General HA related worry

[Dan1984]

I am new here, but have been a long time reader and have often visited to seek support.

I have been dealing with anxiety/health anxiety for around 12 years, when the death of one of my best friends from cancer affected me in a deeper way than I ever would have imagined. I was 18 at the time, and he sadly passed away at the age of 17.

Since this time, I have had many periods - ups and downs - of varying degrees. Symptoms have come and gone, then come back again. Symptoms have left me worried and stressed, and have led to several different tests over the years, all of which have come back negative, which is naturally good news at the time.

I have had 2 separate courses of treatment: one run in 2004 was a relaxation course which had some effect but didn't alter my mental attitude, and the other more recently through Autumn 2013, was a course of psychological therapy to get me to look at my thoughts in a different way. Again, it had some success - for example, I have really cut back on visits to the doctor and searching for symptoms online.

However, symptoms continue in a variety of ways. For example, I suffer the following at the moment:

- Frequent all over body spasms/twitches
- Headache/tension in head/face
- Nausea (in varying degrees, sometimes only very slight, other times actually feel I am moments from being sick)
- Palpitations
- General tense feeling
- Aches/pains in different places around the body
- Dry mouth, stinging eyes
- Mild IBS symptoms

I have made myself believe I have had about 8 different cancers and other serious medical conditions over the past year or two, of course I don't have these - but I often make myself feel like I do.

Medical tests I have had over the years have involved:
- 3 ECG's (most recently 2013)
- 4 or 5 different rounds of blood tests (different years)
- Chest X Ray (2013)
- Ultrasound on heart/chest (2006)
- Dozens of visits to the doctor

I do suffer from mild asthma, allergies and nasal problems which exacerbate my problems.

Has anybody else suffered in this way for many, many years?

Do people have any other good coping strategies that they can share?

How do people rationalise when the mind continues to play games?

:)

[Annie0904]

Your friends death was a tragic loss to you and I am pleased you have had Psychotherapy to help you with this. I have lost 2 friends who were very close to me and although psychotherapy has helped with this I wonder if maybe you also need some grief counselling? Even though it happened some time ago you could still be referred for this.
The only coping strategies I have are to change every negative thought into a positive one, this works better if you write them down. I argue with my mind negative v positive. the positive mostly wins now after lots of practise :)

[Dan1984]

Thanks.

I will think about the grief counselling.

Definitely with you on the writing things down and rationalizing. It can really help.

Another thing that helps me to rationalize is that I have suffered with various symptoms for 12 years or more now, on and off. If things really were that bad, something would have happened to me by now.

But that doesn't seem to curb the fears!

So silly.

[KLP]

It's not silly, experiences we receive which naturally curve our judgement on our own future, be it bad or good. Like you I've had a significant amount of young friends, colleagues and acquaintances all passed way before their time. And that's shaped my judgment in my future. And I have to remind myself that's all it is a 'judgement/thought'. This doesn't mean this will naturally happen to you.

My doctor put it like this 'your more likely to die from a car crash' not helpful for HA sufferer. But I think her approach was meant it the best of intentions. What she meant your healthy go and enjoy life.

I hope I've helped and not shocked you by that last statement. :)

[ohwell123]

hi dan I suffer from ptsd now I was so scared during my trauma/panic and I have had every test afterwards apparently im fine!!! trouble is due to the fear I went through etc my body is constantly full of anxiety especially when Im alone I wake every morning expecting this to be the day so therefore I sort of bring on indigestion acid etc all pains in my chest area arms you name it the lot

but ofcourse like you 12 years later ! (im 6 months into it) its ANXIETY nothing ever was wrong or does go wrong within reason

i sat there the other day and thought I feel great I havent had that cap wearing feeling for a bit and BANG it came out the blue rubber band round my head feeling

its unbelievable tbh
rgds
kris