swgrl09
29-08-11, 15:02
Hi, I am new to this site. I have been suffering from Health Anxiety for about a year and a half now. I grew up with a mother who had severe health anxiety, and for the longest time I did not have it (or I did, but it had not shown itself yet). I always thought "Mom is crazy, I don't want to be like that." Then my mom got diagnosed with late stage metastatic neuroendocrine cancer. She passed away 1 1/2 months after diagnosis. She had no symptoms until two weeks before the diagnosis.
After her passing, my health anxiety has shown its ugly head. I notice every symptom and fear for the worst. I think because she was sick for so long (and even doctors did not notice) I become super focused on any symptom thinking it is a sign of something awful. Once I don't have something to worry about, I find something else. If it is not my own health, I am worrying about my boyfriend's (who has no anxiety about his health and rarely even sees a doctor).
I have seen a counselor, who tells me that I will probably always have some form of this anxiety. I am not on any meds for it (like xanax or anything else). Some days it is worse and some days it is better.
Most recently I have been superfocused on a swollen gland in the right side, middle of my neck. I am not sure how long it has been swollen, it could have been for years. I just recently noticed it and freaked myself out again. It is probably about 1 cm long. I was at a doctor recently who felt my neck (went for a sinus infection) and did not say anything about feeling something irregular, so I am sure it is nothing, and probably has been like that for a long time. Also could be from the infection but still has not gone down. But still I think the worst. And once I stop worrying about this, I will find a bump in my mouth that has always been there and focus on that. And if I get past that, I will find a spot on my leg or something and freak about that too. It is awful. I just cannot relax! I don't remember what relaxed feels like.
I am looking for tips on how I can begin to deal with this. Should I find a new counselor? I am starting with a new GP in a month and am going to ask her for advice as well on how to deal with it. I get so nervous going to doctors that my blood pressure always looks through the roof (and I am 22 and normally it is normal/low). It sucks! any suggestions on where to begin???
After her passing, my health anxiety has shown its ugly head. I notice every symptom and fear for the worst. I think because she was sick for so long (and even doctors did not notice) I become super focused on any symptom thinking it is a sign of something awful. Once I don't have something to worry about, I find something else. If it is not my own health, I am worrying about my boyfriend's (who has no anxiety about his health and rarely even sees a doctor).
I have seen a counselor, who tells me that I will probably always have some form of this anxiety. I am not on any meds for it (like xanax or anything else). Some days it is worse and some days it is better.
Most recently I have been superfocused on a swollen gland in the right side, middle of my neck. I am not sure how long it has been swollen, it could have been for years. I just recently noticed it and freaked myself out again. It is probably about 1 cm long. I was at a doctor recently who felt my neck (went for a sinus infection) and did not say anything about feeling something irregular, so I am sure it is nothing, and probably has been like that for a long time. Also could be from the infection but still has not gone down. But still I think the worst. And once I stop worrying about this, I will find a bump in my mouth that has always been there and focus on that. And if I get past that, I will find a spot on my leg or something and freak about that too. It is awful. I just cannot relax! I don't remember what relaxed feels like.
I am looking for tips on how I can begin to deal with this. Should I find a new counselor? I am starting with a new GP in a month and am going to ask her for advice as well on how to deal with it. I get so nervous going to doctors that my blood pressure always looks through the roof (and I am 22 and normally it is normal/low). It sucks! any suggestions on where to begin???