Skipped Heartbeats

[AnxietyFree1day]

Hi there i have been suffering from anxiety for 3 years now and i am 20 years old, it started just before i left school and has slowly escalated in the last 3 years. went to doctors after i had my first panic attack and they told me how to deal with it etc.. and they have told me it's normal and happens to thousands of people which i accept. I have weeks where i don't have panic attacks for ages and times where they are every day like most people with an anxiety disorder i suppose or with anyone who has an illness i suppose there are the good days and the bad.
Anyway what i'm getting to is i feel like i can deal with the mental side of it but the most horrible symptom i get is these skipped heart beats? i have had them for a few years now and they just really scare me? i can have them even when i am not panicking and they will just be random like when I'm walking or sitting down? but i feel i am always on edge and ready for them. Some feel stronger than others and some i can hardly feel. And every few months i get a day where i have like 5 in a row one after the other and it really scares me. Is this normal? is it all just anxiety related?


Would just appreciate it if someone was going through the same thing and i could talk to them about it.

[timjpcollins]

My first question is when you saw the doctor did you mention the skipped heart beats? or the sensation of skipped heart beats?

Did they say that was nothing to worry about? I'm assuming it's just anxiety playing it's usual trick but wanted to check before I offered any advice.
Cheers
Tim JP Collins
The Anxiety Breakthrough Coach.

[AnxietyFree1day]

My first question is when you saw the doctor did you mention the skipped heart beats? or the sensation of skipped heart beats?

Did they say that was nothing to worry about? I'm assuming it's just anxiety playing it's usual trick but wanted to check before I offered any advice.
Cheers
Tim JP Collins
The Anxiety Breakthrough Coach.


No I haven't mentioned it to him! Because I seen that it was a symptom of anxiety and thought it was part of the package! But I hate it

[NixonRulz]

Hi there i have been suffering from anxiety for 3 years now and i am 20 years old, it started just before i left school and has slowly escalated in the last 3 years. went to doctors after i had my first panic attack and they told me how to deal with it etc.. and they have told me it's normal and happens to thousands of people which i accept. I have weeks where i don't have panic attacks for ages and times where they are every day like most people with an anxiety disorder i suppose or with anyone who has an illness i suppose there are the good days and the bad.
Anyway what i'm getting to is i feel like i can deal with the mental side of it but the most horrible symptom i get is these skipped heart beats? i have had them for a few years now and they just really scare me? i can have them even when i am not panicking and they will just be random like when I'm walking or sitting down? but i feel i am always on edge and ready for them. Some feel stronger than others and some i can hardly feel. And every few months i get a day where i have like 5 in a row one after the other and it really scares me. Is this normal? is it all just anxiety related?


Would just appreciate it if someone was going through the same thing and i could talk to them about it.

The majority of skipped heart beats, palpitations, thuds in the chest, etc... Are due to shallow breathing

Anxious people tend to breathe very shallow with their chest opposed to normal breathing so the stomach moves slowly up and down

I still get those skipped beats but it is just a signal that I am breathing screwed up again

When you feel those skipped beats, breath normally. Not deep breaths just normal with the stomach rising and falling

They will stop within the first few breaths

[timjpcollins]

The majority of skipped heart beats, palpitations, thuds in the chest, etc... Are due to shallow breathing

Anxious people tend to breathe very shallow with their chest opposed to normal breathing so the stomach moves slowly up and down

I still get those skipped beats but it is just a signal that I am breathing screwed up again

When you feel those skipped beats, breath normally. Not deep breaths just normal with the stomach rising and falling

They will stop within the first few breaths

I would agree with the breathing, it's key to regulate your breath to ensure Oxygen and CO2 levels are where they are supposed to be.

My pattern is 3 seconds in thru the nose. Hold for 2 seconds. Exhale for 6 seconds through the mouth. Count each round of this you do. Aim to do 10 when ever you feel the need.

Rest one had on your belly and make sure it's moving (not your chest).

Lastly when the skipped beats appear I would accept them and recognize them as a bodily function. Be curious about any sensations you have. But don't create fear or try to fight them.

Hope that helps. I'm actually going to make a new video next week on breathing so will post it up once it's done.

Cheers
Tim

[AnxietyFree1day]

Thanks for all your replies guys it means a lot! So why is it the heart skips a beat because of the breathing? Like what actually is it in the shallow breathing that triggers these skipped beats?

[timjpcollins]

It can be caused by low levels of oxygen or co2 in the blood. That's all you really need to know my friend. Regulate your breathing and you should be good to go!

Give the breathing a practice and let me know how it goes.

Cheers
Tim

[AnxietyFree1day]

Okay I will try this, thanks :)