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Fear of Dying in Panic Attack situations


20 years ago 0 239 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi there Weez. Hopeful is right, positive thinking is everything! Something else you can start to think is things like this: "Maybe this person had symptoms and didn't tell anyone" "Maybe this person had symptoms and didn't think anything of it" "Maybe theres a history of what happened to him in his family" I believe that the body always gives us warning signs. Us panic sufferers are just too in tune to miss any! Trust in yourself that if ever anything was wrong with your body, you'll be the first to know. I have a hard time with my negative thoughts about illness etc. These kind of rationalising affirmations help bring me back to reality. Take care, we're all here for you. :)
20 years ago 0 200 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Wheez! I feel for you, I've been there myself. I used to think that I would drop dead when I had a panic attack, too. It took me a long time to change that thought in my head. The fact is that you can't die from a panic attack. And you're not going to stop breathing. And you can't make yourself die by thinking about it either. The hardest part of working on this panic thing is that we have to change our thoughts. All of us want a guarantee that nothing bad will happen to us. We don't accept any risk at all. We accept other thoughts that we can't 'prove'. You can't see gravity, or prove it's there, but none of us think we are going to float off the planet! LOL!!!! The doctor said that you are healthy, start to believe it. I know it sounds dumb and it seems like it won't work, but repeat to yourself over and over and over that "I'm healthy, nothing is wrong with me". Say it 1000 times a day. When a worried thought pops into your head, IMMEDIATETLY change it to the good thought "I'm healthy". You will think that it's not doing any good, but keep doing it. Eventually it gets engraved into your brain. It worked for me, it took a while, but I don't have those thoughts any more. Thoughts will not kill you, but good thoughts will make you better!
20 years ago 0 22 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I used to do the check-the-pulse thing because I was scared I was going to have a heart attack. This was only a few years ago, I was probably only like 15 or so and when we went to the beach I wouldhn't get on any rides because I was scared if I got on, I'd get too scared/excited and have a heart attack and die. Now my fear is that I'm just going to stop breathing. Ugh, it's hard for me to talk about. Some guy in my school, like died...dropped dead at school. He had some lung disease that noone knew about until after he died. Like his lungs collapsed or something. It terrifies me. I was sposed to have a class in the same classroom where he died. I had to switch out...I hate even walking by it. I just...that's my OCD thought...that I'm going to stop breathing...I know people say that that just doesn't happen for no reason. I've had a full physical and they said I'm healthy but I'm still terrified it could just "stop". This just doesn't happen for no reason...correct? And you can't like make yourself right? Man...it scares me to talk about it. I hate this.
21 years ago 0 128 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I've just read this whole discussion and seem to have the exact same problem. I'm so focused on my heart I can't focus on anything else. I think, my heart has been through sooooo much stress and anxiety, how can it possibly take any more?! I have near constant pains and weird palpitations throughout my chest and every night I just pray that I will wake up in the morning. Recently I saw a cardiologist who said I'm in the lowest risk category for heart probs ( I'm only 26, non-smoker, not overweight, etc) problem is, I'm more worried about congenital defects or valve problems than coronary artery disease. (or like I said, that my heart has just had more than a lifetime worth of stress) Anyways, I'm having a bunch of tests done-echo, stress test, holter- but I have to wait and it is absolutely agonizing!! Sarah
21 years ago 0 239 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi there Hopeful, That’s exactly how I feel about the health one!! You can’t run from your body, exactly. Like you, I have worried about all sorts of silly things like the cops are out to get me, all sorts of silly things. I know exactly what you mean about if it’s not one concern it’ll be another. Sorry I don’t really have any advice to give. But something I remind myself of is that at least the concerns change. In my logical thinking, the fact that I’m worried about this one day and that the other, is proof to me it’s all in my head. For, if it were real, it’d most likely be 100x worse and wouldn’t go away! Hope this has been helpful. You’re not alone.
21 years ago 0 200 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
My recent problem with panic is worrying about health problems, like dying or that every little pain is fatal. This manifestation is pretty new to me, in the past I have focused on one thing at a time, such as a fear of my dog coughing, fear the cops are coming to get me, etc. Looking back over my life, I see that it's always been one problem at a time. When I drop one thing, there is a new, unexplainable one to take it's place. Now it's health, and I hate this one because I can take it with me everywhere. When it was the coughing dog, for example, I could get away from the dog. You can't run from your own body! So this one is especially bothersome. I want to be done with this panic problem once and for all. I don't want the health issues to leave, only to be replaced with some other dumb fixation![font=Comic Sans MS]Text[/font]
21 years ago 0 22 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
[size=4]i know how you feel, i get scared of dying too, but not only when i'm panicing but all the time. if i get chest pain then i think that i am having a heart attack, or if i get a head ache then i think that i have a tumour, i am constantly looking for things that are wrong with me. the way that i deal with it is to write and to try and think positivly. if i feel a bit low then i find a quite place and do a bit of writing a poem or story. i don't write about sad things, i write about nice things, places that i like to be, like the beach, i would describe it imagining that i'm really there, thinking it isn't enough for me. if you need a chat then feel free to drop me a line, take care, my thoughts are with you, hugs, becca.xxx[/size]
21 years ago 0 1 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hello I'm with the most of you here when it comes to what I feel. Every second of every day I suffer with my fear of my heart stopping. I am constantly taking my pulse, and so constantly aware of my heartbeat that it rules my day. I can't ever really relax, have fun for prolonged periods of time, or do anything physically demanding because of my fear. I also suffer with panic attacks, pretty regularly, and they're really terrible. I fear so badly that I'm going to die of a heart attack, I scream for help, I gasp for air, I run around, etc.. If there's an end, I'd like to know it.
21 years ago 0 239 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I know this fear of dying well too. It really is horrible. Something I read a few weeks ago is that when we're having a bad attack we convince ourselves that "this is the one". We think that all our panic attacks are different to the next. When in reality they're not. The physical symptoms may alter a little. But that frightened to the core emotion is the same. It's what drives it all. If you feel yourself getting into a state say to yourself "I've done this before" I've found this has a calming effect. Something else I've found works (though it might not be for everyone!) is to say "This is boring". I've found saying that brings me back to earth sometimes, through a kinda humour, if anything. Saying "this is boring" on the onset of a panic attack, to me, is like looking the bull between the eyes and then spitting in it's face. Like I said, might not be for everyone. I use it as a way of preventing a full blown attack.
21 years ago 0 11 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
LISA, I HAVE ALMOST THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND IM ALSO YOUNG 30...WOULD YOU LIKE T START CORESPONDING...PLEASE EMAIL ME BRATWURST500@CS.COM....HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON

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