The Cellar - View Single Post - My Heart, My Fear, and the Power of the Mind

Undertoad · 01-25-2005, 11:28 PM

Yes, this is absolutely classic anxiety / panic. I've had it. I can help.

Panic can produce any symptom - and every symptom. It is worsened by longer periods of stress.

After long periods of stress, your nerves literally become more responsive as they expect the "fight or flight" response. Once your nerves are sensitized in this way, they react to things that you normally wouldn't react to - some first fear - and then you listen in to the symptoms and react to them. You may be inadvertently conditioned to fear the fear, in a way.

If it's not chronic, it's something you can either address through drugs, talk therapy, a combination of the two, or coping techniques. For the short term, some docs will prescribe Xanax, Ativan or some similar type of drug which interrupts the anxiety reaction and can basically shut it off. The effect of having your anxiety completely shut off is pretty powerful, and so a lot of people get hooked on these. They put me flat out to sleep, so I can't take them.

The short-term drugs should not be ruled out completely out of bias, as they will permit you to continue your life more normally.

For a quick coping technique, the trick in panic reactions is to sort of Zen through it. You now know you've been looked at for serious heart problems. You don't have a heart problem, you have adrenaline. You are healthy, your problem is an illogical response to stress.

Knowing this may be a big help to begin. You know when it starts that it's not a serious problem; it's just a "spell". It *will* go away; your body will only produce adrenaline for so long. But at the same time, you can't FIGHT the symptoms. The trick is to know that they are there but harmless, meaningless. To be distracted with other things.

Having a condition that you can only make worse by fighting it is truly a zen experience. This is the chinese fiinger trap of life; fight it and it only gets worse. Fight it regularly, and you condition yourself even more for stress. A minimum of people fight it so hard they wind up having a worse time of it. Luckily this is something the psych docs really understand well at this point. Don't suffer with this one, even your GP might be able to help if s/he's familiar with the condition.

01-25-2005, 11:28 PM	#4
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Yes, this is absolutely classic anxiety / panic. I've had it. I can help. Panic can produce any symptom - and every symptom. It is worsened by longer periods of stress. After long periods of stress, your nerves literally become more responsive as they expect the "fight or flight" response. Once your nerves are sensitized in this way, they react to things that you normally wouldn't react to - some first fear - and then you listen in to the symptoms and react to them. You may be inadvertently conditioned to fear the fear, in a way. If it's not chronic, it's something you can either address through drugs, talk therapy, a combination of the two, or coping techniques. For the short term, some docs will prescribe Xanax, Ativan or some similar type of drug which interrupts the anxiety reaction and can basically shut it off. The effect of having your anxiety completely shut off is pretty powerful, and so a lot of people get hooked on these. They put me flat out to sleep, so I can't take them. The short-term drugs should not be ruled out completely out of bias, as they will permit you to continue your life more normally. For a quick coping technique, the trick in panic reactions is to sort of Zen through it. You now know you've been looked at for serious heart problems. You don't have a heart problem, you have adrenaline. You are healthy, your problem is an illogical response to stress. Knowing this may be a big help to begin. You know when it starts that it's not a serious problem; it's just a "spell". It will go away; your body will only produce adrenaline for so long. But at the same time, you can't FIGHT the symptoms. The trick is to know that they are there but harmless, meaningless. To be distracted with other things. Having a condition that you can only make worse by fighting it is truly a zen experience. This is the chinese fiinger trap of life; fight it and it only gets worse. Fight it regularly, and you condition yourself even more for stress. A minimum of people fight it so hard they wind up having a worse time of it. Luckily this is something the psych docs really understand well at this point. Don't suffer with this one, even your GP might be able to help if s/he's familiar with the condition.