Re: Anxiety and a freaked-out Sunday - LIL

April 2, 2006

Thanks Mandy, and a too, for your thoughtful messages. I have worked on

calming myself down, coping, reading, resting, distracting etc. for many years

and for a long time I did not have really bad attacks anymore but lately I

have had two and I feel a bit vulnerable. It helps to be reminded of ways to

cope, and also, to remember that others go through this. My thoughts tend to

get obsessive when I feel anxious. It is almost as if I cannot let myself calm

down. I start to and then another wave of adrenaline hits me. I know my

thoughts create the adrenaline and not the other way around. Of course it

doesn't

feel that way. That's the hallmark of panic; believing you are going to die

this time, that this time is not like last time, this time something is

really wrong, despite there having been 1000 times to the contrary. And when I

am

physically feeling ill it is so much worse. I don't deal well with physical

illness. It really scares me. I allow it to scare me. Don't have a lot of

confidence in my own health. I am not sure why.

Lil

In a message dated 4/2/2006 10:30:05 PM Pacific Standard Time,

mandyofca@... writes:

This is especially bothersome if I awaken in the middle of the night, and

then cannot go back to sleep, so I lie there and listen to my breathing.. The

thing that works best for me, during these times, is to concentrate on other

things, no matter how hard it is, make your mind think on other things.

Sometimes I recite Scriptures that I have memorized. Once I have calmed myself

down, and my breathing becomes normal again, I usually can fall asleep, but it

may take 2 hours sometimes.

I just started on a new medicine for the AF, and I am going on day 4 in NSR,

and starting to feel a bit more confident again. I went to Stanford to see

their top arrythmic specialist, and am taking the dreaded amiodarone, only for

2 months until we return from our trip to England. Then I expect to be taken

off the amio and put on something else. He knows I will not take it long

term.

Fear and panic is commonplace, I imagine with AF. That is one thing most of

us have in common. Too bad we could not have a convention and all get

together to share our experiences.

MandyofCA

April 2, 2006

LIL:

I have experienced panic attacks in the past. They are very bothersome and

frightening....The worst thing to do is to avoid going out in public, as then,

it becomes a crutch, and that is how people get housebound., Since I started

having more frequent AF episodes over the past few months, I have a hard time

trying to breathe normally when I get nervous, and then my chest and upper back

get tight, and then I fear AF would be triggered by this.

This becomes a vicious cycle, which then tends to make me tense and my heart

beat faster.....

This is especially bothersome if I awaken in the middle of the night, and then

cannot go back to sleep, so I lie there and listen to my breathing.. The thing

that works best for me, during these times, is to concentrate on other things,

no matter how hard it is, make your mind think on other things. Sometimes I

recite Scriptures that I have memorized. Once I have calmed myself down, and my

breathing becomes normal again, I usually can fall asleep, but it may take 2

hours sometimes.

I just started on a new medicine for the AF, and I am going on day 4 in NSR,

and starting to feel a bit more confident again. I went to Stanford to see their

top arrythmic specialist, and am taking the dreaded amiodarone, only for 2

months until we return from our trip to England. Then I expect to be taken off

the amio and put on something else. He knows I will not take it long term.

Fear and panic is commonplace, I imagine with AF. That is one thing most of us

have in common. Too bad we could not have a convention and all get together to

share our experiences.

MandyofCA

---------------------------------

How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates.

April 3, 2006

Lil,

Every thought you expressed is exactly how I feel also...

Fear and panic is not easy to explain to those who have never experienced

it.

I am sitting at the computer at 4:30 AM in the dark of night, because I cannot

sleep any longer, due to fear....

Today starts day 4 in NSR and I am hopeful, that this time I will be OK for

awhile.

We cope and do what we know to do, to handle each situation at the time when

it comes. For me, my Faith is an anchor, and I do not know where I would be

without it.

I have this trip looming ahead of me, all paid and ready to go.... and then I

started to have more AF. My Faith has taken me through several trips, each time

God has kept me in NSR the whole time, and I was amazed and grateful!

I will be praying for you Lil,

MandyofCA

---------------------------------

New Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big.

April 3, 2006

Hi Lil: I feel for you! Panic attacks are awful awful awful. I had an

ongoing argument with doctors that what I was feeling was Afib. However,

one night in particular, as an inpatient while I was insisting (actually

angry) that I was having an Afib episode, they hooked me up to a Monitor -

and it was not Afib, but rather Panic Attacks. I was shocked! Me? Panic

Attacks? No way!

They kept me in the hospital that week - and a Registered Nurse by the name

of Jon Seskovich visited me every day for over an hour. By the time he left

me each day, I was so completely relaxed, I almost fell asleep before he

left. He taught me how to get out of a Panic Attack.......It was amazing.

I came home with his tapes, and I have been singing his praises ever

since. I can't remember when I've had a Panic Attack. The more you make

use of the technique, the easier it is to call upon it - and easier to

relax. If you're going through Panic Attacks on a regular basis, my

suggestion would be to make it a point to sit down every day (whether you

think you need it at the time or not) and listed to a relaxation tape (not

necessarily Jon's). If you make this part of your daily routine, it will

work - honestly! The secret is to make use of these type of tapes on a

regular basis, so that you can call upon the procedure in a real time of

need.

Jon is listed in our Database under Books, Tapes, CDs; but there are also

several others suggested.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AFIBsupport/database

Give it a try!

Ellen

***********************************

>

> (snip) It is almost as if I cannot let myself calm

> down. (snip) I don't deal well with physical

> illness. It really scares me. I allow it to scare me. (snip) Lil

>

*************************************

------------------------------

April 3, 2006

Thank you Ellen, I will. It has become obvious to me that I need to do some

work in the area of relaxation because living with anxiety and fear is not

living at all. Another thing I am determined to do is get back to exercising,

walking every day (not strolling but power walking) and bck to the gym for some

working with weights. Together, I think these techniques will help -

relaxation therapy, exercise, and an occasional tranquilizer when needed. Thank

you.

Lil

In a message dated 4/3/2006 5:49:35 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,

failteg@... writes:

came home with his tapes, and I have been singing his praises ever