Hello

[AnxietyInstituteSA]

Thanks for having me in the community!

I have suffered from panic attacks off and on for the last 12 years, and this was one of the reasons I decided to study psychology and therapy/counseling. Now, I'm a psychotherapist and have a private practice in San Antonio, specializing in the treatment of Anxiety. I feel it's important to stay connected to anxiety sufferers for my own well-being and to benefit my understanding of client issues.

Again, thanks for having me!

Jenny Burkholder, PhD
The Anxiety Institute of San Antonio

[sandyrdh1]

Hi, glad to have you on here. Do you encounter patients that have everyday skip heart beats due to anxiety. My heart doctor tells me my heart is fine but its just hard to accept when I feel calm and don't feel stress and my heart skips everyday. I beginning to wonder if it has something to do with pre menopause. I have suffered from anxiety since I was 18 but have always been able to get past it till about a year ago:(

[AnxietyInstituteSA]

I've been told by physicians that an irregular heart beat, in and of itself, is not necessarily something to be concerned about and fairly common. Many times, those with an irregular heart beat may not even know they have it and are only find out when a physician tells them.

For anxiety sufferers, an irregular heart beat seems to be a common complaint. It may not actually be that there is a higher rate of irregular heart beat for anxiety sufferers but that anxiety sufferers are more aware of its occurrence. Many with anxiety problems tend to overly sensitive to feelings in their body (heart beat, breathing, hot/cold, dizziness, etc.) and, as a result, more likely to end up in the doctor's office or ER with anxiety-related symptoms. Having acute anxiety can be such an intense and sometimes terrifying experience that our body may develop a heightened sensitivity to anything associated with its occurrence (racing heart, shortness of breath, etc.). Moreover, the condition of anxiety seems to cloud our judgement of these symptoms (thinking we're having a heart attack, feeling like we're out of control or going to die, etc.).

Just to put your mind at ease, you may want to get a second opinion from another physician to make sure your heart is in good condition. Once you're in the clear, you may want to consider learning some relaxation techniques, like progressive muscle relaxation, to help your body counteract your stress response.

[sandyrdh1]

Thanks for your reply:) cardio told me I was fine and when I went to ER they checked it too and said it was fine. It's a terrible feeling when it starts skipping. It feels like someone is thumping at my heart or pinching it with every skip:( and when they come back to back its just nerve racking and so scary even though they tell me I won't drop dead. Lol. But when it happens it also send a aderiline rush each time for about 20 seconds. So that keeps my anxiety high when its happening. I don't freak out or panic anymore but do get very uptight and nervous when it is happening. I am going through pre menopause also so maybe that is part if it and with my anxiety. I did not have this much anxiety until I started going through the change of life.