Hi Tiff, Just to let you know I always think I am going to have a heart attack...then I calm myself down....I was so bad..I have had 3 EKGs done in the past 7 months...I just get sooo scared sometimes that i take myself to the ER..which I have found out is very costly....so now I try and talk myself down..but I do get very frightened that I am going to die or have a heart attack...I'm lucky that my GF has had them in the past and she helps me through my bad ones -Venik

Hi Tiffany!! That is my favoriten saying " I think i am having a heart attack!!" I always feel that way...and it really does feel like it too...it feels as if you are going to die!! You are not the only one..I must say I think that I am having a heart attack at least once a week and I am only 24. Emily

I must admit, during my first panic attack I was convinced I was having a heart attack, grabbed the phone and prepared to dial 911. Then I was put on meds and the panic attacks went away. After the birth of my daughter they came back. I know logically that I'm not having a heart attack. I've gone to the doctor, been tested for just about every heart problem just to be on the safe side, got a full physical, and discovered that physically I am 100% fine. I don't even have any risk factors for heart problems except for being overweight. Now when I have a panic attack I can logically tell myself, "I'm not having a heat attack. I'm not having a heat attack." Nevertheless, everytime I have one there's that little voice that says "What if? What if you are having a heart attack? What if the doctor missed something? What if you're going to die right here right now?" It has been very difficult to control these thoughts, but I'm getting better at it. The most helpful thing I've learned is that chest pain usually gets better when you get up and move around when you're having a panic attack. If you're having a heart attack it gets much worse. So, when I start to have chest pains I make myself walk around the house, the yard, the neighborhood, etc. If the pain gets better, I can put my mind to rest.

Dear Tiffany: I'm sorry about your husband, I know his heart makes you think about your own. I know you've got great advices so let me add my own. When you have a panic attack, the most important thing is to stay rational. Know that chest pains are horrible, however they are completely harmless. Its like the main job of panic attack is to make you believe that something is wrong with you, or something horrible is going to happen, to make you go to ER and create new medical bills. Next time you have a panic attack, tell yourself "its fake", or "yeah, yeah, another heart attack, sure , nice try", or even better say "Do your worse". Do not be afraid of death or heart attack. If you get better at it, you will completely ignore it. You may try psychtherapy. Hope this helps.

Howdy Tiffany and Hannah! Yeah the "heart attack" panic attack used to be my worst type of panic attack. I would sit there with aching chest pains and I'd get the fast heart beat. I can happily say now though that I don't get those big major panic attacks about my heart like I used to. Like today I was exercising for a while and instead of worrying about my heart like I used to and go into a big panic attack, I had a 2 second thought about my heart and then straight away relaxed and don't worry about it again. And guess what I'm human. And without putting my einstein hat on, I'm guessing u 2 are aswell. So if I can get better so can u!!

Hi Hannah, Thanks so much for replying to me. This is an awful thing to live with on a daily basis. I hate it so much. During the time of the attack I always keep asking myself should I go to the ER or should I just waite it out? I hate going to the ER, I have been there 4 times and it is terrible, you are there for hours just laying there waiting to see what is going to happened next so I try my hardest to avoid the ER and to keep telling myself that I am not having a heart attack, it never works when I tell myself that but the next day I usually feel so much better. I am also hoping that this program works! I will give anything a chance just so I can stop living in so much fear every day! I have a 7 year old son and a 4 year old son, I want to get better for them!! It is so good to know that I am not alone! I know that I'm not but it is good to hear that other people experience the same things as I do and that I'm not the only one. Tiffany

Hi am, thank you so much for responding to me. My hubby is on the mend, he is a better man and is feeling so great again! I guess the thoughts are in the back of my head constantly of what he had to go through, it was very upsetting and very hard on me, I just can't get the thoughts out of my head. Acid Reflux is terrible to live with. I have felt much better today. Yesterday I went crazy eating pizza, salad, breadsticks with sauce, all the bad things and last night I payed for it all by suffering with such pains like a heart attack. I was so afraid to go to sleep, I just kept asking myself if I should go to the ER and telling myself that I was having a heartattack! Today I ate really good foods and I'm feeling good tonight. I wrote down the vegetable greens mixture and I will go look for it and give it a try. I will do just about anything to relieve these acid reflux problems. I have not checked out that site yet but I Plan to here in a few minutes. Thanks so much again for the nice words and all the info. that you provided for me. The support from everyone means so much to me. Tiffany

Hi Tiffany, Having a heart attack has always been my main concern, for the past 8 yrs now......It's a thought that I find very difficult to challenge - no matter how I rationalize, there is still always that little bit of "what if it really is one?" I know now that one of my main symptoms of anxiety and panic is pain on my left hand side, in my chest, arm, leg, back etc. I still find it hard to get rid of the what if thoughts... I'm actually really hoping that this program helps!! Anyways, just thought I would let you know that you are definately not alone!

Hi, Tiffany. Welcome. Sorry to learn of your hubby's problems. However he had the surgery done and should be on the mend. Acid reflux is indeed bothersome, and the pain or discomfort is right in the middle of the chest. My brother who used to really be bothered by it, takes a spoonful of vegetable greens mixture daily in the morning and says he hasn't been bothered by it since, going on 3 years now. It's a powder that can be found in drug stores. It isn't a medication. There's a good post in the top forum that explains well what your body is telling you. Have you read it? http://www.paniccenter.net/support/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=2&Topic=851

Hi there, I have had panic disorder for the past 7 years. When I get myself real worked up over fear and anxiety during a panic attack I always put it in my mind that I am having a heart attack. I have always done that but now I am doing it more often because just 2 weeks ago my husband went to the hospital with chest pain and ended up having angioplasty done and was told that he had 3 minor heart attacks over the past few months. Ever since I heard all of this and watched him go through what he did in the hospital my fear is so much worse! I hate it so much! I have had 2 ekg's done plus a full physical in the past 10 months and everything has turned out totally normal. When I have a panic attack I tense my arms, neck, back, jaw and head so bad that I start to hurt all over! I have no chest pain, I just tense those areas up so badly and eventually I end up going to visit a chiropractor. I read the symptoms for a heart attack, a panic attack and acid reflux(I also have acid reflux) and they are all so a like. How do I determine the difference in a panic attack and a heart attack or an acid reflux flare up when most symptoms are all the same? I know if my husband would not have had these heart problems that I wouldn't be so upset and having so many panic attacks thinking that I wil be next in the hospital having several heart attacks. We are both so young, I am 29 and my husband will turn 30 in one week. My husband has a family history of heart disease and heart attacks, my family has a history of panic and anxiety disorder no heart attacks,no heart disease, no heart problems what so ever in either side of my family. I keep trying to tell myself that but no matter how hard I try or talk myself down from it all I get worse instead of better. I am new here. I just ended week one of the sessions and I have recorded a page in my diary every day. I have gotten so much worse since this all happened with my husband. I am desprate to get help, find answers and to move on with my life instead of living day by day with fear of having a heart attack. Any help,information or just support would be so greatly appreciated!! Thank you so much in advance! Tiffany