WorryKristy
09-04-14, 17:11
Hi there!
I came to No More Panic years ago after a much worse feeling of anxiety over a period of months--and this site did more than any doctor or med or anything to lead me out of it. Though prone to worry, I have only had one or two high anxiety phases in the last several years (that have lasted more than a week).
I am very very thankful. This past weekend, I actually got sick. It wasn't anxiety related--it felt like the flu: fever, chills, aches, fatigue (but no cold symptoms). I did get the flu shot, so it could be a much less harsh version of the flu, who knows. The fever/chills lasted for 2 days, I'm feeling better now (even the aches are gone), but what has started up the past 2 nights are night sweats--and this is what's sent me over the anxiety edge!
I read this article while sick on this woman who had cancer (great idea, huh?), and of course her symptoms read exactly like mine! It even ended with terrible night sweats and excruciating back pain. Now my back barely aches--but reading that, I'm now feeling for any sort of pain in my back & exaggerating it. And also there is this fear that the night sweats will never end & this will be the end of me...
I can usually be self-aware enough to realize "OK, Kristy, you're letting the anxiety rule this one" & I saw it happen. It usually starts with crazy amounts of googling--trying to find reassurance, but never feeling that satisfied afterwards--even if I read many posts about people having the night sweats after they had a fever & it lasting several nights. I read how they are normal after a fever. All this info should've calmed me a bit--but it didn't. I would see the one Dr. Oz article on "signs of cancer" & be too freaked out to even read it.
When I woke up in the middle of the night sweating mildly, I totally freaked out. I was googling on my phone next to me, wasn't able to sleep again, now feeling sick to my stomach.
I decided this morning it was time to visit this site again & refresh my memory on the symptoms of Health Anxiety. It was a good call. Anxiety is something that so often feels lonely (especially living with my cool-as-cucumber boyfriend, just shrugs his shoulders about it--looking at me confused).
It's obvious that I'm feeling better now than when I was initially sick & could not get out of bed. I no longer have a fever or the aches--but I'm now latching onto any last symptom with such anxiety! Why do we do this?
The article I read keeps popping into my head. Should health anxiety folks just avoid these stories all together?
Are there steps to keep me calm as my symptoms slowly fade? Ha, I say "slowly" & I've only had this flu-type thing for 4 days--am back at work today feeling basically fine. I have no patience with my own body to heal itself!
Does it work to give yourself a timeline of "OK, if I still have this symptom for the next __ days, I can go see the doctor about it." ?? I'm also hoping it will help just to get out to work & be distracted until nighttime.
I certainly know I'm done with googling the whole thing! That is SUCH a bad idea for me.
I just get so frustrated when I wrap myself up in these health issues & they just resolve themselves & I feel like I wasted tons of time just worrying over them.
I know you guys don't have the power to completely alleviate my worry, but I do want to say thanks for reading the post & I will update you I'm sure in a couple of days when I'll probably feeling perfectly fine again. :)
I came to No More Panic years ago after a much worse feeling of anxiety over a period of months--and this site did more than any doctor or med or anything to lead me out of it. Though prone to worry, I have only had one or two high anxiety phases in the last several years (that have lasted more than a week).
I am very very thankful. This past weekend, I actually got sick. It wasn't anxiety related--it felt like the flu: fever, chills, aches, fatigue (but no cold symptoms). I did get the flu shot, so it could be a much less harsh version of the flu, who knows. The fever/chills lasted for 2 days, I'm feeling better now (even the aches are gone), but what has started up the past 2 nights are night sweats--and this is what's sent me over the anxiety edge!
I read this article while sick on this woman who had cancer (great idea, huh?), and of course her symptoms read exactly like mine! It even ended with terrible night sweats and excruciating back pain. Now my back barely aches--but reading that, I'm now feeling for any sort of pain in my back & exaggerating it. And also there is this fear that the night sweats will never end & this will be the end of me...
I can usually be self-aware enough to realize "OK, Kristy, you're letting the anxiety rule this one" & I saw it happen. It usually starts with crazy amounts of googling--trying to find reassurance, but never feeling that satisfied afterwards--even if I read many posts about people having the night sweats after they had a fever & it lasting several nights. I read how they are normal after a fever. All this info should've calmed me a bit--but it didn't. I would see the one Dr. Oz article on "signs of cancer" & be too freaked out to even read it.
When I woke up in the middle of the night sweating mildly, I totally freaked out. I was googling on my phone next to me, wasn't able to sleep again, now feeling sick to my stomach.
I decided this morning it was time to visit this site again & refresh my memory on the symptoms of Health Anxiety. It was a good call. Anxiety is something that so often feels lonely (especially living with my cool-as-cucumber boyfriend, just shrugs his shoulders about it--looking at me confused).
It's obvious that I'm feeling better now than when I was initially sick & could not get out of bed. I no longer have a fever or the aches--but I'm now latching onto any last symptom with such anxiety! Why do we do this?
The article I read keeps popping into my head. Should health anxiety folks just avoid these stories all together?
Are there steps to keep me calm as my symptoms slowly fade? Ha, I say "slowly" & I've only had this flu-type thing for 4 days--am back at work today feeling basically fine. I have no patience with my own body to heal itself!
Does it work to give yourself a timeline of "OK, if I still have this symptom for the next __ days, I can go see the doctor about it." ?? I'm also hoping it will help just to get out to work & be distracted until nighttime.
I certainly know I'm done with googling the whole thing! That is SUCH a bad idea for me.
I just get so frustrated when I wrap myself up in these health issues & they just resolve themselves & I feel like I wasted tons of time just worrying over them.
I know you guys don't have the power to completely alleviate my worry, but I do want to say thanks for reading the post & I will update you I'm sure in a couple of days when I'll probably feeling perfectly fine again. :)