groggygirl
09-05-13, 20:11
Hi all,
Joined the forum because I really need to just vent at someone who 'gets' it.
I've suffered with health anxiety as far as I can remember. I'm a generally stress and anxious person anyway but my health is an area that causes me great anxiety. Paired with this, I also have a phobia of anything medical...doctors, dentists, nurses, plasters, medicines etc....
So anyway, for the past 5/6 years my flare ups have been quite rare and when they have been present, they have been manageable. However, exactly a year ago I had chickenpox. Since then, my body has been thrown into chaos... from headaches to dry skin and from IBS symptoms to painful muscles. Of course, this has triggered an almighty flare up of the old health anxiety. And then....the physical symptoms of anxiety kicked in and now I'm doubly struggling. I have written a list of life threatening illnesses that I have 'had' in the past year and it totals 38..including brain tumours, melanoma, stroke, leukaemia, bowel cancer, cervical cancer and MS...... (sigh)
Six months ago, I decided enough was enough and I could no longer cope with waiting for something horrible to kill me. I wasn't living because I was OBSESSED with dying. I decided to have a consultation with a therapist (private practice) and started a course of CBT.
Six months and thousands of pounds later, here we are. My therapist has recently discharged me saying that he has done everything he can for me. CBT clearly isn't working and my choices are anti-depressants or learn to deal with it.
I feel slightly better and Im certain that the CBT has cured my OCD....however it simply hasn't touched my health anxiety issues. So now im in a position where, I know that my body still physically hasn't recovered from the chicken pox, im suffering with anxiety.....these symptoms are making my health anxiety off the scale and no one seems to want to help me.
Ideas please anyone? I'm seriously at my wits end.
Thanks x
Joined the forum because I really need to just vent at someone who 'gets' it.
I've suffered with health anxiety as far as I can remember. I'm a generally stress and anxious person anyway but my health is an area that causes me great anxiety. Paired with this, I also have a phobia of anything medical...doctors, dentists, nurses, plasters, medicines etc....
So anyway, for the past 5/6 years my flare ups have been quite rare and when they have been present, they have been manageable. However, exactly a year ago I had chickenpox. Since then, my body has been thrown into chaos... from headaches to dry skin and from IBS symptoms to painful muscles. Of course, this has triggered an almighty flare up of the old health anxiety. And then....the physical symptoms of anxiety kicked in and now I'm doubly struggling. I have written a list of life threatening illnesses that I have 'had' in the past year and it totals 38..including brain tumours, melanoma, stroke, leukaemia, bowel cancer, cervical cancer and MS...... (sigh)
Six months ago, I decided enough was enough and I could no longer cope with waiting for something horrible to kill me. I wasn't living because I was OBSESSED with dying. I decided to have a consultation with a therapist (private practice) and started a course of CBT.
Six months and thousands of pounds later, here we are. My therapist has recently discharged me saying that he has done everything he can for me. CBT clearly isn't working and my choices are anti-depressants or learn to deal with it.
I feel slightly better and Im certain that the CBT has cured my OCD....however it simply hasn't touched my health anxiety issues. So now im in a position where, I know that my body still physically hasn't recovered from the chicken pox, im suffering with anxiety.....these symptoms are making my health anxiety off the scale and no one seems to want to help me.
Ideas please anyone? I'm seriously at my wits end.
Thanks x