Stress Center Peer Support

i recently just restarted the program after i got to week 3. and i have 2 weird thoughts and no matter what i do they still scare me. 1: is when i get working out my heart pounds really hard and fast and kinda feels like a panic attack so i get scared of my heart racing fast while i work out so i stop half way cuz i get scared. thats the first one, 2: is i think that if your brain is so powerful that i might think that my positive thoughts are actually negative ones. and that scares me. my panic is under control its just the obsessive thinking. can that happen for number 2

As for the exercise, I'd think that pushing through that if you're in good shape. . . would help you see that it's just your body reacting to exercise and would be good practice at not overreacting to your heart beating.

For number 2. . . are you worried that you'll confuse the good with the bad?

You sound a lot like me about a year ago. I was so confused in my head sometimes I didn't know if I was coming or going. I promise it can get better.

Don't be scared. Your anxiety is trying to trick you. I believe that anxiety is connected to the lower ego that tries to constantly separate us from our true selves and positive inner guidance and thoughts. I don't belong to any religeon, but I am a very spiritual person. There is a passage in the Bible that I find comforting and I believe that it simply illustrates (to me) how to distinguish good from bad thoughts(/or anything).

"...by their fruits ye shall know them"
-Matthew 7:20

I also read alot of books by Doreen Virtue, and they help. Positive, affirmative, thoughts will feel good. Good feelings are like your inner indicator.

It's amazing how anxiety will keep trying to find a new way in. It's frustrating, and I know that, with me, it causes me alot of anger. I must say to myself "Why can't I JUST be normal?!?!" at least 100 times a day. I pray that we all can heal.

I can sure relate about the wanting to be "normal" . . . whatever that is!

Manley:
I thought I was the only one dealing with this! I have not been to the gym in 2 months and prior to that it had been 6 months! I fear working out all of a sudden because of my heart racing and when it speeds up (of course, due to exercise) it totally scares me and feels like a panic attack...and then once I feel it increasing due to exercise, I get a panic attack--well that is what happened to me the last time I went (which was 2 months ago). I hadn't been before that since May 2008! I am finding myself not wanting to exercise or do any strenous activity because of the fear of my heart racing and I think "what if it doesn't slow down?" It's just a fear and I want to get past that. I was exercising before that and never had that thought, and never had a fear! I started to have that fear when I had a major panic attack in June 2008-and had not had any since 2005! I am wanting to get myself back on track and back to living my normal life without worries of my heart beating out of control if I exercise!
The panic attacks are under control but I am having obsessive thinking as well, but trying to stay focused on positive thoughts.

Hey Manley, I used to scare myself a lot by negative "what if" thinking. You're right, the mind is a very powerful thing, but you can control it and keep it from controlling you, with a little practice. I am living proof that anyone can can control his thoughts. But you must practice daily, if you want to get good at making your mind "mind"! (How's that for a play on words!). I find that a good sense of humor also helps tremendously. Remember this: if you think that you may be scaring yourself, then you probably are. It is then that you can practice calming yourself with some comforting, soothing thoughts of your own choosing. You can make that powerful mind of yours work for you, instead of against you. Just use that creative imagination of yours in a positive way, and you'll feel better fast. But it takes effort, and daily practice! (Gee, I sound like my old piano teacher now!).