Dh has taken himself to A&E because he thinks he is having a heart attack

[Spagblog]

He has been suffering from stress and depression about the job he feels I am forcing him to do.
He had panic attacks whilst on the course and started getting them again the last two days. I think because he had had two weeks holiday and was dreading going back to work.

This morning he complains that his tummy hurts and his blood pressure is very high.
He said he thought he was having a heart attack, and didn't appreciate me telling him it was stress.

He refused any help getting to A&E and has driven himself.

If the doctors decide it is a panic attack, will he be fobbed off, or will he be advised on further treatment?

He seems to be mentally falling apart to me.

He sounds like he definitely needs some help, but A&E is not the place to get it (still worth getting the high bp checked out). Would he go to see his GP about the depression/anxiety?

Sounds like a very difficult situation for you all Is there any chance he can change jobs?

Panic attacks are horrible, you do feel as though you are going to die. If he sees a sympathetic doctor at the hospital he should be referred for help even if only back to your GP. Get your dh a book called Self Help for Your Nerves by Claire Weekes, it is the best on this topic and will give you some insights too. HTH

I can understand why he thinks he's having a heart attack.
Panic attacks and anxiety are horrid and the physical feelings you gte with them can be really scary.

I would imagine they will refer him back to his GP and if he does that, they will or should offer him some form of counselling (most likely CBT) and medication. I think Citalopram is the most common used and prescribed for anxiety and panic.

Hope he's ok

There is also a book called Loving What Is by Byron Katie which may help your dh to see his work situation more clearly.

Can you get to A&E to give him some support, it sounds as though he needs some?

He will eventually quit, possibly after today
It was his first ever "proper" job. Previously he has done direct sales jobs, commission only stuff.
He doesn't like working for big bad corporate bodies, he would rather be Derek Trotter.

I have been urging him to see a Dr but he refuses to accept that it might be depression/stress.
Will google that book, thanks.

My dp has had panic attacks in the past (I've not seen him in one but I have heard him on the phone). FIngers crossed your dh has got a panic attack rather than a heart attack. I don't think he'd be able to drive with a heart attack but I may be wrong. If your dh is hyperventilating then get him to breathe in and out of a paper bag as this helps balance the chemicals in the air in his lungs (sorry don't know technical names for this) and they have to concentrate doing this so it helps to calm them down. In the very short term he may need ADs to get him through the interim until he learns relaxation techniques. The hospital will probably refer him back to your GP once they've checked him out. Good luck.

Oh dear, poor DH. I've been there and done that - turned up at hospital once with a self-diagnosed heart attack, and at the docs more times than I can remember. I was treated with sympathy and reassurance, but the NHS was probably less stressed and busy in those days. It won't be an uncommon situation for the staff, that's for sure, they will definitely have seen it before.

Anxiety causes crippling physical symptoms that can be truly overwhelming. (agree about the Claire Weekes book being a good source of descriptions of these and their pyhsiological cause.) Unfortunately unless DH gets his anxiety in check, either with a lifestyle change or with medical help, it's likely the reassurance he feels when the docs tell him it's not a heart problem will last for all of a few hours/days. (I remember thinking 'well just because it wasn't a heart attack LAST time doesn't mean it isn't THIS time!')

I do hope he finds a solution and it seems unfair that he is 'blaming' you for forcing him into the job causing his stress. However, depressed/anxious people are not very reasonable (too wrapped up in what is pretty genuine misery) so try not to take it too personally, you poor thing. It does tend to be something one gets over in time, so although that may not be much comfort at the moment, keep hold of the thought if you can.

Good luck to you both.

Poor you and dh. It's so hard if he doesn't accept stress/anxiety/depression as an explanation. So many men are in this position, I think. And as others have said, panic attacks are very real and distressing in themselves and many people can and do mistake them for heart attacks. There is quite a lot of help out there but generally only if people ask for it and want it. I really hope the hospital highlights it as a possibility. There should be some mental health liaison staff in every A&E but sometimes it is so busy that things are overlooked. They may well suggest he goes to his GP for a follow up visit though and a good GP should pick up on it. He may be more easily able to contemplate it as an explanation from a GP than from you? Really hope things get better for you both soon. How long has he been in this job?

I hope it isn't his heart, but deep down I don't feel it is.
Unfortunately he wants big things out of life, financially and emotionally.
It is a lot of pressure to put yourself under.

Anyway, fingers crossed he gets seen soon and gives me a call.

Has been working since Feb this year. Previously was unemployed for 2 years before starting up a solar power business which was a non-starter.

I did manage to deal with my anxiety with lifestyle changes - mine was due to the dcs getting v. ill and there was a time when I couldn't look at dd2 without getting anxious, I used to shut myself away with baby ds in my bedroom. I got help by having someone else help take care of the dcs for a while, and then not forcing myself to confront situations that made me panic until I was ready. I now do yoga, meditation etc.

I agree with Sobernow, life is too short to force yourself to do something that makes you so stressed you can't function.

Dp was the same last year ( he really thought he was dying)- he was referred to mental health team.
Ok after a while ( very tough at home though for all of us)

He has stress/anxiety related depression.

sympathy to your dh spagbol, panic attacks are the most awful thing, i too was convinced iw as dying when i had my first one, and i mean i truley believed i had seconds to live, even now when i have them i still worry im having heart attack. If your dh's job is that bad then make him leave it, theres no point having lots of money and not having your health (physical OR mental health) a good thing to remember is, you work to live, you dont live to work, so ifs really that bad, gop on benifits.

DH came back to say that it had been a reaction to the nurofen that he had been taking for his toothache.

He has new painkillers and something to prevent ulcers.
He is taking the day off, having the tooth pulled and is in a much chipper mood.

ahh alls well that ends well

echo startouchedtrinity - i read Peace from Nervous Suffering by Claire Weeks when I was suffereing from debilitating panic attacks. It makes so much sense what she says and was my salvation.