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Symptoms of heart attack - help me seriously

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Posted 4/3/2014 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
I wanted to write and ask for some advice on how i might handle my situation.
I had mild anxiety (agoraphobia) throughout high school, but it escalated when i was 28yrs old after my partner of 11yrs/husband of 2yrs suffered a heart attack in my presence & passed away... He was 29yrs old.
I didnt know panic until after this day in september 2011.
Before i have attacks, i get anxiety symptoms, numbness in left arm, tight chest etc...
Ive had my heart tested and was told i was ok but i never believe them, they had told my hubby he had indigestion 4wks prior to his death so i lost all faith in medical profession...
And because symptoms mimic that of a heart attack, and i witnessed my hubby have one, had to give cpr til ambulance rocked up, was told his heart had stopped...
How do i NOT think the same is happening to me everytime? Ive been on medication for almost 3yrs now
Posted 4/3/2014 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi sounchain and welcome.

First of all my deepest condolences on the tragic circumstances of losing your husband. I can not begin to imagine what you have gone through.

Your resulting fear and anxiety are not hard to understand.

It is good that you have begun to try and manage your anxiety with medication, now perhaps you can look into taking it to another beneficial step.

Have you been in therapy? If not, I can't recommend this highly enough.

If you have, I still believe that you could gain by re-visiting the idea...for help with the fears you mentioned specifically.

You may want to find someone and discuss the subject/possibilities of anxiety, of course...but also the use of CBT for health anxiety and possibly PTSD? (I am not diagnosing you, just giving you suggestion of where to possibly start)

We are here to support you anytime you need some ears to listen, and some hearts to care. We are a caring group, who will encourage you as you go through this process of recovering from the fears and anxiety.

Post with us anytime,

Scaredy Cat
Posted 4/3/2014 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi soundchain,

 

My heartfelt condolences on the sudden death of your husband.  I cannot imagine the pain you must feel without him in your life.

My Mother died at my kitchen table and I did CPR on her all the time I felt like I was looking down at the two of us - her unresponsive and me performing CPR with the tears rolling down my cheeks begging God to help me.

You did a wonderful thing  by attempting to revive your husband.

I suspect besides grief you may also have PTSD. The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can  cause PTSD. I hope you have had some grief counseling and I also would like you to talk with a Psychiatrist about PTSD.

My Father died of cancer, I was there.  I was dx in 2012 with cancer - I fear dying but I have no control over when I will die. Living with the fear of dying versus living my life enjoying my family now were my 2 choices.  I chose to live in the moment.  One of our sons died at the age of 21 from a car crash.........I truly did not believe I would survive but somehow I did. 

I poured myself into my work after my son died and did everything I could for any young trauma patient that presented to our ER - and I did it in honor of our son as it was the only thing I could do for him anymore. I am a ER nurse.

Let the tears out and talk out your fears in therapy.  Part of grief is anger and I sense your anger at the Drs. for not knowing your husband was going to have a sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of heart function (sudden cardiac arrest). Sudden cardiac death is the largest cause of natural death in the United States. It is not something you can predict - it strikes men between 30-40 most often.........

I sit here with tears in my eyes as I picture you trying to save your husbands life.

Blessings,

Kitt

 

Posted 4/3/2014 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
Soundchain

I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband!
I too am sat here with tears in my eyes!!
My husband had a heart attack aged 26, but luckily his life was saved and he is 37 now!
I cannot imagine what you must have gone through as if I'd lost my husband I'm sure i would have been a wreck!!
My husband complained to doctors a couple of years before his heart attack of chest pains,but I think because he was so young they woudn't take him seriously! But he always knew deep down that something was not right! And lo and behold he did eventually have a heart attack!!
I personally think if you are young or old matters of the heart should be taken more seriously by the medical profession!

You say you have had our heart tested, so its more than likely that your suffering from panic disorder, and I say this because its exactly how I feel when I'm having a panic attack!
My panic also started after the death of my second child aged six months,then 3 yrs later I lost my dad,and 2 yrs after that I lost my mum too!
And with my husband having his heart attack, I dony think my nervous system could cope anymore!
I think the death of someone you love can have a profound effect on us!!
So please try and be reassured that you are fine and will continue to be fine!!
Anxiety and panic do mimic symptoms of serious disorders,its just our brains way of tricking us, the symptoms are very real!
I hope you find some relief soon!
Take care :-)
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