Don't have anxiety.

[dj9928]

I started today with a new counsilor, and she went through all my symptoms etc and guess what she came up with. She said I don't have anxiety at all, she says I am a cybercondriac, I.E I did have a panic attack but I went online looking for help and actually did more harm than good. By reading other people symptoms with panic attacks anxiety etc I sort of managed to bring on there symptoms. She said the best thing for me to do is get either get rid of the PC or stop researching. I have been told something similar before.

But have you's ever herd of this Cybercondria? So if what she is saying is true then he best cure apparantly is to stop the researching and forget about it.

A happy person is fully caught up in the moment --and is not thinking about the past or the future.

[groovygranny]

Never heard of it. Bit disturbing though - I mean does that mean if you talk to 'real time' people you suffer from 'peoplecondria' ?

I don't mean to sound sarcastic, and I spose you could get wrapped up in Internet and take on all manner of things. But I really can't see how chatting to people who are fellow sufferers can actually cause the condition in the first place. After all, if we didn't suffer from anxiety, or any of it's symptoms, we wouldn't be here (NMP) in the first place?

No disrespect to your counsellor is intended by me, but I don't think she has been particularly helpful by saying this to you.

Take care

lotsa luv

GG [:P]

xx

'There are no such things as strangers; just friends we haven't made yet!'

[normalwisdom]

It has always been said on here "DO NOT GOOGLE" but when did your panic attacks start before or after the "research". It doesn't sound very helpful telling you that!

You said you have started with a "NEW" counceller (can never spell that word!) what did the old one say?


Steph

[dj9928]

I had one, Was scared and wondered what it was so went researching and thus brought on all the other side effects like depersonalisation etc

A happy person is fully caught up in the moment --and is not thinking about the past or the future.

[dj9928]

The old consellor said something similar, That i've read to many sypmtoms etc and am mimiking there effects, U know I do think there is some truth, I.E u read sympoms etc, they stick in your subconsious and eventually show there face

A happy person is fully caught up in the moment --and is not thinking about the past or the future.

[happyone]

I can sort of see this, but not completely. It is maybe a bit like having a medical encyclopedia. If you read it then you can convince yourself that you possibly have that illness as you think you have so many symptoms similar. I know I have done that often.
However, for people who this becomes a real problem for, it can't be attributed solely to reading the book, I would have thought.
So, in the same vein, yes I can see how reading about symptoms etc on a site such as this one could bring about similar feelings as in it highlights or exaggerates something you were feeling anyway, but not I would imagine to a degree that you could actually physically invite them in so to speak.
Life throws lots of possiblities for comparing/researching symptoms at us. You could for example read a magazine in a doctors waiting room that is about anxiety.
I am not trying to be awkward. I just think it sounds as though your counsellor is being a bit flippant. Right, ok, maybe you do have something called cybercondria. Does he/she really think that by telling you to get rid of your pc is going to help? That is just avoidance. This is 2007, people have computers, we are around them all the time. I think your counsellor might help you look at ways in which you can stop absorbing symptoms if that is what you are doing.
If you are to get rid of your pc, what next? Don't read a magazine in case it has an article in it that is about anxiety?
happyone


"Today is the day before tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day." wisdom of my daughter!

[eeyorelover]

I think that for someone who already has a predisposition to health anxiety googling symptoms is a definite no no.

I have read several posts where people who, for example, had stress headaches, and by googling that symptom convinced themselves that it wasn't caused from stress but it must be something more serious like a brain tumor.

Here is a definition that I found...
cyberchondriac (sy.bur.KAWN.dree.ak) n. A person who imagines they have a particular disease because their symptoms match those listed on an Internet health site.

There is a big difference between gathering information on anxiety (for example) to become informed about the latest treatment options, breathing correctly, relaxation techniques and googling every symptom that you are having to find different afflictions that may cause those symptoms.

xxx
Sandy

[EebyJeeby]

Eeyorelover has hit the nail on the head by differentiating between researching anxiety (which is helpful) and trying to match symptoms to illnesses (most unhelpful).

I first heard the term Cyberchondria in one of those amusing (but rather geeky - I work in IT) emails that gets sent round. I must admit, it struck a chord, as I was guilty of doing exactly that before I discovered that my symptoms really were caused by anxiety. It's the inability to fully believe that anxiety alone can cause such severe physical symptoms that leads us oh so easily into the arms of health anxiety.

See the email here:

Internet Addictions:

EGO-SURFING: When you frequently check your name and reputation on the Internet.

BLOG STREAKING: "Revealing secrets or personal information online which for everybody's sake would be best kept private."

CRACKBERRY: "The curse of the modern executive: not being able to stop checking your BlackBerry, even at your grandmother's funeral." (A BlackBerry is a popular handheld device that can be used for phoning, emailing and web-browsing).

GOOGLE-STALKING: Defined as "snooping online on old friends, colleagues or first dates."

CYBERCHONDRIA: "A headache and a particular rash at the same time? Extensive online research tells you it must be cancer."

PHOTOLURKING: Flicking through a photo album of someone you've never met.

WIKIPEDIHOLISM: Excess devotion to contributing to the online collaborative encyclopaedia, Wikipedia. (Wikipedia even has a page where you can test whether you're an addict: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...diholic-Test)).

CHEESEPODDING: Downloading of a song "so cheesy that you could cover it in plastic wrap and sell it at the deli counter." Cheesepodders are especially vulnerable to soft-rock favourites from the 1970s.

[fightingonstill]

Hi all
I have been debating whether to post something smiliar myslef as I have noticed that when i read someone elses sypmtoms that i actually then receive that part of the disorders!
But then its catch 22 as what do you do? As i do have real anxieties disorders and i am trying to self help.
My anxiety started when i was pregnant around 5 years ago and then the panic disoreder began after birth which resulted in social phobia agrophobia and general anxiety. Basiucally i suffered panic attacks anywhere then, shopping, work, school, theatres so on which left me housebound for some time.
Anyway interestingly enough i read a book where someone else had driving panic attacks and so become driving phobic and then my panic attacks stopped after going on venlaflaxine. I came off meds 2 years ago when getting pregannat again and No panic, straight after birth again i had first panic attack whilst driving on dual carriageway!
So i have been suffering again for just over a year now and then i read about people panicking when trying to get to sleep which is a new one on me as my 'home' was always my safe place for me but lo and behold , i now have a new anxiety!!
Its like i 'suggest' to myself that i will have these anxities so why cant i 'suggest' to myself that i WONT have them then . LOL
Interesting though eh
Nikki

[Meg]

Wow - humm, so anxiety brought on by googling is not a real anxiety.. try telling that to the many many who are caught up in a cyber health anxiety.

Of course the anxiety felt is real - very real. This is pure health anxiety which has existed for decades but using immediate and extensive sources to stimulate it.

In teh old days the subjects had to find books, a good womans magazine with headlines - I nearly died of a XXxxxx, text books and journals or a group of nurses talking shop but it did exist, now the prevelance is far greater as we are only clicks away from unlimited stimulii that feed teh fears and anxiety.

You are not alone and whilst stopping googling is great short term, you would be better working with this therapist to find out why you have an innate fear of illness when essentially you are a healthy person with no need to be unduly afraid .

Bad Night.......To much time to think....! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6410)
Health Anxiety and the Internet (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7567)




Meg

proactiveness, positivity, persistence, perseverance and practice = progress

[Dreamer029]

okay first i would like to say groovygranny's post made me laugh quite a bit!! very clever. you could be a hypochondriac--and have health anxiety...but ive never heard of cyberchondriac that sounds kind of ridiculous...i mean if you read the newspaper and it has information about panic attacks it would be the same as going online and reading something--just getting rid of the computer doesnt sound like an effective solution, however resisting the urge to go and research it is something to work on i think...sometimes these therapists get a little carried away with themselves lol