divorce but the alimony is killing me...(its expensive for counseling, hypnotherapy, medication....and my favorite...the ER visits to find out nothing is wrong.
Negative Things I've realized.
Your mind is super powerful it controls everything about you.
Breathing can cause more anxiety.
If you pass mental anxiety there is physical anxiety at another corner that is harder to deal with.
Positive things I have found.
Sleep is huge for powering through things.
Get off your butt, start a routine that last all day. Idle minds cause this anxiety.
Nobody knows you have it, why should you? Brain tricks and affirmations work on light days.
My favorite is during a attack i like to pick random lotto numbers and visualize what numbers might work. Since my mind travels so fast i write them down and at the end of the day i purchase a ticket with those numbers. Do i win? Yes and no. I win not going to the hospital and my mind is transferred to something else. Im down to thinking a number a day so it takes a week to buy a ticket. Just picture a number once a attack starts and use the number whenever another stark starts if it doesn't pick another one and picture it. Ask why that number is important, date, year, age etc. Since your anxious the possibilities are endless. Its not about winning the lotto. Its about winning that day. Pick your number to win your day!
I hope this helps. I've tried therapy and other things and realized its about that day.
There is no such thing as free time, there is no down time, there is only a lifetime...GO!
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Oh hey, my anxiety started from almost bleeding to death too.
And rather than "living my bonus life to the fullest" I became a card carrying member of hypochondriacs anonymous. Hyper vigilance and all that jazz. It's been over ten years for me and I can generally talk myself down. The ER trips are pretty infrequent now, and I try to never Google anything medical.
Happy to compare notes. I like your Lori strategy.
Would love to compare notes! I've got it to a manageable state but always looking to be better than yesterday. All the doctors and therapy help me figure out a couple things like said in the post. But I'm looking to rid this and my lottery one helps because it reminds me if anyone can win. I can too. Im pretty strong minded so I'm able to plow through most my attacks. I'm not sure if yours are frequent like mine. My biggest symptom is a vertigo spell 2-3 times a day! Only when walking though and i usually talk myself through it. Example: (oops im drunk on that oxygen again) (hang on the ride is unstable, put all hands and feet inside. ) making myself laugh usually helps. Id love too hear your coping techniques as well. Thanks for sharing!
Good post sir. I'm a male same age as you with some heart issues.(nothing as traumatic as yours) I pretty much never get anxiety attacks or extreme anxiousness but I still get dizzying brain fog. It's the last remaining symptom of this year long run of anxiety. Once I can deal with this last bit of constant dizzy feeling I should be out of the woods.
Lds any issue that involves the heart is a serious issue. I am curious about this constant dizzy you speak of. I go through episodes of these that sometimes last for hours, minutes or even a day. Usually when im tired and this then triggers my afib and anxiety. I would love to hear your coping mechanism for this and id be happy to share some insight as well.
Good Morning craigcarda! Congratulations on passing Anxiety 101 with flying colors. That will always be the highest hill to climb. Once you're there the rest is sailing through the ups and downs of life and not allowing your brain to take over in contemplating fears.
Our mind can be our worst enemy or our friend. I too have A-Fib and actually anxiety was by far the higher issue. I try to live each day in the present moment. I've accepted that my anxiety will always be a part of who I am but it does not have to be what I am.
I've taken all the positive learning of my life and use them to my benefit. My positive thinking overviews the negative. I use meditation and deep breathing and by far it's the "deep breathing" that gets me through each day good or bad. The good out weighs the bad when we are able to keep our mind/body in control. At one time, life issues use to be like boulders in the path of life and now they are like pebbles that I kick aside as I go on with my day.
I've given enough of my life to anxiety. I like your positive way of thinking craigcarda. Embrace life and enjoy every moment. Make memories to last a lifetime.
Angora, I don't think I could have said it better. I too have given enough and just want a comfortable life where deep breathing is for taking in my beautiful surroundings on a hike, not when im avoiding a attack. For the most part no one knows what I've been through with anxiety and afib. I like it that way. Because one day it will be a aweful ex girlfriend that i learned allot from. I've often cared too much about people and emotions and never about mine. But i guess i got a lump sum from All those years. Who knows i might be grateful for this experience someday. Said no one ever...ha! Your reply gives me great comfort though in the Repossession of life. If i could just lose the vertigo spells that go for days. I'll find a way..someday. But I'll treasure and take my gratitude I'm still alive. And there is others fighting it too.
Are you on medications for anxiety? I had my emergency visit to my Dr and everything looks good! Now if I can just believe that!!
I am having an awful time trying to adjust meds. I have been on my current meds for 10 years and pow Panic broke thru. 😭😩
We tried increasing my antidepressant which only blew up my anxiety, so now we are dropping that one back to original 20 mgs and I am suppose to increase my Clonazepam to a whole .5 in the morning and a whole .5 at bedtime. The only change will be the morning dose and I am so scared of what it will do to me!!
Any wise words for the lady who is so scared and tired would be appreciated.
Lol love you reply suz65, believing what doctors say is the hardest part. I take zofran on bad days but other than that no meds for anxiety. Im on bystolic 10 mg for afib to keep My heart under 100 and lisinopril 20 mg for blood pressure. My biggest piece of advice is sleep well. I love listening to affirmations and good sleeping music to help with it. I'm fortunate enough that have a pretty physical job so i get plenty of exercise but if i don't get good sleep before the next day. my anxiety creeps up. First is over thinking then dizzy spells when walking. If i get a little worse i have this spray called emotional ally made by wish garden. A couple sprays under my tongue and i can curve it just enough to finish out the day. Might be placebo but it seems to work 80 percent of the time. I went the medication route First. Things got worse, zoloft and zanac worked for a couple months but made me tired and foggy. Doctor said we can switch meds or try and take this head on. Most antidepressants would mess up the other medication that is working. Cutting caffeine really helps as well. I'm less irritable when i don't drink caffeine. Even decaf seems to kinda bug me. Hope this helps and keep me posted.
Hi there! I had A fib in my last theee pregnancies during the last trimester. Good times. I was converted once with a quick iv push that made me feeling like I was dying and the 2nd and 3rd time with a slow drip Med then sent home on Cardizem. I also would get a slew of other arrhythmias that made my heart sound like drunk drummers. I convert back after delivery but still get daily flip flops followed by my anxiety adrenaline surge. I'm getting rather good at staying calm and talking myself through it. I like your lotto approach! I will use essential oils, deep breathing, counting cars at intersections, and a whole list of crazy methods to stay sane. I can't do caffeine anymore (ugh) and have to stay superhydrsted and well rested (doesn't happen much with a toddler that marches to the beat of the drunken drummers in utero).
DeeM3, The caffeine stop was my toughest battle! I miss coffee and tried decaf, there's still enough caffeine to get me elevated lol. I drink lots of green tea and water now. The sleep thing is tough for me as well, also not eating when i should. I get weird vertigo spells only when walking but I'm fine sitting when I'm tired. I push through Them with the lottery thing and also just talking to myself. For the past 2 years its been tough because i never talked about it. Just did what i could too keep my anxiety in check. Afib+anxiety=panic attack and 2k hospital visit. I like people at restaurants and grocery stores to remember my name. Not the hospital. Lol thanks for your awesome reply.
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