hypochondria caused by anxiety

[Kmccluskey]

hey guys .

just a quick question. does health anxiety manifest itself in a variety of ways or can it also focus on one illness. for example I have a preoccupation with having heart disease and suffer symptoms that are identical to it. I have been a and e on numerous occasions and they have diagnosed anxiety. I was reading some thing that said the individual can actually experienced pains of any kind and they can completely resemble a heart attack even though there's no physical cause. I'm trying to work out if this can be classed as HA Because I thought that was when people experience a wide variety of illness. so I guess I'm asking , do I sound like I have health anxiety ?

[Pomchi]

Hi, well it definitely sounds like HA to me.

My particular fear is cancer. It could just as likely be my heart but for some reason I don't worry about this.

Although a lot of HA sufferers do have a variety of ailments as you said, cancer, heart, MS ...... the list goes on.

Sadly,. at the root of all of them is that great big ANXIETY!

Have you tried any helping strategies yet for your HA, like CBT?

[Kmccluskey]

thanks mate. so people with health anxiety CAN focus in on one issue ? to give you a bit of background , I have modified my eating habits because I feel it makes me worse sometimes and I basically feel ill at times, like even walking round the house I feel weird and I don't put my heart under any stain. I have CBT starting on Monday.

---------- Post added at 20:01 ---------- Previous post was at 19:56 ----------

I read some thing that people can actually behave like they have the illness and feel like they have it , their brain tricks them into feeling these things , in my case heart symptoms. even though I'm 22 and have been given the clear by doctors , my symtpoms still consume me on a daily basis. I did however , believe I would have a stroke a few months ago , but looking back the symtpoms don't seem as identical to a stroke as my heart ones are to that I heart disease. like when I see doctors , I tell them I believe I have clogged arteries

[hangingbasket]

It is TOTALLY typical of us HA sufferers to focus on 1 illness!!! We will then give ourselves all the symptoms of this illness, research it more, get more symptoms, worry more, cause more symptoms, get more tests, not believe the results, get more symptoms... it goes on and on.
Dont be surprised if your 'trigger illness' changes over time though. I've gone through about 10 different deadly diseases but for a while, whether it be a week/month/2 months... I truely am terrified of that one disease and the good old anxiety supports the theory by giving us symptoms of said fear!
I dont think there are specific rules to HA.. although I think it's true that people have one specific fear at a time... it is highly possible to also fear 10 different illnesses at once.
Now what you need to do, is convince YOURSELF that you have health anxiety!

[Kmccluskey]

thanks hanging basket 😀. I am doing it , I feel it creeping in like, I feel a symptom , then I'm like shit , then I'm trying to say , so what it's just anxiety cl for example , a heart pain after eating , or quite recently I have this hot sprinkle water drop feeling on my arms and neck. I'm like , I hate this , what is it , what is it a sign of?. I'm trying to fight it off, it's hard though . do u ever get synptom free periods in the day and think I'm winning the battle , then it comes back ?

---------- Post added at 21:25 ---------- Previous post was at 21:23 ----------

also u ever had heart symptoms , is that common in health anxiety ?

[hangingbasket]

I dont know if you've ever read up on the possible symptoms anxiety can cause, but I'll post a list anyway. So if you have been diagnosed with anxiety, then what you must do is, next time you feel a symptom and worry about what's causing it... tell yourself that what's causing it, is ANXIETY!!
And yes, I would often get symptom free periods. As you begin your recovery, those symptom free periods will get longer and you will find that you havent had any symptoms all day, all week, all month. It CAN happen. Plus, you must tell yourself next time you've had a symptom free period... if it was something serious, it wouldnt just go away would it?!?! It would be there all the time. Do you find your symptom free periods are when your busy? Chatting/working/watching a film etc? Distraction works wonders!

And YES! Heart symptoms/concerns/fears seem to be THE most common triggers for HA :)
Body:
Burning Sensations throughout the body
Chronic Fatigue
Electric shock feeling
Excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
Feeling cold or chilled
Hyperactivity, excess energy
Increased or decreased sex drive
Muscle twitching
Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
Startle easily
Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
Trembling or shaking
Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
Warm spells
Weak legs, arms, or muscles

Chest:
Chest pain or discomfort
Concern about the heart
Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
Heart – beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or ‘skipped’ beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough

Fears:
A heightened fear of what people think of you
Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
Fear of being in public
Fear of dying
Fear of losing control
Fear of impending doom
Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
Fear of passing out
Fear that you are losing your mind
Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
Need to seat near exits

Head:
Burning, itchy, tight scalp
Dizziness or light-headedness
Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
Head, neck or shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
Giddiness
Shooting pains in the face
Shooting pains in the scalp or head
When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache
TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) - clenching of the jaw or grinding of the teeth

Hearing:
Frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
Low rumbling sounds
Ringing in the ears, noises in the ears, noises in the head

Mind:
Deja Vu, a feeling like you've done or experienced something before
Desensitization, depersonalization
Fear of going crazy
Fear of losing control
Fear of impending doom
Feelings of unreality
Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
Having difficulty concentrating
Obsession about sensations or getting better
Repetitive thinking or incessant ‘mind chatter’
Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders

Mood / Emotions:
Always feeling angry and lack of patience
Depression
Dramatic mood swings (emotional flipping)
Emotionally blunted, flat, or numb
Emotional "flipping" (dramatic mood swings)
Emotions feel wrong
Everything is scary, frightening
Feeling down in the dumps
Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
Frequently feel like crying for no apparent reason
Have no feelings about things you used to
Not feeling like yourself, detached from loved ones, emotionally numb
Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
You feel like you are under pressure all the time

Mouth/Stomach:
A ‘tinny’, ‘metallic’ or ‘ammonia’, or unusual smell or taste
Aerophagia (swallowing too much air, stomach distention, belching)
Choking
Constant craving for sugar or sweets
Constipation
Diarrhea
Difficulty swallowing
Dry mouth
Feeling like you can’t swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
Feeling like your tongue is swollen
Frequent upset stomach, bloating, gaseous
IBS
Lack of appetite or taste
Lump in the throat, tight throat, something stuck in your throat
Mouth muscles twitching/jumping
Nausea or abdominal stress
The thought of eating makes you nauseous
Tight throat, lump in throat
Tongue twitching
Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
Vomiting

Skin:
Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
Skin problems, infections, rashes

Sleep:
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
Jolting awake
Waking up in a panic attack
You feel worse in the mornings

Sight:
Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
Dry, watery or itchy eyes
Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes
Eyes sensitive to light
Spots in the vision
Flashing lights when eyes are closed
Your depth perception feels wrong

Touch:
Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
Feeling cold or chilled
Numbness
Pain
Tingling, pins and needles feelings

Other symptoms are described as:
Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition to these symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:
• Having a heart attack
• Having a serious undetected illness
• Dying prematurely
• Going insane or losing your mind
• Harming yourself or someone you love uncontrollably
• Being embarrassed or making a fool out or yourself
• Losing control
• Fainting in public
• Not breathing properly
• Choking or suffocating
• Being alone