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jcl007 t1_jannj1m wrote

Reply to comment by halebounddr in Anxiety can be created by the body, mouse heart study suggests by halebounddr

This is an interesting idea and definitely seems like a complex concept to study. I’ve had anxiety for years and panic attacks have changed over time. The latest is waking up night and I’ll get up and sometimes it’ll trigger a rapid heart rate. I’ve learned to control my breathing to prevent this and doctors have told me it’s anxiety. I definitely think we need more studies into how our body triggers anxiety.

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-Zoppo t1_jaobf9j wrote

Everything stems from our evolution;

  1. If we experience anxiety, does it benefit our survival to increase our heart rate?

  2. If we experience an increased heart rate, does it benefit our survival to generate anxiety?

I think 2 is obvious, an increased heart rate is a problem, making us anxious about a problem has clear benefits.

However, I can't discredit 1 either, because increased heart rate and blood flow and adrenaline could all be part of a package (I don't understand this part at all myself).

Of course, it could be both.

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Bbrhuft t1_jaqvazd wrote

Tap your chest, block the sensation of your heart beating. If you feel self-conscious doing this in public, fold your arms and tap your chest without others noticing. It's a matter of breaking the positive feedback loop between pulse rate and anxiety. It's something I first did 20 years ago.

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Nalfgar123 t1_jasg6k5 wrote

> I’ve learned to control my breathing to prevent this

Just that?

Wath technique do you use?

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jcl007 t1_jasijaj wrote

Yes, if I feel it coming on, I’d usually use the breathing app on my watch and try to keep focus away from it. It’s probably a combination of not focusing on it and the slower breathing. After I started doing this, it rarely happens anymore.

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guanabanabanana t1_jawfu8c wrote

I would be driving and have intense butterflies in my stomach a lot for seemingly no reason. I tried a lot to get rid of it but it went on for years. Eventually I got hypnosis by a clinical counsellor and it stopped. Maybe a safe and low risk thing to try.

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