It seems like everytime I hear the words heart attack I immediatley get a panic attack. It happened again tonight. My future mother in-law was talking to my fiancee about this guy they know and she said he had a heart attack and they couldn't believe it because he was only 24. Well as soon as I heard that I started to have a panic attack. Thank goodness I have learned a little from being at the end of week 2 but it was a panic attack nontheless. It seems that this word triggers my attacks as well as anything medically disturbing said or on TV. I did so well this week I am proud of myself. I could beat myself up for not journaling all week but I suppose if I posted 2 messages on this board it would qualify.....right ?

Thank You Andrew, you are so helpful with your posts I appreciate you and all of the other people who have been responding. I will add what you said to my inner dialogue and I bet it will help. Thank You again. Oh by the way are you an employee of the website? If not you should be kind of like a moderator on some of the other Forum type websites.

Andrew:

Where to you find the magnificent photos you post and how can I "enable HTML" to post them?

I set the above picture as wallpaper. I feel relaxed when I look at your pictures.

Thanks!

------------------
Always Hopeful, Betsy H.
Marietta, GA (East Cobb)
Happily Married Walton High (Volunteer) Mom.
Anyone from this area (females only), I would like to find a support person, and be a support person. Maybe meet and walk at school or the park or the Avenue. I get around, not housebound, but I still keep my problem a secret. You know, I look "IN CONTROL" but inside feel far from it.

ANDREW:

I know we're all different but, for me, everytime I scroll down a page and see one of your pictures I feel my body relax. That convinces me that when I can master seeing these types of pictures in my mind's eye I will feel better at any moment I start to panic.

Thanks Andrew!

------------------
Always Hopeful, Betsy H.
Marietta, GA (East Cobb)

Matlock...

I too have heart attack as a trigger. Anything said on TV, radio, at work, through friends, I lock in on heart attack, then my second focus is on the age. I went to this website for the first time today out of desparation. I am into tape number 7 going onto 8 and what seemed like out of the blue I had a full blown attack. My biggest fear is having a heart attack, I was recently out with a group of friends, one guy in particular 40 years old, so 7 years younger then me. We were all talking about food and weight gain or loss, when this 40 year old said my cardiologist said....then my husband asked, Why do you go to a cardiologist?? He of course said he had a heart attack when he was 27!!! Then his friend added he did not have any problems, no drugs, no alcohol, no high cholesterol, no high blood pressure, well needless to say, I ruined the rest of my evening with obsessive thinking that I was going to have a heart attack. My heart began palpitating, I started sweating and that night when I got home, I had a very difficult time falling to sleep. I got through that and I began to exercise as the program requires you to do, of course when I first started I thought oh no I'm going to have a heart attack and it just went on and on. But when I exercise I actually feel much better. If I logically assessed this 40 year old, I really should not have believed he wasn't drinking and his diet wasn't poor. Because even since his heart attack, he drinks very heavily and eats mounds of food. As I now recall in past conversations where this 40 year is concerned, he's always drank to excess and ate tons of food and did drugs in his younger days. So I put that into perspective that that is what happened to him. I continued to say to myself, I do not drink, smoke, I exercise and eat properly and I have had a check-up by the doctor and I am fine. The things I am doing for my body are healthy. I must admit, like my set back today, I often start with my old thinking and today it turned into a full blown panic. I was walking around like I was fragile and about to fall apart this morning. As I'm writing this to you, I'm getting to feel better and actually getting ready to do an exercise program, I guess I'm assessing the panic I had this morning and seeing that my journaling and talkiing about this with others is a very healthy way for me to work through this. Not that I wish this panic on anyone, but it is good to know that you are not alone!!! Try and relax. You are doing things through this program that will make you stronger and healthier!!! Hang in there I do understand.

quote:

Originally posted by matlock:
It seems like everytime I hear the words heart attack I immediatley get a panic attack. It happened again tonight. My future mother in-law was talking to my fiancee about this guy they know and she said he had a heart attack and they couldn't believe it because he was only 24. Well as soon as I heard that I started to have a panic attack. Thank goodness I have learned a little from being at the end of week 2 but it was a panic attack nontheless. It seems that this word triggers my attacks as well as anything medically disturbing said or on TV. I did so well this week I am proud of myself. I could beat myself up for not journaling all week but I suppose if I posted 2 messages on this board it would qualify.....right ?