Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
1353681 tn?1387083733

Tips on minimizing heart palpitations?

I get social anxiety sometimes, with new people, or people I feel I may need to make an impression on. I sometimes will get very scary heart palps during those times, when I fear what they think of me, or how I'm appearing. It Sucks. It feels like you're going to die. I know they are not harmful, but I just don't WANT to be a prisoner to feeling so uptight anymore. I don't even date either, b/c of fear of heart palps sometimes. I get so self conscious, (from years of extreme abuse growing up) and feel I'm simply not enough for someone. Anyone go through heart palps when in social settings?? Any tips how to minimize or rid them????
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
The following methods can help to reduce palpitations.
Perform relaxation techniques. ...
Reduce or eliminate stimulant intake. ...
Stimulate the vagus nerve. ...
Keep electrolytes balanced. ...
Keep hydrated. ...
Avoid excessive alcohol use. ...
Exercise regularly.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Smoke medical marijuana - Indica or hybrid  low THC
Helpful - 0
973741 tn?1342342773
I am reading a book on this now.  My son has a lot of social anxiety.  I do too sometimes but have really gotten a handle on that as I've aged.  The chapter I'm on now discusses physical signs of anxiety.  Heart palpitations and racing heart beat are some of the physical signs.  It feels terrible, doesn't it?  Important to go ahead and work on that.  As time goes on, this can have a negative impact on your cardiovascular health.  Agree that you should make sure that it is related to anxiety and not already a cardiovascular issue.  So, a physical where you discuss it would be good to do.  And then you can talk about the anxiety at that point too.  Therapy can be soul soothing and sometimes medication is necessary to completely treat anxiety.  And lifestyle things can help too like regular exercise (if cleared by your doctor), meditation, prayer, breathing exercises, good solid sleep and nutrition.  I have this app called 'calm' and my son has headspace.  They are pretty good at guiding meditation.  And my watch has breath on it which will stop me and tell me to breath for a minute with it, it does the work for me.  lol  But it helps.  
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Hi specialmom :) Thanks for your comment. I have gotten heart palps over a ten year span or so, off and on. Maybe a few a month or so. It is anxiety related, thank you for checking on that. I'm so sorry your son also has social anxiety like me. I'm glad you've minimized your anxiety that is SO great! I got headspace recently, thanks for that! I do do a lot of self help reading, and it def. helps a bit. I get heart palps about dating mostly. Like even THINKING of dating, b/c I feel b/c of my past trauma, that no one will stay with me/love me. :(  So it makes me get heart palps, and then I fear getting them on a date, wondering if I AM good enough or not. It REALLY sucks. I started to worry about them years ago (if they were negatively affecting my heart or health). I found a book called  From Panic to Power, by Lucinda Bassett many years ago. The author has experienced 20 years of debilitating anxiety, racing heart, heart palps, etc. and she started to collaborate with a heart doctor - the findings were that anxiety or heart palps do not damage or negatively affect your health.  A heart palp is essentially an extra jolt of adrenaline for one second, and the heart feels a flutter, and then resumes its normal rhythm one second later. It FEELS awful definitely and like you're going to die (that's why I STILL fear them, even knowing this medical info) , but anxiety , thank goodness does not 'harm' your heart or body.  It gave me some consolation.  I hope you are great today, and still wanted to thank you for your comments about my friend who faded from me after saying how happy he was to chat w/me, meet me, etc.  :(  I haven't replied in almost two weeks, and the last message he sent was 4 days ago, saying Hope all is well basically. It has hurt so MUCH.  I felt us DEF. getting closer each week, and to find out he was with another at the same time, it just stings.  I know these things can happen, but some days I just want to block him. Other days I say, oh well, I just won't reply. It just sucks but not much you can do. Hope you are doing GREAT today friend, and thank you for replying to my posts- truly appreciate your thoughts!!!!
Avatar universal
In the archives of this forum there are a host of discussions of heart palps.  Most anxiety sufferers who complain of having them aren't, so if you haven't had them confirmed by a heart specialist you might be thinking you're having heart palps without actually having them.  But clearly you are an anxiety sufferer, so the question would be, what are you doing to treat it?  Are you in therapy for it?  If it is a result of abuse -- and who knows, people don't react the same to such things -- have you worked on that with a psychologist?  This is just looking at it as, if the underlying cause of your distress is anxiety, that's the problem that needs work.  If you're in fact having heart irregularities, you need to know that, as that's another problem added on.
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
I'm not in therapy but have been. It helps 'a bit', but I actually got heart palps IN therapy, explaining my traumatic, abusive background. :(  I get them whenever I feel uptight or not 'enough' for someone (like dating), or even if at a social thing where I need to impress someone. It's anxiety related I do know. I am trying to get into online therapy, so I'm not face to face with someone .... it's hard b/c not all of them take insurance online. Thanks so much for your reply and tips, I appreciate that. :)
That suggests to me that you should have continued therapy with that therapist.  Many therapists are what I call sit and chat therapists.  While comforting when you're sitting there, they don't teach you anything or force you to confront anything and so you stay the same.  This can and does go on for years.  This therapist seemed to focus on something that hit your triggers, which is exactly what you want from therapy.  If you want to have a chance of it working -- success rates of it are not great but it's the best thing we have going right now -- you have to be willing to be made really really uncomfortable so the therapist knows what to work on.  While doing it over the internet might make you more comfortable, therapy isn't for comfort, it's for healing.  Comfort is really nice, but getting better is the holy grail.  I will admit that therapy never worked for me, but it seems you were actually getting somewhere.  Peace.
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community

Top Anxiety Answerers
Avatar universal
Arlington, VA
370181 tn?1595629445
Arlington, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?