How do you STOP obsessing over blood pressure??? [Archive] - Anxiety Forum - A Home for Those with Anxiety, Fear, or Panic Attacks

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Blessed

10-12-2013, 05:56 AM

I am facing my biggest struggle yet in this hell called anxiety.....blood pressure concerns. I was instructed by doc to NOT check my bp because she knows how my anxiety fuels my obsession of checking over and over. But what if I am missing something, like yesterday 150/100.... Really ????? I can't relax because I'm wondering what it is, then if I break down and check it I'm obsessed because it's higher than normal. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE HERE!!! Like yesterday I think I checked it well over ten times and only one time on a different machine later that evening it was down . I am beyond petrified and don't know what to do to stop doing this to myself . I know a lot of you have bp readings higher than that, I don't think I would deal well with that!!!! I am just so scared. I text my doc and she wanted me to take half a dose of atenolol just to calm down last night. What do I do???

Perses

10-12-2013, 06:26 AM

Hi Blessed,

It seems to me that you need to see a psychiatrist trained in dealing with hypochondriacs. Do you see a psychiatrist at all?

Blessed

10-12-2013, 06:58 AM

No I used to see a counselor and it did not help.

trinidiva

10-12-2013, 07:16 AM

Blessed.
I've seen a number of posts from you regarding your health anxiety around your bp. I've shared with you that I've gone through the same thing...but with much higher readings and at that time all they did was put me on a diuretic to bring it down, which it did. In the meantime, I started working on being more healthy to correct it....eating more fruits and veggies and light exercise. It work and the bp came down and the doc took me off the bp drug on a daily basis. I now only take it two days a week because surprisingly, it helps my hormonal headaches that I get around that time of ths month.
I had to stop checking my bp all the time though and it did, at first, take a bit of willpower. Over time of not checking it daily , I noticed that the want to check it all the time went away.

I'm being completely honest with you now and I'm not trying to be rude at all. Every time I've seen you post your bp, it has NEVER been even close to being dangerous. Yes, a little elevated, but that can happen if you are panicked over what your numbers will be. Also, if you've watched something distressing to you on tv, your bp can go up....or had a stressful day in general. People with TRUE high bp have extremely high BP numbers ALL the time...until they take something to bring it down.
Try this....make a promise to yourself that to start with, you will only take your bp twice for the day. Once in the morning, once at night for a week. The following week, commit that you will only take it once a day, your pick, morning or night. Record your bp and whatever it is, do not take it again.
The following week, commit to taking it only once every other day. Again, no matter what it is, do not take it again.
In the meantime, try adjusting your diet. Dont cook with salt. Use things like garlic powder and herbs. If you HAVE to use some salt....they have a low sodium salt that you can buy. Try walking if you don't really exercise. YES, your heart will pound and feel scary but it is good for your heart and will help to bring your bp down.

You have to start somewhere to break out of this feeling you've been having...but only YOU can do it. Are you going to try?

Perses

10-12-2013, 08:45 AM

Blessed,

I'm sorry to hear that a counselor didn't help. Don't give up on that, however. It's important that you see a psychiatrist (not a counselor), but a psychiatrist who specializes in this disease. It seems to me that your bigger concern should be getting control over your obsessive thoughts about your blood pressure. Your mental fixation on this is doing more harm to your quality of life than your blood pressure in and of itself.

I get very anxious when I go to the doctor, and inevitable my blood pressure is high. Last week at the doctors, my pulse was at 110. The nurse asked me if I felt nervous; I said, "Yes, in fact the whole reason I'm in this walk-in psychiatric clinic is to treat my anxiety." In short, the anxiety pushed up the heart rate.

I will tell you as well that I have fainted 5 times because of fear. Here's one example that happened to me two years ago in Chicago: I took my cat to the vet, which I have done numerous times without incident. The vet says to me; your cat is fine but she should have her teeth cleaned. In order to clean her teeth we will need to sedate her. Do you want this procedure? I say "Yes, ok." He draws blood from the cat.

Suddenly, in a kind of delayed reaction, I start to worry about the cost. Gosh! How much will this cost me? I am a student; I don't have a lot of money. I should have asked him how much it cost before he drew the blood? So, I ask the vet, somewhat embarrassed, "How much will this cost"? I'm expecting to hear $1,000 dollars. The Vet says, "Oh about $120. $120 That's completely affordable for me. Problem solved: I have asked the vet how much it will cost to clean my cat's teeth under general anesthesia. The answer the vet gave me was a low cost operation, well worth getting. My rational brain gets this.

But, the anxiety has been triggered. Part of my mind has untethered itself from the reality of the moment. Although the crisis in the real world has passed, that part of my mind which has untethered itself from reality, is fixated on the fact that I DIDN'T ASK THE VET IMMEDIATELY HOW MUCH THE PROCEDURE WOULD COST. It repeats this over and over: YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED HOW MUCH THE OPERATION WOULD COST!! WHAT IF YOU COULDN'T PAY FOR IT? HOW COULD YOU GET YOURSELF TRAPPED? WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK? YOU WOULDN'T HAVE AFFORDED IT, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TAKEN YOUR CAT AWAY FROM YOU!!! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID? WOULD YOU HAVE BOUGHT A CAR WITHOUT ASKING THE PRICE? WOULD YOU HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE WITHOUT ASKING THE PRICE FIRST? WHAT IF YOU WENT BANKRUPT? These thoughts flew around and around in my head, even as at the same time I thanked the vet and said I would make the appointment.

I walked out to the waiting room with my cat safely housed in her carrier. My body is going through the motions. But, my mind is so fixated on the minor fact of having not asked the cost of the procedure. It is so galvanized by this problem. (A problem already solved: I know the cost; it's just $120). Still, my mind, as I said, is trapped, fixated. My heart rate shoots up. My stomach drops. My heart beats frenetically. And, worst of all, my head begins to close in on itself. The tingling sensation in my brain grows and grows until my brain feels numb and a foggy mesh descends across my eyes so that I can't focus on anything. Having experienced this before, and knowing I'm at risk for fainting. I do three things: I tell the receptionist that I think I'm going to faint. I quickly sit down on a bench and move my cat away from me. And, I start repeating to myself: I'm not going to faint; I am not going to faint. I'm not going to faint. No, really, this will pass, I will not faint.

I faint.

I don't realize it's happened until I hear voices, distant at first. My first thought is: "Damn, why are there so many voices in my bedroom? Strange people are talking about me as if I'm not there. Hmm. Who needs an ambulance? How are they going to get an ambulance in my bedroom. Really, I need to sleep and people are bothering me and talking about ambulances!"

Apparently, in the middle of the waiting room, I collapsed and fell down thunk on the wooden bench. I was out for about a minute. When I could sit up I asked for water and was also given some banana bread. People asked me what happened. I told them it must have been low blood sugar. I was too embarrassed to tell complete strangers that I had a panic attack. How to explain how my mind operated, that I panicked over something that I had already solved. It's terrible to have to conceal one's anxiety. It's so much easier to just say, "Oh I guess I was dehydrated," or "I guess my blood sugar went low."

I'm telling this story to show you how powerful anxiety can be. How it can really warp your judgment. I take anti-anxiety medications, and I see a psychiatrist, and, still, this kind of episode occurs once every 3 or 4 years. It's completely random. By the way, I felt great after I fainted. I survived. I felt stronger for it.

Many people suffer from hypochondria. You need to keep working on finding a therapy that works for you. Find someone who specializes in this. Here's America's foremost hospital's literature on hypochondria. This seems to fit you to a tee. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypochondria/DS00841 You'll see on this site, that there are 10 pages worth of information about this.

Bottom line: I think YOU need help in stopping this. I admit that I hated asking for help, and several therapies didn't work, but I kept trying. There are trained doctors out there that will fully empathize with your condition. Not counselors, but psychiatrists. I think you will be get better, but you need to consult a professional. Else, this will just be miserable. The damage to your sense of well-being and overall happiness can be far more debilitating than having high blood pressure, which many people live with every day, and for which there are drugs like propranolol.

Blessed

10-12-2013, 09:15 AM

Perses

10-12-2013, 09:53 AM

Yes, of course it makes sense. You believe that you have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is associated with a heart disease. You are worried that you have a life-threatening disease. You don't trust your doctor. In fact, you are determined, it would seem, to want to have high blood pressure. So, it seems to me that there are three ways to remedy this: a) you go to a doctor once a week and get your blood pressure tested. Or, go to a walk in clinic and just ask to get your blood pressure tested. Write down the numbers. If the doctors that you see say your blood pressure is normal, or slightly elevated and tell you there is nothing wrong, then you need to accept that. You need to acknowledge that the science of medicine has diagnostic tools to test conditions. These tools are valid because they have been used repeatedly in a clinical setting like the doctor's office. The more doctors you see, the more results you accumulate, the stronger the evidence will be that you don't have the disease. You believe x, but the evidence says y.
b) you recognize that your anxiety will cause your blood pressure to rise. Since you take your blood pressure because you are anxious about it, then at that moment your blood pressure will rise. You are in a catch 22 situation. If someone took your blood pressure while you were asleep, then it would be low.
c) You accept that you don't have Hypertension - high blood pressure, and if you did, so what? Is a common enough disease. I think Trinividia addresses this. Millions and millions of people have hypertension and lead perfectly normal lives.

So what to do? Your belief that you have really bad high blood pressure is more real to you than anything else. It has become your constant companion. It drives your obsessive compulsive behavior on this. You are fixated on this one aspect. Your belief is over-riding the reality of your situation. You can continue to battle with this, or, as I mentioned in my previous post, you can see a psychiatrist that specializes in hypochondriasis. This disease is real -- hypochondriasis. This is what needs to be treated. But, you must be firm and go to a professional psychiatrist (a psychiatrist has a Medical degree but works on mental health). A psychiatrist is familiar with both the biological and psychological aspects of your condition.

http://www.ocdla.com/HYPOCHONDRIASIS.html -- Here is a great example of a place that would be perfect for you to go to. I doubt you live in Los Angeles, but I just wanted to show you that it is taken seriously and that others suffer from this. It is as real as your high blood pressure. It looks like a wonderful place.

trinidiva

10-12-2013, 10:59 AM

sweetypie

10-12-2013, 11:28 AM

I text my doc this morning and explained to her my thoughts on obsessing over this high blood pressure readings. She says and I quote......."I feel your high blood pressure is from anxiety and I feel you should remove your blood pressure machine from your house." SO WHY THE HECK CANT I ACCEPT THIS AND MOVE ON. Then I think what if she's wrong what if she thinks it's anxiety when it is actually high blood pressure . Does this make any sense?

It does make sense to us. I just want you to know that we've all had health anxiety problems before! Mine are different. Sometimes I think I am having an allergic reaction to new foods that I try. It literally feels like my throat is swelling up. I grasp it with my hand and start feeling like I am choking. I cough and it feels like I can't breath, but I can't breath because I am hyperventilating because I'm scared.

Anyway, I think you should listen to trinidiva. Don't focus on all the times you mess up and use your machine. Focus on all the times you resist using it and reward yourself, at least mentally, whenever you do. Say things like,"I want to use my machine right now. Let me wait just five minutes. I can put it off for five minutes." Your doctor doesn't seem to understand that it can be very, very hard to quit these things cold turkey. You have to wean yourself off of it slowly sometimes. Let yourself use the machine less and less until you are eventually (probably a long way down the road) able to give it up completely.

I know this might not make sense to you, but I am 100% positive that it's anxiety giving you that blood pressure reading. Even if your blood pressure was 150/100 all day, every day, your life wouldn't be in danger and you wouldn't have high blood pressure or need medication. That's why your doctor isn't worried about it. If you had actual high blood pressure, even if it was due to anxiety, they would give you medication to lower it until you started feeling happier.

*hugs* Just keep giving it a day at a time and posting to us on here. You will get through this.

tailspin

10-12-2013, 12:08 PM

Blessed,

I'm sorry to hear that a counselor didn't help. Don't give up on that, however. It's important that you see a psychiatrist (not a counselor), but a psychiatrist who specializes in this disease. It seems to me that your bigger concern should be getting control over your obsessive thoughts about your blood pressure. Your mental fixation on this is doing more harm to your quality of life than your blood pressure in and of itself.

I get very anxious when I go to the doctor, and inevitable my blood pressure is high. Last week at the doctors, my pulse was at 110. The nurse asked me if I felt nervous; I said, "Yes, in fact the whole reason I'm in this walk-in psychiatric clinic is to treat my anxiety." In short, the anxiety pushed up the heart rate.

I will tell you as well that I have fainted 5 times because of fear. Here's one example that happened to me two years ago in Chicago: I took my cat to the vet, which I have done numerous times without incident. The vet says to me; your cat is fine but she should have her teeth cleaned. In order to clean her teeth we will need to sedate her. Do you want this procedure? I say "Yes, ok." He draws blood from the cat.

Suddenly, in a kind of delayed reaction, I start to worry about the cost. Gosh! How much will this cost me? I am a student; I don't have a lot of money. I should have asked him how much it cost before he drew the blood? So, I ask the vet, somewhat embarrassed, "How much will this cost"? I'm expecting to hear $1,000 dollars. The Vet says, "Oh about $120. $120 That's completely affordable for me. Problem solved: I have asked the vet how much it will cost to clean my cat's teeth under general anesthesia. The answer the vet gave me was a low cost operation, well worth getting. My rational brain gets this.

But, the anxiety has been triggered. Part of my mind has untethered itself from the reality of the moment. Although the crisis in the real world has passed, that part of my mind which has untethered itself from reality, is fixated on the fact that I DIDN'T ASK THE VET IMMEDIATELY HOW MUCH THE PROCEDURE WOULD COST. It repeats this over and over: YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED HOW MUCH THE OPERATION WOULD COST? WHAT IF YOU COULDN'T PAY FOR IT? HOW COULD YOU GET YOURSELF TRAPPED? WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK? YOU WOULDN'T HAVE AFFORDED IT, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TAKEN YOUR CAT AWAY FROM YOU!!! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID? WOULD YOU HAVE BOUGHT A CAR WITHOUT ASKING THE PRICE? WOULD YOU HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE WITHOUT ASKING THE PRICE FIRST? WHAT IF YOU WENT BANKRUPT? These thoughts flew around and around in my head, even as at the same time I thanked the vet and said I would make the appointment.

I walked out to the waiting room with my cat safely housed in her carrier. My body is going through the motions. But, my mind is so fixated on the minor fact of having not asked the cost of the procedure. It is so galvanized by this problem. (A problem already solved: I know the cost; it's just $120). Still, my mind, as I said, is trapped, fixated. My heart rate shoots up. My stomach drops. My heart beats frenetically. And, worst of all, my head begins to close in on itself. The tingling sensation in my brain grows and grows until my brain feels numb and a foggy mesh descends across my eyes so that I can't focus on anything. Having experienced this before, and knowing I'm at risk for fainting. I do three things: I tell the receptionist that I think I'm going to faint. I quickly sit down on a bench and move my cat away from me. And, I start repeating to myself: I'm not going to faint; I am not going to faint. I'm not going to faint. No, really, this will pass, I will not faint.

I faint.

I don't realize it's happened until I hear voices, distant at first. My first thought is: "Damn, why are there so many voices in my bedroom? Strange people are talking about me as if I'm not there. Hmm. Who needs an ambulance? How are they going to get an ambulance in my bedroom. Really, I need to sleep and people are bothering me and talking about ambulances!"

Apparently, in the middle of the waiting room, I collapsed and fell down thunk on the wooden bench. I was out for about a minute. When I could sit up I asked for water and was also given some banana bread. People asked me what happened. I told them it must have been low blood sugar. I was too embarrassed to tell complete strangers that I had a panic attack. How to explain how my mind operated, that I panicked over something that I had already solved. It's terrible to have to conceal one's anxiety. It's so much easier to just say, "Oh I guess I was dehydrated," or "I guess my blood sugar went low."

I'm telling this story to show you how powerful anxiety can be. How it can really warp your judgment. I take anti-anxiety medications, and I see a psychiatrist, and, still, this kind of episode occurs once every 3 or 4 years. It's completely random. By the way, I felt great after I fainted. I survived. I felt stronger for it.

Many people suffer from hypochondria. You need to keep working on finding a therapy that works for you. Find someone who specializes in this. Here's America's foremost hospital's literature on hypochondria. This seems to fit you to a tee. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypochondria/DS00841 You'll see on this site, that there are 10 pages worth of information about this.

Bottom line: I think YOU need help in stopping this. I admit that I hated asking for help, and several therapies didn't work, but I kept trying. There are trained doctors out there that will fully empathize with your condition. Not counselors, but psychiatrists. I think you will be get better, but you need to consult a professional. Else, this will just be miserable. The damage to your sense of well-being and overall happiness can be far more debilitating than having high blood pressure, which many people live with every day, and for which there are drugs like propranolol.

Thanks so much for sharing this, Perses! What a great post!!

jessed03

10-12-2013, 01:29 PM

Blessed we have been here before , have we not .

Your not facing the biggest struggle , your facing the same one you always have .

1`) This is nothing what so ever to do with your blood pressure, your heart . Not a thing . zip nothing .

2) This is solely your anxiety . This has gone on a few years from your first post here. Simple fact number one , nothing has changed , your heart is still fine and you are still worried about nothing. Fact number two and you are not going to like this but if you ever get past this then you will move onto something else , because it is nothing about your heart but about your anxiety .

3) It is YOU that is dong this , it is YOU that is deciding to check , It is YOU that is getting a pay off from what you are doing .

4) It will also be YOU that fixes it . No Drug will work for this , not now not ever . If a drug helps then your will convince yourself that it is the drug and then start worrying about it when you don't take the drug .

5) YOU are a ADDICT . It is that simply . YOU are doing something bad that you think is helping but it is not .

6) you want to stop then chose to stop . Not that simply yes but is what you are doing now simply??

7) feed the fire and it will get larger , throw water on it and it will get smaller and go out . Which one are you doing?

8) I will tell you that for a few days of misery, increased anxiety , if you stop then your anxiety will drop ten fold within days . This is feeding your anxiety .

9) you can not do this alone . You need someone that is going to force you to stop doing this . Just the same as a addict that goes to rehab . You need to send your husband in here and i will tell him what to do .
This is something that can not be talked though with a counselor once a week . It is something that must be forced on you for a period of time and then you will see the truth and not the bullshit that anxiety is tricking you into .

10) You can do this and only YOU . In fact there is no one else other than YOU that can chose to do this . Sounds just like a addict does it not , only a addict can chose to quit . YOU ARE A ADDICT .

11) There is no IFs BUTs or anything else . YOU chose to stop it , take control of it , or it will keep taking control of you .

IT IS NOTHING ABOUT YOUR HEART and stop telling your self other wise .

This post is actually incredible. So very true. You can't go wrong, heeding this advice!

Perses

10-12-2013, 03:22 PM

All these posts are excellent. In essence I'm repeating what I wrote in an earlier post:

I think you may very well have clinical hypochondriasis. This is a real disease; you should go to a psychiatrist that specializes in this. This is the disease that needs treating. I think it would be very hard and exhausting to treat it on your own. Please see a psychiatrist.

Second, it may well be that taking a drug might help. This is up to your psychiatrist to decide in consultation with you.

What YOU need to do is commit to 4 weeks seeing a psychiatrist that specializes in hypochondriasis. Health anxiety is a real condition with real doctors who treat it.

Forwells's story about his sudden desire to pick up a knife and hurt his family is extremely valuable. Rather than being shamed or shuned for harboring thoughts of harming others, his family and his doctor accepted what happened and helped him recognize that these thoughts can happen. He found solace because he admitted his fear and he was comforted by others.

P.S. We care for you. We understand that you are scared. We are hear to listen to you. We want you to get better, and, we need you to get better, so that you can continue to be a vital, caring, giving, member of this community.

Blessed

10-12-2013, 03:59 PM

tailspin

10-12-2013, 04:06 PM

Wow!!! These posts are so eye opening for me, hard to digest, but full of TRUTH none the less. I have got to stop checking I realize now I will only get worse if I don't. I owe it to my family, my friends, my supporters on this forum and myself! I am ready to make a change! Only I can fix this and I have never been more ready !!! Thank you for all your encouraging words and support!

Good for you, Blessed!! And good luck!!! I have got a lot out of reading the responses in this thread too. Some really excellent points have been made!! I will need to come back and read this thread often!

trinidiva

10-12-2013, 07:33 PM

Wow!!! These posts are so eye opening for me, hard to digest, but full of TRUTH none the less. I have got to stop checking I realize now I will only get worse if I don't. I owe it to my family, my friends, my supporters on this forum and myself! I am ready to make a change! Only I can fix this and I have never been more ready !!! Thank you for all your encouraging words and support!

Good for you. Whenever you feel yourself starting to weaken.....come back and find this post. Read the words you just typed
They will give you the encouragement to push forward. You can do this.

stephanie3126

10-13-2013, 12:03 AM

Are you taking any meds for bp? if not, there's nothing wrong with you. Your docs would put you on something if they really believed something was wrong with your bp. My grandma has high blood pressure and has to take meds for it every day. She's also had a stroke and other stuff that made her go on these meds. Trust me, nothing is wrong with you. It's hard to believe and I know it's hard, but if something was wrong with you, your doc would tell you. They're not stupid and they're here to take care of you. I wish you luck in overcoming this. We all can if we put positive thoughts into our head.

Blessed

10-13-2013, 10:28 AM

No I am not on bp meds and when I asked my doc if she feels I have high bp she said she feels the anxiety is causing my bp To rise, but does not want to put me on meds. I'm just so scared with all this and really want to get better .

Blessed

10-14-2013, 09:36 AM

Punisherthunder

10-14-2013, 04:17 PM

This is a personal assumption between myself and my father, and we have TEXTBOOK blood pressure and always have.

My father and I both are very relaxed and are able to sit or stand still. For example, when I lay down to go to sleep at night, I don't move around. I may turn over, but only after a few hours or so. If I'm watching a movie or television, I can sit in one position and not move. It's like your breathing is relaxed and along with your body and mind. My father and I are both like this and our BP is always excellent. My wife fidgets like there's no tomorrow and her BP fluctuates. Make of all this what you will.

sweetypie

10-14-2013, 07:45 PM

stephanie3126

10-14-2013, 08:12 PM

Ok I thought today was gonna be great. I'm sitting at my desk working when BOOM. All the sudden my heart starts racing to like 120. For no reason. I was sitting. How can this be normal ? Please I'm really trying here I just don't see how that can be normal, my heart feels like it's galloping

Don't worry. It's common with anxiety. I've experienced this before and it put me at ease reading many people here saying they've gone through the same sensations. And I know it's weird, but that's when your heart does funny things on you, not when you're exercising or doing something that requires high energy but when you're just sitting or lying down relaxing. That's when they usually happen to me. Kind of odd but that's how these things work.

Blessed

10-15-2013, 11:06 AM

I was at work today and felt dizzy most all morning. I checked my bp figuring if anything it would be on the low side . It was 151/108, boom back to square one! Then the machine kept giving error messages does that mean it's too high bp to read? I am absolutely scared to death right now ! As I was taking my bp this rush of anxiety came over me like I knew it was going high . I go back to my cardiologist tomorrow . I fear they are going to put me on a blood pressure med based on these readings. How can I know for sure if the bp readings are high due to true blood pressure problems or due to actual anxiety? I am beside myself right now ! I'm literally scared and I know I should have more faith but I'm really struggling eight now !!!

sweetypie

10-15-2013, 11:26 AM

If your blood pressure was too high due to anxiety, they would still give you blood pressure medication. Your blood pressure is not that high. It's not a risk to your health.

And no, you can have errors for all kinds of reasons. A lot of the time machines can't take my blood pressure and have errors when they try, so they have to take it manually and I do not normally have high blood pressure. It's just hard for the machines to feel my pulse.

Blessed

10-15-2013, 01:32 PM

they say if your bottom number goes over 110 it's hypertensive crisis and your suppose to seek treatment immediately. How high is too high?

sweetypie

10-15-2013, 01:40 PM

they say if your bottom number goes over 110 it's hypertensive crisis and your suppose to seek treatment immediately. How high is too high?

I read that the bottom number has to be at least 120.

Blessed

10-15-2013, 02:23 PM

So I've been told many times by my doc too not check my bp due to what it does to me anxiety wise . But what if it gets that high and I'm not aware because I'm not checking it? I know y'all are sick of hearing about this I just dunno what else to do!!!!

Blessed

10-15-2013, 03:42 PM

For gods shake STOP FEEDING IT. STOP reading about it . High blood pressure is very common . In fact super common. Most people live with it for years and years and never ever know it . The problem is that it is classic white coat syndrome but with a twist that it is blessed that does the checking . I would be surprised and more worried if it was not high with the anxiety it causes from worrying about it . of course it is going to peak high when the reading is done , its because its the fear and simply seeing the number is enough to feed a rush of adrenaline . Hence raising blood pressure . The fact is that you will never see it low because simply seeing it makes it high . This does not mean that it is not low . Any doctor worth his/her salt would take your anxiety into consideration when it is taken and this is why they are not worried about it . I am sure that every doctor you have seen has not seen this as a problem but have focused on the problem feeding it . The ANXIETY. HP is normal treated with lifestyle changes first . Diet , Reducing STRESS YOU need to stop checking it . It is that simple . YOU need to put some basic CBT practices in there and unless you do it will remain a problem . felt dizzy most all morning. Again classic anxiety symptom . I have had this fro 12 months now . MY BP is a little high but within range . This is caused by a shift in the chemicals in the brain or the nerves effecting balance being effected by the anxiety . The simply fact blessed is that unless you start to contest the thoughts you have then you can not change things . I have given you a list of things to do and do again and i will tell you that it will fade in days if you stop feeding it . BUT again the simply fact is YOU must stop feeding it . You seem or must of done alot of reading on high blood pressure . Why not try it with anxiety in front of it . How it effects BP? Its not a problem its a symptom of your body telling you to calm down . The problem is your not listening too . I think Oprah said that anxiety is nothing more than your body showing you what your brain has been telling you but your chose to ignore .your post makes alot of sense believe me ! And although it don't seem like it I do want to STOP ALL THIS NONSENSE. My main concern is ok.... I stop checking my bp...... And unbeknownst to me it's very very high..... What if me not checking it causes a heart attack of stroke that I could have been aware of if I were monitoring???? Please help me here

trinidiva

10-15-2013, 04:46 PM

Do you live with someone that you can givr your monitor to? They can give it to you for a bi weekly check up. You don't seem like you can do this on your own.

trinidiva

10-15-2013, 07:00 PM

Because your what ifs have no fact behind them . They are classic anxiety symptom and nothing more . It really is that simply . The point that you seem to be missing , that your anxiety is tricking you is that the only person that is saying that this BP is a problem is You .

This is the only thing you are focused on . Its a scary world and you have plenty you could be worried about , for you and your kids and many would have better facts behind them . Again this is anxiety and nothing more . Just like me worrying about some dumb thought about that knife .

The simply fact is anxiety is worry , but we all have worries . The anxiety is the endless , no logical worry .

How longs it been ? When was your very first post , the one you had this problem with ? Has anything happened in that time or have you just stressed about it and feed your anxiety even more? .

YOU have to start the CBT , start telling yourself that there is no problem , that it is anxiety and nothing more , that it is stress and when the stress is removed then it will pass and go lower . That it is not high but just a sing of the anxiety . That all doctors tell me that it is nothing to worry about ETC ETC ETC

Go and do a google search on how to break addictions , because that is what you have an dthat is what is feeding a big part of your anxiety . I also want you to ask the next doc you see if this is not correct .

Agreed. ^^^^^^^^^^^

First step: Get rid of the bp machine. Seriously, get rid of it. Give it to someone to hold onto it. This WILL be super difficult.

Second: please take the above advice and look into CBT. It does help.

Third: Even when you don't believe it, you will be ok. You have to tell yourself this over and over until you begin to believe it.

Blessed

10-16-2013, 06:34 AM

skimordiegirl

10-16-2013, 10:35 AM

I have the opposite issue... I have severely low bloop pressure. I used to check it constantly wondering if soon I would pass out... even though I never have.

The best things I could suggest is CBT and also just realize that if it's high normally, stressing over it is what WILL make it worse. Our anxiety feeds the fire, so to speak. So don't feed the fire. Look for natural ways to lower your blood pressure and allow yourself maybe 2 times a day to check it.

I hope you start feeling better asap!

Thanks so much for sharing this, Perses! What a great post!!

Blessed

10-16-2013, 11:31 AM

On my way to cardiologist I have cried all morning. Just need some answers and reassurance. Want to be normal again. Without checking vitals 24/7

sweetypie

10-16-2013, 12:30 PM

I go see my cardiologist today and I have soany questions. My primary doc called me at home last night and I told her about the 150/108 she did not se the least bit worried . She said .... This is your anxiety causing all this and I don't feel you need bp meds for it. She told me to put away my bp machine and come to see her every few weeks or so and she would check it for me. This is the hardest thing I ever dealt with in my life. It all stems from seeing my mother die from a massive heart attack on 06. I have held all this inside until my first real panic attack 2.5 years ago. This has become a demon that is trying to destroy me and ur right I do need help this is so addicting. I feel like if I don't ck it I'll have a heart attack, same as if I do ck it I start freaking out cause it's high .

Yes, you do it to try to protect yourself, but in reality, you are just making yourself terrified.

All our anxious thoughts we have to protect ourselves. For me, I don't have health anxiety right now, I am absolutely terrified of my fiance. I love him, but I am so scared if I don't constantly analyze things, I will wind up hurt. So I obsessively analyze things to the point where I get depressed/suicidal sometimes even though nothing is wrong and wind up hurting our relationship in the process instead of helping it.

Perses

10-16-2013, 03:33 PM

Blessed,

Your doctor is very kind to agree to check your blood pressure every couple of weeks. It's also helpful to learn that your mother died from a massive stroke. I can see that this is what precipitated your current obsession with high blood pressure.

You need to follow your doctor's advice. You must learn to trust the doctor. I've already said this, but I'll repeat it. The disease you have is not high blood pressure, it is hypochondriasis. This is what you need to treat. You need to see a psychiatrist who specializes in this. Why continue to make yourself miserable? You really do need professional help; there is no shame in that. You need an advocate to help you through this. Please see a psychiatrist.

Blessed

10-17-2013, 02:39 PM

Went to see cardiologist yesterday and told her all my thoughts and what I was experiencing. They did an EKG and it came back normal thank The Lord. I had lots of questions for her. At this time they are agreeing with my primary doc that my recent high bp is stemming from anxiety. To reassure them and myself, they are doing a nuclear stress test , treadmill stress test and echocardiogram on next Wednesday. I pray all goes well and that hopefully once and for all I can put this behind me!!!

trinidiva

10-17-2013, 07:53 PM

Blessed

10-18-2013, 06:50 AM

I am relieved to say that on my way home from the cardiologist, on the interstate , I opened my sunroof and tossed my bp cuff out the window. Then one by one I chunked the four batteries that helped fuel my OCD tendencies. Then a mile or to up the road I tossed my actual bp machine out the sunroof. No I don't like to litter but I had had enough. I'll be honest that I have checked my bp since using my co workers machine, but I asked them to put it up and they did. This is very hard for me since I have struggled with dizzy and headaches all week but I am really trying here.

Perses

10-18-2013, 10:25 AM

Wonderful wonderful!! I love the image of your throwing your bp stuff out the window of your moving car. You have unshackled yourself!!! Wow!! Fantastic!!! Sooooo proud of you, Blessed. It takes great courage. Take aspirin for your headaches, and if you feel dizzy slow down your breathing. Remember it's your anxiety that is doing this. Your doctors are looking out for you; don't let your anxiety or hypochondriasis take charge. Make sure to treat yourself to a new haircut, or go see a movie. Reward yourself.

Also, you may have set backs, and that's ok too. Just keep trying.

sweetypie

10-18-2013, 01:16 PM

Yay! You're doing great, Blessed!

Blessed

10-18-2013, 04:20 PM

First Step blessed and well done :) Keep it up . Would be interested to know if you have spoke with any one about your mums death . I know this fear well , my mother died at 24 when i was 18 months old and i also thought i would have the same faith . I'm very sorry to hear about your mother. I did speak to a counselor and to my dad about my moms death but it's still hard to grasp sometimes. I need to accept it and let it go but sometimes it's so overwhelming. When I had my first panic attack I thought for certain that I was having a heart attack like she did. I cannot get over this fear and I've got to learn to move past it. I cannot heal myself until I do