Good questions George,
I've had a couple of car crashes - not that I am a bad driver mind!
usually people go in to me.
One crash was quite bad and I was VERY lucky to walk out of it with just a few knocks.
Now I have been an anxious person for most of my life and the crashes did affect me in a way at the time, I was replaying the event in my mind very frequently over the few weeks that followed, much like most of us do now with palps and anxiety, but after a time and when I continued driving without another crash, the repetitive thoughts faded away more and more until I didnt really think of it at all - it took quite a while to get to that stage.
Looking back, if I had obsessed about it, stopped driving and getting in cars then it could easily have become a problem / phobia for me, but as per normal I got on with life instead, not driving didn't seem like an option at the time.
I guess that is where we can get stuck with palps, let it run riot and it certainly will.
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Regarding why some people have anx and others don't.
Well my mother had it and I certainly think I have it as a learned response from her, I've had this in some form for as far back as I can remember, like being really wound up when it was my turn to read in class (8year olds) etc, much more than regular kids - so it can be learnt, I
don't think you can be born with it though. and I know that although I probably learnt it, it is me that is perpetuating it, nobody else, so it is me that has to stop it too.
It doesn't always have to be learnt from someone though, we can have our own event then run with it ourselves, ie initial palps, followed by worry, more palps, more worry etc etc
There is a formula for getting away from anxiety, and just about every top book etc says exactly the same thing in a slightly different way, but it's
easier said than done - you have to
UNLEARN anxiety.
And you do this by -
Gaining knowledge about your symptoms etc so you know what they are and are not so afraid.
You need to stop obsessing and filling the day with everything anxiety related, like researching symptoms etc etc (you probably know what I mean)
ie studying anxiety.You then need to fill your life with things you like doing, like hobbies etc this is basically a distraction. ie
studying good thingsNotice all the negative talk going on inside your head and then try to logically disagree with it, ie CBT.
Exercise will help to use up excess adrenaline, so is always a good addition.
There is more, but I had better stop there
Sorry I have rambled again, but hopefully some of it is of use George.