Does Health Anxiety make us selfish ?

[natalie yog]

I feel like this year my obsession with my health and illnesses has more of a control over me this year than any other. I talk to my family about it everyday nonstop especially the last 2 month's about every little thing I believe is wrong with me. The reason I think it's made me selfish is because I was talking to my Granddad today having the usual conversation 'Coz you think the dr's right? I'm still off balance but he and the optician would've seen if something was wrong? It's been over 2 months something bad would've happened by now if it was seriously wouldn't it?' And so on. But then my Granddad told me that the other week he thought he was dying and I just completely froze you see my Granddad is more like a Dad to me. So I asked him why didn't he tell me and he told me he didn't want to worry me because I have enough worries and he didn't want to add to them. All I could think was what a selfish bitchin I am every constant thought everyday is me me me while I always seem to forget that my own family have problems that they don't share because they're worried about me.
I sat with my Mum and asked her if I was selfish and she said it wasn't me that was selfish but my anxiety/depression that was selfish. The thing is I've kept a lot to myself today and I'm terrified but I havent shared with anyone and it's made my health anxiety worse but I hate the thought that I've become so self absorbed that I'm forgetting about those I love.

[countrygirl]

Sadly after a lifetime of HA the answer is yes HA makes you very self centred because you are constantly obsessing about yourself to the exclusion of others.
The trouble is we all have a whole host of physical symptoms, some caused purely by anxiety and as long as we have physical symptoms then we worry and that worry is very self centred.
PEople without HA can very quickly get frustrated and annoyed with the constant me me me of someone with HA even if they don't show it or try hard not to show it. Try and not go on about your worries to others and instead come on here and vent as we at least understand why you need to do it.

[TheMadOladCoger]

I think HA does make us selfish to a point, I find that when I am with my GF I spend a lot of my time talking about my problems and not really listening. I guess when we are thinking about something all day its hard to think of others and simple stuff relating to them. Contrygirl is right try and avoid talking to others about the health problems come on here, people here can understand the problems.

Peace

[FeelLikeNeo]

I think so... at least, I'm a very unselfish person but when I'm having a bad week or few months, it's me-me-me, at least in my head. Once, someone in my family said 'I feel a bit dizzy' - I replied 'me too' - they replied 'you always have to have something wrong, don't you?' Not in a nasty way, more humorous, but there is definitely some truth in that :blush::whistles:

[swajj]

I think it probably causes you to be self-absorbed. If you allow it to impact on your children to the point where they become scared that you might die then I think that is selfish. I believe that we should do everything we can to protect our children from worrying about our health. Even if that means pretending that everything is fine when you are in their presence. You can collapse in a heap when they aren't around. Just don't do it while they are.

[Hypo84]

Yup, that's definitely true. HA makes you self centered. But the point is that you should treat HA and not focus on being selfish since if you are not selfish person it will go away when your HA diminishes.