This summer, I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse. For those of you who don’t know, its a relatively common heart defect where the valve of your heart is ‘too big’. This causes it to buckle, and sometimes leakage can occur that needs to be fixed, although if it needs surgery, people tend to need it around their 40’s. Many symptoms can ( but don’t always) accompany Mitral Valve, commonly fatigue and anxiety.

School started back about a week ago, and from about the last week of summer to now I’ve been having increasing anxiety. Nothing is really the matter; I seem to stress over little things more than I have before. No matter what I do nothing is getting better.

So yesterday, when I was in the shower, I lost control; I’m not sure how it happened, I know I was almost crying before and then I just burst full-out into hysterics. I felt like I couldn’t get enough air, although I’m wondering if this was due to the heat of my shower, as often I feel like hot air makes it harder to breath, but not to the extent that this was. I was gasping for air and my limbs where shaking uncontrollably — they felt like jello, really weak. I also got dizzy. My hands and forearms got numb and tingly. I didn’t get scared because of the "attack" — I had been researching anxiety and this sounded like an attack, so i felt like I knew what was going on. I remember thinking "It’s not gonna stop, this feeling isn’t going away. I’ll have anxiety forever." and similar things. I was pretty shaken afterwords, but the "episode" was quick. I didn’t tell my parents because I wasn’t sure what it was and I wasn’t thinking clearly. My muscles hurt so bad afterwords, and this morning my chest muscles hurt too, like they had been strained.

In your opinion, does this sound like an attack? What else would this be if it wasn’t? How is anxiety treated, other than drugs? Links to any websites and anything you have to offer is much appreciated! Thanks for reading.
I’m grateful for these quick replies. Of course, the internet can only give an educated guess, but thats all I was looking for, really. I went for a checkup with my cardiologist yesterday and told him I have been having anxiety. The only answer I got was "I hate to put adolescents on antidepressants/antianxiety pills. It can affect alot of things." I told my mother just now and she agrees that it was an anxiey attack, although she said, "Just stop obsessing over the anxiety; focus on other things."

Which isn’t a problem sometimes. Today, for example, is the first time in the past 2 weeks I’ve felt somewhat relaxed. My chest doesn’t feel tight and I’m not getting "butterflies" like I have been. But most other times, I can’t stop, no matter what I try.

So what do I say to them to make them see this is getting bad? You’d think a panic attack would be enough. They just seem to be side-stepping the issue. I don’t want to take pills either; what other way do they treat anxiety?

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