Hi, I'm new...well a lurker My HA story

[jammadchez]

Hi all,

I would firstly like to say that this forum has brought me lots of reaasurance on and off over the past few years.
My HA started 6 years ago when a close family friend passed away, I remember being sat at my mums and finding a lump in my neck, then felt around until i felt another and another! :( I obsessed over the internet about all the possible things it could be and thought the worst!

went to the docs many times and after much persistence he sent me for blood tests and xrays, they were all found to be normal...i then obsessed over headaches (brain tumours), bruises (leaukemia), aches (bone cancer) etc etc the list is endless.

I finally managed to out my HA aside and get on with my life after 2 years of constant worrying and doctors visits.

However two weeks ago i got a cold that wont shift started feeling for lumps, bumps etc, the same lumps are still there after 6 years no change and know its all i can think about, i dont know what trigerred me off after all this time getting on with things, now i feel like i am in a constant state of worry i cannot think about anything else, Im obsessing over every symtpom!

How do i deal with this? I am going insane my hubbys getting annoyed at having to give me constant reaasurance :( I wish i knew what set me off again after not worryong for a few years :(

Thanks for reading sorry to babble on xxx

[Baggs]

Welcome to the site. I hope you find as much help as I have. I wish you all the best.

Baggs

[Arnie365]

Hi and welcome. Did you ever deal with the underlying issues causing your health anxiety?

Im undertaking therapy and thought I just wanted cbt because id read how effective it was for health anxiety (and it is!!) however my therapist has explained how all my anxiety has been lurking under the surface for years and that its other issues I have to deal with to make sure it doesnt ever come back (fear of dying, witnessing my grandad have a heart attack & thinking Id had a heart attack when in fact it was a massive first panic attack etc etc!). She said this was all bubbling away and it just needed a trigger.

Its scary and you do feel vulnerable at times but im learning so much about myself and know I will be a better person for having to go through this horrible illness.

[illgetthere]

Can you remember how it stopped how you managed to get on with things

[jammadchez]

Hi all,

Thank you for your relpies, I never really understood what triggered my HA as such, I just believe that I was born a worrier. I think CBT may be needed for me to get over this fully as I can have years where the worry is so small and doesnt bother me then WHAM just hits me like a ton of bricks and I am back to square 1!

I think how I stopped worrying was the reassurance of my family and a few docs, I also saw a really good nurse at my surgery who had previosly worked in mental health, she said that i catastrophised things to the worst possible scenario. I have had lots of distractions like moving in with my husband, getting married and working.

Dont know what my trigger has been this time, think it may have been Christmas also the fear of starting a new job after 5 years at the smae place. x