Terrified I have brain tumour or something awful :(

[telltheking]

Hi All,

I have, over the last fortnight, had off and on headaches. They are never that bad, but enough so that I notice them and they make me worry. The pain radiates from the back of my neck.

I have had health anxiety for years now, but I am really worried I have a brain tumour. A more logical explanation is that 1) I have been drinking a lot recently which has probably made me a bit dehydrated 2) I have terrible posture and have been doing work on the sofa rather than a chair, which probably gives me a bad neck 3) I stare at a computer screen literally all day 4) I have been eating crap and not doing any exercise for months now.

Needless to say, these logical thoughts are quickly banished in favour of the idea that I have some terminal illness. Can someone help me to get over this as I am sick of the worry :(

[Fishmanpa]

Hi All,

I have, over the last fortnight, had off and on headaches. They are never that bad, but enough so that I notice them and they make me worry. The pain radiates from the back of my neck.

I have had health anxiety for years now, but I am really worried I have a brain tumour. A more logical explanation is that 1) I have been drinking a lot recently which has probably made me a bit dehydrated 2) I have terrible posture and have been doing work on the sofa rather than a chair, which probably gives me a bad neck 3) I stare at a computer screen literally all day 4) I have been eating crap and not doing any exercise for months now.

Needless to say, these logical thoughts are quickly banished in favour of the idea that I have some terminal illness. Can someone help me to get over this as I am sick of the worry :(

You've basically done that yourself with the more logical explanations to your symptoms. The best way to move forward and thwart the illogical thoughts are through therapy, CBT, meds or a combination thereof. Of course correcting the obvious contributing factors you stated in your post would be in order as well.

Positive thoughts

[telltheking]

So I posted earlier about headaches. My headache went away on its own and I stopped worrying, now I have woken up in the middle of the night and it is back :(

[Brunette]

Fishmanpa's reply was quite correct.

If the pain radiates from your neck, it's your neck that's the problem. Try to improve your posture and make sure you sleep on a comfortable pillow that cradles your head and neck - not too firm, not too thick.

[Vigilante]

Headaches....to be honest that was my number 1 problem which started 2 years ago, at one point I pretty much had a constant headache for around 12 weeks, it was low grade, dull continuing aching. Nothing helped it.

I had them appear at night sometimes, there was no real pattern.

Was it from stress? I can't really say yes or no but I guess stress made it worst.

I have headaches on and off now, like maybe I will go 3 months without then get a return for a week or so. I did find I seem to have less headaches in the summer and brighter weather conditions. the dull overcast skys make me squint alot or maybe the change in humidity effects me.

What I did also figure out is if you become very tuned in to the symptom it will never go away,it sounds hard to do (i'm trying to do it at present again with something else) but if you forget the problem in my experience you will think one day hmm where has that headache gone, I didnt have it in "x" days or weeks or months.