I am new. obviously dying of my 20th cancer this year!

[sarahsmith]

Hi all

please help. this is so hard for me to explain but hoping somebody can give me advice.

I started feeling unwell about 8 years ago when I had extream guilt for texting a guy behind my husbands back. i confessed and my husband couldnt believe what a state I was in. anyone would have thought I had slept with the guy. I began having a compulsion for reassurance that I was forgiven. I think this is what triggered my GAD.

IT moved from that compulsion after becoming unwel with what seemmed like a stomach bug that never went away. every test I was having came back normal which worried me even more.

they came up with fibromyalgia which makes it difficult to know what is a new symptom and what is the fibro.

I think i have a mixture of HA GAD OCD. do they go hand in hanthanks for reading xx

[snowflake293]

Hi Sarah

Sorry you are having such a difficult time :( I can relate to those feelings of guilt, I was in a similar situation with an ex some time ago and I had to keep asking for reassurance I was forgiven. I was already suffering with GAD.

I have a mixture of GAD and HA (both diagnosed) with OCD characteristics. My obsession/phobia is death, cancer and serious illness and my compulsions and excessive body-checking, Googling symptoms and asking others for reassurance.

Are you having any help at all for this, have you spoken to your doctor about how you are feeling?

I have been having CBT for about 3 months and I have been on medication for a month and I am slowly starting to feel better.

Coming here and posting about my feelings and talking to other people about their experiences has been really helpful, I have met some wonderful people here who has really helped me.

You are certainly not alone and my heart goes out to you as I know exactly how you are feeling right now. You can and will get over this.

xxx

[sarahsmith]

again, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. i feel so alone. i am starting to have help but it has taken so long to get any on the nhs. what meds do you take to help?

[Yogi]

Sorry to hear your troubles. I can identify too having been through the same thing seeking reassurance of forgiveness from my husband. Then moved onto HA.. Mostly fear of sickness bugs/food poisoning but also cancer fears.
You are not alone and if you read some of the posts on here you will see that lots of people have made amazing progress in beating their anxiety.
We are all in the same boat and at varying stages of healing.
You're on the right track getting help from doctors.
Hugs x

[sarahsmith]

what lovely words from people. Really helps.

I just worry I will be the boy who vried wolf (but girl lol)

worry that everytime I go to Dr now they just say anxiety

[Yogi]

Your doctor will never just assume anxiety if they are any sort of decent doctor! I've been to mine with lots of symptoms in the past and she always checks me physically to rule out everything else before saying it's my anxiety.
Just a few weeks ago I was convinced I had asthma as I had trouble taking a deep enough breath and was coughing. She tested peak flow and listened to my chest before even mentioning anxiety
xx

[sarahsmith]

do you think you have ocd health anxiety and gad?

[cattia]

Hi Sarah,

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. I also suffer from Health Anxiety and have been diagnosed with GAD, I have had occasional bouts of depression which is triggered by my anxiety. I have a phobia of illness, mainly cancer and I also check obsessively and seek reassurance from the internet and from others. I have suffered for over fifteen years. I have found in the past that medication has helped me but since starting a family (I am pregnant at the moment) I have chosen not to take it. CBT can be really helpful, as can meditation and relaxation or self hypnosis techniques. I also find acupuncture helps with my anxiety.
I know that fibro is a physical illness but I believe it is also linked to anxiety and many people find that when their anxiety is better controlled, their fibro will improve. I'm sure you will find a lot of help and support here.

[snowflake293]

again, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. i feel so alone. i am starting to have help but it has taken so long to get any on the nhs. what meds do you take to help?

I understand hun. I had to wait 6 months for my first CBT session, it was worth it though. Do you know much about CBT? It really helps, especially with health anxiety.

I am taking Sertraline everyday, its an antidepressant that helps with my anxiety. I take diazepam to calm me down when I am panicking, but I am finishing that tomorrow and will try not to take any more now.

Definitely speak to your GP about what treatment is best for you. I tried to sort myself out without meds but I am glad I took them now. There is no shame in it at all, and for a lot of people its a combination of meds and talking therapies that help them recover.

Good luck to you and keep coming here to talk to us. A lot of people understand what you are going though and you are never alone

[sarahsmith]

thank you very much for your kind words everyone. i have pelvic pain and back ache now so jump to the first ovarian cancer worry. i have spend thousands on private medical help x