OMG can a movie cause a panic attack or is it my heart?

[Kayteecatt]

Okay, the voice of reason for the week is now needing a voice of reason.  My hub and I rented the new horror movie "The Happening" to watch tonight.  I don't know how to say this without ruining the movie for those who would want to see it.....as soon as the "mysterious deaths" began to happen I started to feel really ill and then it was like a wave or something rushed up from my chest and into my throat, it then rushed back down and this happened like 6 times.  I took my pulse as soon as it started because that's what I do when I freak out, and it was totally normal....84....I took it after it stopped and it was still normal....82....Through the whole thing I was telling myself "it's okay, it's just the anxiety try and relax".

Now, the rational part of me says that if it had anything to do with my heart that my pulse would have been affected in someway, but the anxious part of me says that it felt scary and therefore it had to have been my heart.

I've always been a huge horror movie fan, I've seen 'em all....am I not going to be able to enjoy them anymore because of this anxiety?

I was doing so well this week....I've answered I don't know how many posts with such positive thoughts....why can't I believe myself?  I've already spent over 1000.00 out of pocket on medical bills that tell me there's nothing wrong....how much more money do I have to waste before I believe it? 

[bababel]

YES, YES, YES a movie can cause a panick attack.  In fact, I had a MAJOR panick attack when I went to see "The Happening" too!  I finally had to look away from the screen anytime the deaths were happening because I wasn't able to breathe properly.  Movies that are that intense can have a huge affect on our anxiety.  A month later I had another panick attack while watching "The Dark Knight." 

This is normal for those of us who suffer from severe anxiety.  My advice is, pick a comedy...and if you want to go see the scary flick, then make sure you allow yourself to look away when you need to!   

[Kayteecatt]

Well crap, I was looking forward to seeing "Dark Knight"...lol...guess I'll be prepared for it now though, maybe that will help.  I do remember that I also had a similar thing happen to me during that movie with Will Smith..."I am Legend", it was a new release in the spring when this anxiety first started.  It was a pretty intense movie too, with the same idea, something is happening to the people in the world and no one knows how to stop it.  I guess that's the whole thing there, when there's no sense of control I have anxiety. 

[doni]

hi , i cant watch horror movies at the minute, when i watched the eye, i started to worry i was going to go blind! hah, not so funny i suppose but feel got to laugh at myself sometimes to keep sane! they def bring on anxiety,

[Tantra]

thankfully horror movies have never set me off or i would never sleep .  but i do get attacks from tv is it has illness on it

[tomorrowisanotherday]

Hey, I have trouble even watching the news on CNN.  I swear, when they talk about anything that is depressing or sad, I go into a full blown panic attack.  I watch absolutely no movies that have violence, monsters, loud guns, etc.   You are NOT alone !!!!!

[AYKM]

Same thing for me too. I had a really bad panic attack watching a movie one time and I had to leave the theater. It took me a good couple of hours to calm down. I couldn't go back to a movie theater for a few years because I was so scared that it would happen again. The feeling you are describing I used to have "wave" over me when I had a panic attack. I don't really have panic attacks anymore, just constant anxiety (not sure which is worse). I haven't seen The Happening, but I certainly had no panic with Dark Knight, however it was unnerving to watch knowing that Heath Ledger was gone. There are some extreme explosions and chases that might be 'too much' but overall it was good. Maybe start again with a less aggressive movie and work your way back up to the intense ones.

[Kayteecatt]

Thanks for understand the whole wave thing, I tried to explain it that same way to my hub and he just doesn't get it...it's so hard to describe these physical symptoms to people who have never had them.  So far today I've done pretty good.  My left hand is tingling a little bit and I worried about it for a sec, but since I don't think of that as heart related I haven't had any big anxious feelings.

[Missjay1977]

Yes, yes and yes.  I am limited as to what I can watch for this very reason. 

[Kayteecatt]

It's just crazy, I don't understand how this works.  The only thing I can think of is that I'm a total control freak.  It's not to the point of OCD, but I like everything in it's place and I like to know what's going on and I'm not very "spir of the moment".  I'm going to guess that it's the lack of control that's fueling my anxiety.  I can't control when my time will come or what will end up taking me.....

[brandons_mom]

Actually, the best thing you can do for yourself is to watch those movies that create anxiety.  I too had anxiety while watching "The Happening".  I was and am still going through a severe bout of OCD and depersonalization and the synopsis of the movie made the wheels in my head begin to turn bigtime.....you can't avoid the things that make you afraid and/or anxious because like is full of these things.  You need to rationalize yourself and discern between what is probably and what is possible etc.  Don't be afraid when you watch movies, they are marketed to inspire certain feelings and sensations in individuals, it's a part of their marketing technique.  Even those without anxiety problems would feel a bit strange after watching certain things, it's nothing unusual and is a normal part of the human condition: emotion.  Don't allow anxiety to rule what you do or don't watch, there are great movies out there!!! God Bless.

[brandons_mom]

 probably and what is possible etc.  ( I meant probable, not possibly)

[angela52884]

Ok, you said you get the warm rush feeling, I get that all the time too! What is it though? Is it adrenaline rush? I dont think mine goes to my through, I can just feel it happen like midstomach area, I hate that feeling though!

[Kayteecatt]

That's my guess, adrenaline....I don't know though, it would have to be right?  Or an increase in blood flow maybe?  I dunno, I just hate the way it felt. 

[~Maria~]

I cant watch House or any medical shows. i suddenly start to believe i have what ever the characters have.