Hi, terrified of the big C word.. please help!

[dreamies]

Hi all! another newbie..

To put it in simple terms, I am COMPLETLY terrified of cancer! i'm only 19 but this problem runs my life.

When i was 16 I was diagnosed with anxiety however it was only on buses - stupid I know! but then it became cars etc until it got to the point i basically barricaded myself into the house for six months. I went to my GP who told me it was anxiety however said it was pointless for me to do anything about it as it was only a "passing phrase" considering my age.

This was three years ago, since then i've put on just under four stone in weight however this anxiety no longer scares me so much but now i'm terrified of cancer.

I stay awake at night just thinking about it so much that I cant sleep and just end up crying, i'm so scared that I have it and it will go undiagnosed and that it'll be too late. I actually imagine the whole scenario in my head i.e what the doctor says and everything.

I can't remember how long i've been terrified of this for but I think it's about two years. I feel like i'm going insane because I know how irrational it is but I just can't stop it.

Does anyone else have anything similar!?
Do you have any ways to help?

Thank you

[Skinsie]

Hey. I think the best way to stop worrying is to put it into perspective. The fact you're 19 means your very unlikely to get it, the trick is to enjoy your hobbies etc as much as possible every day if you can. For me doing what I enjoy means I have less time to think about things such as cancer, I'm to busy focusing on my purpose in life. What stuff do you enjoy? Focus on them, it'll mean your focusing your energies on that and not sometime such as the unlikely scenarios of cancer. PM me if you wanna talk more :)

[dreamies]

I'm not quite sure how to Pm - I'm new to this lol!

What kind of projects would you reccommed? I have tried all sorts, I do a lot of drawing and craftyy kinds of things which are fine but it's more at night time I struggle I think with just lying in bed it gives me a lot of time to think about all the negative stuff especially cancer. When I get on the topic of cancer I always try to think about something positive but it always leads me back to to something negative, I may just be an unbelivably negative person?

I have spoken to my partner about it but he doesn't get it, he doesn't understand the irrational fear of cancer and death I have, he just thinks that if you get cancer thats just how its meant to be which my brain can not comprehend at all.

It's not just like a small nightmare before bed, I am genuinally terrified every single night I stay up until I know my brain is too tired to think about cancer which results in a very messed up sleeping pattern. I know that I should probably go to my GP but I'm scared she'll think i've just lost my mind altogether especially since I have panic attacks.