Paranoid.
I'm so paranoid I am having a heart attack. My step dad had a heart attack 2 weeks ago almost and ever since then i have been obsessing over it. When my mom told me about his symptoms, i automatically started to develop them. He had pain in his elbows and chest and now i do. Especially my left elbow, shoulder, and arm, and then i get a weird pain in my chest on the side where my heart is. Im not sure if its just muscle tension or i am in fact having a heart attack. It's like a weird tightening that comes and goes. It feels like its in my left breast..I dont know. But its freaking me out... Along with that i have been so focused on my breathing that i feel like i cant catch my breath and i have to yawn sometimes to catch my breath... Its very unsettling. I told my aunt who is a nurse about it the other day, and she just yelled at me and laughed in my face basically and told me im a hypochondriac.. She wasn't even the slightest bit concerned about me. Maybe its because i am 24 years old and relatively healthy and don't have high blood pressure or smoke or anything like that, and my diet is pretty decent. The only factor i have in having a heart attack is STRESS. Im just really scared that im having one.. I can't stand this. If something was really wrong....would my aunt have been concerned... should i still go to the ER...is this anxiety related or something else... Im reallly anxious over this. :(
Replies
Please understand the probabilities are low on a heart attack. But an anxiety and panic attack can mirror what symptoms of a heart attack , Your worry and concern, can cause your body to feel this.
As a simulated patient for a med college, we were given scripts with a list of symptoms to give to med students. We were told to take our breaks, talking, walking and clear our mind. If not our body would manifest the symptoms for us, after repetition of scenarios. No fun when your script was a migraine or carpal tunnel, by the end of the day, yep, had pain.
Our mind is a pretty funny thing, it can convince our body into something. Placebo\'s work that way.
P.S if you can start a new project, book or something to break that thought train. I hope your step father is recovering well.