Stress Center Peer Support

That is one of the worst symptoms for me because it goes hand in hand with difficulty breathing. I have had heart surgery in the past for tetralogy de fallot and my anxiety is caused by a fear of having another/ same heart problem again. I started the course for the second time( First time I did not finish the program and anxiety has returned it's ugly head. The last couple of days I have been having the chest pains, feeling short of breath, and difficulty swalloing and nothing has happened. This helps me get convinced that their is nothing wrong with me and helps with the anxiety. I hope you feel better and I am sure this will go away.

Hi!! It's really strange here I sit and read about others chestpain and I just feel the same thing before I started the programme and join this site I think I was the only person in the world how feel like this. I always have a pain right over my heart and it really hurts and it feels that my heart are racing. I knows that it's my anxiety and I'm not worried for my heart condition but at the same time I feel this irritating. I hope the programme will helps and it's important to be relaxed and take care of yourself. Thanks all lovely people out there!!

moa,

i can also add on here about my experiences.

i too suffered/ suffer from the same. my problem is lingering, but getting better and is almost gone.

i was not going to respond to this post until you stated that you also felt heart palpatations after the chest pains and I have the same thing.

alot of my anxiety was fed and promoted by a horrible job that I have since left. i first suffered from terrible chest tightness and shallow breathing that would follow me pretty much every day. it really scared me. the funny thing was, i would go for long walks to walk off some of the anxious energy and would do great when i started, but as soon as i would turn around to head back my thoughts would begin to conspire against me of "what if i have a heart attack and don't make it back" and that type of thing. as soon as that happened, and again- only on the return portion of the walk- i was panicking again.

at one point, i had had enough. i went to an urgent care facility, and they did bloodwork, EKG, and X-Ray. all clear, no problems. after having all of those tests and being told that it was only ("only"- heh) anxiety, i somehow got control of it in my mind and it never happened that severe anymore.

now onto the chest pains. once the tightness stopped or lessened, chest pain started. sometimes jabs like small electric shocks, and sometimes like there was a fist around my heart. it would be sometimes on the left side, and then sometimes on the right. AND this would usually be followed with palpatations.

what i have found useful in erasing any doubt that this is anxiety, is i have asked my wife to gently apply constant pressure on the spot in my chest where the tension or pain is. for me, this brings instant relief.

conclusion: for me the chest pain is tight muscles beneath my pectorals that can be eased with massage/ and/or pressure.

this brings me peace of mind in knowing that it is not a heart problem and the chest pain is now leaving.

yesterday i had a problem because i visited a website about my old job with postings about one of the coworkers who helped to make my old job such a horrible environment and the heart palpatations returned for pretty much the whole day due to my mental mindset of being back in that place.

i told my counselor about it, and she told me to not go back to that site since it is over with, and those people are no longer in my life...i am free.

today i have done good things for myself already (hit the gym, go for a walk, eat well) and have not had to deal with the palpatations.

after doing this, i can only tell you how amazed i constantly am at the power of the mind in creating both bad, and good in our lives.

i hope this helps.

so when I am feeling fine or not feeling anxious those pain can be from anxiety???? I am still learning I guess

ellkay,

i would probably answer your question from experience with a bit of a side-step...my heart palpatations and chest pain/ tightness always occur when I am in a certain mindset or thought pattern.

for instance, i mentioned my bad job. going to a website and having a confrontation with one of the coworkers that made it a horrible experience brought back alot of feelings and thoughts. old self-soubts, concerns, etc. as soon as those thoughts resurfaced, so did the palpatations.

so, can you be certain that you are not thinking anything in particular or in any negative thought process prior to feeling that way?

for me, i am certain that my thoughts affect the chest pain.

also, i believe (and anyone correct me if i am wrong) that the body also gets into a habit with anxiety. other posts from the patient of an endocrinologist has stated that panic and anxiety disorders are how the body has learned to respond to stress (ie: it is now set up and trained to react that way), another has stated that the biochemicals related to stress and anxiety are in greater amounts when suffering from panic and anxiety.

if this is true, and though we may feel in control, it still may take additional time to completely cleanse this biochemical reaction and bad habit from our body.

this is where i believe exercise can be extremely beneficial (particularly aerobic) as i believe that exercise can dramatically alter our chemistry for the better.

Yes it is anxiety. All the adrenaline being pumped out. I have them most of the day and night. Only time they leave is when I lay down or sit and do relaxation. It may be Lucinda's relaxation, or a cd, or Bible verses, or imagery, but the more I think about the symptoms the more they come. You have to relax. Easier said than done, but possible. Also, I don't sleep and that creates a lot of adrenaline, make sure, if you can, be rested.