memories & chest pains

is it normal to get chest pains when you think of something that hurts you badly?its not really pain.its like someone is squeezing your chest & you have little trouble in breathing. This pain flashes for seconds and again come back after a few seconds until i stop thinking about all those hurtful things.it gives me a heavy feeling in both mind & chest.is it normal to have such pains?should it be treated???

Hello kutt38,

It really is best to get that checked out by your doctor, chest pain could be serious.

kutt38,

Often when I am anxious I have a tightness in my chest that can be painful. Sometimes the anxiety is triggered when I think of upsetting memories--perhaps that is what you are experiencing?

i was just wondering it may not be due to any physical damage,because it comes only when i think about past traumatic events.can mental pain cause physical pain??

I've gotten that for years, its probably not the best thing in the world (and it definitely doesn't feel anything short of awful) but I think its pretty normal with seriously upsetting things.

Oh yes! Our bodies often reflect what we are experiencing in our minds and people often have physical reactions to triggers that remind them of a traumatic experience.

However, heart disease and panic attacks can feel the same, so please go and have this problem checked out by a doctor to make sure that it is emotional and not a heart problem. I get both chest and stomach pains. I almost always feel that there's a knot in my stomach. It never really goes away, but some days are better than others. I have been dealing with it for many, many years now.

Even if it only happens when you are thinking about past traumas, you still need to see a doctor. Please take care of yourself.

WW

I too have got gastric problems as well.I have been suffering from stomach issues for about 9 years.my doc couldnt diagnose the problem yet.i stopped medicines after trying many and seeing no change.atlast my doctor said it might be due to mental stress.but i never took it seriously since it was there whether i was stressed or not.was my doc right??i used to hit myself in the chest when i was so stressed out.not doing it now.can that be a reason for chest pain?am afraid to tell my mom.

Yeah, I think your doc is right. Even if you don't think you are stressed out at the moment, and your stomach is still giving you problems, especially after they couldn't find anything wrong, it's almost always mental stress. I have to take meds to reduce my anxiety because I feel it 24 hours a day every day no matter if I'm having a good or bad day. I spent so many years being anxious and hyper-vigilant that now my body can't stop feeling it. Mental stress can actually cause physical changes in your brain and I think that's why we have physical symptoms so much of the time, regardless of how we are feeling.