I've been doing some research on stress

[AbnormallyAnxious]

I've found articles on webmd that say it's important to calm yourself and reduce stress. They mentioned taking less breathes in a minute (5-10) helps reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate. They also stated in the article it's important to lower your heart rate. Why? I thought it was okay to have a resting heart rate that was faster than it should be.

[howahkan]

Not every article is true. Web MD is known to almost everybody with anxiety as false. You need to stop looking up stuff on the internet about your symptoms and taking it like you heard it from a doctor.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

The doctor didn't tell me anything about fast heart rates, stress or proper breathing.

[howahkan]

I've found articles on webmd

Web MD is a bunch of crapola. Ask any doctor or anybody on the forums with Health Anxiety, Web MD is false. Anything you look up on the internet about your health or symptoms  is probably false.  Ask your doctor if you want to know something about your health, not google. Google lies lol.

The doctor didn't tell me anything about fast heart rates, stress or proper breathing.

You misunderstood me. I meant that you google things and think it's true when it is not.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

Why in the world does the internet have false things 

[marc]

Of course it is better to reduce stress, as it helps your mental outlook and helps you enjoy life to the
fullest. My friend is an internist/cardiologist and he said that some peoples heart rate is naturally
higher.

[LindaRK]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of these internet medical websites.  For the most part, they generalize about everything.  Then you add in someone with anxiety and we can really read into what they're purporting.

Ask any doctor - they will tell you the worst thing you can do is try and diagnose yourself over the internet.  You could have a simple runny nose and doing some minor googling could lead you to think you had a terminal disease - this being even for people without anxiety.  I've heard this from non-anxious friends and relatives!  Best to just stay away from it.

If you want reassurance about a medical issue, share your feelings on a forum.  If you're looking for medical advice, talk to your doctor or specialist.

[sixpack]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of these internet medical websites.  For the most part, they generalize about everything.  Then you add in someone with anxiety and we can really read into what they're purporting.

Ask any doctor - they will tell you the worst thing you can do is try and diagnose yourself over the internet.  You could have a simple runny nose and doing some minor googling could lead you to think you had a terminal disease - this being even for people without anxiety.  I've heard this from non-anxious friends and relatives!  Best to just stay away from it.

If you want reassurance about a medical issue, share your feelings on a forum.  If you're looking for medical advice, talk to your doctor or specialist.

exactly!!  my hubs  received a diagnosis in mid december.  the doc gave him  A LOT of info that the doc's office updates monthly.  He told my hubs:   you can  look up stuff online but BE CAREFUL there are a lot of CRACKPOTS and CRAP online.

[howahkan]

Why in the world does the internet have false things 

The internet is full of false things, nobody taught you?

[AbnormallyAnxious]

Well I don't see why one would put false information on the internet. Ridiculous.

[floridaguy65]

Hang on a little:)

Web MD is a bunch of crapola. Ask any doctor or anybody on the forums with Health Anxiety, Web MD is false. Anything you look up on the internet about your health or symptoms  is probably false.  Ask your doctor if you want to know something about your health, not google. Google lies lol.

I get where you're coming from:) It is definitely best for HA peeps to not google their own health concerns, for sure. It is a recipe for amped up panic, almost aways, since we can't put what we read into its proper context of our overall health. That is the main issue....we, simply, cannot apply the cold facts to ourselves with any reasonable measure as we are struggling with anxiety / health anxiety. And, of course, we are not trained Docs, with years of schooling and practical experience actually seeing people with the diseases and illnesses we fear.

But, there is lots of accurate information on the internet, including WebMD. And, it can be useful to some peeps who can filter through the information in a rational manner. Anxiety peeps cannot - OVERWHELMINGLY. So, it is best (required, really:) for us to stay away from self-diagnosing. Luckily our track record is absolutely horrible in self-diagnosing! Luckily!:) Part of our learning and understanding about our challenges can, most cetainly, come from the internet. There are many reputable resources out there. But, again, HA peeps cannot self-diagnose....this has been proven time and time and time and time and time again:)

To AA - you can google 'breathing exercising for anxiety' (use the internet for good:). There is, simply, little that is better (and more readily available to us) in helping ourselves 'feel better' on a daily basis than deep diaphragmatic breathing. When anxious, we tend to breath shallow and rapidly and with our chest. These can lead to physical manifestation that make us worrying even more (and inturn breath even more rapidly and shallow). Our chest can get tight. We feel like we aren't getting in enough air. Our throat can feel like it is constricting. Our face and hands and tingle. Our heart can beat faster. Etc. All from incorrect breathing.

Study it, learn about it, try to embrace it, practice it, practice it, practice it, believe it will eventually help and then, hopefully, it become almost automatic in its presence and it can become a natural part of your daily life:)

Peace and Feel Well:)

[floridaguy65]

'breathing exercises for anxiety'

[howahkan]

Hang on a little:)

Web MD is a bunch of crapola. Ask any doctor or anybody on the forums with Health Anxiety, Web MD is false. Anything you look up on the internet about your health or symptoms  is probably false.  Ask your doctor if you want to know something about your health, not google. Google lies lol.

there is lots of accurate information on the internet, including WebMD.

I'm sorry. But no. Web MD is not accurate, at all.

[floridaguy65]

I'm sorry. But no. Web MD is not accurate, at all.

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/news/20110221/talk-therapy-may-help-treat-social-anxiety

Hmmmm....took me 5 seconds to find this. Sounds pretty accurate to me.

I can't get into an argument over this. The internet, including WebMD, has valuable resources. Of course, there is info that is misleading and wrong and needs to be filtered through. As I said, HA peeps should NOT self-diagnose. And, this is the crux of the matter, anyway.

Peace:)

[howahkan]

I'm sorry. But no. Web MD is not accurate, at all.

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/news/20110221/talk-therapy-may-help-treat-social-anxiety

Hmmmm....took me 5 seconds to find this. Sounds pretty accurate to me.

I can't get into an argument over this. The internet, including WebMD, has valuable resources. Of course, there is info that is misleading and wrong and needs to be filtered through. As I said, HA peeps should NOT self-diagnose. And, this is the crux of the matter, anyway.

Peace:)

Well, that's kind of common knowledge. I'm talking accurate in terms of searching your symptoms and coming up with crazy things. I've talked to so many doctors that say Web MD is crap.

[gcalex]

I have found Mayo Clinic's website to be pretty good.

[floridaguy65]

I'm sorry. But no. Web MD is not accurate, at all.

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/news/20110221/talk-therapy-may-help-treat-social-anxiety

Hmmmm....took me 5 seconds to find this. Sounds pretty accurate to me.

I can't get into an argument over this. The internet, including WebMD, has valuable resources. Of course, there is info that is misleading and wrong and needs to be filtered through. As I said, HA peeps should NOT self-diagnose. And, this is the crux of the matter, anyway.

Peace:)

Well, that's kind of common knowledge. I'm talking accurate in terms of searching your symptoms and coming up with crazy things. I've talked to so many doctors that say Web MD is crap.

H, I'm on your side. You're an anxiety peep....so am I. But, there is an important distinction to made here, IMHO. The information on WebMD is NOT false. Having anxiety disorder(s) / health anxiety doesn't make the information false. There, simply, is not any rational argument otherwise. What is false is how an anxiety person interprets the information related to their own, overall, health and the problem is how that information is filtered by someone who is really struggling with HA. As I have said so many times in my over 2000 posts, here.....HA peeps should NOT self-diagnose - period - end of story. A healing path is never fostered when we continue to attempt to self-diagnose....I will never say (nor have I ever said) anything different.

The important distinction, to me, is that anxiety peeps eventually have to learn how to desensitize themselves to their fears. This is ultimately a major goal for all anxiety peeps. We hear a cancer treatment center commercial on tv and our HA minds begin to freak...."OMG cancer...cancer...cancer!" Does this make the actual intent of the commercial (one of trying to help, ultimately) false? No it doesn't. But, in an HA mind this information is filtered through our fears and all we really hear is: "Be careful, watch out, be vigilant or you're gonna get cancer". So what do we do? Do we turn the tv channel every single time for the rest of our lives or do we run out of the room every single time? Ultimately, we have to learn that this tv commercial has no actual relevance to our individual circumstance and has no compelling bearing on our quality of life. But, I know how anxiety peeps can get freaked, when they are struggling.

I'm not saying go to WebMD and symptom check. Or google your syptoms.These are such counterproductive habits for HA peeps. And, if a person cannot regulate themselves in how they gather information, then it would be best to stay off medical websites completely. And, MANY peeps here, on the AZ, are in that stage off their struggles. They, simply, cannot filter the information without it going through an already amped up mind - a mind already predicated in believing their is something sinister going on in their bodies.

Having HA / anxiety doesn't change what's true.....and ultimately we want to get to a place where we can handle the truth, so to speak. Most, here, on the AZ, aren't at that point - I understand:) Having HA / anxiety is about working upon on perceptions and rationalizations with an understanding that most of what we are afraid of is not totally false, or a complete lie, but it is our anxious minds interpretations of things that do have a possibility of happening. Most often, we can't say things shouldn't be around because they make us panicked. And, ultimately, that is a major goal for anxiety peeps - not avoiding things that are based in truth but can be skewed by an anxious minds:)

Peace:)

[AbnormallyAnxious]

I'm sorry. But no. Web MD is not accurate, at all.

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/news/20110221/talk-therapy-may-help-treat-social-anxiety

Hmmmm....took me 5 seconds to find this. Sounds pretty accurate to me.

I can't get into an argument over this. The internet, including WebMD, has valuable resources. Of course, there is info that is misleading and wrong and needs to be filtered through. As I said, HA peeps should NOT self-diagnose. And, this is the crux of the matter, anyway.

Peace:)

Well, that's kind of common knowledge. I'm talking accurate in terms of searching your symptoms and coming up with crazy things. I've talked to so many doctors that say Web MD is crap.

H, I'm on your side. You're an anxiety peep....so am I. But, there is an important distinction to made here, IMHO. The information on WebMD is NOT false. Having anxiety disorder(s) / health anxiety doesn't make the information false. There, simply, is not any rational argument otherwise. What is false is how an anxiety person interprets the information related to their own, overall, health and the problem is how that information is filtered by someone who is really struggling with HA. As I have said so many times in my over 2000 posts, here.....HA peeps should NOT self-diagnose - period - end of story. A healing path is never fostered when we continue to attempt to self-diagnose....I will never say (nor have I ever said) anything different.

The important distinction, to me, is that anxiety peeps eventually have to learn how to desensitize themselves to their fears. This is ultimately a major goal for all anxiety peeps. We hear a cancer treatment center commercial on tv and our HA minds begin to freak...."OMG cancer...cancer...cancer!" Does this make the actual intent of the commercial (one of trying to help, ultimately) false? No it doesn't. But, in an HA mind this information is filtered through our fears and all we really hear is: "Be careful, watch out, be vigilant or you're gonna get cancer". So what do we do? Do we turn the tv channel every single time for the rest of our lives or do we run out of the room every single time? Ultimately, we have to learn that this tv commercial has no actual relevance to our individual circumstance and has no compelling bearing on our quality of life. But, I know how anxiety peeps can get freaked, when they are struggling.

I'm not saying go to WebMD and symptom check. Or google your syptoms.These are such counterproductive habits for HA peeps. And, if a person cannot regulate themselves in how they gather information, then it would be best to stay off medical websites completely. And, MANY peeps here, on the AZ, are in that stage off their struggles. They, simply, cannot filter the information without it going through an already amped up mind - a mind already predicated in believing their is something sinister going on in their bodies.

Having HA / anxiety doesn't change what's true.....and ultimately we want to get to a place where we can handle the truth, so to speak. Most, here, on the AZ, aren't at that point - I understand:) Having HA / anxiety is about working upon on perceptions and rationalizations with an understanding that most of what we are afraid of is not totally false, or a complete lie, but it is our anxious minds interpretations of things that do have a possibility of happening. Most often, we can't say things shouldn't be around because they make us panicked. And, ultimately, that is a major goal for anxiety peeps - not avoiding things that are based in truth but can be skewed by an anxious minds:)

Peace:)

@Floridaguy, that last paragraph is depressive for us anxiety peeps..

[LindaRK]

Again, it's perception ..... floridaguy's last paragraph is straight-forward.  It's telling us the problem is us - our minds.  It's an answer for us.  Isn't that what we're looking for?  An answer?  That paragraph tells us that we don't need to continue searching and searching for some disease we "think" we have, but that we need to work on our perception and thoughts.  And yes, it's hard - not like a quick fix pill.  But, it's doable with alot of patience, persistence and most important, acceptance that you have anxiety and that your thoughts are distorted.  Once you accept this, instead of an uphill battle with anxiety, I truly believe you will be flying (in a good sense of the word!).  Been there and doing it after 35 years of this stuff.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

He stated that the reason we have those thoughts and fears is because there's a possibility of them happening, otherwise we wouldn't be having them.. And that what we fear isn't FALSE or a complete LIE..

[marc]

My physician told me that many people who suffer with HA want guarantees, for which there are none.

[LindaRK]

Our fears are distorted compared to people without anxiety ....... very distorted.

[floridaguy65]

Very nice post and correct in confirming my overall meaning, Linda:)

He stated that the reason we have those thoughts and fears is because there's a possibility of them happening, otherwise we wouldn't be having them.. And that what we fear isn't FALSE or a complete LIE..

Absolutely.

And, I won't tell anyone to not be a bit depressed when they are struggling...it kind of goes with the territory, some of the time. But, a key is that, eventhough depressed, we remain a least a little bit cognizant of what we need to do in order for us to begin to learn how to best help ourselves. Every bit of work we put into helping ourselves, now, has the potential to exponentially help us later as we begin to 'rewire' our minds. And this 'later' doesn't have mean 5 years, 2 years or even 6 months down the road. Sure, this is likely a lifetime journey, but that can be more than OK, and we can begin sowing the oats of our self-help much sooner than a lot of us believe:)

Also, AA - please go to the part in this thread I wrote about breathing (you asked about that again in another post). Practicing this will definitely bring you some benefits, eventually:)

Peace and Feel Well:)

[AbnormallyAnxious]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/anxiety-bad-heart/story?id=11092179#.UOj_puSABWA

 

[MOchp]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/anxiety-bad-heart/story?id=11092179#.UOj_puSABWA

 

Yes, too much stress can be harmful to people with PRE-EXISTING HEART CONDITIONS. From what I've read on your posts, this does not include you. Too much stress is bad for you regardless, but that doesn't mean it is going to cause an otherwise healthy person to have cardiac problems. Regardless, it is even more of a reason to get your anxiety under control. I wouldn't keep seeking out things like the new story you posted to if you are, because you'll just make your anxiety that much worse.