I have been thinking about this issue alot lately because of my heart problems and PTSD history. I know the docs all think that most of my problems are just anxiety--like you, they are fooled by the "poker face". People with PTSD learn to hide feelings and emotions--that's the whole poker face! We learn to "numb" our reactions to hide from the pain--physical or psychological. Do we have to somehow fake even more extreme pain to get them to believe us?

Having PTSD changes our body/brain chemistry, so we are physiologically different in how our bodies and everything work. My heart problems aren't necessarily anxiety, but I assume an abnormality or increased sensitivity due to these chemical changes, such as catecholemines, etc. It's no different than a person with kidney disease who develops high blood pressure, in my opinion. Basically, all organs and everything in our bodies interact to work as a whole. A problem with one part can have effect on others.

I was told last week to schedule an appointment to talk about my recent test results and the problems going on. I was able to schedule with my primary doc (I saw an associate who ordered the recent tests), and about 95% of the appointment was just talking, like therapy, "getting to know me". He knows that I have some issues, like eating and such, but he's never gotten me to actually say it and talk about it at appointments. I'm too afraid. He has been very sweet, but I could tell he also assumes that my heart problems lately are just stress and anxiety.