Posted by MrSandman on April 21, 2004, at 11:30:59
In reply to help.......its...full....blown!!, posted by crazychickuk on April 21, 2004, at 8:11:20
crazychickuk:
The hell you are in is familiar territory to me. I've got the bills from several rounds of cardiac testing to prove it.For most people, 140 beats per minute is not a dangerous pulse rate. It's about the target rate for a 40 year old during a 45 minute period of exercise.
Your sensation of the heartbeat and that "odd twinge" are amplified by tension in the muscles surrounding the heart.
Your doctor's advice to "calm down" is sound. However, calming down a nervous system as sensitized as yours is a bit of an art. Rainyday suggests a technique that should bring some relief. This is one of the fundamentals of "calming down," BREATHING EXERCISES -slowly taking deep breaths and counting them is another exceelent exercise.
Another essential is MUSCULAR RELAXATION: Begin by tensing all the muscles in your body at once, and gradually releasing the tension. Repeat until every muscle feels relaxed.
Finally, you'll need to fill your mind with a SIMPLE, PEACEFUL THOUGHT. Some people repeat a brief, comforting word or brief saying, such as a bit of scripture. Others prefer a visual image, such as a favorite scene from nature. Whatever, simplicity and repetition are essential.
Any of these techniques, practiced for a few minutes, should bring relief.
Better yet if you practice them all together for a few weeks, you likely will prevent many of your anxiety symptoms as well. Meditation classes or audiotapes/CDs can help tremendously. By daily following **Meditation for Absolutely Everyone** for 20 to 30 minutes, once or twice daily, I was able to quit my sedatives within a month.If you would like a simple explanation of the physiology behind all of this, take a look at **The Relaxation Response** and similar titles by Herbert Benson, MD.
poster:MrSandman
thread:338340
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040417/msgs/338373.html