Posted by Noa on November 30, 2000, at 7:31:59
In reply to Depression....Suicide, posted by wavs2u2 on November 29, 2000, at 9:17:58
Dear wavs,
You wrote:
> racing thoughts, I worry constinly....see and feel doom....always thinking of what terrible bad things that can happen
> I have MVP mitral valve prolapse which they say is a central nervous systme problem as well as the valve not closing all the way that goes into your heart which causes palpitations and chest pains.....Some thoughts:
--MVP causes palpitations.
--Palpitations are also a symptom of panic disorder.
--You also describe having feelings of doom and worry.
--I wonder if you have an anxiety disorder secondary to your MVP. If the MVP causes palpitations, this can make your body/mind believe you are anxious. The brain being what it is, fills in the "why" with all sorts of worried thoughts.
--OR, you might have an anxiety disorder alongside the MVP. Persistent anxiety can cause one to start to feel depressed, too.I wonder if a mind/body approach might help. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by E. Bourne (see Dr. Bob's "Read!" page--link at top of this page) has a lot of ideas on how to treat anxiety symptoms.
I also believe that some of the relaxation training and meditation techniques used for anxiety disorders are also used with patients who have heart problems.
Learning to use these techniques is not hard, tho it does require consistency and practice practice practice. Perhaps there is a psychologist or behvioral medicine MD in your area who can help.
poster:Noa
thread:49612
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001130/msgs/49684.html