Wake up with anxiety chest pain


7 Causes Of Waking Up With Chest Pain

February 25, 2022

Chest pain happens to everyone from time to time, especially when it’s caused by indigestion or stress. However, chest pain may indicate you have a more serious problem if it’s waking you up in the middle of the night or if it happens every morning.

Here are seven reasons you may be waking up with heart pain, and how to know when it’s time to see a doctor for treatment.

7 Reasons You Are Waking Up With Chest Pain

Chest pain that you feel upon waking can be caused by any one of several reasons. Try to avoid self-diagnosing your chest pain at any time, as this symptom could indicate you need medical attention right away.

1. Heartburn

Heartburn can be described as a burning sensation in your chest right behind your breastbone. It usually occurs at night after eating a meal and becomes worse when you lie down. It occurs when stomach acid flows from your stomach back toward your throat.

Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Acid reflux can happen after you eat spicy foods or citrus fruits and after you drink alcohol. GERD is much more serious and requires medical treatment. If you do not treat GERD, it can damage your esophagus and increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

2. Heart Attack

Pressure, pain, or tightness in the chest is the most common sign of a heart attack. Heart attack can also cause heartburn, shortness of breath, nausea, and sweating. A heart attack occurs when an artery to your heart becomes blocked. A blocked artery is usually caused by plaque buildup.

Common causes of heart attacks include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and lack of exercise. It may also be caused by stress, diabetes, and illegal drug use. Heart failure and death can occur during or shortly after a heart attack.

3. Myocarditis

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle. This heart condition can cause rapid or abnormal heartbeats, which are called arrhythmias. In addition to chest pain after waking up, myocarditis can cause fatigue and shortness of breath. It may also cause swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet.

Myocarditis can be caused by a wide range of factors, including viruses, bacteria, and medications. Over time, this heart condition can lead to heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and sudden death.

4. Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. When your pancreas is inflamed, it can cause pain in the abdomen that radiates up to your chest. Other symptoms of pancreatitis include fever, nausea, and abdominal pain that gets worse after you eat.

Pancreatitis is often caused by obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, and diabetes. It can also be caused by other medical conditions, including gallstones, infection, and cystic fibrosis. When left untreated, pancreatitis can lead to breathing problems, kidney failure, and pancreatic cancer.

5. Gallstones

Gallstones are small hardened stones that form in the gallbladder. These stones usually form due to eating too much cholesterol and fats and not enough fiber. Gallstones can cause abdominal pain that radiates up to your chest. This pain can become more severe if your gallbladder is also inflamed.

Gallstones can eventually lead to gallbladder cancer and the surgical removal of your gallbladder. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy, high-fiber diet can often reduce your risk of developing gallstones.

6. Pulmonary Embolism

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is when a blood clot forms in an artery in the lungs to block blood flow. A PE can cause chest pain and tightness, making it feel like you’re having a heart attack. Other symptoms of PE include cough and shortness of breath.

You may get a PE if you have a history of blood clots or have cancer or heart disease. People with severe COVID-19 are also at high risk for PE. When not diagnosed or treated right away, PE can often lead to death.

7. Pulmonary Hypertension

Hypertension means high blood pressure. Pulmonary hypertension is when you have high blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood to your lungs. This medical condition can cause a rapid heart rate and tightness or pressure in the chest. It may also cause dizziness and shortness of breath.

Pulmonary hypertension may be caused by obesity, a history of blood clots, and the use of drugs and medications. Antidepressants, weight-loss drugs, and illegal drugs like cocaine can all increase your risk of getting this respiratory condition.

Other Causes Of Chest Pain After Waking Up

Chest pain after waking up may be caused by other factors and health conditions.

Possible heart-related causes of chest pain are angina and pericarditis. Angina occurs when blood flow to the heart is reduced due to a blocked artery. Pericarditis is inflammation in the sac around your heart.

A collapsed lung or lung cancer is a possible respiratory-related cause of chest pain after waking up. A panic attack can also cause chest pain upon waking, which is a major symptom of a type of anxiety disorder. An injury to a muscle or rib can cause chest pain when waking if you twist or move your upper body while sleeping.

At-Home Treatments For Waking Up With Chest Tightness

Heartburn and indigestion are usually common and mild health problems that can be treated on your own at home. Baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and yogurt are all anecdotal home remedies that can relieve heartburn. Speak with your doctor before trying these remedies to make sure they don’t interfere with special diets or medications.

Muscle pain or injury to the chest may be treated with a cold pack, which can reduce the need for pain relievers and medications. Your doctor may recommend other natural and at-home treatments for chest tightness based on the suspected cause of the problem.

When You Should See a Doctor

Any type of chest pain that feels unusual or that is accompanied by other symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency. Chest pain is the primary symptom of a heart attack. Don’t hesitate to seek help right away, as it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your health and livelihood.

If you think you may have gallstones, pancreatitis, or another medical condition causing chest pain, make an appointment to see your doctor. Your healthcare provider can review your medical history and talk to you about your symptoms. Your doctor may also run tests to determine the true cause of your chest pain.

Healthcare Associates of Texas is home to a large team of board-certified medical professionals who can work with you to diagnose and treat chest pain that wakes you up. Visit our website to find the nearest location and request an appointment.

Posted in: Cardiovascular Health, Pain Management

Waking Up with Chest Pain: Causes, Treatment, Anxiety

Rising in the a.m. feeling like you’ve been skewered in the chest is not the morning experience any of us hope for. Waking up with chest pain usually feels like a sharp or dull pain on either side of your chest. It can also (literally) take your breath away.

Once your chest pain disappears, you might decide to move on with your day and forget about it. Do 👏 not 👏 do 👏 that. Various health conditions can cause chest pain, and some may be a serious problem. It’s just not something to ignore, folks.

If your chest pain wake-up call lasts longer than a few minutes, something more serious is definitely up. Get to the emergency room stat.

Here’s what you need to know sooner rather than later about why you’re waking up with chest pain. Plus, treatment options that are available.

1. Heart attack

When it comes to chest pain at any time, a heart attack is usually the first alarm your mind sounds. A heart attack can start with mild pain on the left side of the chest that can built up gradually, or suddenly.

Essentially heart attacks happen when the heart muscle can’t get enough oxygen-rich blood and is damaged as a result. A blocked or ruptured coronary artery, or sometimes a blood clot, is usually the culprit.

Other symptoms include:

  • a sensation of pressure, tightness or squeezing in the centre of your chest
  • pain that travels from your chest to your arms, jaw, neck, back, or abdomen
  • feeling lightheaded or dizzy
  • sweating
  • shortness of breath
  • feeling or being sick
  • an overwhelming sense of anxiety
  • coughing or wheezing

Get to the emergency room

Heart attacks are no joke. If your chest pain lasts longer than a few minutes you need to hightail to the emergency room.

2. Pericarditis (aka inflamed heart tissue)

If the pericardium (basically two thin layers of heart tissue) becomes inflamed, it can cause a sharp stabbing pain on the left side or center of the chest. You can also have pain in one or both shoulders, and it might feel worse when you breathe or lie down.

3. Angina (aka reduced blood flow to heart)

Pain caused by angina is usually felt in the left side of the chest and can feel dull, tight, or heavy (it can also be a sharp stabbing pain). The pain may also move to your left arm, neck, jaw, or back. Stress or physical exertion can set off the pain, and it usually stops after you rest.

Angina can be a symptom of coronary microvascular disease (MVD), which is more common in women.

4. Myocarditis (aka inflammation of the heart wall)

Myocarditis chest pain usually hits on the left side of the chest and is caused by inflammation of the muscular layer of the heart wall. This can lead to abnormal heartbeat, chest pain, and trouble breathing.

In extreme cases, it can cause blood clots leading to a heart attack or stroke, and even heart failure (take care of your tickers, folks).

5. Cardiomyopathy (aka heart muscle disease)

Cardiomyopathy is a disease that affects the heart muscle and is usually felt on the left side of the chest (if you have symptoms at all).

Other symptoms include:

  • shortness of breath
  • dizziness
  • heart palpitations
  • swelling of the ankles, feet, legs, hands, or abdomen

1.

Heartburn

Waking up with chest pain may also be heartburn trying to get you to reach for some Pepto.

Heartburn can strike when you lie down at night or after eating, potentially leading to some a.m. pain on the right side of the chest. Heartburn is usually caused by acid reflux, which is when that pesky stomach acid moves up your throat.

Other symptoms include:

  • a burning sensation in your throat
  • difficulty swallowing
  • feeling like food is stuck in your throat
  • an acidic taste in the back of your throat

2. Gallstones

Gallstones and gallbladder attacks can cause pain on the upper right side of the abdomen, which can extend to your chest.

Gallbladder attacks can happen when gallstones block the bile duct or tube of the gallbladder. This bile helps break up fats in food, and an attack usually occurs after eating, but can strike at any time.

3.

Dysphagia (aka swallowing disorder)

A swallowing disorder, dysphagia affects the top of the throat or further down the esophagus, making it difficult and painful to swallow. This can also lead to chest pain.

4.

Pancreatitis (aka an inflamed pancreas)

Chest pain isn’t a direct symptom of pancreatitis, but it can cause pain in the upper abdomen that can extend to your back and lead to chest discomfort.

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, and happens when the digestive enzymes start working while they’re still in your pancreas. This irritates your pancreas’ cells, and causes it to become inflamed.

Other symptoms include:

  • fever
  • nausea
  • rapid pulse
  • pain that becomes worse after eating

1. Cold or respiratory virus

The common cold or a respiratory virus like the flu can lead to chest pain. Constant hacking and coughing can make the chest feel sore.

Other signs you might be sick from a virus include:

  • fever
  • achy muscles
  • runny nose
  • headache
  • fatigue

2. Pneumonia

This is a painful condition caused by an infection in one or both of your lungs. It makes you cough and can cause pain on either side of the chest, which may also come when you breathe. If left untreated, pneumonia can be fatal.

Other symptoms include:

  • difficulty breathing
  • fever
  • chills
  • sweating
  • shaking
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea

3. Pleurisy

Pleurisy occurs when the membrane lining the outside of the lungs and inner side of your chest cavity, aka the pleura, becomes inflamed.

It can cause pain on either side of your chest when you breathe, as well as pain in your shoulders and back. The chest pain can get worse with coughing, sneezing, or laughing, and cause shortness of breath.

4.

Collapsed lung

Also known as pneumothorax, a collapsed lung can cause a sudden, sharp chest pain. You can feel this on either side of your chest. This can be the result of untreated pneumonia, lung disease, ruptured air blisters, or ventilator use.

Get to an emergency room

More severe lung conditions needs hospital treatment ASAP and can be fatal.

1. Anxiety and panic attacks

Anxiety can cause chest pain on either side of the chest. A common reason for anxiety-related chest pain is a panic attack. This can feel similar to a heart attack, but it won’t actually kill you (even if it really feels like it).

Other symptoms of a panic attack include:

  • shortness of breath
  • dizziness
  • sweating
  • shaking
  • nausea
  • fainting

1. Pulled or strained muscles

Muscle strain in the chest region can be caused by injury or overuse of the body. It is one of the most common causes of chest pain.

It usually happens because of intense upper body activity. Chest pain can also come from pulling a muscle in the chest or between the ribs. It is not life-threatening and can be felt anywhere in the chest area.

2. Injury

Chest pain can also be from an injury that tears the chest muscle. This can also result in fractures, causing the following symptoms:

  • chest pain that gets worse with coughing
  • shortness of breath
  • swelling
  • bruising
  • tenderness

3.

Hiatal hernia

A hiatal hernia is when the upper part of your stomach pushes through the large muscle between your abdomen and chest. It can cause both chest pain and abdominal pain.

How to treat heart-related chest pain

To treat heart-related chest pain, your doctor may prescribe you some medications that open partially closed arteries, clot-busting meds, or blood thinners.

In more extreme cases, your doctor may also suggest surgery to repair the arteries or use a catheter to check on your heart.

By inserting a catheter into an artery or vein in your groin, neck, or arm until it reaches your heart, your doc can run tests and use an X-ray to see how the vessels and chambers of the heart are doing.

How to treat digestive-related chest pain

For heartburn, you are often prescribed antacids or other medications to keep the acid from coming up from your stomach.

If something is going on with the gallbladder, surgery can remove gallstones from the bladder or you may need your gallbladder removed completely (don’t worry, you don’t actually need it!).

How to treat respiratory-related chest pain

Usually a viral infection is to blame for any respiratory-related chest pain. In that case there might not be a treatment available besides lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids.

If something is seriously wrong like pleurisy, pneumonia, or a collapsed lung, get to the doctor ASAP.

How to treat mental health-related chest pain

The best thing you can do is go to your doctor to talk about your options. Chest pain is only a symptom of the mental health issues you’re facing, and the mental health issues need to be treated directly.

Your doc may suggest anxiety medication to stop the physical symptoms, or cognitive behavioural therapy to manage your anxiety attacks.

How to treat injury-related chest pain

Massages and over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers can help ease the pain from a muscle strain or pull. In most causes, it is cured with OTC pain relievers and rest.

If you have a severe muscle tear, you will need to visit a doctor and may need surgery. A hernia will also require medical attention. A doctor may monitor your hernia over time to see if it improves or you will need to get surgery.

Though chest pain can be completely harmless, it can also be a sign of something more serious.

You should see a doctor if you have frequent chest pain that comes and goes, or if you have chest pain that goes away quickly but you are still worried. If you feel like you need to get checked out, do it. It’s better to play it safe!

Emergency treatment

You need to call 911 and get emergency treatment at the hospital immediately if you have the following symptoms:

  • the pain lasts longer than a few minutes (15 minutes is way too long)
  • the pain moves to your arms, back, neck or jaw
  • your chest feels tight (or heavy)
  • you have a shortness of breath
  • you’re struggling to breathe
  • you’re sweating
  • you’re feeling sick

If you wake up with chest pain, it’s important not to panic. Chest pain can be caused by a variety of reasons and it may not be life threatening.

If the pain doesn’t go away after a few minutes or is long-lasting, get to the doc ASAP. Also, keep an eye out for other symptoms and share them with your doctor.

While chest pain can be caused by a relatively minor problem, it could also be caused by something more serious, such as a heart attack or underlying condition that’s life-threatening and needs to be treated immediately.

When in doubt, get checked out.

treatment, how to get rid of anxiety, how to deal with anxiety for no reason

Anxiety is a negatively colored mood with feelings of worry, tension, and fear. In moderation, such emotions are useful: they help to mobilize forces and find a way out of extreme situations. But there must be grounds for concern, and normally it lasts a limited period of time.

If a person constantly experiences a feeling of anxiety and anxiety for no reason, this may indicate the presence of a mental disorder. In the absence of help, constant tension wears out the nervous system and the body as a whole, which leads to a breakdown in adaptation mechanisms and the development of chronic diseases. nine0003

If you notice that you cannot relax for a long time, then you should think about visiting a specialist.

In pathological cases, a state of anxiety and restlessness without a cause manifests itself both mentally and physically.

Mental symptoms:

  • constant feeling of fear and excitement for no reason,
  • poor concentration and attention,
  • sleep disorders,
  • emotional lability, irritability, tearfulness,
  • inability to relax and fully engage in daily activities or communication,
  • the need to reassure others that everything is okay. At the same time, words of support do not bring relief.

Physical symptoms:

  • rapid breathing and heartbeat,
  • headaches, pain in the abdomen and in the region of the heart,
  • excessive sweating,
  • eating disorders: increased or loss of appetite,
  • weakness,
  • shivering, chills,
  • stool disorders: frequent urge, constipation,
  • feeling short of breath,
  • nausea,
  • muscle spasms and pain.

Unreasonable anxiety and anxiety increase or smooth out from time to time. Exacerbations often accompany stress: conflicts, important events, illness. Normally, a person recovers quickly after the situation is resolved, but when upset, negative emotions do not go away. nine0003

The intensity of anxiety varies from mild to severe. The extreme is panic. If you ignore an anxiety state for a long time for no reason, then panic attacks can join it. They overtake unexpectedly and sometimes without a good enough reason, but after this episode, a person begins to avoid situations similar to the one in which it happened: public transport, an elevator, or just a crowd of people. This greatly reduces the quality of life and can lead to social isolation. nine0003

Causes of causeless anxiety and anxiety

The occurrence of anxiety disorder is influenced by heredity. It has been found that certain brain structures and features of biological processes play an important role in the emergence of fear and anxiety. Personal characteristics, somatic health problems, lifestyle and various types of addictions also matter. Sometimes there is no cause for causeless anxiety and worry. Negative feelings usually have a trigger - an event or thought that causes an anxious response. However, most people are not aware of their triggers and believe that their emotions are groundless. In this case, only a specialist will help to understand why excitement arises for no reason. nine0003

There are a number of diseases, the symptoms of which are constant anxiety. With causeless fear and anxiety, the reasons may be as follows:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Persistent nervousness and worry over small things that are usually visible to others and last 6 or more months. It starts in adolescence and intensifies with age.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder: obsessive thoughts and fears that are accompanied by obsessive actions that do not bring relief. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is distinguished - a person is indomitably haunted by memories that reproduce a traumatic situation. nine0014
  • Phobias: irrational fear of any, even mundane, things. Accompanied by uncontrolled panic and physical manifestations.
  • Panic attack - an excruciating and sudden attack of panic, which is accompanied by a fear of death and vivid somatic symptoms. The regular occurrence of panic attacks means the development of a panic disorder.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder: occurs after a severe traumatic situation and is accompanied by high levels of anxiety, avoidance and flashbacks. nine0014

These are the most common examples, but pathological anxiety can be a symptom of other disorders or the result of a failed stress management. If you want to understand why there is a feeling of anxiety for no reason, you should consult a doctor. Without clarifying the main factor and working on it, it is impossible to restore health and peace of mind.

What to do with causeless anxiety and anxiety

It is difficult to live in constant stress. If you experience causeless anxiety and fear of what to do, the following list will tell you: nine0003

  1. Talk to someone you trust. This could be a relative, a close friend, a therapist, or a helpline employee. People are social creatures, so communication is a good way to relieve internal tension.
  2. Find a way to calm down quickly. There is not always a person with whom you can share. Therefore, it is important to find a suitable method that will help you relax: breathing techniques, soothing music, aromatherapy, self-massage, and more. If you cannot independently choose a technique that quickly helps with anxiety for no reason, a specialist will tell you what to do. nine0014
  3. Add physical activity to your life. It is a natural and effective remedy for anxiety. Moderate sport relieves stress, lowers stress hormones, and strengthens the nervous system. Get at least 30 minutes of physical exercise a day.
  4. Normalization of lifestyle. Get enough sleep, eat well, give up bad habits. This stabilizes physical performance and neurotransmitter levels, which helps maintain emotional balance. nine0014
  5. Start keeping a diary. Notes help identify patterns of anxiety flare-ups, understand the causes, and notice early signs of their occurrence. Also, thanks to this, you will begin to focus more on positive events that you might not have noticed before.

With excitement for no reason, everyone who regularly encounters this wants to know what to do. There is no universal method, however, the 5 steps listed above are recommended for every person with increased anxiety. This may be enough to alleviate symptoms. But if self-help techniques do not give the desired effect, then with a regularly occurring feeling of anxiety for no reason, you need to find out from a specialist what to do. nine0003

Treatment of causeless feelings of anxiety and restlessness

Regardless of the cause of pathological anxiety, professional help is the only complete method to eliminate the problem. If you have constant excitement and anxiety for no reason, you can quickly and effectively learn from a psychiatrist or psychotherapist how to get rid of this condition.

Due to the diversity of anxiety disorders, their therapy must be adapted to the individual clinical picture and diagnosis. Therefore, only a highly qualified specialist who has experience working with different types of anxiety conditions can tell you how to get rid of an anxiety state for no reason. For example, the therapy algorithm for a patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is different from the help for panic attacks. nine0003

For a state of anxiety and anxiety without a cause, treatment includes the following approaches:

  1. Psychotherapy. The most promising direction, which not only eliminates the symptom, but identifies the cause and fights it. Therapy teaches when feeling anxiety for no reason, how to get rid of acute attacks of anxiety, relax, look at life situations differently. The doctor will help to uncover the main causes of your fears and work them out. The patient receives the tools to overcome anxiety and uses them successfully. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is usually used: in the course of treatment, the patient encounters an object of concern and gradually gains confidence that he can control the situation. nine0014
  2. Medical therapy. Depending on the type of anxiety and the presence of associated mental or physical health problems, antidepressants, sedatives, sleeping pills, and other drugs may be prescribed. When anxiety is felt without a cause, drug treatment will alleviate the symptoms and improve the quality of life of the patient during his psychotherapeutic work on the underlying cause. Uncontrolled medication leads to dangerous side effects and withdrawal syndrome, so they can only be used according to the individual course prescribed by the doctor. nine0003

It is recommended to use a combination of psychotherapeutic and drug treatment, but sometimes only the first one is enough.

You should not put off visiting a doctor if you feel that experiences are preventing you from living. Over time, the symptoms worsen and other severe mental illnesses join: depression, neurotic disorders, and more. If the normalization of lifestyle does not help, it means that you will understand how to get rid of unreasonable anxiety only from a psychotherapist. With a timely appeal to a competent specialist, only a few sessions of psychotherapy may be enough for recovery. nine0003

Thanks to modern psychotherapeutic approaches, hundreds of people are making great strides every day in the fight against anxiety disorders. There is no need to endure the painful burden of fear and anxiety, because timely assistance allows you to achieve excellent results: the patient will fully recover and return to a full life, and the improvement will be noticeable after the first session.

About the fear of death

Fear of death is typical for phobic anxiety disorder. We receive a lot of letters describing him. If you want to stop envy from pills, you will have to change your attitude towards the treatment process. You no longer even notice how you are programming yourself for the anxious expectation of an “attack” and the fear of death. You have already formed a powerful phobic installation. The attitudes that shape our words, thoughts and images are a very powerful force. They permeate our entire lives. And we are either their blind hostages, or they are our faithful helpers. Without understanding the mechanism of your harmful thoughts and harmful (as they say dysfunctional among professionals) attitude, it is impossible to get rid of your bad habit of unconscious self-intimidation. It is important to understand that panic disorder or agoraphobia, manifested by panic attacks or regular increased anxiety, is the result of a bad habit. Therefore, it is necessary to treat fear not as a disease that does not depend on you, but as a bad habit, the maintenance or overcoming of which depends on you. The same applies to treatment. It should not be approached passively by simply bringing your body to the specialist and plopping it into a chair or hospital bed. The attitude of therapy of neurosis as to the treatment of a fracture - "they put a cast and wait for it to grow together" - will not work here. As Avicenna (Abu Ali Hussein ibn Abdallah ibn Sina) said a thousand years ago: “There are three of us, you, me and your disease. And whichever side you take, that one will win." nine0003

For a person who has experienced symptoms of fear and panic for many years, the need to be aware and recognize something there may seem strange. Many people think that they can immediately distinguish the symptoms of fear from a physical illness, but this is not always the case, and some still confuse one with the other. For example, a person suffering from panic attacks often believes that chest pain or shortness of breath is due to a physical illness (problems with the heart or blood vessels). And these symptoms, no matter how hard it is to believe, are caused precisely by fear. In addition, the symptoms of fear can appear seemingly "out of nothing", but in fact due to stresses that we are not aware of. Since the cardiovascular system is primarily involved in the body's response to stress and it works in an enhanced, but healthy (!) version of functioning, therefore “attacks” can seem like signs of a physical illness. Despite a conscious understanding of the groundlessness of one's own doubts, negative thoughts that sharply exaggerate the degree of danger can still obsessively crawl into one's head. However, nothing at all would ever be attempted if it were required to refute all possible objections. Therefore, it is important to refute your erroneous judgments, justify the safety of your choice and act despite residual anxiety (go outside, enter the elevator or subway). It cannot be said that there are no dangers around us. Anyone who claims this is at least disingenuous or seriously unhealthy. You should not change the black glasses of paranoia for rose-colored glasses of complacency. In both cases, we are in for trouble. Of course, there are dangers and there are many of them, but their probability differs significantly in different situations. And most importantly, learn to accurately and adequately assess these probabilities and risks. The guarantee that nothing can happen to a person is given only by death. Then nothing can happen, only then it is absolutely safe. Therefore, it is important to accept the conditions of real life, where everything is possible. But everything has a different probability. Having accepted the risk of real life, you can, however, not lose your calmness and presence of mind due to accurate and adequate understanding. The main principle in challenging harmful thoughts is a specific and meaningful answer, confirmed by facts and arguments that convince you. Since the harmful thoughts themselves, although they contain errors, are very specific, meaningful and plausible. They cannot be defeated with captive phrases “everything is fine” or “we will break through”. They require hard work, regular and consistent confrontation. nine0003

If something is wrong with you and your life, the first thing to do is admit it. One of the most unfortunate ways to deal with things that get in the way of your life is to ignore your inner problems. The second step is to recognize that something needs to be done about these problems, and not sometime, but right now. The third step is a plan of action, which includes the stage of collecting information, the stage of action, consolidating the action with regular training and feedback.

You need to make a list of all your typical harmful thoughts that provoke and increase fear. You will be able to notice and uncover these thoughts if you regularly use the structured self-observation diary described in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and train yourself to new thoughts and a new position, which in the future will become as automatic as the harmful habit program worked before. nine0003

At the moment of a panic attack, try to remind yourself that "attacks", or rather, states of anxiety and fear, are already familiar to you and have been safely experienced before. The present state is not unique (just as the inner diversionary voice of your irrational position does not want to deceive you) and therefore, like the past ones, it will soon pass. This usually takes five to ten minutes.

It is better to abandon the strategy of getting rid of fear as soon as possible. This only reinforces your state of emotional and physical tension. First of all, pinpoint the object of your fear and try to explain to yourself how unreasonable and even ridiculous it is. nine0003

Repeat to yourself that, despite your terrible fear, no one has yet died or gone mad from these attacks. Say to yourself, "This will definitely pass."

Try to identify your current body sensations and emotional state. Explaining to himself: "These are just strong emotions and natural bodily reactions to them, which is safe and harmless for my healthy body."

Give yourself the opportunity to feel uneasy about breathing difficulties and immediately start breathing slowly and rhythmically.


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