Help me, my health anxiety is taking over!

[emily.watson17]

Hi,
Im hoping I can find someone here who is suffering from the same symptoms as me. I have always suffered from some what I would call more minor symptoms of anxiety.... I would get worked up in exams to the point I would sleep and would throw up prior to this and also stuff like wanting to sit on an aisle seat and hating standing up in front of a crowd etc. These things I could always deal with and have never had too much of a major impact on my life.
In 2008 I was diagnosed with a Hiatus Hernia and prior to this had extreme health anxiety as I was unsure of the cause of my pain/reflux etc. When this was then diagnosed my anxiety seemed to subside and I was able to live a 'normal' life. However, in April of this year I got a new job working at the hospital. In my first week I got norovirus of the ward, and was violently sick for days. This caused a whole range of issues that have never really resolved and is the major cause of my health anxieties. Due to my hernia I now get really bad intense pain/ache through from my chest to my back, sometimes this will even radiate down my arm, and I also now am experiencing facial numbness. I have ongoing thoughts that the GPS are missing something and have just gone back for another ECG to test my heart which aslways come back tachycardic because I Panic when they are doing it that there is something wrong. My mind always races and I am unable to get rid of negative thoughts associated with my health. Has anyone got any tips to help me as this is taking over my life?!?!?!?

[potato11]

Hi:)

I can relate to some of your problems. Since I was little I've always been dramatic about my health (If I had a cough, I wouldn't move from the sofa or dare to cough a lot incase I choked) And.. I had a coke problem aged 11 :winks: (haha, as in coca cola) my mum weaned me off it, and one night drifting off to sleep my heart began to race (?caffeine withdrawal) I jumped out of bed and was screaming at my mum to call an ambulance lol.

Anyway! I also work in a hospital. and have experienced strong health anxiety, particularly like you mention when having tests i.e. blood pressure, ECGS.. heart rate easily reaches 150.

However I've become much better at being able to cope with it and able to get on with my daily life through CBT, in particular through an online program called cbt4panic (link is in my signature)

You have to realise that these worries and feelings will continue to come for a while through habit, however with continued practice (which can be hard when you have a setback, you just want to give up and conclude you're doomed forever!) you WILL get there.

Check out the other link in my signature too

Hope that helps a bit!