The Prolapse Personality

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

We know you. We know who you are. The reason why we know you is because we are you. We have had your symptoms, including panic attacks and panic disorder. Among all of us we’ve had just about every symptom, both physical and psychological. These experiences, combined with the fact that we have personally spoken to over 20,000 people with mitral valve prolapse syndrome/dysautonomia, have given us the knowledge, as well as the opportunity, to help you.

Let us tell you about yourself. You are the person who’s afraid that you’re going to have a heart attack every time you feel a flutter. You’re the person who has been to every type of “ologist” there is; cardiologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, psychologist, etc., only to get little help from any of them, or to be told that “it’s all in your head.” You’ve probably also had numerous medical tests done, most of which are negative. You’ve probably also gone to the emergency room a few times because of your panic attacks, or because you thought you were having a heart attack. Either way, you were released usually feeling worse than when you first came in, because you didn’t get any answers from anyone.

You’re also the person who cannot be reassured enough that you are not going to have a heart attack. You tend to worry, obsess, and dwell too much. You also lack concentration, talk fast, and blow things out of proportion. You’re very nervous and have a lot of anticipatory anxiety and occasional, or even frequent, panic attacks. You probably wake up every morning around 3:00 a.m.

You’re the person who hates medication. When you are given medication by your doctor, after reading the entire insert you usually don’t take it. Your medicine cabinet is probably full of filled prescriptions that you never took. You may even have a phobia about medication. You may also have a bad memory. You may self-medicate with alcohol or other drugs, especially if you’re a man. If you are a woman you may be a chocoholic.

You might have some phobias, like driving or flying or elevators or crowds. You may be a perfectionist too. You may suffer from panic disorder. You also may think about death too much, either yours or your loved one’s. You probably feel guilty that you’re not normal or that you can’t control your anxiety, panic attacks, panic disorder, or depression.

The positive part of having mitral valve prolapse syndrome is that you’re probably highly intelligent, creative, kind, empathetic, and understanding. You are a wonderful friend, neighbor, and spouse. And even though you may feel, or may have been told that you are weak, you are actually strong. To live with all of these symptoms, you have to be.

Now let’s talk about who you can be with mitral valve prolapse syndrome. Because we are success stories, we KNOW you can be too! We want you to feel as well as we do. We are now living life, instead of just existing and being a mere presence in it. Having MVPS/D also gives you the opportunity to put life in perspective. Once you get your nervous system back in balance you will always remember what it was like to feel “different,” and you will have, therefore, learned not to take life for granted. This is a rare opportunity. We want everyone to have the quality of life they deserve.

THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE.

xoxo,

Sheena <3