- Username
- caitxo
- Date posted
- 5y ago
I dealt with this for so long. During my first pregnancy my blood pressure was monitored and for the following 4 years I irrationally took my blood pressure obsessively and became so focused on symptoms of heart disease or anything related. I had such bad anxiety and it would manifest with chest tightness, tingling, light headedness, and so many other signs of what looks like high blood pressure or stroke or whatever. None of it was. I was fine and still am and am 99% over this obsession. You can be too.
I say you need to get to a counselor or a doctor. These thoughts are serious and they can lead to irrational actions! I recommend going to habit reversal training or something of the sort, they can help you and you will have much more peace!
I’m curious what makenna means by irrational actions and habit reversal training.
@anjuli habit reversal training is typically used for tourettes but can be used for OCD as well! Basically you take the habit (compulsion) you can’t stop and you find something to replace it, or you can squeeze a part of your body and it intercepts the brain flow sometimes and distRacts you! And by irrational actions I mean harming yourself because you don’t want to deal with it anymore, or taking meds you don’t need because you think it will help, compulsions can really cloud judgement
I don’t know if this is right, but maybe you should analyze the evidence? That’s what helps me (alongside ERP) with my own cardio phobia. I.e. maybe this woman had a cardiac illness since birth? Maybe (this is just an example) she did heavy drugs?
Okay I just read the story and I’m getting massive anxiety as well... poor woman :( I still think we should try and expose ourselves to this possibility (life is uncertain) and also try and understand that this is something that doesn’t happen every day. There are tons of 19 year olds that are alive and kicking. Most people don’t die that young. :/ this is the only thing I can say to make you (and me) feel better
@makenna Ok. Maybe be careful talking about irrational actions. Most people with OCD have massive fears that their anxiety will lead to some terrible outcome and those fears are irrational. But saying that her thoughts are serious and could lead to irrational actions could trigger more unfounded fear.
Anybody struggle with their heart health? I’m constantly worried about a heart attack. I keep feeling like my left arm hurts and I’ll continually press on it and think about the way it feels. I check my pulse constantly. Any slight feeling in my chest that isn’t “normal” freaks me out. I also keep thinking that I can’t breathe deep enough. I’ve started avoided eating because I don’t wanna eat foods with fat or something that could give me heart attack. I’m 18 and there’s no way I could be having a heart attack. What can I do to get over this?
For the past month and a half I’ve been getting horrible thoughts that I’m going to die soon and I keep seeing things on the news about 18 year olds dying and I’m scared it’s a sign because I’m 17 and my head keeps telling me somethings going to happen before I turn 18 or when I turn 18. I’ve also got a constant feeling in my gut that something bad is going to happen to me and it never goes away it’s a horrible feeling and I don’t know what to do. My head also keeps telling me I’m ready to die which I’m not I don’t want to, I’m living my life in fear and I’m really scared it’s not anxiety. Could this just be my mind daring me to think these things like the feeling I’m ready to die etc or is it my gut trying to tell me something and it’s sending me signs. I’m really scared. Please help.
I’ve had many different intrusive thoughts over the years, but I can’t seem to shake this obsession with my heart. I continually think it’s going to just stop or that it can’t handle being elevated. I don’t even have family history of heart disease or heart attack or anything of the sort. I keep myself healthy between exercise and diet. I’ve reassured myself a million ways from Sunday. I saw a cardiologist once, years ago, who reassured me that my heart palpitations were nothing to be afraid of. I try to look at every workout as an exposure, pushing myself to trust my heart and ignore the thoughts. But sometimes I just want to relax and enjoy dinner with my boyfriend or being out with my friends without ruminating over what would happen if I had a heart attack in the restaurant, the bar, where’s the nearest hospital, can I trust the people I’m with to know what to do, etc. It’s exhausting.
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