Sandy - I'd like to add just a few comments/ideas to the responses from Jerry and Jennifer. Some people are clearly "hardwired" neurologically and biologically to be very responsive to stressors. It is important to recognize that an event or issue that one person finds stressful may not be stressful to another because of the meaning that they give to that event. If the current problem emerged a couple of years ago, what was the context or situation at the time? Was the emergence of your concern about your heart and chest discomfort tied to a certain event or set of circumstances? If so, it might be helpful to discuss this with a therapist. It is also very important to understand the meaning you attribute to the chest discomfort. What does it signal for you? Do you know others who have had heart problems and fear the same for yourself? Having an awareness of the meaning of these experiences is sometimes very helpful in attacking what may be some very faulty thinking and allow for the expression of some emotion that may be tied up in your physical symptoms. Seeking a therapist is a very good idea!

Rick Wirtz