Stress Center Peer Support

So, I just had my 2nd trip to the ER in a week with wicked flutters and palpitations. I tried to put off going, just driving around trying to calm myself down. Pulse rate climbing to 120... totally spaced out feeling, wondering to myself, "AM I GOING CRAZY"... WHAT AM I DOING? GET IT TOGETHER...BREATHE! Nothing worked, I just kept getting myself more and more worked up!

So, EKG was normal AGAIN... potassium was low at 2.9, so they gave me some potassium... was on the heart monitor for 2 hours and the doc said all looks great... I trust this ER doc as he once worked in the office I do...

So embarrassing, once again leaving with the diagnosis of ANXIETY! However, very thankful that my EKG was fine! DOES THIS EVER GO AWAY...I FEEL SO FRIGGIN' TRAPPED! THIS IS JUST GETTING OUT OF CONTROL... and, I feel like I am truly going crazy...

I am so proud of those of you that have conquered this CRAP... I just cannot seem to get it together enough to do so! WHY? WHY? WHY?

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent... hope you are all well...

Well, you've eliminated that there is anything really wrong with you physically and it's just anxiety tricking you. Anxiety and insanity are not one and the same- you are not going crazy.

Anxiety will certainly mess with your nervous system and when you convince yourself that 'something must be wrong' you're only feeding the fear. Try not feeding it- meaning stop fueling your fear with more fear. Try interpreting your heart flutters as a non-harmful symptom of fear and attack the fear by NOT giving into it.

Like a gas motor, if you stop giving it fuel it will eventually sputter and die out. Your goal is to get the little 'fear motor' in your head to die out. You do this by changing how you talk to yourself when those anxious moments start up. You stop fueling your anxiety motor with the fear it needs to run. So next time you feel a heart flutter or palpitation you don't tell yourself "ohmigosh! I'm having a heart attack! I'm going crazy! etc.." and you say "Oh it's just another heart palpitation. I know from what I've learned it's nothing serious. I'm just feeling a bit anxious right now- nothing to worry about". Change your inner language by using that compassionate self-talk and your body will follow your mind in suit- but you must practice this.

Use the six steps from the program too. Breathe slowly, change your self talks, distract and let it pass. This is a skill you must practice until it becomes second nature. Do this, and you will get it together- take it from someone who knows and understands.

Take good care.