Major Anxiety coming back!

Good afternoon all,

It has been a while since I have surfed around on this forum. I need to start doing so more to be there for you all, as well as seek help.

This week welcomed me with a major panic attack, one that I have not felt the caliber of in about a year. This one came on as a overwhelming feeling of not being able to breath, scared/anxious feelings relating to my heart and rhythm, and a feeling of light headedness.

This attack occurred on Tuesday this week and I went into urgent care and got hooked up to an EKG to make sure nothing else was going on. That came back clean but since monday I have still been strung up, worrying that there is something wrong with my heart.

Im not sure how to get rid of this feeling..

Its amazing because in my mind I dont think that I cant even run 50 feet, that my heart will not take it. Yet, for 12 years i played competitive soccer, with no issue, as well as the physical fitness for the U.S. Marine Corps, again with no problem for 3 years.. After my first major panic attack, I didnt think I could do any of it
at all. But I also work in Emergency Medical Services, and when its someone elses life, it all seems to disappear. Ive sprinted to a patient, and not experience any problems. But when its my life in my mind, it all comes back and worries me..


Thank you all,
Mike

Hi mikem and welcome back...

Although I wish it was not because of the recent anxiety! Setbacks are tough...but they happen, and everybody deals with them at some point during their journey.

I know what you mean when you describe the worry about your physical self...even though you are a healthy and fit person. It seems crazy that we can go from doing some pretty demanding things with our bodies (I am a professional athlete) to shaking with the fear that our hearts are going to give out any minute!

I have been there, and it is not fun. The best thing that I can recommend is therapy. I can't remember if you have had any before, but it really turned things around for me. Even self-help in the form of books or DVD's are great.

If you have done some form of this, then re-visiting the notes or material is time well spent! Sometimes we need a refresher course!

Don't forget about our Resource Guide here as well...lots of good ideas in there including the links to the breathing and relaxation videos.

Keep posting here with us as well. We are here to listen and support anytime.:)

I hope that you have a peaceful end of the week!

S.C.