Anxiety and Panic Attacks

I woke up at 2am this morning convinced I was about to have a heart attack.

There was no particular reason why, but at that moment I convinced myself I was going to have a heart attack. I don’t know why; I don’t have any known health issues or history of heart problems but at that moment I was convinced. Then my mind started to wander, didn’t I read an article about how your body will warn you days before? And then I started feeling pains in my chest and arms and this only further fuelled the fire of my belief that this was true and about to happen.

I laid there in the dark almost laughing at myself, I knew it was ridiculous to be thinking like this, but I just couldn’t shake that feeling or the phantom pains that kept shooting through my chest and arm.

I told myself ‘You’re being irrational’ that I knew it was just a wild baseless thought process, but none of that helped, right there in that moment it was definitely going to happen, I was going to have a heart attack if not now then certainly in the next few days.

It was as if I was watching a play, one version of me descending into a full-blown medical episode and the rational part of me trying to get the irrational, panic-stricken side of me to see sense.

Now I consider myself quite well educated in this field, I have a vast knowledge of Anxiety and panic attacks and know all too well how they can build and become all consuming.

And this is a fantastic demonstration and a reminder to me of the power of the mind, how easily it can convince us that something is true and, in that moment, can seem very real and thoughts truly can affect the physical self and why its important to do the best we can to think and act the way we want our life to be rather than react or allow things that are happening around us to affect our mood negatively, let me give you an example.

How do you feel when you walk into a room and everyone is happy, having a good time and they’re pleased to see you? I would imagine that will lift you, make you feel happy and welcome and will put you into or further lift a good mood, wouldn’t it?

But now imagine you walk into a room, and everyone is in a bad mood, nobody acknowledges you or looks in your direction, in fact they’re avoiding looking at you. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife? The likelihood is that this isn’t a place you would want to stay or spend any more time than you must. It is likely to bring your own mood down, put you on edge, make you anxious and alert and want to escape.

Well, it’s the same with your thoughts, if you are being self-critical, looking at the possible negatives in a situation then your subconscious will put you ‘on alert’ just as if you were in that room. This will increase your anxiety and increase the risks of anxiety and panic attacks.

But if you endeavour to approach situations with optimism and positivity, take pride in who you are, acknowledge any ‘little wins’ and celebrate yourself you will project that positivity, and it will be returned to you. Your inner self, your “Happy Factory” will work overtime and help you maintain that mindset and good mood.

Whatever the reason was for my episode (and it’s important to remember we won’t always be aware what has caused an anxiety or panic attack) it was a powerful experience, and it took all the tools in my toolbox to shake myself of the feeling. Even now the memory of the experience is a powerful one and one that I won’t forget for some time.