Arthritis, atrial fibrillation and carpal tunnel

[Unbroken1]

As I was going through the end of my marriage 7 years ago, I developed atrial fibrillation, a dysfunction of the heart where my heartbeat is erratic (think about the sound a pair of sneakers in the dryer makes and that's what my heartbeat is like). I also developed arthritis in my spine, carpal tunnel in my wrists, and numbness/extreme sensitivity to cold in my hands and feet. Part of this is work related as I am a web developer and spend much time in front of a screen, but I am positive the timing was not a coincidence and is a partly a result of somaticizing the toxicity of my marriage. The symptoms, oddly enough, manifested as my marriage to my uNPD malignant ex was ending (she initiated the divorce).

I've meditated to try to get my heartbeat under control but the aFib is persistent, meaning 24/7, and is not episodic. I went through 4 cardioversions before being informed that medication is the best route to take but that is more about preventing a stroke than getting my pulse under control. the symptoms also include shortness of breath, which along with the erratic heartbeat, makes regulating my overstimulated nervous system a challenge.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and how they manage. Thanks!

[Papa Coco]

Hi Unbroken1

I have not had any heart issues, but after reading up on how our emotional wellness can cause physical problems, I also see the correlation between the onset of your set of health issues and your divorce.

I have been anxiety-ridden since birth. Being a younger member of a big, boisterous Catholic family with at least one sociopathic teen sister will do that to a guy. As a result of my high anxiety and my nervous need to be on time and always working, I had the tendency to walk way too fast. I've spent a good 60 years walking at an average speed of 5 MPH (where the average person walks at about 3.5 MPH), and have been nursing arthritis in my knees since I was 19 years of age. I know that my arthritis was caused by my emotional need to walk faster than everyone else. I know that I spent at least 40 years having recurring nightmares that I was being chased by monsters, or being left behind by friends, and no matter how hard I tried to walk, in my dreams, my legs wouldn't work. I couldn't run. I couldn't get away. I couldn't catch up. And I do NOT believe it is a coincidence that my knees manifested that fear and anxiety through arthritis. Years ago I learned this by reading New Age books by Louise Hay and now I'm reading Scared Sick, which is more science based, but gives the same message.

I do believe that our physical ailments can sometimes be windows into our souls. I was almost completely crippled by the knees that I had spent my life thinking weren't strong enough to carry me out of trouble. (I found a sports doctor who, in early June of this year, gave me injections of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) from my own blood, which made me no longer crippled in a matter of minutes. If you have arthritis, look into PRP Injections. ABSOLUTELY A MIRACLE by today's medicinal standards).

I also suffer with stomach problems that came from being too nervous for too long. Our emotions can, and often do, cause physical problems. For it to be your heart, I would say it's no surprise that a divorce would break your heart.