New here and could use some kind words of support!

[pa_cheeks]

Hey guys... I am 29 year old male who is suffering right now quite a bit. My symptoms are as severe as yours but I am starting to feel like I cannot function and it is controlling my life.

I was diagnosed with health anxiety 3 years ago and was offered to go on paxil for life and refused. I decided on therapy and it did get better. After a while I had to stop since I could not afford the sessions but I did learn some skills to cope during the bad times. Right now is a bad time and it seems that I cannot get it together to kick it again. So I have begun therapy again but in the meanwhile I am freaking out at work and could use some help.

What I deal with at the moment is constant dizzyness, throat pain, as well difficulty to concentrate, headaches which make me think I have a tumor. I am having trouble speaking lately and I feel like I cannot carry a conversation with people when that was my strong point in life. i am in sales so that is something I cannot lose or I am as good as fired.

I took a week off last week and it was ok but as soon as I got back to work it worsened. I am seriously thinking that I am losing my mind, I am getting MS or I have a tumor and this is just the end of my days...

If anyone can show me some kind words and make me feel like I am not alone it would be much appreciated...

Thank you so much.

Cheex

[anxious]

Hi and welcome,

i have health anxiety too. All your symptoms are of classic anxiety and lots of us suffer them, whith the same fears as you.
I have trouble holding a conversation as my mind is always pre occupied with a worry, i find it embarrasing.
Anyway as i said welcome, i'm sure you'll get tons of advice from other posts and support from the lovely people here,

anx

Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects

[charliegirl]

Oh my GOD!!!!


Hi my name is Charlotte and I can totally understand where your coming from!!!!!! I myself am suffering from severe health anxiety!!!! My younger sister died about 3 years ago and since then I have convinced myself that I have everything from mad cow disease to schiszophrenia!!!

I am currently not in employment anymore. I had to give up my job, house, car etc... PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP!!!! U still have a chance of grabbing this by the balls!!!!

Firstly I think it's great that your back using therapy again. You might not realise at the moment because your so stressed but it WILL be helping you!

I have days where I can't think staright or hold a conversation and then I get so stressed becasue I can't absorb or retain information. For a long time I was covinced there was something neurological going on but the simple fact is that it's just severe stress. And do you know how long it took me to finally accept that I do not have a brain tumor or MS?! I am such a stubborn strongminded person and I have a tendancy towards paranioa, {especially where my healths concerened!} Well I know it feels like your going out of your mind, but your not!!! Honestly stress really does affect how how feel or perceive things. I suffer like this on and off depending on how stressed I am.

I have had days too where I feel that I can't put a sentance together and for a long time I was spoonerising my words, Eg,... Dunrown instead of "rundown" I really didn't believe anyone when they told me it was just stress but here I am 6 years later and if it was a tumor, ms or any other neurological disease, well then I wouln't be here talking to you right now, would I?:D And I do consider myself to be somewhat quite articulate if I don't say so myself? {ever modest!!} :D

What helped me was playing tetris, {simple game but you have to use alot of mental dexterity!}

Doing arroword puzzles, {not as taxing as crosswords!!} sometimes it's hard to concentrate on crosswords when your really anxious and stressed and this can sometimes reinforce to yourself that you have something wrong with you because you can't get a line of thought. So arrowords are still mental exercise but they are also repetitive and can boost your confidence.

Read Focus magazine, it really works your brain.

Write down a mantra to say to yourself when your feeling anxious. Say it over and over again in your head. Mines was " I'm fine, I'm fit, I'm healthy! Physically, emotionally and mentally" say it over and over especially before bedtime because it will be absorbed subconsceinsly when your sleepy.

Shut your eyes, spread your arms out like you were going to fly keep your eyes shut and try to touch your nose with your fingers whilst your eyes are shut. If you had any neurological disease you wouldn't be able to do that!!!

I hope this is of some help to you? x

[chevychaser]

Hi......

welcome to the site. I am a 30 year old woman also in sales in a very demanding job so it really was all on the line there for a while for exactly the same reasons as you. I just couldn't get it together and not be preoccupied with my HA. I have had it for about 7 years and have had all the same fears from the same symptoms as you and almost everything else you can think of. Especially MS and tumours as have most people on this site. I'm glad you found us because the best thing for me was knowing that I wasn't the only FREAK on the planet who had this. I must say that at my worst when I thought I was really loosing the plot.....I bit the bullet and satrted the meds that my doc was trying to get me on for a year and I started CBT. I have been doing this for 3 months and I can honestly say I feel like my old happy relaxed self again. The thought process just isn't the same and I'm not terrified any more. EVERYTHING in my life has improved because I feel less anxious. So there......you are not alone and please dont beleive that you will never get better because I wsted so much time thinking I'd have to have it forever. I am not fully cured and I know that it's because of the meds but I would rather take them and have quality of life than be MED_FREE and not enjoy all my blessings as I do now. Even though I feel great now....i still visit the site daily to see how everyone is doing. Hope this helps and know that you are amongst people who "GET IT" on here. Happy days to you.

Cheers

[molly15]

hi there all the symptoms youve described ive had for years and still get them.u dont have a tumour or ms just bad anxiety that can be so crippling.its so hard to beleive that its not the worst possible disease,im going through similiar just now and its not nice.every1 here will help u get through this as much as they can.have u tried cbt therapy or anything . marcia x

i have to do it for my kids if not for myself marciaxx

[polly daydream]

Hi Chee and welcome to the forum, you are defo not alone hun.

Best wishes,

Polly

[pa_cheeks]

Guys I want to thank you all so much! These words really helped me tonight and it made me laugh at my struggles, which I think we need to do sometimes. Charliegirl, I really appreciate your words tonight I will think of my mantra!

To Chevy and everyone else, I am starting CBT again and it will help... ust need a few sessions again!

Have a good night guys... Im fit, Im healthy and damn I look good in spandex!!! (and you thought no one could)

[pa_cheeks]

Guys I want to thank you all so much! These words really helped me tonight and it made me laugh at my struggles, which I think we need to do sometimes. Charliegirl, I really appreciate your words tonight I will think of my mantra!

To Chevy and everyone else, I am starting CBT again and it will help... ust need a few sessions again!

Have a good night guys... Im fit, Im healthy and damn I look good in spandex!!! (and you thought no one could)

[gabes]

I too suffer from Health Anxiety. From as early as age 11. Its something I have learned to live with, though I admit at times it has taken over my daily life. Throat pain, dizzyness, vertigo, light headedness, aches and pains all over my body, that seem to never go away are all symptoms Ive had, and continue to have. I have never sought out therapy but lately I think I should. Why should I suffer if there are alternatives?

Gabe

[chucklehound]

Welcome to NMP

Take care

Chuckle

xxxx