chest pain

hey recently i have been experiencing a number of anxiety symptoms but the most worrying started when I began to think about heart attacks. Now I experience pain in my heart region and I was just wondering if this is due to anxiety. It really bad when I try to go to sleep and after the pain it usually follows with some tingling in my legs and feet. Should this be a worry and could someone please tell me if they have experienced pain like this due constantly thinking your going to have a heart attack. This has been going on for about three weeks now. Please any response would be appreciated i'm 18 years old and my life as of now is centered around this thought. Please help.

[ativan]

Hi there,
The feelings your getting are all anxiety symptoms, although nobody should just egnore chest pain, but has your always thinking of your heart you will get all the symptoms, the only thing that I can suggest is getting a anxiety cd and putting that on when you go to bed it does help, your only very young have you had cbt for your anxiety? keep us posted and stop the worriying.
janis.

[Karol420]

Hey thanks for replying I had a feeling it was all in my head but it is strange what your mind is capable of. I'll try the cd but i'm a little skeptical because I have tried listening to soothing music but it only makes it worse because I think about what it is i'm trying to avoid. What is a cbt exactly I have been to the doctors but this was about three months ago for a physical because i was worried i had testicular cancer, yeah this is how it all started. Just to be sure I really do feel pain in my heart sometimes on the left side sometimes on the right but always in the same spots it follows with all the common heart attack symptoms and my chest feels like its caving in. So this is anxiety?

[scaredjo]

hi i suffer the same anxiety i had it for years, yeah it is definatly possible to feel all these symptoms and it be anxiety. i have had loads of tests all have been normal but i still get all the symptoms cause its all i have thought about for years.
i do suggest you visit your doctor to discuss your symptoms then he can diagnose you with anxiety and get you the help you need, no one on here is qualified to diagnose you.
the doctor can put you intouch with a therapist and you can hopefully get over this
good luck

[greenlydia]

For those of us with health anxiety, our hearts seem to be the main focus. Everthing you've described is classic for health/heart anxiety. Our minds are unbelievably powerful, almost magical in what they can get us to believe. Always remember that if your mind can make you believe you're having a heart attack, that same mind can logically tell you it's just your anxiety. But before you can take back control, you need to see your doctor for a thorough vetting and get it from him/her that your heart is fine. You're only 18 years old. How many 18 year olds do you hear about having heart attacks? Pretty much zero. So, talk to your doctor about your anxiety, because that's all this is, and look into some therapy to nip this in the bud. There is a reason you're having anxiety and once you figure that out and deal with it, you can live out the rest of your very long life anxiety free!
(CBT=Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) It's just a kind of talk therapy.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Karol420]

Hey thanks everyone for replying I feel a lot better now that I know i'm not gonna drop dead out of the blue. And yeah i guess at this point i will go to see my doctor but when you mentioned that my anxiety began because of some experience, it made me think and now i'm pretty sure i know what it is. Thanks everyone.

[greenlydia]

You're very welcome and I hope you HAVE figured out where this anxiety came from. Once you know THAT your more than half way home!

But I would STILL urge you to see your doctor just so you can, really and truly, put that fear to rest.
And if you need help dealing with whatever brought on the anxiety, talk therapy is great. Take advantage of whatever you need so that anxiety does not rule your life. Trust me, it is no life at all.
We all wish you the best and hope you drop back in to let us know how you're doing.
You're gonna be just fine!
Peace
Greenlydia