Tell me it's just anxiety

[Emma245 28]

Hi everyone,

Well recently I've been getting pains in my chest. I'm a mid theirties woman who is not overweight and I eat what I would call a fairly decent diet. Not the best but not the worst either. I walk minimum 45 minutes each day.

I'm sure it's anxiety but most of the time it is where I imagine my heart to be. But sometimes it's across my other side of my chest or higher up (if that makes sense). But then other times I forget about it and realise I haven't noticed it for a couple of hours. Hence why I think this is just anxiety related rather than heart disease ?.

Like most people here I am generally anxious most of the time and move from one symptom to the next which also backs up my just anxiety theory...

Does anyone else get like this???

Thank you

[Mark G 1186]

YES.. this is very common and is caused by muscular tension in your chest muscles.  When you're not thinking about it, the chest muscles relax.  It will be nothing to do with the heart, the pain certainly would not be focus driven.

[Emma245 28]

Hi mark, thank you very much for your reply. My health anxiety has been so bad recently and I don't know why ?.

I think I need to keep myself busy more so I can't think about it. That and keep telling myself that I'm not going to collapse in the street!

I suppose it worried me a bit cos this isn't a symptom I usually get. But then my anxiety changes all the time so I guess it's just showing itself in a different way now.

[Mark G 1186]

That's exactly what it does, it finds new ways to scare you. 

43 minutes ago, Emma245 said:

My health anxiety has been so bad recently and I don't know why

The anxiety can wax and wane dependant on many things eg tiredness/fatigue, work stress, time of year etc.  Many factors go in to it but ultimately it's your reaction that dictates the strength of the anxiety.  A change in the reaction is directly related to the amount of anxiety you feel, they are linked because they are one.  Try to keep relaxed KNOWING that anxiety can do nothing more than make you THINK that it can hurt you, it really can't.

[Emma245 28]

Hi Mark,

Funny because this morning I was just thinking that it's the anxiety/panic attack that I'm ultimately frightened of. I hate the feeling and I do everything to avoid being in a situation that gives me a panic attack. I've been trying for months to just let them come and get through it but I find it so hard. I just instinctively battle it away and do something to distract myself because I can't stand the feeling. I can't deal with it because it's so frightening. I don't know how to do it. I'm doing my best to do as much as I can because I don't want to be this way but sometimes it's feels impossible!