Management Of Chest Pain 4 - Example for Conny

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Bodily reactions to stress

We know that many bodily reactions as a result of stress.

These reactions are controlled by the brain, but we can influence it directly.

But we can influence our thoughts, which in turn affects stress responses.

Stress is both:

a bodily function (biological)
psychological functioning (eg, fear)

Fear

Fear will motivate you to refrain from doing dangerous things, ie things that can endanger your life or health.

Fear is perceived by the brain signals that one should avoid something or solve a problem.

Fear will help us to get motivated to do something about the problem.

Did you know? People with very little fear have lower life expectancy than the general population. Why do you think? *

Too much fear

It is good that we have fear - that causes us to act.

Nevertheless, the brain often misinterpretations that makes us fear things unnecessarily.

If you fear the things the body will be aroused. The body wants action and getting ready for this. When this happens, you get bodily stress reactions.

Example:
A person is afraid to fly and are heading onto the plane.
The person will likely have many concerns of the type:

Is the plane in good condition?
Is pilot sober?
Will we controlled?

This causes bodily arousal as palpitations, dry mouth, and rapid breathing. The brain and the body wants action, specifically: avoid going on the plane.

Bodily stress reactions

Here is a selection of the most common. Is there anyone you recognize?

Chest Pain * NothingA lot

Palpitations * NothingA lot

Chest tightness * NothingA lot

Heavier or rapid breathing * NothingA lot

Sweating * NothingA lot

Headache * NothingA lot

Muscle Pain * NothingA lot

Are there other bodily reactions you notice under stress?

Bodily arousal and feelings

As previously mentioned, the interpretation of a situation and attention based on what feeling you get in a situation.
Bodily arousal and what to do in the situation also affects the feelings that arise.

There are thus three factors that are believed to influence our feelings:

Bodily arousal
Interpretation and attention
Behaviour

These three factors overlap and are often intertwined into each other.

Stress and physical arousal

Bodily arousal occurs at high stress levels.

The cause of the stress may well be divided into two categories:

1) Psychological stress
As a result of the conflicts in the family or at work, death or illness in close relationships, financial difficulties or similar

2) Physical stress
As a result of physical illness in itself, too much work, too high consumption of alcohol, lack of sleep, low blood sugar or similar

Stress can cause many reactions such as irritability, insomnia, muscle pain, chest pain and nervousness.

Bodily arousal and interpretations

Interpretation of bodily symptoms by physical arousal affects what we feel.

Examples of interpretations by physical arousal:

Chest pain or severe palpitations - Something is wrong with my heart
Dizziness - I swoon
Difficulty breathing - I suffocate

Bodily arousal can lead to varying degrees of misinterpretations. Incorrect interpretations can lead to anxiety reactions that occur in the body as a result of bodily arousal.

If you have a lot of misinterpretations can lead to a vicious circle.

Vicious Circle

Example of a vicious circle that can occur:

Physical arousal with chest pain leads to misinterpretation "something is wrong with my heart." This leads to fear and anxiety, which in turn arouses the body even more. More powerful bodily arousal enhances misperception and fear / anxiety worsen.

If the vicious cycle occurs as a fit with very strong intensity, we call it happy panic attacks.

Breaking The Cycle

The cycle consists of:

Bodily arousel
Incorrect interpretations
Emotions such as fear / anxiety

It is the fear / anxiety that is the engine of the circle. It is difficult to influence the emotions of fear / anxiety directly, BUT one can affect indirectly by affecting the bodily arousal or interpretation of this.

Physical Arousal: By becoming familiar with and accustomed to natural stress reactions in the body, this will reduce the anxiety caused by stress.
This interpretation: By challenging erroneous interpretation that may arise during stress will also reduce anxiety.

Home Exercise - Physical Activity

Continue with 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Two of the days will be a little higher intensity. One of the days will be moderate to high intensity. If you think the task is too easy, you can do the exercises at higher intensity.

Over the next seven days you shall make a daily activity (at least 5 out of 7 days, the days of high intensity is retained):

4 of the days - make an activity light intensity
2 of the days - doing an activity with slightly higher intensity
1 of these days - do an activity with moderate / high intensity

In moderate / high intensity will your heart beat fast and hard, you will be tired and quite sweaty. To achieve this, one can for example add more sessions during which one looks almost completely.

The goal of the sessions with light intensity is that you know that your heart beats, and gets a little sweaty and tired.
The goal of the sessions with slightly higher intensity is that you will know very well that the heart beats, sweat and moderately tired.
The aim of the session with moderate / high intensity is that you will know that your heart is beating fast and hard, get sweaty and tired properly

Activitysheet

After you have made the physical activity records this activity in the form.

We recommend that you return to activity form every day after you have done the activity to detect that you have done the activity.

About a week you will be contacted and you will then gain access to the next section.

Activitysheet

During the next week's task is to make a lettgradig activity four days, an activity with slightly higher intensity two days and a day of moderate / vigorous activity.

Duration of activities shall be at least 30 minutes.

What activities have you chosen? *

What time do you plan to do activities? *

There is a separate form to record the activity when you have completed it. You have been given a code for this form.

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