Heart feels like its racing when it's really not

[Jinaiya]

I just wondered if anyone else experiences this.

Sometimes I feel really anxious and feel like my heart is racing and there is some kind of emergency, but I'll actually feel my pulse and realize that its not really racing at all! Last night I felt particularly anxious and when I felt my pulse it was 80. I guess thats not slow by any stretch, but within the norm.

Just an observation.

[dazza]

Fight or flight IS an emergency! an emergency called by your brain to either fight or run from the danger it believes is present.

What you feel in your mind and throughout your entire body during fight or flight is FEAR.

Panic / anxiety disorder is a particularly strange phenomina in that part of the brain has malfunctioned, yet other parts are working as normal so there is some contention or confusion going on.
Your title "heart FEELS like it's racing but isn't" is one of these contentious feelings.

Your heart SHOULD be racing with the fear, but the more rational part of your brain is keeping it steady.