Over awareness & Health Anxiety

I have been thinking about my symptoms and why they scare me so much. Everytime I have had some bout of HA, I seem to have been aware of parts of my body that I am not normally aware of e.g. heart, digestive system and lately my throat (but I'm wondering if my throat thing is nothing more than me'feeling' or being aware of the sensation of my epiglottis (sp)???? My throat usually feels worse when I stress, but (touch wood) I cant say that the feeling has got worse over the year that I have had this. Maybe some of our symptoms are nothing more that us being 'over sensitised' to parts of our own body via fear of illness??

I wondered what anyone else thought of this theory??

-----------------------------
I want to go up to my anxiety, smile, put my arm around it and say to it caringly, 'Hey! How are you? How's your day been?'

Then, just as its about to answer me, I wanna throw a sack over it and give it a hiding within an inch of its life.

That would be nice.

Well Dan,
I agree. i worry alot, simply because when i do worry over my health its usually the same things for months, not every couple of days something new. Last year it was my neck, i had trouble for about a year and i was a right mess because of it. then it went, or i managed to wean it away. now, for the past 3-4 months, its my legs! i get cramps,aches etc and it switches legs! lol I guess if it was something serious something would have happened by now, or the pain would have gotten worse or more symptoms would show, but nothing. so i truly think im over exagerating the ache from lack of exercise and im making it worse myself by constantly 'tuning in'

When we have panic, were constantly on the look out for changes in our body that may mean a panic attack, so yes,like you im waaayy over sensitised!

Becci x

yes dan i agree with u. i think once you have had a "bout" of anxiety you become aware of your body more, and then look for the symptons more than you would normally, and then even sometimes mistake symptoms for something totally different.

take care
libbie

HI Everyone. I have worried about moles and skin cancer since I was about 15, 30+ years ago. With all the news aBOUT THE INCREASE IN SKIN CANCER i CANT read articles, look at reports on tv. or look at my skin for signs. i jut feel sick at the mention of it. Is this health anxiety?

yes bearcrazy, i bhelieve it is. Ive been worried about moles since my dad told me to look for changes when i was about 8-9 im 21 now and get very paranoid about it, so i share your fear.

I am totally tuned into my body!
About a year ago aches pains twitches never bothered me...But now i think i even look for or create them myself!

I hate it!

Hay x

I totally agree with you Dan. I am extremely over sensitive to anything out of the ordinary. My symptoms are given importance by my "what if" way of thinking about them. As soon as I notice something I immediately focus in on it and make things worse than they really are.