View Full Version : Does this site help or hurt you?
I signed up yesterday to get some reassurance, and it seems that is what many of us are doing (and seem to need). But is this just feeding our anxiety? I guess if it keeps us away from Google, and WedMd, etc.. it is a good thing. But shouldn't our goal be to accept our symptoms, and accept the uncertainty and worry?
Reading this site certainly makes me feel better at the time. But it isn't long lasting, and if I am away from the site I go elsewhere (like family, friends, or self checking), which is the worst thing to do.
I am just curious what others think. I think the site is good, but in a way it is putting wood into the fire to keep it burning. It is better than throwing fuel in, but the goal should be to let it go out (if you follow me)
Yes, I see your point, and it's something that a hypnotherapist told me once. I went to see him for my fear of heart attacks, and during the therapy he told me to keep away from websites / forums such as NoMorePanic, as he said it just tends to perpetuate the anxiety problem.
I took this to heart, and did manage to keep away from this website for a considerable amount of time, several months, but then my anxiety became such again that it started to control my daily life, and I found myself back here looking for reassurance...
I still do use it for that, but also for sharing my experiences with others.
kinnygirl1
17-01-12, 16:55
No. This site helps me rationalise my problem and lets me know that how I am feeling is more common than I think at times.
Some of the threads have caused me anxiety...like what if i have that??? things i havent considered worrying about before are now bought to my mind ! but overall its a good place to help others and get help when you are at your most anxious
but overall its a good place to help others and get help when you are at your most anxious
I agree totally... sometimes, when I'm in a high state of panic, i can't access a doctor, or my friends are not free to talk because they're working or it's late at night... be able to connect with people and get answer usually very rapidly on this website have been of great help to my in calming my most anxious moments.
paula lynne
17-01-12, 17:01
Hi Robin. I find this site helpful because -
*I know Im not alone
*I can help others based on my experiences
*I can ask for advice/help
*I can read all the information in the left hand columns which help me understand what my body is doing, why its doing it, and how to be pro-active.
*I read back on my previous threads, and see how far Ive come.
*It helps me accept anxiety and panic as something not to be ashamed about.
I find this site unhelpful when=
*I spend too much time here and neglect myself. I used to spend hours here when I found the site, it was such a relief to know I wasnt alone! As I realised quickly, too much of anything is bad.
*I read something new which induces panic or anxiety in me. I have to quickly "check myself" and log out before the thought gets imbedded in my head.
* I find it difficult and upsetting when people I care about leave of their own accord, are harrassed into leaving, or are caught up in arguements. Im like this in "real life" too. Thankfully, this is a rare occurance, and as in life, not everybody can get on.
Ive gone from spending about 4 hours a day here when I joined, to popping in to check personal messages, and having a quick half hour on here. Sometimes I dont come here for days. But its great to know I can when I want too. :)
A belated welcome by the way! :welcome:
sickandtired
17-01-12, 17:08
to be honest....if youre an anxiety sufferer then anything you read,hear anywhere can fuel the fear......it doesnt take much for me
I havent been on the site as much.....only an hour or so a day instead of 24/7 ,lol but was on facebook last night and read something about asthma which put my mind in turmoil last night,as my daughter as asthma...
I slept badly,so it has affected me a little today.
This site has actually been a godsend....so many helpful people to calm my fears and give advice.....so I dont fully agree,but I know what you mean....
its all about moderation and trying to keep things in perspective
Hi , I too just signed up and saw your post and thought that is an interesting point and can possibly see where your coming from, however I keep getting told to manage my anxiety better it is good to distract ones self so can see this as a possible distraction whilst try to understand and share fully problems and of course to have a listening ear and opinions from those who suffer mental illness also.
I personally have suffered since May last year and to be honest find myself no further forward, so my thinking was to seek others opions that would perhaps benefit me onto the road to recovery.
I find also anything fuels my fear , I am that bad I cant read newspapers , watch TV and at times people when talking to me did you hear this , hum lah lah lah and walk away , as once its in my head I start worrying about it and bang anxiety kicks in. I know there is nothing at the moment I can do about it except perhaps try to understand it and confront it more
sickandtired
17-01-12, 17:26
totally agree!!! Ive stopped watching the News and buying magasines with any sad stories in for the same reason!
nicola1980
17-01-12, 17:37
Ive found this forum a godsend and have made some fantastic friends on here, its a comfort to me knowing im not in this alone x x
a very good question Robin :)
I have been here for about a year now . Thought I had it all sussed and made the bye folks and thanks post :blush:.
I was soon back .
Yes I too wonder if being here reinforces the anxiety we all feel . reading distress and thinking oh crikey this sounds bad . Always in our mind if we log on and read and answer .
But the one major thing for me having found this site is the feeling I am not alone ever with this damn stuff :mad:
Always someone will talk to me and answer .give me a hug .or kick up the ****
I fell ill about the year 2000 and searched vainly for local help groups ....the internet . NOTHING .
I so wanted to help myself and get some kind words from anyone . felt so isolated.
So I say use this place as the fabulous resource it is for info and kindness and understanding .
Remember health anxiety questions cannot be truthfully answered . But it can comfort until you see your doctor for face to face consultation .
and anecdotal replies can make us see that it is anxiety playing its nasty tricks usually .
and the pay back is that by logging in sometimes we can read and answer some one else feeling bad .
I know what you are saying though Robin . Guess we will know ourselves when the time is right to stop . But come back if you can when recovered to support others I guess .
snowx
I think it helps me in some ways and hurts me in others. If I just get on here with a question or looking for a specific symptom that I have, I find it helpful. And it is nice to know that I'm not alone. I read so many of the posts and think that I could have written them myself.
It hurts me when I see some things that I have never even worried about and then start worrying about them. I try to not even read threads that don't look at all relevant to me because I did that once and convinced myself I had the same problem. It also hurts me when I post something and don't get many, or any, responses. That feeds into the anxiety thinking that my "issue" is specific only to me and not others with anxiety so surely it must mean something more. A lot of times people just may not know what to say or feel like responding. But when you see that 100 people have read your post and no one has commented, it feeds into my anxiety big time.
I mainly come here to reassure others, which in turn, reassures me somehow. Help and be helped, love and be loved :)
Hi Beth, I have read your post and can relate to many things you say, but like us many people come on here with Full heads and just fly through posts sucking up good or not so good vibes, today I wrote a long email to a good friend and the reply was just one abbreviated line !! so I reasoned it and thought how busy they usually are and will catch up when I see them, I think there is always a valid reason why they don't respond and it's not our fault.
happycarrot
17-01-12, 19:08
I do see your point, because sometimes I come here and I worry that I have the things others are worried about--when those problems had never crossed my mind before! But I think that the good outweighs the bad. It helps to know that I'm not alone or crazy, and reassuring others helps me to feel better. I can also see that lots of other people have the same worries I have and yet they're healthy, so odds are I'm healthy too.
StressCase
17-01-12, 19:47
Like others have said, I feel it is a bit of both. I'm a new member but have been reading the forum for some time.
The first time I found it, I was so relieved. I really thought it was only me who thought like this. So to find a site where there were other people like me was enormously reassuring.
I have joined the forum because my anxiety is very high again at the moment and I think I did the wrong thing of coming here for reassurance. I have read that health anxiety is a bit like obsessive compulsive disorder. The obsessive part being the thoughts about health/dying etc and the compulsive part being the checking or asking for reassurance etc and that by carrying out the compulsive part you simply allow the cycle to continue and the temporary relief you get won't last and the anxiety will increase again.
I'm going to try to stop using the forum for that and I always stay away from posts that talk about cancer symptoms because that will increase my anxiety.
But, I want to use the site to find out how other people cope and tips on getting better or living with the anxiety. I also hope that I can help people who are worrying about symptoms of anxiety as I've suffered a lot over the years and come to realise that anxiety can cause a wide range of symptoms.
I hope one day I will be able to post how I've overcome my problems and maybe that will give someone else hope.
(One of the most reassuring things I find is looking at the number of people viewing the health anxiety forum. Whenever I come here the number is always in the hundreds and always far greater than any of the other areas of the forum. I get great comfort in knowing I am not alone.)
---------- Post added at 19:47 ---------- Previous post was at 19:25 ----------
I've just posted on another thread and realised how this site also helps me. I usually don't talk about my thoughts to anyone (I have recently started talking to my husband, but even then, I find it hard to say everything) but when I write my thoughts down here I am able to stand back and read them. It helps me to see how silly they are and how stupid they sound so I am able to get some perspective. It also gets me talking about my anxiety and that forces me to analyse my thoughts. I also find that writing it down, in a way, is like dumping some of my thoughts and therefore emptying my mind. Although the thoughts come back, writing them down does at least get them out of my head for a while.
is this just feeding our anxiety?
If knowledge is power can too much knowledge be over-powering?
Always wondered that myself.
The aim with anxiety is to educate yourself to a point so that you know and understand that ALL of what is happening is normal, common and overall not going to kill you.
This is done by reading others experiences and learning how the body acts and reacts in some instances. The forum allows easy reach of this and people here are all in the same situations.
So win win.
It only 'hurts you" if you cant accept what it is you are reading, if you cant accept that people are all having very similar experiences and lastly, that you cant accept that this is a part of who you are now and NOT part of who you will be for the rest of your life.
We will always have some forms of anxiety but it does not need to rule your life by isolating you off from it.
bottleblond
17-01-12, 23:01
I personally found this site a major help on my road to recovery. When i joined NMP, I thought i was the only person out there who was going through this complete and utter hell. I was pretty much at rock bottom and i googled one day and found NMP.
I joined pretty much straight away and have never looked back since but that is just my personal choice.
A few pointers if you find that NMP adds to your anxiety.
1. If you see a thread heading which has a topic that would add to your anxiety, then simply don't read it.
2. Don't search for a subject that would set off your health anxiety even thought the temptation can be extremely high.
3. Remember that anxiety and anxiety related conditions can't and won't harm you.
IF the site effects you to the point it heightens your anxiety, then simply, don't log on.
We aim to help and advise people how to best deal with anxiety, we can't and do not claim to cure, however we do provide a friendly and sympathetic ear and if that benefits people then that really pleases us.
:hugs:
Lisa
x
Worried_Male
18-01-12, 00:31
I felt so alone before i found this site. Seeing that there are other people in the world going through what i am was a huge relief to me.
No. This site helps me rationalise my problem and lets me know that how I am feeling is more common than I think at times.
This is how i feel to:D
When im getting anxious and working myself up..its good to come on for reasurrance
Since diving into HA some five or so years ago, this site has been the one thing to keep me sane and rationalised. The people that post here are some of the kindest and most understanding you will find when it comes to anxiety and I for one am very grateful to those that set up this site and to it's contributors. When I feel able I like to try and give something back by posting my experiences. I don't post often, maybe I should do more.
The way this site has helped me is to reassure me I am not alone, that particular symptom has happened to many and they are still alive, yes there is a bug going round that does this to you, so don't panic, and the various ways contributors deal with their respective situations. All of these things keep me getting back in the saddle and carrying on. Thanks guys, all of you:yesyes:
I agree with the above. This site makes me rationalize (most of the time) what Im feeling. Its often very hard to tell your friends or family what you think you have, and when i describe 'symptoms' on here, people often share their experiences and it either makes me realise that I HAVENT got what i thought, and/or helps me cope with what i might have.
Charlotte
this site in nothing but help . to talk to people 24 hours a day all year for help
can you name another service to this i dont think yiu can
the help on meds is not out a book but people who take them and you cant beat that
god bless
gypsywomen
18-01-12, 14:31
this site is brill,,i wouldnt have come as far as i have without people on here,,, there is love and kindness ..undrstanding
bettykitten
18-01-12, 14:46
It definitely helps me. I can't count the amount of times I've read someone else's experiences/symptoms and thought "Oh my God, that is ME!" It makes me feel less alone, less mad and less worried.
Yes i must agree that i find this site very helpfull.
When i first joined just under a year ago, i was just starting to function again, and thought i may be able to help other members, and i got such a warm welcome and loads of help and support, and i have made some very nice friends.
Sometimes i feel very alone with my issues, but reading and talking to members here makes me feel as if people are really interested in how you are doing, genuine helpfull people.
Even when i am fully recovered, i will still come on here and hopefully help others.
Thank you so much nmp.
very interesting thread.
I mainly come here to reassure others, which in turn, reassures me somehow. Help and be helped, love and be loved :smile:I agree with this ! (who said it, was it Loopy ?) I came here a couple of years ago, I think, when I had a new stress symptom and since then I have mostly come here to offer support to others. I usually find that 'rationalising' for other people helps reinforce the ways to respond to anxiety myself.
However, I tend to stay away if I am feeling a bit fragile myself with other life pressures, as it doesn't help me then (hence why I've stayed away most of this week as have been dealing with visiting a relative in icu). I did find not so long ago that getting very involved in someone's personal battle brought back some old feelings, from a really long time ago, and that was not so helpful.
I find this site mostly helps me but some of the threads don't help. For example, some threads make me feel guilty about taking medication, especially diazepam (although these posts have prompted me to reduce gradually??) so..........mostly it helps though.
Also, I feel useful if I can share my experiences and answer any questions people might have and offer encouragement.
It's pretty ironic sometimes cos when I read the advice I give to others, I think "That's pretty good advice...so why can't I take my own advice and apply it to myself"!!
It's also good to know you're not alone in how you are feeling but I do need to "Reign myself in" somtimes or I'll "invent" more symptoms.
Worried_Male
18-01-12, 18:37
I find this site mostly helps me but some of the threads don't help. For example, some threads make me feel guilty about taking medication, especially diazepam (although these posts have prompted me to reduce gradually??) so..........mostly it helps though.
Also, I feel useful if I can share my experiences and answer any questions people might have and offer encouragement.
It's pretty ironic sometimes cos when I read the advice I give to others, I think "That's pretty good advice...so why can't I take my own advice and apply it to myself"!!
It's also good to know you're not alone in how you are feeling but I do need to "Reign myself in" somtimes or I'll "invent" more symptoms.
I think every HA sufferer is guilty of this. You can see how irrational everyone else is being, but not yourself. :(
I agree with London. Don't know what I would have done without the kind folk on NMP. I can now say I have friends too. Friends who understand and very kind and put me at ease and also good tips and advice,and humour which helps enormously,
Take care all
This is a tough one for me at the minute.
When I first joined the site I was feeling pretty scared and alone and after reading some of the posts I felt so much better. I could not believe the things others were writing and how other people had the same fears as me. It helped me so much to talk to others and give advise because it does help rationalise my own fears.
However, I feel I am slightly addicted to coming on this site. I don't feel it is doing much for my recovery at the moment. Reasons being is that reading other peoples fears and worries have resulted in old fears and worries, ones that haven't been here for years, coming back with avengence. There have been so many threads I have read and thought 'oh god, I am worried about that now' and have searched and searched for some reassurance.
I have logged into here to make myself better plenty of times and it's worked wonders, the people are so understanding and generous when sharing their experiences. But I have also logged on here and have cause myself to feel worse.
So at the minute I am questioning whether I should leave the site because at the minute I feel worse and have done for the past few weeks. After feeling almost cured.
Some threads have caused me anxiety but I like the fact that other people know what I am going through and I am not alone. I'd also like to be able to help other people out if I can.
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