Do you have health anxiety or cyberchondria?

[skippy66]

Just wanted to check whether members of this forum would class themselves as a cyberchondriac or a health anxiety sufferer?

Cyberchondria is now in the dictionary I believe but it doesn't seem to be widely used yet.

[Nico]

yeah dreadful, i suffer from health anxiety that is made a thousand times worse by the internet, so yes ad cyberchondriac, I even have symptom checker apps on my phone and one that supposedly does a lung function test haha

[TheGroundhog]

HA, I can work myself up just as well with no internet access :)

[Gogspurs]

I would classify myself as a Health Anxiety Sufferer with Cybercondria!

I had an app which reads my heart beats per minute with the camera... I deleted it yesterday and urge anyone else that uses these type of apps to do the same... its none productive! :lac:

[Anxious_gal]

Wow I have more anxiety but I over react to symptoms.
But medical shows and papers like the daily mail reporting on scary health stuff can cause me to have an attack of health anxiety.
I hate the sudden allergic reactions reports!
It's like oh no I could have a bad reaction to anything at any time!

Also drug phobic n reading or hearing about bad reactions to drugs sets me off too.

I don't worry about cancer or ms, I don't tend to self diagnoise but I can convince myself my symptoms are way more serious than what they are.

[cattia]

My health anxiety started in the early 90s before there was widespread access to the intranet. I used to spend ages browsing the health section of bookshops! I certainly think the internet has made things worse as we now have instant access to information which just feeds the cycle of checking and seeking more and more reassurance. When I manage to stay off Google my anxiety is definitely easier to control.

[dlr108]

I've had that app but deleted it due to strong advice from my gp tho it doesn't stop me checking it myself

[PinkRoxy]

I don't actually know I have always been anxious about my health.

But I do know sometimes I have a panic attack if I see someone else suffer something I have had and it was bad. I think it is better to just ignore and forget completely about health problems that I may have and just distract myself on other things. Sometimes its not that easy though.

[shellyruby40]

Wow I have more anxiety but I over react to symptoms.
But medical shows and papers like the daily mail reporting on scary health stuff can cause me to have an attack of health anxiety.
I hate the sudden allergic reactions reports!
It's like oh no I could have a bad reaction to anything at any time!

Also drug phobic n reading or hearing about bad reactions to drugs sets me off too.

I don't worry about cancer or ms, I don't tend to self diagnoise but I can convince myself my symptoms are way more serious than what they are.
this is me also with the allergic reaction thing..ive had this one for a good while.
i cant bear to watch the news or read the papers as it sets me off.
sometimes i hate the internet..
i think ive both..what props has anyone else got..ive got a blood pressure monitor that i reasure myself im ok when i use it and a temp guage when also reasures me that i havtn a raging temperature..i hate health anxiety and cybercondria..its the pits.