Anxiety over medical condition?

August 10, 2006 8:13 PM

I've had a lifelong heart issue that's really never been a problem, but I find myself as I head towards my 30s growing more and more concerned with it and it's come to cause daily anxieties over imminent and horrible death, etc. Sometimes the anxiety is mild and sometimes it is of the stomach-churning, dark visions variety. I see a cardiologist on a regular basis and get good reports and generally feel as though I am in good hands, but I still cannot stop this mounting anxiety and fear of calamity and it's starting to hinder my ability to enjoy life. I am wondering if anyone has similar experiences and perhaps tips on how to combat this kind of anxiety. I do suffer from anxiety in general - who doesn't? - but I feel that this issue has become a focal point.
posted by anonymous to health & fitness (12 comments total)

What kind of heart issue is it? MVP? Cause if so, there's a lot documentation around on the relation between Mitral Valve Prolapse and anxiety/panic attacks. There was a period of time where I would get them at least once a week, though in recent years they have subsided greatly. I wonder though, regardless of what your heart ailment is, if you'd benefit from seeing a psychologist rather than a cardiologist. Whether or not it's your heart that is causing these symptoms, the problem still lies in the head, so you might want address it head on (no pun intended).
posted by Cochise at 8:54 PM on August 10, 2006

Anecdote:
My dad was diagnosed with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in 1988.

My mom, the brown-rice-eating marathoner, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998, and didn't die for four agonizing years -- until 2002, when she did.

My dad is still kicking.
---

Arm yourself with knowledge. With knowledge, you should be able to reason out how likely you are to die, and what symptoms you might have before you do.

Learn how an EKG works and how to read the traces. Hell, learn about all the diagnostic tests they do on you, all the drugs you take, and what exactly is wrong with you in as much detail as possible. I don't mean to imply that you can out-doctor your doctors -- but the information is all out there, and if your doctors could learn it, so can you. Things are not so scary when you shine a light on them; if you are going to worry, why not know what you are worried about?

My mom loved to do this. I'd get her all the latest ov-cancer review articles and the most major of the primary papers from the school library, and she and I would figure them out. Ovarian cancer wasn't a monster then -- it is just a disease, and some of the smartest people in the world are working on it as hard as they can right now.

Also consider participating in a clinical trial for your condition -- you'll learn a lot about it out of that, and you'll be part of the solution then.
posted by Methylviolet at 9:18 PM on August 10, 2006

I got all the medical information about my version of this, and then I said OK, that's cool, and dropped the issue. If it's one of these "it might kill you at any point, but it probably won't, and something else likely will first at some point" issues, the only thing it can do to you is eat away at your life until either one does. Once you realize this is the situation for EVERYONE whether they know it or not, you start to forget about it and live your life the way you would if it was not an issue - the best you can until you kick the bucket. There's just simply not another way to do it, no matter what health you're in.

The key here is how to get to that state of mind - for some it's exhaustive medical research, for others it's simply time. You'll work it out, because you'll probably get so sick of thinking about it that you have no other choice. :)
posted by kcm at 9:33 PM on August 10, 2006

(It's like the war on terrah - if you are afraid, they have won. The disease killing you isn't actually the sad part, it's thinking about the idea that it possibly could. Once you're dead, who cares.. just ignore it the best you can and keep up with your docs until you don't have to any more. :) Keep busy.)
posted by kcm at 9:35 PM on August 10, 2006

IANA Dr.

Anxiety works like that--it can express itself through intense concern about your health, which can amplify its effects.

A panic attack can include chest pain and a feeling of impending death--which, if you're panicking, can work with your knowledge of your heart condition to scare the ever-lovin' ctap out of you. An illusion, but not fun--just something to keep in mind if you find your concern getting out of hand.

if that happens, and you feel your anxiety snowball, until you fear that the anxiety itself is triggering a heart episode, here's a two-part strategy: 1) lie on the floor and 2) try to force a belly laugh. You'll feel foolish, but you'll also force the panic attack to subside. Happy to expalin how each helps, if you like.

You're treating the heart condition, now try something like , e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy for the anxiety.

All of this is within the hive memory.
posted by Phred182 at 9:38 PM on August 10, 2006

You may want to consider seeing a therapist or other mental health practitioner. When I was having similar anxiety issues I found it quite helpful. There are also medications pretty effective against anxiety disorders (SSRIs, among others). If you feel that anxiety is interfering with day-to-day life it certainly is worth getting treated. Whether or not this is the right choice for you only you can decide but it's worht considering.
posted by pombe at 9:41 PM on August 10, 2006

Acupuncture makes a strong correlation between Heart issues and anxiety in some cases. I have found it can be a powerful tool in addressing mental and emotional issues. I am not suggesting you give up your cardiologist.
posted by pointilist at 10:01 PM on August 10, 2006

After my heart attack, I worried about this too. Especially because the initial symptoms of my heart attack had been indistinguishable from heartburn, any gastrointestinal distress or even light-headedness from skipping a meal, made me wonder if I was having another heart attack. I spent too much time and effort sitting around "monitoring" myself, trying to figure out if I was about to keel over. It interrupted dinners, dates, my whole damn schedule when the worry would keep me from getting to sleep.

But then I remembered that the later symptoms of my heart attack included a lot of unmistakable crushing pain. A lot. So I resolved not to get too worried unless and until I'm in serious pain, and I became a lot less anxious.

Eventually, I'll have a nother heart attack, and I'll die. Until then, I gotta enjoy the time I have.
posted by orthogonality at 7:34 AM on August 11, 2006

Second the advice from Phred182.
The panic/anxiety and heart condition are not related, but when the anxiety starts, your mind shifts to the heart condition, and it appears that this is what you are focusing on. I have struggled with some of the same types of issues (though not heart related). The mind is a strange thing.
Anyway, what worked for me was a combo of the following:
Drastic reduction in caffeine intake
Regular Cardio exercise
Focus on breathing when you feel the snowball of panic starting to roll.

Takes a few weeks, but it worked wonders for me. Medication may also help in the short term (few months) in order to get you at a baseline where you feel that you have some control.
YMMV.
posted by TheFeatheredMullet at 9:00 AM on August 11, 2006

I don't have any heart problems of which I'm aware, but I started getting panicky about the time I entered my 30s.

The thing that worked for me was to distract myself and not dwell on it. Thinking about the thoughts or what I was experiencing was like putting the thoughts in an echo chamber. They just keep feeding and feeding and feeding themselves until they grew to large to manage.

At the first sign of anything like that, I try to distract myself. I know that's easier said than done -- particularly when you're in the habit of dwelling on the thoughts. You may need to actually remove yourself from wherever you are and just go do something else for a while.

I also cut caffeine out of my diet. I didn't do it because of panic, and I don't know if that helped or not, but since it was mentioned up thread I'll mention it as well. I guess it's worth trying.
posted by willnot at 9:58 AM on August 11, 2006

I have had palpitations for a long time, and an echocardiogram found nothing. I took some Sudafed this past May and they became nearly constant. Repeated tests, including a Holter monitor, showed nothing... so I sympathize. I'm on Lopressor now to regulate my heartbeat and the palpitations are rare now. I also cut caffeine. It is hard to not worry about it, but I'll second the idea to see a therapist if you need to.

Here's a quote that helps me out: "Worrying is like paying interest on money you may never borrow."
posted by IndigoRain at 2:22 PM on August 11, 2006

Have you considered Cognitive Behavior Therapy? This type of therapy teaches you to deal with and change your negative thought patterns to positive thought patterns. This is accomplished through a variety of written exercises.

I highly recommend the book Mind Over Mood.
posted by socrateaser at 3:36 PM on August 11, 2006