symptoms appearing when you think of them

[mimie]

Hi, can anyone help. I have health anxiety, if you feel a twinge or have chest pain, palpitations etc and then worry and think about it when you are not distracted it seems to come back. I used to have chest pain which worried me-the more i thought about it the more frequent it became as soon as i found a new symptom to think and worry about the chest pain has gone and i am worried now about twinges in my side - is this something anyone else has. I really do appreciate any replies as it is making me so tired.

[Dibbler]

Happens to me all the time. My thing at the moment is my breathing. If I have had a good day and I'm distracted then I'm fine. But then I start to think about my breathing and my issues start again. My breathing goes weird and the desire to deep breathe gets to much.
I could have mentioned my palpitations but it doesn't seem to matter which issue it is each of them will most certainly become a much bigger issue once my mind has got itself to work with them. It has always been this way and is very typical for some people.

Hope you feel better soon.

[carmen2012]

HI mimie, I can relate to the way that your feeling. I have had so many symptoms over the last 18 months that I have lost count.
A symptom will start & I dwell on it & keep checking then the anxiety kicks in & I start to think that it's something awful. I then go to my GP who reassures me thank goodness & I'm ok for a while then it starts all over again..
The HA feeds off you the more that we fret & focus on it the worse it seem's to get. For the last week I have had a pain in my left side that I haven't had before so I'm fretting about it as I don't know what it is.

Your not alone hun :)

[sophiethestar]

I'm exactly the same. If I concentrate on a particular symptom, I'm more aware of my body and feel that symptom. I've also heard if you believe you have an illness and you know the symptoms, your body is tricked and you think you feel those symptoms when really, you don't have them. I definitely think this happens to me and many people on here. Hope you feel better soon. x

[Steve Wilson]

Thing is that, it is probably all in your mind. the more you think about it, the more you also feel that it is present, try not to think about, think about something else.

[ewood79]

I think it's also got to do with symptom swapping too..... Your body just throws up symptoms for us to latch onto.... As soon as we get over one another is there in its place...... Then the circle starts again!

Frustrating as!

[mimie]

Hi all, thank you so much for your replies, i didn't realise it was so common. It is so diificult to forget the symptom that you have at that moment therefore it keeps popping back throughout the day and you end up wasting so much time worrying about it and checking for lumps, blood pressure etc. If i know someone who has an illness it plays on my mind and i get a symptom-at the moment a friend has breast cancer and i have constantly felt for lumps and other symptoms to which there is nothing but i keep getting a twinge by the side of my breast! A couple of weeks ago i kept getting chest pain-as soon as my gp told me the heart was ok i haven't had it. So tiring! I went to see a hypnotherapist he said to give the ache a name or colour and move it away in your mind - down your leg- treat it as an object and then it can not control your mind - worth trying, shall we have a go and report back how we get on?

[meche]

The mind is very powerful! I have the same problem with my leg. I get odd days when my right leg feels strange. It's not painful but I sometimes have to make an effort to lift it up when I'm walking (it feels lazy) - freaks me out. It usually sorts itself out and goes away but the second I think 'oh - my leg feels normal'..... it starts up again! I was watching a programme about dementia last night and guess what...... today I'm really forgetful! The joys of HA. xx

[mimie]

what you say is so true and what a relief to know that other people have the same problem - i find it embarassing ! I am on breast lumps at the moment as my friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer, when you check for lumps you can sometimes feel the muscle fibres and they have little nodules on, i was worried sick one weekend that i had cancer and then when i felt sensibly and thought with common sense it was obvious what it was. I have been told to read "The Power of Now". Sounds as though a lot of people realise what they are doing and with a bit of common sense and sense of humour - it could be relieved- hopefully anyway. Does anyone have any ideas ?:)

[captcha]

I also believe this is whats happening to most of us, although I think most of my thoughts about symptoms are subconcious, or maybe I simply forget I have had them.
I also worry that if I think for long enough that I have a certain illness/disease I may actually get it. Such is the power of the mind, we just need to use it in a more positive way, easily said!