Posting again because I cannot seem to get over this reality.
I cannot get my mind off my heart. My left arm goes numb. My left chest hurts. I can feel my heart rapidly beating. I felt it skip a beat. I feel as if I can die any moment and definitely will die if I go to sleep tonight. All this on top of other physical symptoms.
As I said in a previous post 3+ doctors gave me the all clear but I think what if they missed something and I’m a rare case. I need this to end.
The doctors didn't miss anything, treyjeff. I see you are still stuck on the symptoms of your anxiety (which cannot be treated because they are fake) rather than treating the cause: over sensitised nerves. It's quite common for people to hold on to the belief that their symptoms are physical not nervous in origin. But I suggest to you that recovery cannot begin until you face the reality that it is all caused by a disfunctional nervous system. That is the first hurdle you have to cross before anything else. We have all been there, we understand your thinking.
After all, you have chosen to ask for support on an anxiety forum and not a cardiac or heart support forum. This is significant.
Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVC's) and Premature Atrial Contractions (PAC's) are extremely common, harmless, and nothing to worry about. Healthy hearts skip beats sometimes, even in times of calm. The heart of a person in the throes of anxiety skips beats OFTEN. You are just hyperaware of it right now! Docs said all is fine and all IS fine. When your anxiety tells you otherwise, do your best to ignore it. Anxiety kicks and screams about all kinds of things that are normal, common, and unimportant. Your symptoms are classic anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety are fierce and mimic all kinds of physical issues. It's a mistake to focus on these symptoms as significant. We've all been there!! Practice ignoring your symptoms and practice a different reaction to them. Anxiety saying, "OH NO we have a SERIOUS SITUATION HERE!! These symptoms are not normal! Meanwhile, some of these symptoms ARE completely normal, and some are caused by anxiety itself. What a dummy anxiety is. It is reacting to itself! That is pretty wild, isn't it?
Here's an analogy for you - Anxiety is like a brand new fireman, so amped up and excited to do a good job. Emergencies are on the horizon and this fireman is ready to GO. The call comes in, and the fireman says, "OMG!! A FIRE! Let's GO! He gets to the scene of the 911 call, and it's a kitty up a tree. But the fireman is new, overly enthusiastic, twitchy, ready to act... He pulls the hose off the truck and starts hosing down the house. The other firemen scratch their heads- WTH?? The fireman is so focused on the "emergency" he doesn't even see the situation for what it really is. That's your anxiety. There's no real emergency- just a cat up the tree. The other firemen would do one of 2 things- BTW, the other firemen are the analogy for the giant, rational part of your brain, which can be easily tricked by anxiety, but is quite powerful and can completely run the show if allowed to. So, If the other firemen jump into action too, blindly following the new fireman in his efforts to put out a "fire", then the new fireman's approach to things is reinforced. Everyone gets caught up in the "emergency" and the impulsive approach. If the seasoned firemen calmly pull the new fireman aside and say, "Hey, dude- it's a kitty. Put the hose away. You sit over here and watch us." Then they get the ladder and calmly get the cat out of the tree. The new fireman scratches his head and says, "wait a minute- I goofed?" Well the new fireman is a little slow. It takes 100 repeats of this situation for him to learn. But eventually, he does learn. That's anxiety.
When these symptoms come, practice being the seasoned firemen who know a real emergency from a nonemergency. Practice having the correct reaction to the new fireman who is just twitchy and overzealous, making big rookie mistakes. With continued practice, patience, you will eventually see anxiety settle down. Because it learns!
This fireman analogy works very well for me. I have a lot of them that work for me. The fellow who wrote this amazing online essay called "Nothing works" has a ton of analogies and one of them might work better for you:
Brilliant advice, Calm_mama.
I like the way you write. You get it that's for sure.
Saturn, thankyou, I only repeat the teachings of the late Claire Weekes M.B.E., an Australian psychiatrist, who developed the Acceptance method for recovery from Anxiety Disorder and described it in her first book 'Self help for your nerves' (in the U.K.) also titled 'Hope and help for your nerves' (in the U.S.).
I first read her book in 1974, yes, her wisdom is as old as the hills, but her books continue to sell generation after generation. People say 'I felt she knew me in that book' and in the last few years alone her 5 books have received a combined total of 1,600 reader reviews on the U.S. and U.K. versions of Amazon: 90% rated it either Very Good or Excellent and the phrase 'Saved my life' appears in many of the reviews.
Today, her method is part of mainstream psychiatric therapy and many modern writers of self-help books base their ideas on her Acceptance method.
I can see you too know your stuff and your input is most welcome here where there are so many lost souls wondering what the hell is happening to them and looking for understanding, reassurance and an opportunity to join those travelling the Yellow Brick Road to recovery.
Yes I have heard of Claire Weekes, a fellow Aussie, and have read some her writings. I really do sympathise with posters as I know mostly what they are talking about and going through. I have been from the lowest of the low, to very nearly chucking it all in, and really want to let them know that there is light over the next hill, or maybe the one after that. I think I even quoted some of the writings from you in a recent post !!... I have only joined about four days ago.
Hi
You have to believe that what you are experiencing is purely bought about by anxiety trying to trick you into thinking that you are about to die. The doctors have checked you and have found nothing to cause concern. Please try and take reassurance from that and use it to your advantage, YOU KNOW THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. if you can manage to accept the symptoms for what they are then they will slowly dissipate and no longer bother you.
We are all with you, keep us posted.
Hi all.
So far since last night I’ve suffered chest discomfort and arm weird feelings along with the inability to take a complete breath/sence of breathlessness. The feeling in my chest is almost a tickle and a fullness. That I’ve noticed there have been no breaks in this feeling.
Trying to distract myself
It will take time mate. maybe sometimes you will be less focused on those feelings and then suddenly think about it and boom there it will be again, that tight chest or the arm pain. Its a process and one that will only go through acceptance of those uncomfortable feelings. they are totally real and unimagined but given the fact you have been checked and cleared medically you need to know that they are the anxiety and nothing more.
It might be hard to accept, but your 'symptoms' are nothing special. Just good old fashioned 'anxiety'. How wonderful you have been given the all clear ! Wow. It's such an awful feeling though when you are in the middle of it and so hard to actually believe it when the doctors have given you the all clear. Really and truly it's so hard in the beginning to actually believe that that's all it is, because it can make you feel so ill. It really can convince you that you are having a heart attack, or going insane.
Breathe breathe breathe.
Calming Breath Take a long, slow breath in through your nose, first filling your lower lungs, then your upper lungs. Hold your breath to the count of "three." Exhale slowly through pursed lips, while you relax the muscles in your face, jaw, shoulders, and stomach.
I wrote the following in a previous post so will repeat it...
It may be difficult for you to accept right now, but nothing dangerous is going on here. There's nothing extra special about your symptoms, they are not new, and you are not alone. Maybe a simple chat with your doctor might be enough for you. They may suggest seeing a Psychologist if they sense you might be too stubborn in accepting that using simple techniques could and should ease your symptoms and stop you from freaking out from little things like a pain here or twinge there, or thinking your brain will explode from all the thoughts racing and pounding through your head. You can get through this, and you need to understand that anxiety is part of the human makeup. It's just how we respond to it that you need to get back to normal levels. This will pass. Nothing dangerous is going on here, but it sure as hell feels like it at times, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Thank you.
Things seem to be improving.
Saw therapist today and seeing psychiatrist soon.
Symptoms eased up a bit but still around.
Appreciate all the words of advice, from all
Oh brilliant. Fantastic that you have sought help. I promise you it will pass. This is coming from the most stubborn know-it-all.
Just thought I would add that It may take you many times to write to this forum... ask ask ask until finally it clicks. I for one will not sigh and groan and I am sure others won't, because you have asked similar questions. That's because we know exactly what you are going through and suddenly one day you will be convinced and will be able to support yourself with little techniques and mantras to keep going.
Health anxiety and general anxiety
Sleep/General/Health Anxiety 
Health anxiety surrounding heart 
Is there any help for health anxiety? 
