snowflake293
24-01-15, 12:58
Hi everyone
I just wanted to give some hope to everyone who uses this forum who is suffering with health anxiety...
I think I am finally coming out of a really awful 'flare up' of my health anxiety. It was triggered at the start of December by my boyfriend having a skin infection and it got so bad I was having panic attacks in the drs surgery and ended up needing diazepam to calm me down.
The last couple of weeks have been strange, very up and down... however - the last few days have been great! I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch but I really do feel a lot more like 'my old self' if that makes any sense? I feel the obsession I have is sort of smaller!
Don't get me wrong, I still have my 'old faithful' worries in the back of my head... mainly over a rough, bumpy patch of skin/mole thing on my scalp. It's under my hair and crusts over sometimes but only bleeds if I pick it. The hair grows out of funny too! Darker than my normal hair and wiry with a few odd white hairs too that stick up lol. I have had it for about 10 years and I last had a Dr look at it about 3 years ago and she said its fine so whenever I worry about it I just think of that.
Apart from that thing on my head though there is very little concerning me! Even though I am waiting to see a rheumatologist at the moment and I know the chances are I might need more scans and blood tests, I am just gonna be calm about it.
A friend of mine who recovered from health anxiety once told me that she came to the realisation one day that she just felt NOTHING could be as bad as living in fear, even suffering with the c word itself! and when she came to that realisation her anxiety started to get better. It is not the same for everyone and certainly I don't feel exactly this way, but it kind of makes sense.
I just wanted to say that it is possible to get over this. My top tips are:
* Persist with your dr about getting help for your health anxiety. Explain how you feel and be honest. Ask for help, counselling or even better CBT if your dr feels that is right for you.
* Don't be afraid of taking medication if your dr recommends you too. Yes there is stigma attached to it and yes there can be some side effects, but often the good effects of it outweigh all this.
* Look after your body. Drink less booze, eat well, try and get enough sleep if you can and try some light exercise to even if its only a walk to the shops and back. Moving if you can really does help.
* Write down your feelings - keep a diary!
* Relaxation videos on YouTube are fantastic.
Hope this helps people and I hope others can contribute to this thread with tips and some positive encouragement for those who are suffering.
Sometimes it feels like it is never ending, but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel now. You can and will get over this, all of you.
xxx
I just wanted to give some hope to everyone who uses this forum who is suffering with health anxiety...
I think I am finally coming out of a really awful 'flare up' of my health anxiety. It was triggered at the start of December by my boyfriend having a skin infection and it got so bad I was having panic attacks in the drs surgery and ended up needing diazepam to calm me down.
The last couple of weeks have been strange, very up and down... however - the last few days have been great! I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch but I really do feel a lot more like 'my old self' if that makes any sense? I feel the obsession I have is sort of smaller!
Don't get me wrong, I still have my 'old faithful' worries in the back of my head... mainly over a rough, bumpy patch of skin/mole thing on my scalp. It's under my hair and crusts over sometimes but only bleeds if I pick it. The hair grows out of funny too! Darker than my normal hair and wiry with a few odd white hairs too that stick up lol. I have had it for about 10 years and I last had a Dr look at it about 3 years ago and she said its fine so whenever I worry about it I just think of that.
Apart from that thing on my head though there is very little concerning me! Even though I am waiting to see a rheumatologist at the moment and I know the chances are I might need more scans and blood tests, I am just gonna be calm about it.
A friend of mine who recovered from health anxiety once told me that she came to the realisation one day that she just felt NOTHING could be as bad as living in fear, even suffering with the c word itself! and when she came to that realisation her anxiety started to get better. It is not the same for everyone and certainly I don't feel exactly this way, but it kind of makes sense.
I just wanted to say that it is possible to get over this. My top tips are:
* Persist with your dr about getting help for your health anxiety. Explain how you feel and be honest. Ask for help, counselling or even better CBT if your dr feels that is right for you.
* Don't be afraid of taking medication if your dr recommends you too. Yes there is stigma attached to it and yes there can be some side effects, but often the good effects of it outweigh all this.
* Look after your body. Drink less booze, eat well, try and get enough sleep if you can and try some light exercise to even if its only a walk to the shops and back. Moving if you can really does help.
* Write down your feelings - keep a diary!
* Relaxation videos on YouTube are fantastic.
Hope this helps people and I hope others can contribute to this thread with tips and some positive encouragement for those who are suffering.
Sometimes it feels like it is never ending, but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel now. You can and will get over this, all of you.
xxx