OCD and Health Anxiety HELP

[sades101]

(This is also posted in 'Introduce yourself' section)

Hi, I'm Sadie. I'm 24 years old and have not long had a baby (he is now 4 months)

I have diagnosed OCD and health anxiety (apparently) although I really do think I'm ill and think they maybe try to make out I have health anxiety to make me question myself.

I have been finding things very hard the last couple of months, my OCD has become far worse than ever before as before I had my lil man I wasn't afraid of contamination (my OCD used to present itself in other ways, which it still does, but now I have the added contamination worries)

Also I am so scared I have cancer it is ruining my life. I cry nearly every day because I think I am going to die and that my little boy won't know or remember me and won't feel the amount of love I have for him.

I just want a full body test to make sure I don't have cancer, but feel as though the doctor is fighting me all of the way.

They found I had aneamia in my blood tests, I have a lump on the back of my neck and also on top of feeling like I may have Lymphoma I am also showing signs of colon cancer. I am tempted to go with bupa so that they will do the tests I want done ... I am seeing a specialist in february about the symptoms I have for colon cancer (after several visits to the doctor and asking them over and over for this they finally agreed)

But I'm not 'allowed' another blood test until february because I had one a month ago - but the anaemia obviously makes me worry as that can be a sign of cancer.

Just want some peoples responses to this and just other peoples experiences, I'm in a very fearful place at the moment and very very upset

---------- Post added at 20:06 ---------- Previous post was at 18:03 ----------

also how do you cope with doctors not doing what you ask?

[justina]

I can relate to many of the things you write. I have children, I am afraid to die and leave them without a mum, I am afraid of cancer all the time.

Lumps in your neck is a very common thing, many lymph nodes never go back to normal after reacting to an infection. And bowel symptoms are very often caused by anxiety.
So I think it is good that you get a check up to be reassured, but I don't think you have cancer.

(You had a baby very recently, I think that can definitely make health anxiety worse.):bighug1:

---------- Post added at 21:28 ---------- Previous post was at 21:26 ----------

PS How do I cope with Doctors not doing what I ask? If that happens (not very often) I go to another doctor...but it really almost never happened to me.

[sades101]

:hugs:

My doctors seems to fight me all the way to let me get the tests I want done... I have to be very persistant and they make me feel really stupid all of the time.

Deffo considering Bupa, gonna have to ask the parents about it tomorrow to see if they'll help with private health care

[Stands mum]

I'm sorry you are feeling so bad. Anxiety is very common after a baby and my recent bout of health anxiety came on after having a baby. I can relate to how you feel.

Anemia is also very common after being pregnant and giving birth. Are you taking iron now?

I hope you find a way to feel better. Have you spoken with your health visitor and have they done the post natal depression questionnaire with you?

[robin321]

OCD magnifies anxiety. And anxiety in and of itself is self-magnifying.

Have a baby is very overwhelming. It is normal to be anxious, because suddenly you have somebody who is relying on you. You also have new hopes and dreams, and you are scared of losing them. You may feel that you do not deserve them. All of this can contribute to health anxiety. Add to that the changes in your hormones, sleep patterns, etc... and you have a pretty potent recipe.

Anemia is common (as somone mentioned). That is why pregnancy vitamins have iron.

Bowel symptoms are linked in with anxiety.
Bowel symptoms (like hemmoroids) are common after giving birth.

I recommend a book called the 'Worry Cure', There is a specific chapter on health anxiety.

If the Dr's think you are fine, and you are fighting them so much, I think it is much more likely that you are fine and are just anxious. Of course we can never be 100% sure, and can never 100% believe in Dr's.... but 99.9% they are right. And you need to try to shift your focus.

If you can, I suggest seeing a therapist instead of paying for private tests. This will help you get to the root of the anxiety.... otherwise you are just feeding into the new for reassurance - of which we can never be 100% reassured (this is the nature of life)

[sades101]

Hi, thank you for your replies... I did go to the doctor again and he actually said he didn't see the harm in me having another blood test as I've have been taking iron tablets for a month now and so shouldn't be feeling as tired and lacking energy/strength as I do at the moment...

I do have a specialist app in Feb to see about the bowel worries I've had as they have been persistant for 3 months now, I'm hoping that these next lot of blood tests will be okay, or atleast show up what the problem is.

I am seeing someone for CBT I actually start seeing someone new next week, hopefully she'll be good and help me through this.

I just was a long future with my baby and at the moment every day just seems to be getting harder to be normal, I can't take any meds because I'm breast pumping so it would go into my milk... As soon as I finish that I deffo think I'd benefit from some help with meds (I've never been a fan of meds, but have been on beta blockers before and that seemed to help)

I always want 100% in everything I think that's why I'm so stressed all of the time :(

I don't think I have post natal depression, just very very severe anxiety, that is possible leading me into depression xx