The girl who cried and cried about the wolf...

[Mindknot]

Advice needed please. I've been to the doctors more in this past year than I have in probably the previous three years. I keep coming out with anxiety/stress related diagnoses, but the problem is, I only go when the anxiety gets too much, I look and sound like an anxious person, and I don't know if I remember to tell the doctor everything that's relevant, I also know that they don't know me and they don't know what my un-anxious state is. The reason I first went was to do with bloating & abdominal discomfort - it's still there, there are new things, but I'm not as anxious as I was... everyone close says so, but if I go back, I just feel that the same thing will happen again, and I will just be told it's anxiety again. One feeds off the other for me, but I remember being bloated and uncomfortable way before I was anxious, I'm so sure it's the start point and although I've tried and tried to put all my symptoms down to anx, I just don't understand how it can be 'just' be that. I have no evidence of course, I've never kept a diary or anything, dates/times are all so vague in my head that I don't really know what to think anymore, the anxiety piled on top has made me confused about my body, and I don't know what symptoms to worry about any more. I almost feel guilty about wasting the doctors time. I'm sure others have felt like this, what did you do? When did you choose to go to the doctor?

[lior]

Ok, so the doctor is going to ask for a food and symptom diary even if you go back. So it's time to start that diary.

If you have apps on your phone, search for food tracking apps. There are tons of them.
Otherwise there are loads of worksheets online that you can find through google, which you can download and print if you like, and fill in what your symptoms are.
You could even set up an excel spreadsheet...
...or buy a mini notebook and fill it in, a page a day.

Filling it in becomes habitual. Knowing what you've eaten and what your symptoms are will help you deal with the anxiety because you'll know that you're not forgetting anything - it's all in the diary.

Good luck!

[Mindknot]

Thanks lior, I'm starting a food diary again today, I've done snippets in the past but never along with symptoms, hopefully it will help break things down a bit. I have an appointment booked in for 2 weeks time, so will have some time to think through what I need to say (and try not to panic this time!) :)

[Moley]

I always make a list of the things that I want to say to the doc and take it with me. As I get so anxious that I usually for get half the stuff I meant to say. Hope this helps.

[Mindknot]

Thanks Moley, the very fact of visiting a doctor makes me anxious, I didn't go for years before all this! I will make a list of what I want to say as well.