Real health fear from past experience

[hopeless]

My health anxiety is about one particular fear..The reason the fear/anxiety began is because of something that happened to my health when i was younger & there is a risk that i could develop what i am most afraid of.. I try to cope as best i can and if i am mentally well without any stress then i can usually contain the fear and put it to the back of my mind and get on with my life.However every now and again the demon rears its ugly head and my own private hell gets played out again..I convince myself that its just a matter of time and every scenario goes over and over in my mind and i literally feel and am sick with worry. I wonder how i am going to continue with the rest of my life and actually think that rather than endure this worry it would be better if i finished my life..This fear has been with me for a lot of years and the older i am getting the more the fear is increasing.. I have had counselling,cbt, anti-deps you name it.. I have tried to find support grps in my area but without success. I cannot bring myself to divulge on here what my real health fear is as just saying it makes it feel too real and i am afraid that someone will say that yes what i am most afraid of is has a real risk of happening..I wonder if there is anyone on here who has actually been exposed to or had something happen to their health that has put them at risk of developing a real illness later on.. If so how do you cope with the fear?

[Morley]

Hi, I had cancer when I was 15 and this has left me very worried about my health... to be honest I don't cope, I have CBT and anti -depres but still get flashbacks and thoughts about cancer. The stress from worrying about cancer has given me stomach problems, constant lump feeling on the left side of my salivary gland and it sometimes hurts to swallow on the right hand side... I have been told that this is all stress related and that I am causing a lot of my symptoms...( hard for me to understand this) my problem is stopping my thoughts running away with me which leads to full on panic! I try breathing which helps me and distraction like walking my dog and I have taken up running. Hope you find ways to help you... you are not alone with your health worry.

[smudger]

Hi. I was just wondering if it would help to talk to somebody who has or has had the same health problem as you?Have you tried a support group? Its hard to help you without knowing what the health problem was but obviously we respect each others right to privacy. I hope you can find some help so that you can start living a contented life.

[hopeless]

Thank you Morley. I have sent you a pm but not sure if it went through ok.

Smudger.. I have tried to find a support grp for several years now and do not get any help from doctors.. I will keep looking and trying though..

[Angel27]

Hello,

Felt compelled to reply to you all and send virtual hugs. I confessed to my lover today the fear I have too. Took several attempts to say the C word for fear of making it real. Reading this posts was liking breaking a bad spell or as good as finding David Tennant appear in in a tardis in the kitchen! We are not alone in our fears...and yes support and counseling will help us to overcome it. x

[Maj]

Hello,

Always remember that you can discuss all your fears here. You don't have to shy away from any of it. We all have fears and symptoms unique to us. Even although we might not have heard of such a fear or symptom it doesn't mean that we can't understand. We all have one thing in common - anxiety. That's when your fear will rear it's ugly head - when you are anxious again. Try not to despair too much, you know it will pass. You have nothing to fear but fear itself, it's an old saying but so true. When you accept that it is a fear then it will lose it's importance. Don't struggle and fight with your feelings, accept them as normal when you are anxious. It will go again.
Myra

[randomworry]

i understand your fears hopeless - i was exposed to radioactive iodine in a laboratory by accident recently and have been freaking out for months. I did not handle this fear well at all and ended up in a mental ward.
will i get cancer in the future because i did not act quickly enough? <-- that is my fear!

[randomworry]

hey hopeless whatever you are afraid of happening- the risk is likely to not be as high as you think- always remember that it is best to try not to worry because you will waste time and it may never happen (i should take my own advice) - my mum tells me this all the time but is is very hard i really do understand.

recently i bought a book about worrying to try and help myself and it points out the basics of 'not crying over spilt milk' and 'crossing bridges when you come to them'

your probably thinking now if only it was that easy- i think that every damn day. its not easy at all but then i think really and truely if you look at people on the street how many are dealing with a similar feeling. many, many and if they can deal with it so can i!

also keep in mind that you are in the UK so if it ever did occur help is there and the docs will keep you well.

if you want you can pm me and we could help support each other because i am in a similar state to yourself too.

all the best and chin up!