trying to forget what I've googled!

[sonoma]

I'm trying very hard to remain calm...had Dr 'reassure' me all is ok and nothing to worry about. And the usual happens...felt great for short while (hours!) after appt, but then a thought popped into my head, and the doubts began...again. It's all because of something I googled regarding the condition (I know!) awhile ago. I posted something about this earlier, as to how 'googled' info stays embedded in your mind to rear it's ugly head later on if the situation fits. Does anyone have any pointers as to how to 'forget' what you've read!! As I said before, I feel googled info is 'radioactive' in that it's always there!! How do you handle this situation? (And yes, I know the first thing is, don't ask for reassurance, and don't google!). But what does one do to help undo the googled damage?? Thanks!

[chanebehanan]

pleasee dont google. it will literally relate every symptom in the world to cancer.

[katielou80]

i sooooo know where your coming from, i too have recently been to the drs and asked him if i have cancer, cos of aching back and legs, he said no! and dont google, but its like a drug i have too! i want re-assurance from google then it scares me! i have severe health anxiety and its horrible, my husband and kids think im mad. but im so scared that i have this cancer i cant get it out of my mind x

[Wilkes]

Dr Google has no diploma!!

[annief]

I think we are in a real double bind with Google as the NHS seems to be wilting and GPs seem to have grown fat and rather careless. I am hearing countless tales of late-diagnosed people at the moment where the GP was over laid-back. I've got my own panic going on too with a sore throat which has been around since February. First, I was told I was stressed and that I needed to take a holiday (and I did and I reduced my working hours), then some tests were done and I was told my blood count was fine and that the tests were negative. 'Oh, just a virus then' said the GP smugly. Yet a quick Google of chronic sore throat shows that it is one of the red flag signs of possible throat cancer and in America, if you have health insurance, there are instant biopsies and scans for this condition. Look on the cancer research website forums and there are countless tales of people who seemed fine and the GP didn't take action and now it is too late for them. The husband of a friend died just yesterday of terminal cancer which started last year in his kidneys, it took months and months for them to diagnose that it was cancer.
Also, last year I had one-sided tinnitus and I eventually got an MRI scan as NICE guidelines say you should and whilst there I asked the registrar if it might have any connection with the impinged nerve in my neck relating to some cervical disk erosion which I had had the year before. 'Oh no', she said, 'that connection would be worth a case study if it could be proven'. I was too embarrassed to tell her that I had found such a case study on the internet and plenty of anecdotal connection too!!
I do have some academic knowledge which helps with knowing where to look and how to read research studies and reports and I know it goes against the orthodoxy on this site now, but quite honestly, researching something first just seems like self protection these days.

[Janeeey]

Annief I don't wish to be rude but this site is called no more panic and your post - which does in no way help the initial poster who asked 'how can I forget' will do the absolute opposite of that. You have a right to your opinions but this site is not the place for this type of view - in my opinion.

The internet will be full of people who were misdiagnosed - some true some lies, but they are in reality a tiny proportion - the thousands and thousands who went to their GP and got diagnosed correctly and are now fine just don't log on so much and the media have no interest in these stories. Fear sells.

Likewise cancer is complicated and if every GP referred a person at the first symptom then the NHS would fall down - that isn't easy for HA suffers myself included, but we must have faith that in most cases all will be fine and if we are concerned we have a right for a second opinion.

I do hope you don't consider me rude - but on this site whilst we shouldn't lie to one another your type of response won't help most people. Research is fine, but the internet is vastly unreliable and all the academic knowledge in the world won't be better than someone who is actually a qualified Dr / Consultant. Likewise, for someone without HA a little research could be sensible as they would be able to rationalise the information / weigh it up and consider all options - someone with HA won't - we will simply see the worse case scenario.

Thank you and to the original poster - its so hard to forget I wish so much I hadn't googled so often - I think time is a great healer though and your Dr in the end with the full facts will be able to help - no website can ever diagnose you. Take care

[annief]

Well I'm glad you have such faith in doctors, one of the points I made was that doctors are often ill informed or are so glued to their specialty that they don't make connections beyond it. I'm not interested in scare stories in the media, I am interested in the numbers of people I know personally or through friends who have been misdiagnosed or written off by their doctors as stressy or anxious when there has been a real problem. You may want to believe that most symptoms turn out to be nothing but you have no data to back that up.
I think it is potentially dangerous for people to be told simply to believe their doctors. These boards often contain comments like 'I went to my doctor and was reassured but now I am worried again'. It seems much more useful for people to be encouraged to be questioning and, carefully considered, symptom-checking on Google can give you the information you need so that you know which questions to ask the doctor and how to persist if a diagnosis is not forthcoming.
I think the situation is already getting worse as doctors become budget holders and the cost of referrals and tests means they will err on the side of holding back.
Taking a 'there, there, it's all in your imagination, never go near the precipice' approach is just infantalising people. By all means encourage a CBT or mindful approach to obsessive googling, that seems to me a helpful distinction but to write Google off altogether is both cutting off one's nose etc and ignoring the fact that actually just like a full-up cookie jar, it takes a strong person to stay out of the kitchen.
I don't think you are rude to express your opinion, nor am I being rude in expressing mine.

[Pipkin]

Hi there,

Whilst the above posts are very interesting and open up a whole debate about people's trust in the medical profession, I have to agree with Janeeey that Sonoma was asking how to forget what she had googled rather than be told to distrust her GP and believe unreliable Internet sources with hearsay evidence about misdiagnoses.

Sonoma - I know it's easier said than done not to google (I've fallen foul of this many times) but remember that you only ever see extreme cases and your doctor has a much better knowledge and can listen to your individual case, something that Dr. Google can't do. Of course, none of us would be advised to put blind faith in our doctors and we have to apply some common sense and question when we think appropriate but try to trust your doctor and take reassurance. Misdiagnoses are incredibly rare given the number of consultations each day. We're all on this site because we acknowledge our anxiety and that it causes us to worry excessively. This is the real problem that we all have to work on. My advice, look within yourself for a solution, not on the Internet.

Take care and I hope you're feeling better.

Pip

[sonoma]

Thanks everyone! Googling is fine for most people, just as a drink or two is fine for most. However, not if one is an alcoholic, and that's how I think I need to look at googling for awhile. I can't handle myself with it right now, so I have to swear off it. But just needed some ways to 'detox' from what info I already have in my system!

[macc noodle]

In my experience as a long term user of Dr Google, you can get varied responses depending on how you ask your question and it does seem that doom laden diagnoses are a popular Dr Google response.

Many of the responses come from American based sites where, yes of course, if you have comprehensive private health care insurance you can have innumerable investigations and tests ...... Further feeding our HA in many cases.and these sites are therefore a valuable marketing tool for the health care providers.

If you must use Dr Google, try phrasing your question along the lines of the diagnosis you have been given and see what the results are.

Myself personally, if I am feeling unwell and resort to GOOGLING I know I end up panicking and feeling ten times worse so I guess the simple answers don't do it !

Xxxx

[sunshine1]

When my health anxiety kicks in after too much googling - been there done that plenty - I have clicked on the health anxiety information on this website and that has helped put things into perspective! It is really hard not to google but try distracting yourself too, this often helps my symptoms go....x