HI all,
I've suffered with anxiety for years and can generally control it but this year hasn't been the best for me.
Last week I was on holiday and felt anxious most days. Admittedly, it was an all inclusive holiday and I drank most days and I know alcohol increases anxiety.
I also ate FAR more than I would usually, again, as it was all inclusive, which generally meant going to bed with a very full stomach and alcohol in my body.
Towards the end of the holiday I had a panic attack. I'm well aware it wasn't helped by the alcohol as I woke up and felt my heart was quite rapid. As I tried to sleep it started playing on my mind until I could only concentrate on it and soon it turned into a big panic attack.
It seems since that attack, I've somehow associated eating to my heart pumping harder. I know people's hearts pump harder after eating but to me it's uncomfortably harder. I can't stop feeling my heart to feel the pressure after eating and I think it's playing on my mind, which in turn is causing it to pump harder, or at least be more noticeable.
The same with alcohol. If I have just a few drinks, I'm noticing it, but I'm expecting to notice it as it's in my mind all the time. Can your mind really be that powerful, so as I'm now expecting these things to happen, they are actually happening? It's either that or for some weird reason, suddenly, when I decide to eat or drink now my heart starts pumping far harder than it should, and that is concerning me!
Apart from that, I'm a relatively (I think!) healthy 30 year old. I keep fit and don't have any other side effects or niggles. Is it in my mind?!
Oh, I should also mention that it's at night I mostly notice it, but I'm aware of it and feel like I'm over thinking it. I also have this issue where when I'm anxious I don't tend to breathe correctly, I tend to feel myself holding my breathe a lot which probably doesn't help, I hope others can relate to that.
It seems if I manage to start drifting off, which means starting to breathe correctly, the symptoms seem to die doon, but as soon as I wake or realise I'm about to nod off I'm suddenly focusing on it again, and it comes back!
I have this also. It literally electrocutes me every time I try to sleep. Even when I'm very tired, it won't let me sleep!
Anxiety is the worst. My anxiety electrocutes me every time I try to sleep. Then I start breathing wrong and it gets worse.
Hi Ricky, you’ve just described everything I get. I get the fast pounding heart after eating (mainly at night and after eating out) and definitely after drinking! Sometimes it’s so bad I lay awake all night. It also means I breathe shallow which makes things worse. I’ve been trying to listen to meditation and relaxation videos on you tube when I feel like this. I’ve also massively cut back on alcohol (maybe 1 drink a week) and try to eat smaller meals. It’s very scary. I really empathise with you.
I don’t eat big meals anymore as this was happening to me. I eat small bits all day. I’m not sure if it’s a mental response. To me I think I don’t like the feeling of being full and lethargic and thus lazy so that induces anxiety and disappointment in myself which is how I explain it and my heart rate goes up. I’m just after eating a chocolate bar which I haven’t done in weeks and my heart is defo beating faster. Whether it’s the caffeine or knowing I just ate something crappy not sure. But just nibble away on things. Makes it much better.