Is compulsion a sign of HA/anxiety???

[Fj2014]

I having a funny week ... One minute I'm positive and almost back to my old self, the next I'm weak and worried and googling.
I was wondering if anyone else has noticed themselves becoming addicted to things as their HA increases.
Obviously googling and symptom checking are my main compulsions but I've found myself overanalysing EVERYTHING - yesterday I spent 2 hours googling swimming pools near my house.. I didn't even go swimming!
I just want to be myself again and feel so fed up :(.
I am waiting on test results and I'm so convinced that they're going to say that there's signs of cancer... I feel helpless!

[hanshan]

I think a lot of HA sufferers seem to be compulsive Googlers.

But unlike OCD, where performing the compulsion brings about (at least momentary) calm, compulsive Googling for HA sufferers seems to have the reverse effect - it makes them more anxious.

[googler192]

I am exactly the same. For months I have obsessed over the fact that I had HIV and then when I got my test results back I felt better for about a week. Now I'm back to square one with worrying about cancer and the like. It's horrible. I really do understand what you're going through. I obsess over meditation I think. I find myself wanting to meditate all the time and trying to convince myself that that is the only thing that will help me calm down. 99% of the time I don't meditate when I feel the need.

You're not alone in this Hun :(

[Serenity1990]

It's just a thirst for information. This might or might not make you feel better, but typically those who get HA are of very high intelligence and are naturally inquisitive, wanting to understand everything that happens from first principles. Useful in some settings (academia etc) but not when it comes to "why is my foot tingling?"

[Fj2014]

Thanks for your replies - Googler I've seen your HIV posts and I assure you, I felt the same - my boyfriend has vitiglio which he mentioned could (very rarely)be caused by HIV when he was trying to cheer me up, this led me to walking round London in the rain considering paying £60 for a private test - I got one on the NHS and I'm clear.
I've woken up today with a burning pain under my belly button and I'm convinced it's a tumour - I'm waiting for stool sample, blood and urine results - if they're all clear (which I'm not convinced they will be) then I'm going to seriously work on sorting out my head other than my body.

My brother suffered badly a few years back and is almost anxiety free now - he has been a huge help and says to never, ever google, to distract yourself, stop poking and prodding and not to dwell and it will go away.

I think distraction is the key.

We can do it.
xx