How did your health anxiety start?

[*clare*]

I'm interested in knowing how your Health Anxiety started?

For me, I was sat at home doing nothing out of the ordinary and i suffered a panic attack (didn't know this at the time so went to hospital)........This was the start of a very long battle of ups and downs, and now, aged 29 and 7 years on, it's still very much a battle but one i intend on continueing to fight :)

[Mirabelle]

Mine started when I was 25 and pregnant. My GP listened to my heart and said " oh you have a heart murmur" he didn't explain it to me. I was terrified I was going to die in childbirth. I am 50 now.
xx

[jessicalittler79]

Mine started in 2008 jan, after I lost a loved one , every sense then my health anxiety has been the worse for 3 years straight no breaks just constantly thinking I an dieing of a horrible illness 3 years later I am still here :(

[lindajane1971]

my mum died suddenly aged 54 in April 2008 and from that summer I've had bad health anxiety, mostly heart anxiety and now it's moved on to other body anxieties, I am now seeing a guy who is helping me with relaxing but it's not helping yet. don't think I will ever be free from anxiety :(

[katiep]

Mine started 2002 after my marriage broke up, I had glandular fever and took bells palsy at same time and was pretty low, going upstairs to my bed one night shortly aft being poorly with that I got to corner of stairs n had overwhelming feeling if I kept going I would die. 10 years later I'm still here n struggle from time to time x

[Harribo]

Was doing a mass ammount of drugs and abusing my body from the age of 16 to 20 then it hit me. Been clean for 7 months now but still feel anxious my own fault but you live and learn :/

[Beyonderz]

I've always been sensitive about health issues since I was very young. Around 14-15 it started and now I am 36. During those years it improved with different things. I never had panic disorder before but after a very bad marriage and getting divorced (which, same idiot person made me some jokes about him having HIV, and it gave me a real hard time with HA for a long time) my panic issues started.

I used medication for 6 months only and managed to control my out of no where panic attacks. Now I don't have them but HA is always with me, from time to time it happens for a period of time.
I am planning to talk to a professional and try getting rid of it with medication, hopefully.

[Pipkin]

I have always been quite anxious but at the age of 17, I got a pain in my stomach (probably due to the anxiety) and I convinced myself it was appendicitis, despite several doctors reassuring me that it was nothing like it. Since then, I'm always convinced that even the smallest symptom is something serious. It's like a vicious circle, the more I worry, the more ill I feel and then I worry more about what it could be.

[carefree68]

My first full on panic attack was just under a year ago, I had been to the Gym as normal coffee with my girlfriend, as normal then home to do some housework as normal and then wham from nowhere huge attack, thought I was about to die ended up at A & E and have been battling ever since.

Had some results last week, from and MRI plus endoscopy and eye specialist to my huge relief found nothing life threatening, Cyst, diagnosed with cataracts and a hiatus hernia, which explains a lot of my symptoms and am glad I listened to my body. So I kinda thought - "move Forward, get a grip you are ok. I felt good for a couple of days, and then wham from nowhere yet again. Why? I just want to get on.

[Em.ma]

May 2010- Suffered bad concussion been paranoid ever since.

[Tifa]

I have always been a anxious person more so in mid 20s. My mum also suffers from Health Anxiety though she isn't as bad now she is 66, i think mine stemmed mainly to the fact that i was in labour when i 18 and she was in the room and passed out with a Brain Aneurysm...million to 1 chance it happened there or she wouldn't be here, so i didn't see her until about 8 weeks later and i had to give birth in total shock she was in a coma and so on..she is fine now and my daughter is almost 22 ^^ violent partner also didn't help at the time so i've been through quite a bit with confidence issues and being nervous. I am happily married now and so grateful my mum is ok, just think it has left me more anxious about things i wont go into a lift or go on a plane or even go out in the car much :(

[lou597]

suffered a panic attack aged 16 and it sorta went from there (thought i was going to die, so scary)

[bettykitten]

Have been having panic attacks since I was 22 on and off. Didn't really manifest as HA until last October when a panic attack started off as a pain in my shoulder/feeling dizzy/like I was dying. Went to A+E and they rushed me through with a yellow suspected heart attack card :scared15: Hooked me up to an ECG and established that I wasn't having a heart attack pretty quickly but the fear had set in already. They tested me extensively with bloods/x-ray etc but found nothing and said it was a massive panic attack. And I've had HA since :(

My aunty has a brain tumour which is inoperable and I think my anxiety stems from this and seeing her so ill. I am petrified of cancer and I think this is why.

[sherylee xx]

same as you hun was sat at home feelin perfectly fine then bang huge panick attack out of no where terrified me rang ambulance ect ever since then iv had such awful symptoms :( xx

[Lindy]

my cousin got breastcancer at 24. I would have been quite happy to have my boobs chopped off. Since then the fear of cancer migrated to other potentially fatal illnesses and conditions...although I never did get my boobs removed!

[swgrl09]

My mom growing up had bad health anxiety, so I always had some tendency to worry, but not to the point of it really interfering with my life (with checking, poking, prodding, inability to relax, etc). It wasn't until my mom got diagnosed with a really rare cancer and passed away a month later (Jan 2011) that I really went off the deep end with anxiety and obsessive thoughts/checking.

[*clare*]

Oh, it's horrible. It took me years to really believe all my problems came from that one attack......I really feel your pain xx

---------- Post added at 23:12 ---------- Previous post was at 23:09 ----------

Oh, i really do feel for you all, and know exacty what you all have to go through, all those scary thoughts and feelings. If only there was an easy cure :hugs:

[miniholly]

I've always been very very anxious about my health, even from an early age but it wasn't too bad i've always been anxious about brain tumors though, I just always remember watching a program about someone who had a brain tumor when I was younger and freaking out! I also remember an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (of all things, lol) where Buffy's mum gets diagnoised with a brain tumor and it really set me off I still can't watch the episodes and I'm a huge fan of the show, then in 2007 (back to reality here) my Dad was diagnoised with a brain tumor and unfortunately died a month after being diagnoised and that's when my HA went into full force.

[Humly]

My first bout of health anxiety was when HIV and Aids first came into the public eye, maybe 20 years ago, and you couldnt turn on the tv or read a newspaper without seeing some scary story. I was convinced I had it at the time. But I didnt and I'm still here. Since then I have worried over many different symptoms and they are usually cancer related.

[strat61]

Hi went to the docs for urinary problem sat reading a medical magazine & guess what according to the mag I had prostate cancer! I didn't of course I had prostatitis,same symptoms but not terminal. Plus my dad died of Cancer & also a couple of friends one only 52.So now every pain & strange sensation is the big C. God I do hope this goes away.

Merry Christmas & a healthy anxiety free new year to all you sufferers.

[Dan21]

Lost my stepdad to cancer in 2005 and had a cousin diagnosed with bowel cancer (aged 38; she recovered). I can see now, that I've suffered with GAD since I was a kid but only three years ago at the age of 35 did I realise what it was. I think the GAD kind of branched off in 2005 when I lost my stepdad and developed into a potent and horrible HA. The obsessive nature of the GAD feeds the HA at times I think which makes it really difficult to handle (as I'm sure we all can appreciate).

Like strat, wishing you all an anxiety free Merry Christmas and peaceful New Year.

[Liziik]

Mine started when I was 15 and out of the blue I had a panic attack didn't no what it was at the time so my mum rushed me to the hospital I remember the journey very well and it haunts me now, I'm 24 and still suffering along with GA :( xx

[CameronG]

Mine was the same as abovE, panic attack at age 15 for no apparant reason, paramedics knew this straight away when they came & offered me water etc, got to th hospital and somehow they notice stretch marks on the tops of my legs (I'd been going to the gym a lot bulking up) I wasn't fat to lose weight or anything, the doc was concerned as I was in great shape but has this ghastly stretch marks, he refered me for an appointment to be tested for a disease (don't recall the name) got home and googled it, realised how much of a recasting disease it was and I think that's how / why & when it startes

[Hypo]

For me it was when I was pregnant with my 2nd child 13 years ago.

I had previously been diagnosed with OCD so used to the whole checking and obsessing thing as I have had it since I was 6 years old. I went on holiday in my early pregnancy and looked in the mirror to see my bleeding swollen gums. Of course I then thought my teeth were falling out and I struggled to eat for weeks out of fear.

After I developed lymphomas.. when I got my first big one I panicked, but everyone would, it was huge. Now I am covered in them, it's just fatty tissue and I still get more every single year. My brother has them too. Of course that put my anxiety through the roof and with pregnancy hormones it was evil.

two years later I did actually recover from it. I had OCD but not HA and life was good!! fast forward to about 5 years ago and I started suffering mildly again as I needed a smear test. I was on top of it until about a year ago where it came back full force.

---------- Post added at 08:29 ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 ----------

that should be Limpomas NOT lymphomas.

[Arnie365]

Mine started 7 months ago. I smoked a legal high at home though never done any other drugs before. Moment of madness? Instantly I knew I didn't feel right and not in a good way. I went really light headed and nearly passed out and had severe stabbing pains in my chest and down my left arm and jaw. I was convinced I was having a heart attack and was going to die there and then. The ambulance took me to hospital where I was kept in overnight and had several ecgs and blood tests and all came back fine. The doctor let me go in the morning and just said put it down to having a rough night and get on with your life. I don't recall them ever mentioning panic attacks at this first visit so I started to convince myself that I had damaged my heart in some way. Then the cycle of checking google for things like 'can ecgs miss heart valve problems' etc and despite the dozens of posts that should give reassurance I found I latched on to the one post that would say yes of course it can!

A month passed with me just having a couple of twinges and then I had another full blown panic attack. Again to hospital and again all clear. Instead of taking reassurance from these two visits I've gone the other way and got worse. The pains are now daily and the symptoms do keep shifting just when I'm getting used to something. I used to get a stabbing pain in the le chest most days. When I read up a lot about anxiety I realised that was it. The pain then shifted into the middle of my chest! Bloody anxiety!

I never felt anxious previously and never felt depressed or stressed in a bad way so it has been really difficult for me to accept that this is all mental as I always used to think I was so mentally strong I could overcome any such problem. Through talking to my therapist I do now recall thinking quite often that I was going to die of a heart attack when I was younger. No real reason I can put my finger on right now but im sure I'll get to that through therapy if I am suppressing something.

I've been on fluoxetine 20mg for 22 days now and am going for my second cbt session tonight. I must say I'm starting to feel better. Saturday and Sunday I hardly had any pains at all and today has been quite mild. I really hope it keeps up but don't want to tempt fate but we all have to believe we can overcome this awful problem in our own time and with determination and hard work.

Good luck everyone!

[Ziggy455]

Mine started way back in 2006/7 when I began working for security. My best friend was brutally beaten and bled to death in my arms. After that I sort of focused on my work and eventually I began to suffer worse PTSD and GAD due to my guilt. I then got the news my Grandmother was dying of metasized Lung Cancer and she had weeks to live. Out of the blue I dropped everything to care for her until she passed away peacefully in her sleep a month later. She died two months ago and this is our first Xmas without her here. Anyway, that's how mine started.

[beauty2010]

Hi
Brilliant thread
Always been a bit of a worrier. Also got medical background so more stuff to worry with!
Started 2007 when I had hyperthyroidism when you overproduce thyroid hormone which sends your body into an anxious overdriven state. It was misdiagnosed for several months during which time I became obsessed mainly with asbestos and then melanoma, oh and also neurofibromatosis! It has never really left me. Also I have had a stillbirth at 29 weeks in 2000 and due to that and the anxiety I am terrified of losing another child, so my anxiety is mainly about the kids.
Thanks
B

---------- Post added at 23:42 ---------- Previous post was at 23:39 ----------

By the way
Just wanted to say - thanks everyone for posting. Looking at some of the stories, its not surprising that people have become anxious about their health.
Good luck to everyone
Bxx

[lo89]

It is really interesting to hear everyones story.

I guess I have always had it. I am a worried rather than someone who takes panic attacks, so I just pace around, get thumping in ears, insomnia and inability to concentrate ETC.
I remember being really young and asking my mum about 'the lumps in my mouth' - I must have been about 3 or 4 at the time. I still worry about the same little bumps 20 years later!
I also worry about other peoples health a lot.
My health worries got really bad when I was about 9-10 and I had my first dermatology appointment about my mole, I remember lying in bed and all I could think was the word 'biopsy' over and over - I was so scared.
My gran was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in March 2010 and died in the August - this sparked my worries off again. Ghey got worse when I was pregnant in early 2011 (miscarriage) and then died down until maybe June this year, when I fell pregnant again. Since then I have worried about leukemia, skin cancer, lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and other forms of cancer which I can't even remember.
It seems that my outbreaks are associated with other stresses however I can't control it.