Day 1.......

[Worried 24/7]

Today is the day. The day I STOP GOOGLING MY SYMPTOMS CONSTANTLY!!!!! I hope I can do it because it's ruining my life.....I can use all the support I can get! Also if anyone out there has successfully quit compulsively googling, is your HA more under control now??

[Fishmanpa]

You should be able to block websites in your browser settings (parental settings). If not there are free downloadable add on's that will work... BUT... you have to use Google to find them... Make it your last Google search.

Good luck and positive thoughts

[Leslie735]

I made the same promise to myself yesterday, I said I was going stop for 2 weeks, then go from there. Good luck to you!!! :yesyes:

[Worried 24/7]

I'm doing good so far...which is saying something cuz I have a new symptom I wanna Google so bad!

[Amandala]

Good job you guys! I think I'll join in on the no google challenge!! :yesyes:

[MRS STRESS ED]

I'm doing good so far...which is saying something cuz I have a new symptom I wanna Google so bad!

Dont do it you will start your anxiety off ,you no all this if you need reasurance google isnt the place talk to people here it bound to be more positive for you xx

[Hellly]

Good luck.

I am with you on this one but since is was frantically googling earlier at work I will need to join you tomorrow :)

H
Xx

[Worried 24/7]

Join right now! No need to wait!

[Hellly]

Ok. I had a feeling that I would want to google later tonight, just before bed is my worst time, but what the hell.

Fingers crossed

Xx

[Worried 24/7]

Anyone who gets the urge, come right here and we'll support each other!

[cpe1978]

Today is the day. The day I STOP GOOGLING MY SYMPTOMS CONSTANTLY!!!!! I hope I can do it because it's ruining my life.....I can use all the support I can get! Also if anyone out there has successfully quit compulsively googling, is your HA more under control now??

In answer to your questions, yes and yes. I realised some time ago that google was pointless and that I had to trust doctors. So simultaneously I quit google and visited my GP explained the issue and agreed to save symptoms for six weeks and booked six weekly appointments with the GP. Combined with a lengthy course of CBT (which I searched for the right therapist for) I think those three components were the key to getting HA under control.

I still have HA but it doesn't rule me and I believe that one day I will have the same relationship with my health that normal people do :)

You have made a good first step.

[Worried 24/7]

Can I join you and make this my day 1?

B x

Of course you can!

---------- Post added at 02:31 ---------- Previous post was at 02:30 ----------

I also have a bad habit of self examination. Looking for lumps, examining ever bump, bruise or cut....I want to quit that too but I think I better take it one step at a time.....

[Worried 24/7]

It's 9am right now. Day two begins :-) it's been quite the struggle. Hopefully it gets easier as time goes on...

---------- Post added at 18:06 ---------- Previous post was at 18:05 ----------


You should be able to block websites in your browser settings (parental settings). If not there are free downloadable add on's that will work... BUT... you have to use Google to find them... Make it your last Google search.

Good luck and positive thoughts

I'm on my phone and can't figure out a way to do that

[Amandala]

Ugh I did it with out even thinking! I HAD to know why there were little black specks in my snot...:doh:

[Worried 24/7]

Is it eyeliner? Cuz I get those too and I wear black eyeliner on my lower lids and your tear ducts connect to your sinuses....

[Amandala]

Ok, going to do better! And I think my little specks were from emptying out the ashtrays earlier. At least google didn't tell me anything horrific!

[Hellly]

Over 24hrs and not looked, even though I was tempted about ten times today. :-(

[Worried 24/7]

Yeah, I've been tempted all day.....way to hang in there!

[chelsea5]

Hii :) I was the same, still sometimes am. I'm on googlin things about everything. But there's lots of different answers on Google. You can type in almost anything and it will come back with the most dangerous answer when in relation there's nothing actually wrong with you. I was convinced I had everything wrong with me, it's super scary! But now I don't Google half as much, I've realised that now I don't check my body as much, im not at my gp's as much and I don't feel as paranoid about my health. Yeah it's still there in my mind but it's definitely calmed down. Good luck :):)


E.g I typed in some symptoms on my skin and Google suggested skin cancer. Embarrassingly but thankfully turned out to be dry skin

[Amandala]

you are so right Chelsea,
I am determined to not look up why my mouth feels like its been excessively salivating for the past hour. I already screwed today with snot research :)

[Worried 24/7]

I have had lots of spit too. I'm sure there are lots of normal explanations

[Hellly]

Same, loads of spit but I think it's all to do with anxiety causing stomach problems. I would google for a real explanation but it's day two and I am still avoiding looking up health stuff.

I will say this no google has been good so far, yesterday and this morning I have wanted to look up loads of stuff but I have realised its a vicious cycle....... Look up symptom, read about every disease under the sun, anxiety overload, then more symptoms. Yesterday was a good day, yeah I had symptoms but I wasn't panicking ...... Fingers crossed for today.

Xx

[Worried 24/7]

Good job! I'm still doing well, too but it's definitely a struggle

[swgrl09]

I need to start something like this with checking a bump in my mouth ... sometimes I don't even think before I do it!

[Worried 24/7]

Yeah, self examination is my next battle....one step at a time though

[Worried 24/7]

I'm still doing pretty good but I did Google a couple non threatening issues yesterday... in on the verge of having a huge Googlefest though, I can feel it. My symptoms are scaring me and I'm so sure it's something really bad.

[Hellly]

I am the same worried 24/7 !!! I have been doing really well but today I woke up with a pain in my side and I am convinced my pee is darker than usual (sorry for being crude). I really want to google it but I remember the last time I looked up these symptoms and ended up a nervous wreak!!! Need to stay strong :-(

[iPodClassic]

I'll join in! Let's see how long I can go without googling symptoms. :yesyes:

---------- Post added at 17:55 ---------- Previous post was at 16:05 ----------

Ugh, it's getting hard already, mostly because a really huge popped vein just showed up on my finger and I feel pretty woozy and tired. :scared10:

---------- Post added at 18:12 ---------- Previous post was at 17:55 ----------

Well, I've been meaning to post a pic of what I have but it seems I have to post 10 or more comments before being able to show pictures. Hell.

[Amandala]

Ok, I confess I haven't been google free but I was more so looking at drug interactions since my doc put me on prilosec and I feel it's making me dizzy....
Finally over esophageal cancer as today I found out I have strep throat! I have no idea how a 32 year old with no kids and barely leaves the house gets strep, but I'll take it over my other thoughts!

[Worried 24/7]

I relapsed earlier and googled some....gonna try and get back on the horse

[iPodClassic]

It's been about four hours and still not googling. Although I keep taking my pulse and feeling I'm gonna have a heart attack but other than that I'm fine. Man this thing's hard.

[iPodClassic]

Woah sh***. I had such a SEVERE dizzy spell. I so want to google "severe dizziness no pain " to see what could it be, but I'm not gonna do it. It's either peace or going to the ER but I will not google. It will not help at all.

[Hellly]

I googled :( IBC it is today and damn google!!

That's a shame. We all slip up. I am on day 5 but really struggling :-(

Stay strong, last week I was worried about IBC too unfortunately I googled..... Just made it worse and it turns out (I think) to be PMS.

H :-)

[Hellly]

Thanks h

Do u have triggers? The iBC doesn't leave my brain :weep:

B x

No I don't have any triggers, that's the scary part. I am feeling fine, then all of a sudden I get a pain and it's boom..... I have every disease I can think off.

I find that the IBC worries are linked to PMS. It's a vicious cycle..... Anxiety causing bad PMS and PMS making my anxiety worse.

My main worries involve my digestive system (my mum died on pancreatic cancer) and abnormal smear tests last year (got given the all clear but am convinced my results were messed up)

H xx

[Hellly]

Ah H I can totally relate. Unfortunately my aunt died of pancreatic cancer and this is where my HA was born. I haven't been the same since. It's hard to know what aches and pains are real don't u think? Trust the results though. They are what they are and I would take reassurance in them! :hugs:

B x

Definitely. I try to brush off the aches and pains, but it's at the back of mind and that's when it snowball into anything and everything.

It never ends, but it is nice to know I am not alone :-)

H
Xx

[iPodClassic]

24hs without googling any symptoms! :yahoo:

[Hellly]

24hs without googling any symptoms! :yahoo:

Well done, that's a big step.

[derek1224]

I recently did, and even though i still have to urge I have found it helps, I have found looking at a list of anxiety symptoms and ticking my one's off to help. :)

[Amandala]

great job everyone! I totally failed today, but tomorrow is a new one :)

[Dex]

I lasted 2 hrs. Its like an addiction. Funny thing is that in the 9 years I've had HA I've visited every single result time and time again. I know the sites and the answers before I've even finished typing the search. I guess in my head somewhere I hope to find something ive not read before. I gain no assurance nor reassurance from any of it. It only feeds my demon. I have to stop because it doesnt make me better. I guess I always hold out for the day I read something that flicks the HA switch in me off....for good.

[Worried 24/7]

I'm exactly the same. Hoping to find that perfect answer to ease my mind that just isn't there. I'm freaking today and started googling again because I have a sore bump on my ribs on both sides in the same spot and I'm convinced all my l lymph nodes hurt and I have lymphoma or hiv or somethin........

[iPodClassic]

Woah, 27 hours and counting. I am having a hard time since I have been having this strong cough that now is making it even hard to breathe; as if there was some issue with my lungs or bronquii. Thing is, I'm coughing so hard and so much, that my hands feel tingly like when you hyperventilate; but I'm gonna stay strong and not google anything related to that.

It's just that having trouble breathing is terrifying :weep:

[Worried 24/7]

Stay strong, at least one of us should....lol

[Worried 24/7]

I did good the first couple days but today I relapsed....I really want to be good. I'm trying. And of course you can join :-)

[Hellly]

Hi Raindrops.

I am glad someone else is joining our crusade. Almost a week now, but I feel I am cheating somehow because I know the health websites off my heart now ......I could recite the NHS website :-(

H

Xx

[iPodClassic]

I think I did google something, but I was half asleep! I woke up at 4:30 am and sneezed really hard and my ear drums were achy and yeah, I think I googled "sneeze eardrum", so yeah, I kinda relapsed but in my defence, I was VERY sleepy :P

---------- Post added at 16:34 ---------- Previous post was at 16:32 ----------


I did good the first couple days but today I relapsed....I really want to be good. I'm trying. And of course you can join :-)

I am sure you will be able to get rid of those google urges soon. It's just a matter of learning to control it; if I can anyone can! =)

[Hellly]

It's been a week since this was posted. How is everyone doing?

[iPodClassic]

Aww Hellly, well good job for at least not googling! iPod- Yeah it's hard when it's like an automatic response! lol. I'm having trouble right now refraining from googling as I've just eaten fish and chips with a bit of sausage, and I read that combining nitrites that are in most processed meat these days with fish creates a carcinogen in your body. So on the odd chance I forget that fact, I combine them! and now I'm freaking out completely! But not googling... Must not google...

Stay strong, did you google in the end?

[iPodClassic]

I did google twice. Damn, I was going great but oh well. To start all over again! I'ts just this bloody cough and the fears of coming back to anaemia. I look pale and tired, I really wouldn't want to fall again.

[Worried 24/7]

I fell off the wagon completely but I'm going to try again tomorrow since someone posted that No googling day thread... I Google searching for that perfect answer that doesn't exist that will prove to me I don't have cancer but it's not ever there...