Being anxious is one thing, but thinking that you’re about to die because of your anxiety is a different sport altogether.
The “normal” person will experience anxiety and shrug it off. Anxiety sufferers on the other hand, tend to wallow in their anxiety because it’s often accompanied by ten thousand symptoms that make an anxious person think death is imminent.
Although I’m skeptical that anxiety disorders are curable, I do believe they are manageable. One of the most important things that an anxious person can do to manage their nerves is to overcome the belief that anxiety symptoms can kill.
After all, it’s the physical symptoms and the fear of death that’s prolonging your misery. You want to solve this problem? Then unplug the connection between your symptoms and death. They aren’t related. I don’t care what your amygdala has to say about it.
If you could pull this off would you still behave like you currently do? I doubt it. You would probably venture out more, maybe even have a little more fun in your life. So exactly how do you overcome your fear of anxiety symptoms? For starters, you absolutely must change your way of thinking. You have to reprogram your brain to reject the false beliefs that you have built up over the past few months or even years.
The most significant of these self told lies is that anxiety can kill you. That it’s going to trigger a heart attack and drop you at any moment. Although we don’t intend to tell ourselves these things, it’s still something that people do.
People often experience palpitations, or some other heart disturbance, and assume that death has to play some part in what’s going on. But this is untrue. Panic attacks, anxiety, palpitations, and racing thoughts don’t kill people. There’s no recorded instance of someone having an anxiety related palpitation and keeling over as a result.
Now, you should clear yourself medically to rule out any issues that you may have, but once you get that out of the way, stop the urge to check and double-check that you’re “alright.” Stop asking people if you’re going to make it. Trust yourself to endure the temporary discomfort of any symptom. Once you’re able to do this then managing your anxiety symptoms becomes a real possibility.
Are anxiety symptoms intense? Hell yeah they are, but that alone doesn’t make them deadly. Losing your fear of death as it relates to anxiety should be your starting point. Do this and you will get closer to the “old you.”
In addition to removing your fear of anxiety related death, you should refrain from fear building. This is a term I just made up, but it’s pretty self explanatory. You shouldn’t get caught in the web of creating fears from old ones. This is counterproductive and can also lead to new phobias. Do you really want to be afraid of new stuff on top of all the other stuff?
I used to have this problem. I started having weird and fantastic fears that I knew needed to come to an end. For example, if I left my water bottle at work I would never drink from that bottle again. The assumption being that someone may have tampered with it, or worst yet poisoned it. That’s right people, poison. That’s outrageous. All of a sudden the janitors are carrying cyanide AND want to kill me specifically? My logical mind yells from the mountain tops, “No way man!”
Someone once gave me lotion as part of a gift basket. I almost didn’t want it because I felt like maybe the lotion was tampered with. I questioned the motive for the gift giving. But then I realized that everyone else got the exact same basket. So I put the lotion on right then and there to prove a point to my anxious mind. The point was you are out of control and need to be contained.
So now I don’t fear old water bottles or gifts of lotion. I told you about this embarrassing example because it illustrates what anxiety can do. And what it can do is build in your mind a set of false ideals that keep you from yourself.
Do not fear build.
If you find yourself creating new fears you should immediately challenge them. Why are you afraid? Is there a legitimate reason for the fear? Or are you simply allowing your anxiety to introduce yet another fear that you really don’t need?
So there you have it folks. Remove the connection between death and anxiety. Don’t fear build. And you’ll overcome your fear of anxiety symptoms.
The next time you’re having an anxiety attack, or whatever anxiety symptom, challenge yourself to asses the situation. Are you in real danger? If not then talk it out in your head. What is most likely happening? What’s happened in the past when you felt this way? Work with what you know, not your best guess.
Anxiety can be an overpowering force. It makes you believe things that aren’t true, it creates fear, and it suppresses your logical mind. But remember that you have the ability to see through the veil of fear. Remove the fear of the symptom, become more comfortable with it, and you will improve a great deal.
I used to be an anxiety sufferer so I would never lie to you and say this is a piece of cake – far from it. It takes time, practice, perseverance, and patience. You will be successful sometimes and at other times you will fail. But don’t get discouraged.
As long as you are aware of what you need to do then you have a starting point. Stop being a victim and get proactive about counteracting the fear. Even if you’re anxious sometimes, which you can’t always control, you can still do a lot to control your reaction to the anxiety.
That my friends is my message to you: You can do something about this.
Note: This article was updated on January 7, 2013.
I also added a podcast to accompany this post. Click on the player below to listen.
I have always been a little anxious even when i was a kid.What doesnt make this any easier for me is that i have a learning disability which is another thing to think about with my anxiety. its like well…. maybe i really am i stupid since i really do have this disability so if its true its true and i cant do anything about it . i was on a soccer team when i was young and i remember being very nervous then i only scored one guy out of the 3 years i played… and that goal barley happend. so theres another thing that confirms that im stupid and miserable. but is that really true … no i have a real problem anxiety is a real thing and its started from a basic form when i was a kid and has changed in and out of many different combinations over the years. i dont have regular panic attacks anymore but when i had my first one in the middle of the night when i woke up with my heart pounding and i was very light headed and dizzy i couldnt walk really and i didnt know where i was at… so for about a year and ahalf i was having panic attacks and going to the hospital almost everyday. the good news is im not like that anymore but im still not well off. i get twitches,shakes, cold chills , hot spells. weird head pain, chest tightening , tingling , extereme tirdness and alot more.even writing this i feel in my head that i could lose control and i dont know why. if im trying to read a book or stay still /sit still i get really agitated and feel my head and body feel like its moving faster and faster until its going to explode and then im not sure what would happen a panic attack i guess but in my mind while this is happening im secretly saying heart attack …. sigh so yeah i know what you mean and i want to overcome this more then youll ever know i need help so so so so so so so bad .
goal my bad. lol
Hey Adam, just remember two things. Anxiety is treatable and things are never as bad as they seem. Hang in there.
I have this fear recently that my mind keeps of thinking like every 5 seconds of negative thoughts such as when I get a happy or uplifting thought, all of a sudden it’s reuned by this bout of anxiety! It can go on for hours sometimes, and its freaking me out! It’s like my mind racing with this kinda thought pattern, and it freaks me out! I wanna forget about it, but the fear keeps on bringing on these repeating fearful thoughts of bipassing a happy thought with a scary thought right after. How can I forget about this disdructive pattern I’ve seemed to developed??
Hey Dude, I know how you feel but I guarantee that these bad thoughts will leave you soon. This is a temporary situation that anxiety does produce from time to time.
It can last a few days, sometimes even a few weeks but it does lift. It can but caused by excessive stress, worry, and of course anxiety. It’s a response related to the fight or flight response. But don’t worry so much about the cause, just note that it will and will always pass. Be patient and don’t dwell on your thoughts.
Hey, im 17 and i smoked weed for the first time and got really scared and freaked out, i thought i was dying…. Well now im having scary chest pains and chills, i went to the ER at like 430 this morning and they said everthing is fine, that it is just anxiety…. I just had another attack and its so frustating and scary. Could you help me out??
Hey Riley, Glad you’ve been seen by a doctor. If they’ve confirmed that you’re healthy then I suggest that you give it a little time. Having a panic attack(s) for the first time can be a shock to the system. The important thing to remember is that you’re not in danger nor will anxiety put you in danger. It is fear, anxiety and panic working on you but luckily nothing else.
i woke up this morning feeling wierd well i know that its anxiety just hate it because i dont feel normal i dont feel like my self anymore it sucks i ask my self how do you get back to your self the tension in my neck and the tightness in my head i hate well anyone out ther feels like me
i’m a footballer,i do perform exellently during training but when the time comes for a match,i become scared and lose confidence.pls help me before its too late.
Hi adebayo,
I used to play sports myself, so I can relate. I used to vomit before matches even. This is gross, of course, but the point of saying this is just to point out that I was scared before going onto the field/pitch.
But since then I’ve learned that fear is truly in the mind and not outside of you, therefore, you have the ability to control its influence on you.
If it’s fear of performing poorly then this should leave your mind immediately. Playing at a high level means playing free, with full freedom of mind and body.
It means playing not with your opponents in mind, fans, or coaches, but you doing things as they come to you and thinking only in what must be done in the game itself.
Also, people are not as worried about you or thinking about you as much as you think. So don’t let what others think bother you. It doesn’t matter in the end.
Also, mistakes committed by you are forgotten as soon as the next few plays unfold because the game moves on, even if you haven’t.
You must clear your mind before games. Visualize what you have to do in the game… the plays, formations, defensive schemes, and yourself running freely.
There are no worries while playing. It is a time to relieve stress and lay down burdens. To fear no mistake, to fear no ridicule.
Before the game see yourself doing great things. Take a deep breath before going on to the field/pitch. And just play. Play like you did when you were small and only the game mattered. Play like you did then and you will find peace. Play for the reasons you did as a child and you won’t be scared.
Play hard.
Paul
i have no idea if this is anxiety or not, but plz help me if you can. i recently just got a gf that i really love. Her past sex life is whats killing me…. she is 21 and im 22. Ive always been so involved with school, sports and sadly video games… Ive dated many girls but i have never really gotten into a serious relationship or had sex. She on the other been with 5 guys and had sex with them. I didnt care at first but it finally hit me. For 5 days now i keep thinkin about the stuff she did with the guys and i start feeling anxious, jealous, mad, discusted, worried. Big ball of energy in my chess… i just cant stop thinkin about it. i know its the past and she wont cheat on me but how do i get over this.
Hi Bob, what you’re feeling is pretty normal. I think that’s why you find that many cultures around the world value a woman’s chastity so much.
But I’d say the main reason you feel the way you do, aside from being human, is that you don’t have much experience as you pointed out.
Try to think of it from a logical perspective. She met those others guys before you right? So all she was doing was living her life.
We all have different moral standards and what not, but nothing she did was illegal or even abnormal.
You’d be better served by thinking about the future and the relationship you guys can build now.
I always say why worry about things you can’t change or influence… it’s in the past. Let it stay there.
Hey bud, nice article u have written, loved every part of it, plz resolve my issue, since iv been told iv been suffering with anxiety disorder. My life is screwed, i use to have anxiety but never bothered, but now everythin starts with anxiety, my fears are going to doctors, even if i accompany someone else, my heart beats like itl explode,iv tried atleast 15 times to overcome this but everytime i fail and lastly since iv been told alcohol with make u v anxious, even after only couple of beers, i get de javu that next day il b screwed and i am, any advices plz. Thx
Hey paul i wanted to say thanks i been waking up with night terriors of dying more like a religous thoughts i woulds say and i know i have anxiety but i just feel like the worlds on my shoulders and noone elses but i read stuff like this and it makes me feel better about myself and to see other people with the same problem always helps me out also bc i know im not the only one suffering… but to everyone reading this i found that its good to read about this as a reminder and know that there are good people in this world and with god anything is possible but once again thanks paul your are a good man
Thanks Matthew. That means a lot. Hang in there
i have anxiety attachs eerdayy for the last 3years damn near!! it sneaks up on me!!! i guld b thinking but anythang…my heart b ponding i be feelin like imma die!! can udie of it? will it ever go away?
Hey Paul , read your lovely article , i feel like Iv taken a clonazepam .. Lol Paul please help me out one silly issue .. I get severe form of anxiety when it comes to dealing in money , had few bad experiences , I was really fond of going to casinos when I was anxiety free, now as in enter the casino my heart is in my mouth , even if I don’t play but I hate being taken down by anxiety , so I go to casinos and play small to take out my fear but every time anxiety wins and my thoughts are usain bolt and it’s either alcohol or Xanax which comes as a lifesaver , i am not a impulsive gambler , neither I’m poor , it’s just that I wanna take out my fear , any advice would be gold for me
For the past few days I have been feeling I see something disturbin(though I actually cannpt see it with my own eyes) I feel there is something in the room trying to bother me. This keeps me disturbing and it has been over 10days now since this began.Please help me get out of this
I’ve had aniexty for years sometimes i can cope with it, other times i just can’t…….I always feel like I’m dying of some disease and it takes over my mind like crazy…..I hate this feeling!!!..I’m always scared..:(
hi..
i have anxiety for last 8 months and its realy bad experience.i thing i want to ask you.can anxiety realy makes heart weaker and why when its triggers all attention goes for heart…how to fight with it
I used to get a panic attack once in a while and would just shrug them off and though I was just dehydrated or maybe I ate something bad. But as time went on, they got worse and worse and now I have anxiety all the time simply from fear of having an anxiety attack when I am out. I have no social fears, or any irrational fears of going out or doing things. It’s simply the fear of these panic attacks that makes my anxiety worse! I’m in a catch 22 and I don’t know how to get out of it. Anyone else like me? I’m a calm rational person, I don’t get excited and even when I’m having these attacks, I feel a little dizzy and my heart pounds but I always remain calm and try to keep relaxed. But it feels like the world is about to end sometimes. This has been happening for 2 years now. Any one else like me?
Paul, I want to thank you so much for this site. I come back often, whenever I need reassurance. I know people can overcome their anxiety. My first anxiety attack was 14 years ago. After suffering for a few months with it, I got angry and took control. I read books and concentrated on positive thinking. I was anxiety free until a year ago. I had my first recurrent attack while driving to work, and it shocked me! A few months after that, I began having heart palpitations daily. I went for an echocardiogram and everything is fine, but here I am a year later, and I still think it’s something serious. In times of positive thinking, they stop. For weeks. I feel like I’ve won the lottery, I’m so happy to feel normal. Then the thoughts start again….and I almost talk them into starting again.
Both of my siblings have also dealt with this, and have learned to put it aside. I also turn to them for advice when I have a relapse.
Thank you Paul. I feel like I will sleep better tonight. 🙂
Hi Lynne, You’re very welcome. =)
Paul
Hey about half a year ago or a bit less around about 4 months i had an episode whilst smoking weed. I was just sittting around then i started feeling my heartbeat. As soon as i felt it, it started beating faster and fasterr until it was beating so fast i felt an explosion of pain in my chest. I thought i was dying so i got my friends to take me to the hospital. I stayed over nite nd the nxt day the docter said i was fine and i must of had a bad reaction to the weeed. Ive never had an anxiety attak or real issues before all i could say really was i got a bit nervous about contributing to class discussions. Anyway now i developed an obsession of always chekin my heart beat i feel it all the time. My nights became sleeeples as crazy thoughts overwhelmed me, am i going to die frm a hearttattack any second? Am i gping crazy? These r examples of my thoughts. When im around friends generally i am okay however i still press my hand on my chest to feeel the beat. Sometimes wen the beat is different either slower or faster i freak out feel anxious etc. Also little pains or unfimiliar pains aroind my chest especially also triggger anxietyy. I think tat im going to get a heart attacj or stroke its ridiculous. My thoughts run down a dark path on many occasions thinking about death etc im only 18 participate in sport hadblood tests checkin for evrything returning with perfect results wats wrong with me!?
JR I have the same issues.Its gotten so bad that I rarely leave the house.The moment I get in the car,wham,my heart starts racing,I feel like I can’t breathe,I can’t focus on anything and I have to blast the air conditioner in my face or roll down the window.It also happens without a trigger also.I can just be sitting here and it gets to the point where I feel like I’m going to die.I go into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face until it passes.It is so frustrating that I can’t seem to fix it and its hard to talk to anyone about it because I feel like they don’t understand or realize the intensity of it.Just get over it or snap out of it is the most common response.
Hi,
I know what people say when they talk about feeling scared all…or at least a lot of the time. I think I am a strong person, but get so frustrated that my anxiety puts me into fear mode. I have always been a worrier…but struggled with some post partum anxiety after my 3rd child and my anxiety has been very different since then. By different I mean stronger. I go through streaks…but when it gets me…it is scary. My main anxiety centers on my health or the health of my kids…anytime there is something minor I worry it may be major. IT’s like a health anxiety….I DON”T want to pass this on to my children!! I don’t want them to learn these negative ways of thinking from me. I have been on meds in the past and worked hard to get off of them. I am now struggling with whether or not I should go back on them. Any advice? How do you really know when it’s necessary? I think my nurse practitioner has a standing order ready for me if I want it! 🙂 I just want to be able to kick it on my own!! I have a dr. appt. later today with a dermatologist with what I think is nothing major…but I can’t stop thinking what if??? It is frustrating. I think I have had most physical symptoms of anxiety at one time or another…it’s like my body and mind test me. I get a symptome…sometimes have had it checked out (the heart stuff)…and it’s all fine. And then…I get a new symptom. That does seem to be better for me now…Thank God!! I am much better about not looking everything up on line and can tell and calm myself knowing my now typical anxiety physical symptoms as just being that…but it’s hard at times. Prayer helps me calm myself. My anxiety is very hormonal as well…it is typically stronger (more prevalent) during mid-cycle and right before I get my period…sorry if too much information! 🙂 I am appreciative of the tips I get from here and am hoping to be a major success story on here someday!!
Thanks for listening!
JR, Mark and Mike,
It’s a vicious circle..the more you worry, the worse it gets. Even if you don’t think you’re thinking about it, it’s in the back of your mind. It takes time to get over. The mind is very powerful….do you ever find your thinking just brings them on?
This is such a great site. Like Paul says, the first step in dealing with this is understanding and accepting. This means understanding that you’re not dying. I would also suggest getting a book, and whenever you feel negative thoughts, open it and reassure yourself that it’s just anxiety, not death.
BTW, I’m also still dealing with this. It helps to know I’m not alone.
Hello Paul, I love your article.
For around 2 months, I’ve been under some stress from school like there’s a lot of competition. So the stress brought on some gastric problems GERD and that caused palpitations and uneasy feelings. The GERD was cured but since then i continually suffer from anxiety about my health. If i pull a muscle i believe its something serious such as cancer. Especially at night, when im sitting alone, i get very anxious about my health and all sorts of pains arise. I also get butterflies in my stomach. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!
Ive been suffering of anxiety for 6 yrs. last year has been the first year that I have enjoy 89 % of my life. The only time I have anxiety is when I drive. I left my job because it involve driving. I still can overcome the fear of the feeling I get when I drive. I need to have someone w me when I go somewhere. I have avoided the freeways bc I start panicking. I hyperventilate all the time. Any suggesting.
Hello, i have only suffered from anxiety for only a few weeks now and panic attacks have kept me out of school. i am a 17 year old young man. and i would like some insight. For the first time I went back and seemed to enjoy it. my panic attacks are what causes my anxiety and the fear of having a panic attack. But this article helps. any advice on how to cope with my anxiety and continue my life would be great.
iam fearing from simple phobia since 2006 i can not going to any places. kindly request suggest for me.i am useing tablets 1.cita s 10 mg 2.clonazepom dispesible 0.5mg daily .
iam fearing from simple phobia since 2006 i can not going to any places. kindly request suggest for me.i am useing tablets 1.cita s 10 mg 2.clonazepom dispesible 0.5mg daily
guys help, its all emerged when I was attacked by ulcers, fear seize me, mmy mind would be normal and change later, there is goes, thinking about somr of the people who had died, then thinking, I was sick to and I was going to die soon, that weird thought kept ringing on my mind. My doctor referred me to a pathologist, I ignore that. Some time later, I felt a slightest thing, ringing, in my mind, so that I knw was a symptom, which will course my death, I began feeling fear, I feel worried, for almost 30 minutes, then I had realized that my fear is death, so what can I do
Hey I started having panic attacks about 3 months ago and about 2 months ago they subsided. I will take an occasional xanax here or there when my anxiety gets really bad but thats about it. I woke up this morning and my aunt who was over kind of aggravates me which made me really anxious. Then all of a sudden I thought i was gay. It came out of no where I never thought i was before and I know I’m not. Is this just my anxiety going insane because thats a fear of mine? Please help me out Im freaking out.
Ok- the answer is this- to all your issues-you must first face your fear-dont run-it wont hurt you just be unpleasant-then you must accept it-let it do its worst. Dont fight it-then you will realise that it wasnt that bad and it cant hurt you-laugh at it-you might cry since you now know the truth. It takes time but you must accept 100%. Once you accept your body will slowly return to normal-2 -3 months. You must ACCEPT
Hi… Every body since from 3 month I was suffering this fear problem if I went out side of my home I scare very much I count able to go out side of my home. Every movement I feel some thing will happens to me please suggest me how to come out of it day by day it is increase
Hi, I have suffered with anxiety for about two years now, at first it started when I would go out drinking, the next morning I was hungover and I would start to think that I was going to die and one time it was so bad I was outdoors and I fainted because I got myself so worked up!! It’s starting to get out if control as everytime I feel slightly unwell, wether its a headache or feeling sick I panic thinking I’m going to die. If there is somthing I am looking forward to such as a birthday or visiting my family as I live away from them, I convince myself that I’m going to die before the event happens. I have been to the doctors who gave me meds that treat symptoms such as slowing ur heart rate down when it’s going fast because ur panicking but I can’t take them because I’m scared there going to slow my heart down till it stops completely. And they also referred me to a mental health specialist to talk with but I didn’t go because I don’t want to be told I’m mental. It’s got so bad that if I get a little pain in my leg I think I have a blood clot and I’m going to die!!! I have never had any self confidence anyway. I will walk through the town and think everyone is laughing at me. But now I just feel like a complete reck. I’m so scared that I’m going to die all time and don’t no what to do!!!!!!!!
Hey Jess, You’re not mental. You’re anxious. Thing is if you’ve already been given meds and aren’t taking them, and don’t want therapy, you’re really limiting your options. Your doctor isn’t going to give you anything designed to stop your heart, rather the medication is designed to counteract the over-activation of your fear response. Once you feel chill, then going to a therapist will help augment that well. Combined you have a great one-two punch in meds and therapy. Otherwise you’re left with fish oil and jogging and that might not be enough. I encourage you to challenge yourself and implement the plan already in your hand. =)
As we all know, anxiety can cause a multitude of physical symptoms. If you’ve been checked out by a medical doctor and everything ‘looks’ normal, and you don’t have any illnesses or injuries, chances are your physical symptoms may be caused by or exacerbated by anxiety.
For example; muscular pain can be caused by muscle tension, as can numbness/tingling sensations. If your neck and upper shoulder muscles are tense (chronically or intermittently) that can mimic carpel tunnel syndrome in addition to causing headaches and muscle pain. Tension causes the muscles to contract (tighten) and they contract on the nerves that are interwoven in them, which can cause pressure on the the nerves and mimic neuro symptoms.
When our muscles are tense, they are in a working state, like lifting weights, if they are over worked, they will let you know; soreness, pain,etc
Also because our muscles are interwoven, there can be a…for lack of better word I’ll say a domino effect. For example; if you’ve been tense in the muscles across your shoulder blade, that can give referred pain in your armpit,headaches, deltoids, down the arms, around the chest (give a tightness/band like feeling around the chest wall),etc.
For example; you could bump your leg and at the time not really paid attention to it, it being so minor. Later when your anxiety levels change or increase, the already bruised area may have increase pain because the general tension caused by the anxiety is increasing muscle contraction around the already bruised area, thus exacerbating the injury.
Press on your muscles all over your body, are they tender when you do that? If so, you may have been tense without realizing it. Does your pain move around- like, maybe in your left calf then your foot then your right thigh? Is your pain deep or is it under the skin? Referred pain can show up in various places.
Being anxious does not mean being mental. My theory (in a nut shell) is that our brains are stuck in the flight-or-fight mode, and we have to retrain it to function correctly. Retraining can be difficult as the brain only tries to protect us.
Sorry for writing so much.
hi,im justin im 18 years old i become anxiety 4 month event today about rabies. when i see a dog,cat,mouse, event those animal do not do anything to me i become anxious thinking that i was bitten those animal and those animal have rabies i m going to die always question myself what if the sign going to start tommorow im going to die. now i have a new anxious about bat that enter my house and bite me event there no bat in my mouse the reason was my dad clean the window at night so he have to take of kind of protection in the window so no wild animal or insect to go in my house. when i look to the window im become worrying my mind start thinking there is bat got inside my home event there is nothing.please help how to overcome its hard to forget. last time i feel much better then my fear came back now im stock this thing and im already when to the doctor it told me only bats,fox,skunk possible have rabies i live in CA los angeles
I can relate to a lot of these stories, especially Paul’s. I had my first panic/anxiety attack in 2009 after smoking weed. It wasn’t the first or even 1000th time I’ve smoked, but something different happened that time. I was on a nice walk in October with my best friend and her dog. BEAUTIFUL day and nothing on my mind, just enjoying nature and good conversations. We were maybe 50 feet away from my car and I started to feel really weird. I put my hand on my chest and it didn’t even feel like it was beating; it was more of a vibration. At first I thought I was just high and freaking out so I had my friend feel my heartbeat and she didn’t seem too concerned. I felt more dizzy and confused, so I sat on the side of the road trying to contain myself. I didn’t feel like I could get a full breath in and thought the world was slipping away. I told her I had to go the the ER asap because something was very wrong. The whole drive there (maybe 10mins), I kept flailing my arms around because they started to feel stiff and numb. Everything around me sounded louder and more drawn out and I was convinced I would die before getting the hospital. I tried calling my boyfriend, but he was at work so I called my grandma and told her I was going to the ER because my heart was beating too fast and I could tell she was worried so that just made matters worse. When we got there, I saw a nurse outside and I walked to her in a zombie-like state and said “I need help, I can’t breath”, so she calmly walked me into the hospital. I started yelling at the receptionist because she was asking me for all of my information when all I wanted was oxygen and help. The ER doctor drilled me with questions (as he should have) and I told him that I only smoked weed. I eventually was hooked to a heart monitor, EKG, and was injected with adenosine only to be told after 5 hours that I PROBABLY had paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). After research and conversations with family and friends, I sort of self diagnosed myself with anxiety. I had multiple episodes after that day and still check my pulse constantly. Most of the time I’ll have an episode in the grocery store (something about the lighting being similar to that of a hospital), while I’m walking for long periods of time (flashbacks), or when I’m sick and feel like I can’t breath properly which causes me to check my pulse and not always feel it which causes me to freak out and heart to rapidly beat. It’s a vicious cycle and I’m learning to control it. When I get in panic mode, I just tune everything out, trust that my body is doing it’s job, and continue with what I was doing. If I’m walking, I try to keep myself occupied by playing a song in my head, slow down, and bite my tounge or cheek to focus on something besides my heart beat. If that doesn’t help, apply pressure to your artery in your neck while holding your breath while bearing down like you’re trying to have a B.M. and repeat until your heart slows itself back down. I hope all of that helps some of you!
Hi guys, I had sever panic attack everyday almost 6 times a day. Keeping me very anxious all the time. Like two months ago i purchased Panic Away. It has been the best decision ever. I have had more good days. Now i feel less anxious and had no panick attacks for more than a month and three weeks. Highly recommended.
Does any 1 fear death so much that they feel it would just be easier to get it over and done with !! That’s how I feel most of the time….I’m sick of waking up in the morning and fearing the day… What kind of life is that??
Hi Paul,
I recently lost a family member and had a panic attack shortly thereafter(I previously never experienced anxiety) . Ever since the attack 6 months ago, I’ve had left over anxiety. I finally sought help b/c I couldn’t go on the way I was. Now I’m on medicine, but will this anxiety ever go away? Is this temporary?
Hi SMS,
It’s difficult to say if it will go away in the exact way that you might imagine. But, there is always room for improvement when your hit with a significant loss or stress in your life. The important thing is to stay focused on recovery and giving yourself permission to heal. Time and treatment can never “cure” the pain caused by losing those we love, but they can lessen the pain and provide a good way forward. Please accept my sincere condolences.
Paul
hi there dont no if its anxiety im suffering with or paranoi. But im currently pregnant and thinking of things that could go wrong, my heart starts racing and not been able to catch my breath , for example im curently with the father of my baby but keep getting paranoid like feelings hes not the father , when thats not even possible ? .. its like my lifes revolves around constant guilt is this normal? will it ever stop ?
Thanks Paul. Your words are comforting.
Hello.
I am a young mother of one and I now have another on the way. I told my doc that I was having dizzy spells and rapid heart racing. She told me that it was hormones. Until one day I go in to get my ultra sound and I passed out on the nurse. She then told me that I have a bad case of an anxiety disorder. S after my first trimester she put me on an anti-depressant and a very low dose 0.5mg of anxiety med for when I feel an attack coming on. The truth is what sets me off in a panic is when I can feel my heart beating hard or faster than normal. Is there a way to get it to all stop I just want to feel normal again?
Im scared my anxiety will never be fully under control.
I had it controlled until recently I had alot of stress and now im in cosmetology school and its gotten alittle better but i still get little attacks during the day. and i start to believe tht it is not anxiety bcuz i could be doing the least stressful thing such as watching a movie like just now and my body will start to feel like and i get depersonalized its scary! idk what to do…
Hi Paul is numbness a normal part of anxiety or benzo withdrawal and does pain around the chest is normal as well?
Sawij, Yes to both. This is very common.
Please change the picture of this article. It’s anxiety-inducing on its own — the fear and intensity in that man’s eyes.
Hey James, you’re right. That was a crummy image. Hope you like the new one!
Paul. I can relate to what you wrote so much. I spend 24/7 worrying about dying from a heart attack at 29. I wake up exhausted and get sent right into panic mode. I just upped my anti depressant to 30mg last week. I hope it can relax these scary thoughts. I legit think I’m going to die all day everyday. I just listen to guided meditation to try to calm down a bit. I’m also seeing a therapist. I don’t dare to jog or get out of bed because I’m so scared I am going to die. Any recommendations? Like I get up, then get a bit dizzy, and I want to lay right back down.
I can only speak for myself Ian, but what helped me a lot was to do the opposite of what anxiety compelled me to do. So if I felt afraid and did not want to run, I ran. If I was afraid going to a particular place, I went. It helps to give yourself time to relax, breathe deeply and all that, but facing your fears and pushing the boundaries of anxiety works wonders. Did for me anyway.