Seeing signs.

[LunaLiuna]

Hello everyone, I apologise in advance if I sound crazy :l

Has anyone ever had a panic attack by watching a tv program or maybe even music and it bringing up an illness, and then thinking you have it? and then afterwards (it could be a couple of days later) seeing something related to it again? Or has anyone thought that when someone is talking to you that certain words they say stand out more? almost like they're trying to tell you something but theres no way they could be? I've had intrusive thoughts but this is just as hard :l

Sorry if I sound paranoid or crazy :l I'd just love to know I'm not alone, I have started medication (Sertraline 25mg 4 days in) but these thoughts coupled with symptoms can be sooooo hard to ignore :l

Thankyou c:

[valleybear]

Hi there,
The first part I undestand so well!! I have health anxiety and was so bad at one time that I stopped buyin popular newspapers and whenever an advert or allusion to any cardiac illness came on the TV I simply had to switch it over or off.. At one point I couldn't bear to hear people say flippantly "I nearly had a heart attack". I was working at the time and explained to my colleagues who were very understanding and tried hard not to use the phrase if they were around me. I think the rest is just another manifestation of the same...I know it is really hard but you are certainly not alone. :flowers:

[RoseEve]

I do this all the time. It doesn't help that there are about 99 cancer commercials. I don't know if it's like that in the UK but here in the US there is a commerial for diseases all the time. Plus the news is terrible too!

[LunaLiuna]

Ah thankyou so much, it's amazing to know your not alone, there aren't that many adverts here it's just on a lot of the tv shows, some how it's considered a valid thing to make entertainment from :l

[cpe1978]

This is one of the things I talked a lot about during CBT. The reality is that there is always going to be all sorts of 'triggers' around and you are right that many of these take the form of public health commercials. I suppose you have two options, either run away from them and try your best to avoid them, or become used to them in the sense that they don't overly bother most people.

My most hated week of CBT was when I recorded me reading out my nightmare scenario and re listened to it over and over, and I deliberately exposed myself to things that I would regard as triggers. It made me realise that the more you expose yourself to something and allow yourself to be anxious, the less anxious they make you over time.

If you avoid these things then you are just holding onto their control over you.

[LunaLiuna]

I did this with my psychiatrist, it's called exposure therapy :)

It sort of worked, I did it because I had/still have social anxiety. but yeah I couldn't imagine doing it with this health anxiety :l

[Jojomarymoo]

Hi, LunaLiuna I know exactly what you mean...I'm convinced that all the cancer research posters and adverts, soap operas about cancer, mean something or if someone mentions dying it's referring to me. It's totally irrational I know but my brain is not rational and think these are a sign, I've stupidly used Dr Google and have convinced myself that my symptoms point towards this. I got a kidney infection and my doc changed my anti depressants at the same time, which I hope (as I've convinced myself I have cancer) must be giving me side effects....severe anxiety, sharp muscular pain, diarrhoea, abdominal plain, extreme tiredness. My urine test is now fine, full blood count normal, ultrasound ok apart from poly cystic ovaries (convinced they've missed something else with them though), chest X-ray fine...so why have I still got the dreaded C word. I feel like I'm going mad!! However I know that to alleviate this fear I have to expose myself to the triggers, having had CBT for OCD. I'm really going to try, have had awful anxiety attacks today :-(
Are you having any side effects with sertraline? X

[anxious_thoughts]

Hey, I totally know what you mean. I'm going through a bad patch of brain tumour anxiety. If I watch a show, movie, or hear someone talking about it it's like my senses go off. I sorta panic, and I think "OMG, this is a sign that I have one. God is telling me a sign"

We think about the weirdest things sometimes, I laugh now at how ridiculous I sound. Haha. I think it is Very typical of someone with anxiety to experience this.

[LunaLiuna]

---------- Post added 05-01-14 at 00:03 ---------- Previous post was 04-01-14 at 23:54 ----------


Hi, LunaLiuna I know exactly what you mean...I'm convinced that all the cancer research posters and adverts, soap operas about cancer, mean something or if someone mentions dying it's referring to me. It's totally irrational I know but my brain is not rational and think these are a sign, I've stupidly used Dr Google and have convinced myself that my symptoms point towards this. I got a kidney infection and my doc changed my anti depressants at the same time, which I hope (as I've convinced myself I have cancer) must be giving me side effects....severe anxiety, sharp muscular pain, diarrhoea, abdominal plain, extreme tiredness. My urine test is now fine, full blood count normal, ultrasound ok apart from poly cystic ovaries (convinced they've missed something else with them though), chest X-ray fine...so why have I still got the dreaded C word. I feel like I'm going mad!! However I know that to alleviate this fear I have to expose myself to the triggers, having had CBT for OCD. I'm really going to try, have had awful anxiety attacks today :-(
Are you having any side effects with sertraline? X

Same here, I've had all the blood tests including my thyroid :)
I'm only on day 4, I've noticed the insomnia part which is very annoying as it feels like your really tired but when you try and sleep it just doesnt work, so I'm taking melatonin to help. I've been clenching my jaw a lot but I did that before, I've also had some stomach issues, I won't explain any further hahahaha :D

Oh and when I get anxious I feel really anxious, so yeah it's been up and down so far

---------- Post added at 00:07 ---------- Previous post was at 00:03 ----------


Hey, I totally know what you mean. I'm going through a bad patch of brain tumour anxiety. If I watch a show, movie, or hear someone talking about it it's like my senses go off. I sorta panic, and I think "OMG, this is a sign that I have one. God is telling me a sign"

We think about the weirdest things sometimes, I laugh now at how ridiculous I sound. Haha. I think it is Very typical of someone with anxiety to experience this.

Well, I dont know what to say, I'm having the exact same problem at the moment! I've been told I clench my jaw at night (I know I do it through the day) so I think this could be the reason for all my symptoms c:

[anxious_thoughts]

I'm a jaw clencher as well. I also have been grinding my teeth at night for many years. My jaw locks and stuff too, hoping it's apart of these head pains

[ShellyTai]

OMG - so glad I've read this. I do exactly the same. Especially worse at this time of year. My mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer on the 8th January (many years ago) she started taking ill at the start of the December and every year my anxiety flairs up really bad at this time of year (it's bad all the time - but worse at this time - and the health anxiety goes into overdrive) and I automatically think "that's it - I'm gonna be the same as my mum...I'm gonna die on the same day as my mum did" and it'll be the headlines in the local paper of the ill fated daughter who died on the same day as her mum but years later.
I have thoughts like this all the time....it's awful.
Big hugs everyone :hugs:

[LunaLiuna]

Ah stupid me, I've just thought of this as a sign -_-