View Full Version : How To Survive Health Anxiety!
How To Survive Health Anxiety.
I suffered with terrible Health Anxiety which led to agoraphobia for the best part of two years. I know two years will sound like hardly anything to some of you on this site but we all know how bad and long an hour can feel with any form of anxiety let alone years.
I used to visit this site a lot, spending a large majority of the time I had on the Health Anxiety boards. This site was one of the largest contributors to my recovery so I decided to write something that might help other people in the grips of Health Anxiety because it is a terrible feeling.
Tackling the Panic Attacks
Panic attacks can be text book for some people and feel like the end of the world for others. Your panic attacks may even feel different every time. You may get dizzy, have the fast beating heart or you may start to feel your chest tense up and feel like you can't breathe. You could feel the panic rising for hours or it could literally come out of nowhere. The important thing is to learn to trust yourself and your body. I know panic attacks feel like you're dying at the time but you ALWAYS come out the other side of a panic attack alive.
Rather than focusing on it and questiong everything about it try to take it as a learning exeperience. Use every panic attack to practise techniques on how to calm yourself so you can end up preventing them escalating in the future. I havn't had a bad panic attack for over a year because of this! I know all of this is easier said than done when in the throws of a panic attack but it's better to try then to have your life consumed by them for any second longer.
As I said, everybody experiences panic attacks in different ways so don't panic if yours is different to other peoples on here. It does not mean something is seriously wrong, it's just your body reacts differently.
It's hard to differentiate between a real physical problem and anxeity when it's rising through you like that, even I have trouble sometimes still. I always know deep down that in 2 days when I'm still walking around alive and well I'll look back and see it for what it was though, that's what get's me through it
Trusting Your Doctor
Wether you're worried about a heart attack, cancer or any other of the countless afflictions and diseases I've read about in the Health Anxiety forums, everybody is as equally scared as you. Your first step is to go to your doctor. Don't be scared of what he/she might find because they really are there to help. Say you really do have something wrong (I'm not saying you do), it's better to get it diagnoised and fixed by a real doctor than to create posts asking people what they think it might be. I'm not preaching to you because you only have to click on my profile to realise I created post after post about my heart (+ various other subjects) for a long time, every post made me feel better for a while but it was not a long term fix.
People on No More Panic are not qualified Doctors, just other people with experience with panic and anxiety so we can only speculate on your symptoms and fears. We cannot diagnose you, only your GP can.
Don't be scared your doctor won't take you seriously, they HAVE to. If they diagnose you with Health Anxiety, ask if you can have help to tackle it. There's no shame in medication or counselling, it can turn your life around. If your doctor has diagnosed you with anxiety, don't be afraid to go back if you come across a new symptom incase he/she just dismisses it because they won't. Doctors cannot afford to not take people seriously. They know what they are doing! :)
Dr. Google Is Not Your Friend
I know I shouldn't, you all know you shouldn't, but somehow we end up doing it anyway and feeling worse for it, right? Well it's completely in your power to stop this. Anybody can write whatever they like on the internet and every symptom you type in, Dr. Google will end up diagnosing you with some terrible incureable disease that will make you panic like mad for weeks/months/years.
I watched a show months ago where 3 people went to a person infront of a computer and a real doctor. The person infront of the computer incorrectly diagnosed the people who had told him his symptoms with stuff like cancer, asthma, diabetes, while the real doctor diagnoised them correctly with mild allergies, indigestion and something else I can't quite remember but it was very common and non life threatening.
It's easy to go to your computer in the desperation you might find something reasurring, but you hardly ever do. So why do this to ourselves? It gets us nowhere and only makes us worse.
Accept Your Anxiety
You can't get better unless you accept it for what it is. You have an anxiety disorder than makes you continuously worry about your health.
Panic is the body and minds reaction to danger. You see danger everywhere because it's your own body. You can't step out of it and keep it safe no matter how much you wish you could. You might even have the extreme feelings of feeling trapped in your own body, at a total loss, scared and unhappy. It can change, with the right attitude and help you can overcome this and get yourself back.
Change Your Lifestyle
Eat healthier, go out more, exercise! Exercise is a wonderful way to help anxiety in most forms. It releases endorphins which make you feel good and happy. I know it's hard to do it, especially if you have heart worries (something I'm far too familiar with). If exercise feels like too much for you, start gently. Go for walks, it's exercise and it gets you out the house so you're not sat infront of your PC desperatley trying to find peace of mind.
Learn how to relax yourself. Buy yourself something you enjoy or makes you happy, take an hour out every night to soak in a bath with lavender bubbles, anything that relaxes you, do it. Just empty your mind and enjoy.
Family And Friends Don't Understand You
We've all been there. They get mad at us, tell us to get over it and in extreme cases they just want to stop talking to us altogether. It's upsetting and lonely but this is what No More Panic is truly for. To help you overcome your anxiety and to be there for you when people in your life just don't understand.
Nine times out of ten, people who have never experienced anxiety just won't get it. It frustrates them which frustrates us which can make us even worse. Try not to let it get you down, make a thread, vent your problems, go in the chatroom and make friends. There's always someone here who understands and will have a chat with you.
The road to recovery can be a lonely one, so use all the help you can on here. You are NEVER alone.
So! Sorry for the long read if you took the time to read it. Feel free to add your own two cents in here whenever you want. Your own personal little gems that get you through a bad time, or your own tips to overcoming this. No one deserves to live a life full of anxiety and unhappiness. I wish you ALL a speedy and full recovery. It's not easy, it's not quick and it's not a straight road to recovery. No More Panic will be here to help you on your way if you ever feel like giving up or it's too much. I know you ALL can do this. You're strong willed and intelligent people so take back your life! Today is a good a day as any, don't waste one more second on the monster that's anxiety. :) x
Best post ever. Mainly because its so TRUE. All of it. I'm sitting in the doctors waiting room now. I am going to listen to him and not google ANY more etc. I am wasting my life over this terrible health anxiety issue. I have bookmarked this page as it makes me look a bit more logically which is not easy. But thank you.
Great post. I have been greatly helped by the Dr Claire Weekes books, so I would add the following:
Don't fight your anxiety and feelings. You just produce more adrenaline and feel worse. Accept the feelings of anxiety and how your body feels - it's temporary. Let the feelings wash over you, but carry on - Claire weekes calls it 'floating'.
Helpful words, thank you for posting this today, it's helped me. I have GAD but anxiety is anxiety and what you wrote makes good sense to me.
Hope the doctors appointment has helped, Willous
turnthelighton
02-07-12, 14:39
Great Post...Thank you :)
Fantastic insight - thankyou! Maybe this should be made a sticky?
Thank you all for reading it and your kind words! :)
Wllious, I hope the doctor helped you and I'm glad you're taking the steps to rid yourself of anxiety! Wish you all the best.
Saab, thanks for adding that in here, really good advice.
Lilac, that's fantastic that you can relate to this too! Glad you found it interesting.
turnthelighton, melvin and Darwin, thanks for taking the time to read this. :)
Thought I might add when first starting to combat your anxiety it's best to definatley stay away from alcohol and maybe caffine too if it affects you badly. Doesn't have to be forever, I'm sitting here quite comfertably drinking a cup of tea now, but if your anxiety levels are high it can affect you quite horribly in my experience! x
I needed to read this today, Thank you :hugs:
nomorepanic
03-07-12, 23:37
great post and thanks - have made it a sticky now
Aw! Thank you guys :hugs: I'm glad you all like it and find it a good read! Hope it's been helpful to you x
Hi pokerface....i loved reading your post as it hits the nail right on the head,..i just would like to know if medication helped you tackle your anxiety and panic attacks or if its possible to overcome it better without. ive tried citalopram that didnt help, fluoxetine that helped abit but didnt get rid of the fog in my head and now im on venlafaxine and seroquel, im 5 days in and had two of my worst ever panic attacks last night, i was so scared i was dying. i went super hot and sweaty which has never happened before along with dizzyness, legs about to collapse beneath me, nearly sick, needing toilet, shaking uncontrollably and a horrible hot surge running through my body. also had palpitations and feeling like i cant get enough air. Can anyone relate to this? i ended up being so scared i took a diazepam. this all came about because i felt sick....i know its normal to sometimes feel abit sick and i tell myself over and over that im fine but my brain wont listen and goes into meltdown. my attacks started 5 months ago after having my little boy and i hemorrhaged after labor and nearly died. now i cant convince myself im well.
everytime i have an attack its a little bit different like you said and therefore leads me to believe this is it im going to die....im really scared its never going to stop and side effects may make me worse. i just want to be normal, i have 4 gorgeous boys who dont detect a thing i hope and an amazing husband who tries to always help bring me out of an attack...i hate that word attack...i just hate it all. any help would be great....and i love the caption.."when i am asleep i am free" as i can never wait to get to bed its the only time i feel "normal". Sorry for my punctuation but im holding my little boy while he sleeps. xx
Hi babydutch. I'm so sorry for the late reply, I hope you're feeling better :)
Everyone is different in how they tackle and manage their anxiety, personally, medication wasn't for me. I was prescribed Propranolol (a beta blocker) to help with some of the symptoms of anxiety but I was only on them for a month. My GP never offered me any other medication or counselling so unfortunately I have little to no experience of medication for anxiety.
I have read on here sometimes medication can make your anxiety worse before it gets better and a lot of people suggest taking a course of medication whilst seeking counselling.
I can definitely relate to the panic attack you described. One of my worst panic attacks I ever had was exactly like that, I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe, got up to go splash cold water on my face and both my legs buckled underneath me and I fell into the wall, needed the toilet couldn't breathe, was so dizzy my chest hurt and was tight. I was so scared I was crying and begging my boyfriend to call me an ambulance because I was so convinced I was dying and this couldn't be a panic attack. Luckily, my boyfriend saw it for what it was and refused to call me an ambulance and helped calm me down after a few terrifying hours.
5 months is such a short time. This is all so new and terrifying for you I can completely understand how agonising and terrifying this all is for you. The first year and a half was the worst time in my life and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I thought there was no way out, convinced I was going to experience anxiety on such a high level for the rest of my life, but trust me, with hard work it can get better.
I used to count the hours until bed time too, it was the only time I had any relief. A lot of people with extreme anxiety and panic attacks feel the same. You're definitely not alone in any of these thoughts and feelings.
What you have is extreme anxiety, the doctor has checked you over and found no underlying cause for it I presume so it really is your brain doing all this to you. Everybody in the whole entire world experiences anxiety in there lives, ours is just so confused and out of whack, our brain perceives danger absoloutely everywhere with various diseases and ailments so we get panic attacks. A panic attack is your bodys first defense against danger, it tells you something is wrong so you either get ready to fight, or get ready to get the hell out of this "dangerous" situation your mind has created.
I always wondered why my body would choose to do this to me if it was a reaction against danger, like, if I was faced with a man eating tiger...why would my brain make me not able to breathe and my legs stop working? Surely I'd get eaten? But if I think about it, I assume if there was a tiger my brain would be so focused on the tiger I wouldn't notice the effects the extra adrenaline had on my body, I'd be focused on getting away so the extra adrenaline would help me sprint faster than ever before. But because there is no tiger and no danger, just me, myself and my body, I get scared of what the adrenaline is doing to me and why it's come which is bloody awful which leads to panic attacks of epic proportions if you like!
Sorry if you found the tiger theory hard to follow, to try and explain myself better, Health Anxiety sufferers are scared of their own bodies. What could be unseen inside of them, that's the danger. But of course we can't run from ourselves so the panic attack doesn't help us at all. It just leaves us feeling horrible and even more convinced we're dying when in reality, we're perfectly fine.
I hope the meds start to work for you, don't be scared to go back to your GP if they don't agree with you or get too much. Ask for counselling or if there's any other options and try to learn as much about anxiety and how your mind works as you can. Once you start to learn about what your body and mind is doing, it becomes a bit more manageable.
Feel better soon xx
Read it for the 1st time today. Really good post and makes sense. The bit about trusting your doctor is the important one for me.
Try to start conquering your fears, and to let go of your "safety behaviors"
Thank you. What a helpful, sensible, reassuring post! Some fab wisdom here! Much better than dr google ;)
stressedmamof3
05-09-12, 16:41
thanks for this helpful reading....
1st step for me docs on friday- 3rd time lucky i hope xx
You're all welcome! Thanks for reading this, I'm really glad so many of you have found it helpful!
stressedmamof3 - I hope your doctors appointment went well! Well done for plucking up the courage to go again, I know it's hard. x
Gosh everything you said is so true. Logic appears out the window though.
I do now accept I will not be free, but learn to live with it and in the main feel in control. Great post
Thanks so much for this post. I am going through a bout of Health anxiety right now and it really helps to see people have made it through.
Supersal1984
04-10-12, 06:52
Thank you poker face xxxxx
You're both welcome, glad you found it helpful, thanks for reading :) xx
I have just read your post - thank you for that, it is so true and helpful.
I have spent all day today thinking I am on the verge of a heart attack. mainly because my left arm is a bit achey, and my chest feels full (but I do have a bit of a cold). No real pain but it's like I'm expecting something to happen - I don't seem to be able to deal with negative thoughts.
I have made a decision to eat better and try to exercise (I have high BP so it might help that as well).
My demons are the thoughts that constantly go round in my head about my heart, I constantly check my pulse, but I have no idea what I'm doing so it doesn't mean a thing, just my heart is beating steadily. I cannot rid myself of these obsessive thoughts. I also suffer with a bit of OCD as well.
I am really going to try and rid myself of this horrible thing hanging over me.
Sorry to hear that Pansy. I was an obsessive pulse checker too, still do it occasionally when I feel panicky! It does get better though.
I know the feeling of being on the verge of a "heart attack" , I was always on the verge of a panic attack though! The negative thoughts are extremely hard to shake and feed the panic, it requires a lot of will power and concentration to move on from them! I still find it hard sometimes now!
Good luck with the exercise and eating right, really hope you feel better soon xx
I've read all of them and I think it is a helping text for HAs indeed, Thank you :)
Yea that's a good tip sally. Alcohol will always increase your anxiety the next day, some of the worst panic attacks I've ever had have been while hungover!
Although alcohol might make you feel happy and relaxed at the time in my experience the next day is always awful! x
peterf1966
04-11-12, 17:28
hello everyone i joined the site today and found it most interesting ,infact upon reading some of the threads my eyes filled up and i actually sat in the chair with tears rolling down my face !! my tears werent throgh upset they were happy tears as i could finally see that i wasnt on my own and other people actually felt like i do !!! and i wasnt a weirdo or nutter !!! as my partner of 20 years labelled me ....in february 2012 for some unknown reason i was driving down the motorway and just burst into tears for nothing ....this carried on and my ass was on the floor big time i became very upset at the slightest thing ,im 46 yrs old and neither drink or smoke .(so drinking myself to oblivion wasnt an option) so i started going straight to bed after work ,and crying my heart out on my own whilst my partner stayed downstairs and watch tv !! this went on and on and each time i had a panic attack it got worse until i convinced myself that i must be having a heart attack ,and even drove to hospital and had an ecg again to find nothing!!!!of course this made me feel better but still my head was all over the place , so much so i cried myself to sleep often, and decided to tell my doctor ....mertazerpine and diazipam were his answer although i try not to take the latter , but being told im a "nutter" really doesnt help and has distanced me massively from my partner ....she really doesnt understand at all !!i wouldnt wish these feelings on anyone !!the guys at work have been brilliant with me and given me a big hug etc when ive broken down infront of them , im trying so hard to come out of this and stop reacting to these horrendous panic attacks , im sometimes scared to go to the cinema as i check out the exits all the time ( god i know that sounds stupid) and trains i avoid at all costs as i couldnt get off them , which i know deep down is totally irrational but it makes me feel awful.......as do lifts im frightened that i might get stuck in them , recently i went to manchester united fc , in an exec box for lunch but the only way was by lift , and i nearly freaked out as it was so small, and seemed like 10 mins in there , in normallity land im the life and soul of the party making everyone laugh and living life to the full , but since february 2012 it seems ive fallen apart i cry at sad films anyway (yes its not only girls who do this !!!) but now even more ...and reading the threads on here makes me feel so much happier !!! and like i said even made me cry !!!! doctor says i should go on quetiapine ? with mertazerpine as well so can someone please give me some of yr wisdom many thanks pete !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:yesyes:
thank you so much for all this common sense
I have started meditating for the past six months this has helped enormously too xx
Your fears are exactly like mine! No lie the whole lift thing! I would rather climb 100 floors of stairs then ever step foot in one! Trains havnt been on one in years neither would I any time soon! Constantly looking for the nearest escape route, I can't go anywhere unless I drive (easy escape that way)! I hope this site helps you! Have u tried talking to your partner? My bf completely doesn't get me he thinks I'm 'daft' although he has learnt to be more comforting and accepting of it, I'm 24 and have had this since I was 15. So a long time! I have never taken meds not because I think there bad just personal opinion. I hope you can overcome this and we are all here with you should you need us :) you are most definitely not alone....p.s sorry for any spelling errors I'm using my phone and I'm sure its the worlds smallest keyboard! Liz x
This sticky has given me a lot of reassurance. Although ironically I am waiting for my 4th phone consultation with another G.P. today and will be asking for citalopram and CBT. I've had this about 4 years ago and I can only hope that this will help me with my cycle.
For months I've convinced myself that I had PMDD, last week the G.P. suspected that it's classic P.M.T. (whereas I'm now sure it's perimenopause) and suggested that I try the propranolol if things get bad.
I've havent been myself for over 2-3 months. Last night was the worst as I was convinced that I was dying, my diaphragm was tight, sure that my heart was gonna give me a nasty shock and I was shuddering with fear that I would die leaving my lovely young family.
After my husband got upset with me, he said if you die in your sleep you won't know anyway, but tomorrow demand that the Doctor sees you and do something about it.
So I reluctantly took the propranolol and distracted myself with the t.v. until exhaustion.
I'm too frightened to go to sleep.
I've done the classic Dr. Google assessment, and the result there is that it would be a nightmare to get specialists tests done if I had suspected condition. It's hard to shake off that feeling I have some underlying condition waiting to present itself.
Today I am better, I know what changes I have to make, but the main thing is to convince myself to feel upbeat even over the most silly thing. Not to dwell or brood, least of all worry. I know that distraction is the key, to seek out some simple pleasure and indulge yourself.
I feel for all the sufferers, especially those with different experiences to mine. Thankfully, there is a wealth of helpful information on this site, though nothing replaces the comfort and assurances we need in person certainly just as the anxiety is occurring.
As is often said, "mind over matter" - we can choose to beat it, or let it beat us.
Should'a read this first. I know it's right about everything, now to convince my BRAIN of it.
I feel honestly kind of relieved that this website exists. I'm tired of arguing with my family about this, and getting myself all worked up. Of course since I'm dealing with a physical symptom right NOW the relief perhaps isn't as palpable as it might be... I'll be better when everything comes back clear.
And it's hard to ignore google. I just googled myself AGAIN after I SAW a doctor today :doh: (and got an appointment for a blood test and a scan out of it - MUCH more useful than google even if it DID set me googling again because I was being given the test and scan for something different to what I went in for and got scared all over again!) ...Is it just me, or are lumps one of the most persistent of all the medical problems people bring here? Alongside things like heart problems? Nothing scares us like the 'C' word!
Goes anyone have any advice for physically keeping yourself OFF the search engines re: health issues? I mean, is there some way you can block those websites or something? I lack self restraint with these things v.v
This is so beautiful and all so true - I've been through it all.
The bad days are paralyzing- all day balled up on the couch with TV
The good - distraction and happy thoughts - being busy
We need to get away from ourselves...
great post wise words ! i am hoping to get over my anxiety and when i have a anxious state i feel it coming on slowly getting worse and worse and i lay down and take deep breaths slowly my body is telling me to jump up and move around and panic more but i ignor and accept it all the time i am watching family guy mostly in the background whilst panicking or feeling anxious the thoughts come into my head your going to die bla bla bla and i ignore them and say iam strong this will be over and when it is i will be happy it eventually goes its not easy but it goes when it dose go its proof that you are feeling better this was all caused by worrying so each time i aim to get stronger and stronger thats how i try and deal with it thanks for the post
Glad this has been of some help to your guys :)
Dreamer, Propanolol (in my experience) will help relieve the physical symptoms to a point, but not the mental. They're a beta blocker and stop the adrenaline reacting with the blood so much. Keep that in mind when taking, it might help you feel a bit more relaxed with them mentally if you know. :)
Glyph, there is a way to block certain websites from your preferred internet browser, I forget how? But I'm sure if you search how to you'll come across something that tells you. With me, I just thought "is this really worth it?" Sometimes we can find the reassurance, most times we can't. It just takes self restraint really, next time you feel like you want/need to Google just ask yourself how you'll end up feeling? Realistically? There's a 9/10 chance (made up just trying to get my point across that Dr. Google sucks) that we'll get the result we most feared and 1/10 we'll get the reassurance we need. Even if we find some semi reassuring information, they'll be another website telling us the complete opposite and for some reason we'll believe that one as absolute fact! Just seriously, next time you want to Google, I know it's easier said than done, but please, please, PLEASE, think twice :)
Hope you all feel better soon! xxx
Brilliant guide :) here's to better thinking and a fresher mind state,I'd recommend this for definite, thank you for a good read and better understanding! :yesyes:
I'm new to this site and this was the first thread I read and it has made me feel a lot better.
I hate the fact that no one understands how I feel and it is very lonely.
And I certainly won't be googling symptoms anymore!
Best thing ive read on this whole site. Just came onto this site as ive started getting anxious and now im away off it just because of this post, Its brilliant and opens my mind straight away!!
FAB!!
twinflame94
18-01-13, 01:56
I can agree so much. I found this site a few months ago and it has helped me in so many ways, knowing I wasn't alone in something that was happening to my body. It still helps me until I can go see the doctor on the 29th, and I'm sure it will after that. Whoever thought to make this site, thank you. So much. x
johansaken
04-04-13, 19:30
I needed this and will read it through once again.
Thank you
hi everyone i am a 2o year old male, i have had health anxiety now since November and it is controlling my life, not a day that goes by where i don't think about having a serious illness or im afraid im going to die, i have to keep on getting reassured by doctors just to make sure that i am ok.. i have constant pains around my body? could that just be the anxiety especially in my chest and shoulder but the doctors keep saying its nothing, but i still have to go and see another doctor to see what they say, its horrible :/ has anyone been through this if so help please :) thanks
wonderful word this is my first message left i joined a few moments ago i hope it hlps me like it helped you :-)
babygirl08
22-05-13, 11:00
absolutely brilliant. im really so grateful that i found this site, it seriously gets abit much sometimes and having no one to speak or relate to just puts me on a huge downer!!! love the post!!!
Great post.
I came to this site due to my returning health anxiety but have found some of the threads are just as good as Googling for symptoms. This post sums up a great amount of advice for alot of people suffering health anxiety.:yesyes:
How To Survive Health Anxiety.
I watched a show months ago where 3 people went to a person infront of a computer and a real doctor. The person infront of the computer incorrectly diagnosed the people who had told him his symptoms with stuff like cancer, asthma, diabetes, while the real doctor diagnoised them correctly with mild allergies, indigestion and something else I can't quite remember but it was very common and non life threatening.
This is interesting and I wish I could see this show! Thanks for posting. I need to keep in mind that the multiple doctors I've seen know more than google. My GP has been in practice since the 70s and I'm sure he's seen everything in the book, but I'm still more compelled to believe a random person on a forum for a terrible disease.
Hi Kluke, I have been getting random pains all over for years, sometimes its a leg, then an arm or shoulder, all have turned out to be nothing, it wasnt until my anxiety started in September 2012 that I learned that stress and anxiety can do this to you, if your GP says its nothing, then it probably is, hope you feel better soon :hugs:
Thank you. This is very helpful.
Great post. Can I add? All of the things on the list are really helpful, but I also find what helps is to take the advice not to fight the anxiety one step further - I see it as separate from me. Like an unwelcome visitor you have to grin and bear - mother in law for instance! Or a wasp or something. When it happens, I try to view it impartially, not fighting it but just sort of "stepping outside" and observing what it does. It lands on me, kind of envelopes me, tries to bury into me, and all the time I just breathe - observe - breathe - observe. Eventually it gives up and floats away. And I feel like I have conquered it each time.
Top 5 ways to beat health anxiety:
1) stop looking for reassurance
2) stop looking for reassurance
3) stop looking for reassurance
4) stop looking for reassurance
5) stop looking for reassurance
Top 5 ways to beat health anxiety:
1) stop looking for reassurance
2) stop looking for reassurance
3) stop looking for reassurance
4) stop looking for reassurance
5) stop looking for reassurance
Good call. I'm very guilty of that and I know it feeds the cycle but its difficult to stop. I've often had a slightly twinge in the middle of the night and woken up to google it out of stupidity and gone off a spur into another disease
Hi there amazing words of encouragement and words of wisdom, i will follow the advice. This is exactly the sort of help that people who suffer from anxiety need and i thank god for finding this site. What great insperational people you all are and none of you deserve to suffer from such a overpowering force. I hope for peace and easy living for everyone. Thankyou:bighug1:
martindave64
18-11-13, 08:33
Thanks that has helped a little. Being in the grip of depression and anxiety is so hard to manage sometimes.Iim new to this forum so im hoping to seek help in any way I can.
butterfly91
22-12-13, 18:18
i just dont get how anxiety can cause so many physical symptoms for us to believe that it is actually something wrong :(? need to stop this anxiety and live my life!!
spaceexplorer
27-02-14, 14:38
Top 5 ways to beat health anxiety:
1) stop looking for reassurance
2) stop looking for reassurance
3) stop looking for reassurance
4) stop looking for reassurance
5) stop looking for reassurance
I like it:yahoo:
I have only just joined NMP today and yours is the first post I have read, I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the site - thanks for the inspiration, it makes me hopeful.
Isabella78
07-04-14, 02:52
I just found out about Health Anxiety today. It turns out that I have had it for quite a while. I knew that I had some sort of anxiety, however I didn't think it was a health anxiety. I recently had a UTI from having a virus, so my immunity was down, and I also have impetigo (skin disease) right now, and I am not fully recovered, so I kept thinking that I had ovarian cancer, than breast cancer, and skin cancer, etc..I could go on..sigh :scared15:
So, Yes I do worry a lot...but I can't help it. I psych myself out thinking I have cancer, or that if I don't already have it, then it has to happen in the near future. I went to the doctor about my UTI (urinary tract infection) with my mom, and we got antibiotics for it, and it cleared up within a week or so. A few nights before that, the impetigo showed up on my chest and on my lower back, and I thought it was a cancerous lump. I showed my mom, and she said it was either a pimple or impetigo (which I have gotten before). I psych myself out so much to where I have serious panic attacks to wear I can't breathe, I cry for a few hours, than I tell myself to forget about the cancer or whatever it is I think I have and pretend it is not happening. I think about it before I go to bed, every time I change clothes and/or take a shower, I have to inspect everywhere and I think that every mole and every bit of pain or bruise is linked to cancer or some other serious disease. My grandmother died of breast cancer, a friend was diagnosed and then died of leukemia when he 17 years old barely a junior in high school) when I was a freshman and then a sophomore, and now that I am a senior, I feel immense guilt that I am still alive and healthy while he isn't. Also, my boyfriends' mom has had cancer on and off for the last 10 years, and she hasn't been doing well,which has caused a lot of stress on him, which has caused some stress for me, a long with doing well in school and getting ready for college, so that doesn't help with my anxiety at all. I had no clue that anxiety could cause so much harm to my mind and soul. I am just relieved that I have found this website, and I hope that I can stick with updates and chatting with the people on here to help myself heal emotionally and hopefully I can help people as well. Thank you :doh:
Well written and very true. I have only been aware that I have been suffering from health anxiety for a few month, but CBT and relaxation have gotten me to a point where I am coping ish. I am having a bad day today so it made me search out something else to read. I am 36 and have heart health issues, feeling like every chest pang, sore arm and jaw tightness is a heart attack. I am sure you have read many people posts saying similar so I won't go on, but I have found a tool that helped me continue my recovery after CBT and I would like to share. Google- Centre for Clinical Intervention Western Australia and they have a self paced module course. It is free and it is good :) Thank you
I am new to this site... in fact I just joined today and I thank you for this post. I needed to read that today.
Thank you.
LittleMissMadge
18-07-14, 13:15
Excellent post,hit the nail right on the head.Now I just need to put it into practice,DR Google is a FRAUD!:D xxx
Great post calmed me just reading it!
mark henri
06-10-14, 15:38
We are human being and God makes us in a way so that we can survive in our health anxiety. Whenever, I become anxious about my health , first I pray to God and then went to Doctor for help and treatment.
NervousNelly
11-10-14, 02:58
This just made me cry with sadness for us all having to suffer but relief that others totally get it. Its just so isolating being stuck in your own head fighting these feelings. It is so hard an exhausting. I need to find a way to give in but I am always just so terrified..
Thank you for this!
FinnHelton
29-12-14, 05:51
Very helpful post
Fantastic!!! Thank you. :)
Ellarose36
02-03-15, 04:34
Google is evil..:)
Your words are inspiring...thank you for the great read..
How To Survive Health Anxiety.
I suffered with terrible Health Anxiety which led to agoraphobia for the best part of two years. I know two years will sound like hardly anything to some of you on this site but we all know how bad and long an hour can feel with any form of anxiety let alone years.
I used to visit this site a lot, spending a large majority of the time I had on the Health Anxiety boards. This site was one of the largest contributors to my recovery so I decided to write something that might help other people in the grips of Health Anxiety because it is a terrible feeling.
Tackling the Panic Attacks
Panic attacks can be text book for some people and feel like the end of the world for others. Your panic attacks may even feel different every time. You may get dizzy, have the fast beating heart or you may start to feel your chest tense up and feel like you can't breathe. You could feel the panic rising for hours or it could literally come out of nowhere. The important thing is to learn to trust yourself and your body. I know panic attacks feel like you're dying at the time but you ALWAYS come out the other side of a panic attack alive.
Rather than focusing on it and questiong everything about it try to take it as a learning exeperience. Use every panic attack to practise techniques on how to calm yourself so you can end up preventing them escalating in the future. I havn't had a bad panic attack for over a year because of this! I know all of this is easier said than done when in the throws of a panic attack but it's better to try then to have your life consumed by them for any second longer.
As I said, everybody experiences panic attacks in different ways so don't panic if yours is different to other peoples on here. It does not mean something is seriously wrong, it's just your body reacts differently.
It's hard to differentiate between a real physical problem and anxeity when it's rising through you like that, even I have trouble sometimes still. I always know deep down that in 2 days when I'm still walking around alive and well I'll look back and see it for what it was though, that's what get's me through it
Trusting Your Doctor
Wether you're worried about a heart attack, cancer or any other of the countless afflictions and diseases I've read about in the Health Anxiety forums, everybody is as equally scared as you. Your first step is to go to your doctor. Don't be scared of what he/she might find because they really are there to help. Say you really do have something wrong (I'm not saying you do), it's better to get it diagnoised and fixed by a real doctor than to create posts asking people what they think it might be. I'm not preaching to you because you only have to click on my profile to realise I created post after post about my heart (+ various other subjects) for a long time, every post made me feel better for a while but it was not a long term fix.
People on No More Panic are not qualified Doctors, just other people with experience with panic and anxiety so we can only speculate on your symptoms and fears. We cannot diagnose you, only your GP can.
Don't be scared your doctor won't take you seriously, they HAVE to. If they diagnose you with Health Anxiety, ask if you can have help to tackle it. There's no shame in medication or counselling, it can turn your life around. If your doctor has diagnosed you with anxiety, don't be afraid to go back if you come across a new symptom incase he/she just dismisses it because they won't. Doctors cannot afford to not take people seriously. They know what they are doing! :)
Dr. Google Is Not Your Friend
I know I shouldn't, you all know you shouldn't, but somehow we end up doing it anyway and feeling worse for it, right? Well it's completely in your power to stop this. Anybody can write whatever they like on the internet and every symptom you type in, Dr. Google will end up diagnosing you with some terrible incureable disease that will make you panic like mad for weeks/months/years.
I watched a show months ago where 3 people went to a person infront of a computer and a real doctor. The person infront of the computer incorrectly diagnosed the people who had told him his symptoms with stuff like cancer, asthma, diabetes, while the real doctor diagnoised them correctly with mild allergies, indigestion and something else I can't quite remember but it was very common and non life threatening.
It's easy to go to your computer in the desperation you might find something reasurring, but you hardly ever do. So why do this to ourselves? It gets us nowhere and only makes us worse.
Accept Your Anxiety
You can't get better unless you accept it for what it is. You have an anxiety disorder than makes you continuously worry about your health.
Panic is the body and minds reaction to danger. You see danger everywhere because it's your own body. You can't step out of it and keep it safe no matter how much you wish you could. You might even have the extreme feelings of feeling trapped in your own body, at a total loss, scared and unhappy. It can change, with the right attitude and help you can overcome this and get yourself back.
Change Your Lifestyle
Eat healthier, go out more, exercise! Exercise is a wonderful way to help anxiety in most forms. It releases endorphins which make you feel good and happy. I know it's hard to do it, especially if you have heart worries (something I'm far too familiar with). If exercise feels like too much for you, start gently. Go for walks, it's exercise and it gets you out the house so you're not sat infront of your PC desperatley trying to find peace of mind.
Learn how to relax yourself. Buy yourself something you enjoy or makes you happy, take an hour out every night to soak in a bath with lavender bubbles, anything that relaxes you, do it. Just empty your mind and enjoy.
Family And Friends Don't Understand You
We've all been there. They get mad at us, tell us to get over it and in extreme cases they just want to stop talking to us altogether. It's upsetting and lonely but this is what No More Panic is truly for. To help you overcome your anxiety and to be there for you when people in your life just don't understand.
Nine times out of ten, people who have never experienced anxiety just won't get it. It frustrates them which frustrates us which can make us even worse. Try not to let it get you down, make a thread, vent your problems, go in the chatroom and make friends. There's always someone here who understands and will have a chat with you.
The road to recovery can be a lonely one, so use all the help you can on here. You are NEVER alone.
So! Sorry for the long read if you took the time to read it. Feel free to add your own two cents in here whenever you want. Your own personal little gems that get you through a bad time, or your own tips to overcoming this. No one deserves to live a life full of anxiety and unhappiness. I wish you ALL a speedy and full recovery. It's not easy, it's not quick and it's not a straight road to recovery. No More Panic will be here to help you on your way if you ever feel like giving up or it's too much. I know you ALL can do this. You're strong willed and intelligent people so take back your life! Today is a good a day as any, don't waste one more second on the monster that's anxiety. :) x
Health anxiety is my dirty little secret. Friends and family don't understand so I don't tell them and it's very isolating. HA is bad at present for a number of reasons. Feel very isolated and scared and I'm tired of being scared.
Cerridwen
I love this thread. I have been suffering with panic and specifically HA for several years now. It seems to wax and wane. I can go months without an attack, then out of no where, it's back. I have Hashimoto thyroiditis (autoimmune disease) and it's hard to know if that is causing some of my panic symptoms or not. Most recently, I have been having attacks in the middle of the night. I will awaken, sometimes on my own, sometimes by a noise, and immediately I notice my heart racing. I feel hot... Like my entire body is on fire, but I don't sweat. I feel the urge to use the bathroom and I go and splash cold water on my face and arms. Then comes the palpitations and feeling my heart beating out of my chest. That's when I freak out. I woke up my husband and told him I was going to drive to the hospital. He of course doesn't understand. He thinks I should be able to tell myself I'm fine. I try to. I say "I know I fine, but I'm having these very real symptoms. I feel like if I ignore the symptoms, I might really have something wrong and I'll die.
I've tried blaming my symptoms on my thyroid condition, my thyroid medicine (Levothyroxine,) coffee... Anything that means I don't have a psych condition. I do not want to be on "crazy" medicine. No disrespect for people on it, but there's a stigma out there created by "normal" people. But I know I'm
Not normal. If I know someone or hear of someone having cancer ;my BIGGEST FEAR is cancer, then I'm convinced I'll have it too. Especially if that person is my age (35.) I've had right sided mid to lower back pain, off and on, in the area right under my rib cage, for a little over a year. I've had an X-ray and gallbladder ultrasound. Nothing. But I'm
Convinced I have some sort of kidney cancer or ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is my latest obsession. Dr Google informed me that my back pain, bowel changes, bloating and occasional pain with intercourse is ovarian cancer. It's like, I'm not satisfied until I find something that just has to be wrong with me. Yes, there are many other reasons for my symptoms: I played basketball and baseball with my kids at the park the other day and my back pain started two days later. Bowel changes: gas, constipation has been common for me for years. Pain with intercourse: I think it's a dryness issue sometimes, because it's not always there. But I obsess every time I feel the pain of have another symptom. Please!! Someone tell me I'm not alone!! It's all I can think about. I have two children (10 and 7) and I'm convinced I won't see them grow up. I feel helpless!!!
ClarckMichel
15-04-15, 07:39
Thanx for sharing your post
Hi Everyone.. Actually it is my first time here in your forum.. I was diagnosed with GERD ( gastroesophageal reflux disease... I don't know what happening to me.. So, I went to my GI doctor and give me medicine.. Unfortunately, he doesn't told me that it can cause anxiety.. My stomach aches and I can't sleep.. I feel I'm alone in this world. One time my mind want me to do suicide and I'm very scared. I end up crying that I can't handle it. Here in Philippines if you leaky gut ( kabuhi ) they will massage and your will feel calm and relaxed.
But there is a time that I thought I have heart attach because my heart palpitate. So, I go to hospital and they check me and they said there is no wrong with my heart. They said that I have panic attack. From that day I always google my symptoms but sad to say my anxiety became worst.
When I go to CR or anywhere where I can see myself in the mirror, I always check my body if there is something wrong, like my skin, color of my eyes, breast any body parts that I see in the mirror.
I also hear my heartbeat which always makes me conscious on it. But I try to think that I am alive because I heard my heart beat.
So, I try to do meditation, yoga and exercise, course it really help me a lot when i have panic. I just inhale and exhale.
I afraid also of death, that's why when I sleep I'm scared that I might not open my eyes. So, to overcome my fear on death I read bible verses about fear of death and it will make me calm and have faith in God. And I realised that I can't control death and other things in this world. Death is the beginning of true life.
But somehow I can now control little by little my symptoms. Hope my comments help you with your anxiety.
kathyrin
mommasmith74
09-05-15, 02:46
I love this thread. I have been suffering with panic and specifically HA for several years now. It seems to wax and wane. I can go months without an attack, then out of no where, it's back. I have Hashimoto thyroiditis (autoimmune disease) and it's hard to know if that is causing some of my panic symptoms or not. Most recently, I have been having attacks in the middle of the night. I will awaken, sometimes on my own, sometimes by a noise, and immediately I notice my heart racing. I feel hot... Like my entire body is on fire, but I don't sweat. I feel the urge to use the bathroom and I go and splash cold water on my face and arms. Then comes the palpitations and feeling my heart beating out of my chest. That's when I freak out. I woke up my husband and told him I was going to drive to the hospital. He of course doesn't understand. He thinks I should be able to tell myself I'm fine. I try to. I say "I know I fine, but I'm having these very real symptoms. I feel like if I ignore the symptoms, I might really have something wrong and I'll die.
I've tried blaming my symptoms on my thyroid condition, my thyroid medicine (Levothyroxine,) coffee... Anything that means I don't have a psych condition. I do not want to be on "crazy" medicine. No disrespect for people on it, but there's a stigma out there created by "normal" people. But I know I'm
Not normal. If I know someone or hear of someone having cancer ;my BIGGEST FEAR is cancer, then I'm convinced I'll have it too. Especially if that person is my age (35.) I've had right sided mid to lower back pain, off and on, in the area right under my rib cage, for a little over a year. I've had an X-ray and gallbladder ultrasound. Nothing. But I'm
Convinced I have some sort of kidney cancer or ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is my latest obsession. Dr Google informed me that my back pain, bowel changes, bloating and occasional pain with intercourse is ovarian cancer. It's like, I'm not satisfied until I find something that just has to be wrong with me. Yes, there are many other reasons for my symptoms: I played basketball and baseball with my kids at the park the other day and my back pain started two days later. Bowel changes: gas, constipation has been common for me for years. Pain with intercourse: I think it's a dryness issue sometimes, because it's not always there. But I obsess every time I feel the pain of have another symptom. Please!! Someone tell me I'm not alone!! It's all I can think about. I have two children (10 and 7) and I'm convinced I won't see them grow up. I feel helpless!!!
Hi Frenchi :) you are MOST CERTAINLY NOT ALONE! I too have HA as well as GAD & Panic Disorder with agoraphobia. I have resisted meds for so long that my life has become consumed by anxiety, panic attacks & every deadly disease/condition imaginable. My quality of life is a shadow of what it was 2 yrs ago. For those reasons I have decided to go all in... Just started the med my GP prescribed but 1st thing Monday morning I will be visiting the local walk in Mental Health clinic to see a professional in mental health... When having horrible GI problems I went to a GI specialist... He was the one to convince me I did not in fact have any variety of GI cancer & prescribed the necessary med for my problem, therefore it only makes sense that a mental health professional is the one to turn to for stabilizing said mental health! Not all meds have to be permanent... Therapy of various sorts can help too! I for one am moving my mental health to the top of my priority list.... Above all the other health concerns I stress over that I don't have.... I KNOW I have this one & I deserve relief, my family deserves relief & YOU DO TOO!!! Feel free to message me anytime & we will walk this road together. :bighug1:
---------- Post added at 21:46 ---------- Previous post was at 21:34 ----------
Thank you all for openly sharing.... I feel so much less alone since I found this site mere days ago. When my panic attacks strike, the 1st thing I do is log in & just read read read until I calm down!
This helps IMMENSELY! Health anxiety is extra frustrating, speaking as someone who has GAD, PTSD and panic disorder. Out of those four disorders, hypochondria is the most debilitating for me. These tips really are really helpful!
The part about Family and Friends not understanding you is something I can relate with
---------- Post added at 17:49 ---------- Previous post was at 17:47 ----------
This has been very interesting thank you
Nervousnellie001
20-08-15, 09:14
Brilliant thread. I am suffering so badly at the moment whilst waiting for CBT/Counselling.
Brilliant post going through health anxiety my self and getting help
Like reading posts like this makes you think I'm not alone in this
Xx
This post is so true and all my anxiety/panic attacks are due to the fear of dying of a heart attack. I've been on citalopram for a couple months now and have been getting better but today I have come home from work convinced I'm dying because I have been shaking with anxiety and dredd for 3 and bit hours. And now my family are mad and I feel isolated.
pollynewsome
07-10-15, 19:33
Brillant post.. yes the physical symptoms of panic and anxiety are so scary and make you panic and become more anxious. 'its a viscous circle.. but if you do choose to realise its just your mind making your body do it it does help a little.. Try not to fight it. its hard work but does help. Good luck all.
pasta heaven
23-10-15, 03:15
Many thanks for these words of wisdom. Helped a lot as I just woke up with a pounding heart.
Thank you for this. It helps :)
anniepants1954
21-12-15, 20:31
Thank you so much for your wise words. I know what you say is true. Thank you.
Currently suffering badly from health anxiety. I've had multiple scans and tests all which came back clear, medication doesn't help and I'm too scared to take my prescribed anti-depressant. This post put everything into perspective and I know it won't be a quick recovery but I do genuinely want to help myself no matter how hard it is.
Thanks for this post. It's such a good reminder about how anxiety pervades our thinking and how we can feel so alone with it. Health anxiety is horrible and so few people really get how incredibly trying it can be. Thank you for reaching out!
D4veyboy79
31-05-16, 21:53
Thank you so much for this post...truly inspirational to me.
Hi
First post, so I'm not sure if there is a right way / wrong way to begin. Anyway, I thought I'd share some insights I have gained during my most recent month-long episode of particularly bad health anxiety.
Anxiety and obsessiveness always strikes when I'm already stressed about other (normal) things. This time around I picked up on a number of indicators that a bad episode was imminent. In the weeks leading up to the beginning of the bad period I had had far more panic attacks than normal.
Also in the preceding weeks I began to shut myself off from people - when my phone died it took me a couple of days to charge it and I'd leave it on silent and out of view.
In the midst of the anxiety episode I made a list of stupid everyday things that I was failing to do due to panic - cut the grass, get a haircut etc. I slowly forced my way through that list and by the time I had checked the items off, the health anxiety was a lot better.
I also noticed that the fearful thoughts and worries that were overrunning my mind were piggybacking on the structure of past events in my life. I always get particularly bad episodes in May and September. I think this stems from bad anxiety I associate with going to school - the episodes I have still map themselves onto the academic calendar because that was where my anxiety began.
I also discovered some new aspects of the pattern an anxiety episode takes for me. First I get obsessed with a particular project, at work for example, and work too hard on it. Then, as I'm becoming burnt out from working I notice something 'unusual' about my health.
That is the primary trigger. I go to the doctor who tells me everything is fine but I don't believe him so I go to another doctor. Then, as I slowly and grudgingly accept that there isn't anything abnormal about the thing I noticed, the anxiety goes in seek of a new foothold - I have phantom aches and pains elsewhere as it desperately tries to cling on to anything else suspicious.
Over the course of the episode, the subject matter of the anxiety itself slowly becomes less and less rational. It spreads itself too thinly in search of a new host-issue. Eventually the anxiety collapses due to its own irrationality.
The scary thing about the episode I'm currently on the way out of is that the thought pattern went a layer deeper than ever before. Anxiety, as you all know, is the most convincing thing in the world. It always holds the trump card of "but what if this time I'm really ill?" that can undermine the shaky structure of rationalization you keep trying to construct.
This time, though, the thinking process took on another turn. Whereas before my worry was always 'am I sick? am I going to die?' this time it became so intense that the thought process was 'o.k. I'm sick so now how do I deal with this?'
It wasn't a hypothetical - the anxiety made the thing I was worrying about into a sort of parallel reality that looked and felt like the world everyone else was inhabiting but was governed by magical thinking.
I also noticed a new version to the worries I have had before. On top of all the usual worrying, this time I began to worry than by thinking about being seriously ill all the time I would actually bring it about. In other words, the anxiety made me feel anxious about feeling anxious which is a vicious cycle and a definite escalation on what I've had before.
This is the first time I've had health anxiety where I've recognised it for what it really is - anxiety and not cancer, an auto-immune disease etc. Fear of serious illness is really fear of losing control. I know when I lose control of daily life I am risking triggering my anxiety.
My plan for the near future is to try and recognize the patterns of anxiety disorder in my personality when I'm feeling good and not going through an episode. I have a tendency to obsess over things and get massively obsessed over a given activity or project before discarding it and moving on. I think this behaviour is the other side of the same coin as anxiety.
I can't believe I'm saying it, but to some extent I'd mis it if it was gone, the same thing that makes my darkest days hellish makes me who I am in happier times.
There were other things too but this post is already too long :)
Thank you so much for this- this post is exactly what I needed today.
I've struggled with health anxiety on and off for 7 years now, and of late it has spiralled out of control :-(
It's difficult to find rationality when all your symptoms point to a serious physical health condition in your head.. but to know others are going through the same is very powerful.
I hope everyone on here manages to find some peace in something, try mindfulness if you need a release in the moment!
Thank you again, a great post which I truly empathise with.
Im new in this site ,i hope i can help myself also to overcome my health anxiety .my anxiety has been with me for quite sometime now ,almost 2 years.i was diagnosed with hyperaldosteronism which is giving me a high blood pressure.even though its controlled still im always worried that i will get sick ,i become a worrier now even small things makes me worry and anxious.i dont how long i will stay like this i hope i can be the same person as i was before care free and full of life.☹️😢 I miss the old me.
Lifestyle changes are probably the biggest thing you can do in order to fight HA, at least that's been the case for me.
I've recently started on my new routine and feel a lot better already.
* Wake up 6:15 am (When it gets darker, sleep for longer)
* Do some morning stretches for about 15 mins before going running or whatever exercise I do to really wake up
* Return and cool down
* Breakfast with plenty of fruit and a supplement to get the essential vitamins covered so there's no worries there.
* If there's time before work, do meal prep for the days ahead or something else that's productive and relaxing.
* Go out to work. Since I have an hour's journey, I've started to use the time to write.
* Work - Take breaks, get fluids, eat well, etc.
* Return home, do some organising and sorting out, getting good food in your gut with time to spare. Evening stretches and exercise to help out as well, not as intense as the morning.
Hopefully I can keep this going, depending on what I'm doing on any given day it'll vary but for now this is what I need to do. I have a full list of exercises to do as well so I don't miss out or forget.
WiredIncorrectly
09-05-17, 01:03
Great post. I have been greatly helped by the Dr Claire Weekes books, so I would add the following:
Don't fight your anxiety and feelings. You just produce more adrenaline and feel worse. Accept the feelings of anxiety and how your body feels - it's temporary. Let the feelings wash over you, but carry on - Claire weekes calls it 'floating'.
Her audio CD is fantastic. It's a goto whenever I feel bad. She's one of the best :yesyes:
snowghost57
09-05-17, 01:35
It's nice to see a positive post! I don't suffer from health anxiety. Just plain old garden variety of anxiety. I agree with you, we can get better. I have read some very sad stories here and wish I could offer these people more help. It is to very true you have to trust your doctors or you will never get any peace. I agree that accepting anxiety and letting it go does help. Getting outside in the sunshine, a walk or making a friend can help. Again, great post!
Happygirl21
11-05-17, 20:02
This post really, really helped me today. One to read often
Thank you so much for these words! I feel calmer just by reading this.:D
Do you have any suggestion about how to remove my anxiety?
Laurarhodes
01-08-17, 20:10
I have bad anxiety and its horrible
---------- Post added at 20:10 ---------- Previous post was at 20:09 ----------
I always have panic attacks some times there just sudden and its not nice
Amayatylor
13-08-17, 21:49
The same advice about health anxiety I have somewhere else too. yeah that is helpful
Thanks I have just read this and am stared to calm down just by reading this .bless u .much appreciated. Jules x
Anxiety and obsessiveness always strikes when I'm already stressed about other (normal) things. This time around I picked up on a number of indicators that a bad episode was imminent. In the weeks leading up to the beginning of the bad period I had had far more panic attacks than normal.
That is the primary trigger. I go to the doctor who tells me everything is fine but I don't believe him so I go to another doctor. Then, as I slowly and grudgingly accept that there isn't anything abnormal about the thing I noticed, the anxiety goes in seek of a new foothold - I have phantom aches and pains elsewhere as it desperately tries to cling on to anything else suspicious.
Over the course of the episode, the subject matter of the anxiety itself slowly becomes less and less rational. It spreads itself too thinly in search of a new host-issue. Eventually the anxiety collapses due to its own irrationality.
The scary thing about the episode I'm currently on the way out of is that the thought pattern went a layer deeper than ever before. Anxiety, as you all know, is the most convincing thing in the world. It always holds the trump card of "but what if this time I'm really ill?" that can undermine the shaky structure of rationalization you keep trying to construct.
This time, though, the thinking process took on another turn. Whereas before my worry was always 'am I sick? am I going to die?' this time it became so intense that the thought process was 'o.k. I'm sick so now how do I deal with this?'
It wasn't a hypothetical - the anxiety made the thing I was worrying about into a sort of parallel reality that looked and felt like the world everyone else was inhabiting but was governed by magical thinking.
I also noticed a new version to the worries I have had before. On top of all the usual worrying, this time I began to worry than by thinking about being seriously ill all the time I would actually bring it about. In other words, the anxiety made me feel anxious about feeling anxious which is a vicious cycle and a definite escalation on what I've had before.
This is the first time I've had health anxiety where I've recognised it for what it really is - anxiety and not cancer, an auto-immune disease etc. Fear of serious illness is really fear of losing control. I know when I lose control of daily life I am risking triggering my anxiety.
My plan for the near future is to try and recognize the patterns of anxiety disorder in my personality when I'm feeling good and not going through an episode. I have a tendency to obsess over things and get massively obsessed over a given activity or project before discarding it and moving on. I think this behaviour is the other side of the same coin as anxiety.
I can relate to this so well! I'm so thankful for this site because it makes me feel less alone. Whenever I feel like it won't get any better and the fear of being doomed for life with these feelings takes over, I read other's stories and insight here. It helps.
Phoenixess
19-10-19, 23:14
Thank you for this really amazing insight to the other side and healing, my question I have is how did you over come the heart anxiety related to the health anxiety? When I get unwell things catastrophize so quickly and I'm trying to not google things but its easier said than done. i permenantly worry i am having a heart attack.
I used to have a fitbit and that is actually when I had my worst panic attack i ended up in an ambulance convinced I was having a heart attack.
Thanks
Phoenixess
MartinSmith
27-01-20, 12:12
My brother is also having health anxiety. Then we concerned to the Doctor, he treated him naturally.
Doctor advise him to change their Lifestlye.
Eat healthy breakfast
Drink plenty of water in a day.
Eat Complex carbohydrates
Avoid alcohol
Avoid smoking
Avoid funk food
Always eat protein rich food as they strengthen the brain we brought all the protein rich product from this shop https://sportsinside.co.uk/
After few days he was feeling well.
Marietta08
06-08-20, 00:11
Thank you for this. Just come across it now, and saving for future reference. :)
I can relate to this so well! I'm so thankful for this site because it makes me feel less alone. Whenever I feel like it won't get any better and the fear of being doomed for life with these feelings takes over, I read other's stories and insight here. It helps.
This is a really insightful post, I will keep reading it x
Hi,I am 72 yrs of age &have had health anxiety for a number of years, it started after my elder sister passed away with cancer,she suffered really badly for 12months before dying of this horrible disease. My anxiety didn,t start right away it developed a few years after her death getting slowly worse,eventually I went to the hospital after having my first panic attack, I thought I was dying,after all the usual tests nothing was found, I was sent home with just advice, eventually after more panic attacks my doctor sent me for CBT counselling, which worked for a while but the attacks returned, I now take medication which really did help.
I am now going through the same thing as my other sister passed away last year with cancer,she too had a bad time with it, my panic attacks have returned with a vengeance, been back to the doctor, with all the usual symptoms ,had all the tests etc & they were all clear.I was really close to my sister's & miss them terribly,I worry about the slightest health problems, Google them which creates more anxiety for me,I do have good days where I go out walking which I love but the bad days see me sitting inside worrying. This is my first post on this site so sorry if it's little long and drawn out, but talking to people who have this horrible health problem is very helpful .Thank you for listening.
Lovely post 🥰
Very wise words I wish I could put them into practice 😔 in the middle of a dreadful time and can’t see anyway out
Really hate health anxiety 😥
Health anxiety is new to me though I’ve had GAD for years. But this worrying about every bodily sensation ache and twinge is exhausting. And trying to work out what is ‘real’ and what is an anxiety symptom is really difficult. And google....it’s like some sort of compulsion and not good but so hard to resist. It was so good to read this post so thank you. And massive hugs to everyone who’s finding it especially tough just now. Xx
Good point, but some people cannot sleep because of anxiety that is usually caused by a racing heart and/or an unsettled mind. In theses cases medical help is required. Darrell
Just joined here today….this is what I needed help and such good advice from people who understand what it’s like living with health anxiety, Thankyou for this I’ll be taking a look at slot of other helpful resources here
Ruth x
Hi Jessica 72
im not surprised you have been feeling so anxious bless you, fearing loss of more people who are close to you and whom you care about. I am 56 and similar your self. I’m so glad I joined here today to find and give support to others too
Regards
Ruth xx
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