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View Full Version : Confused - do I have health anxiety or OCD?



chloevictoria
03-09-12, 10:43
I'm a little confused as to whether I have health anxiety or OCD. I have definitely had OCD since I was 10, but that was with compulsions and whatnot. Really bad ones, such as having to walk in and out of doors several times: particularly terrifying as I had absolutely no idea what was going on! In 2011 I had my first panic attack and that kind of set off a whole obsession about my health, then I started self examining and one thing led to another. I still have trouble with obsessive thinking but it's mainly in my mind, although I do sometimes engage in compulsions if I have a 'freak moment' of fearing something bad will happen. I'm just a bit confused as I show signs of health anxiety but I also show signs of OCD (but not the usual types).
Can anyone help me?
Thanks

uk23
03-09-12, 10:59
Have you had a diagnosis from a psychiatrist?

chloevictoria
03-09-12, 12:19
I've never actually been told 'you have ocd' but my doctor was the one who referred me to cbt at school, which i've had since november. my counselor always talks about combatting the ocd but we also talk about panic attacks and things. when i go to the doctors freaking out about something she says 'treat it as an anxiety problem, not a physical one' which i guess means she thinks i have anxiety. but i did have the initial talk with her when she was asking me all the questions about it but no-one's actually said to me 'you definitely have ocd' 'you definitely have hypochondria'. i don't know if it's something to do with my age or not :/ i'm only 16