Why do we relapse?

[elysemarie123]

Good Morning all (or whatever time it is where you are). The past week has been like hell for me. I KNOW it has to do with my monthly lady visitor, I KNOW I am fine, and I KNOW I cannot control what happens to me in the future. But still -- after knowing all of this, this past week I have been an anxious mess. Last night I convinced myself I had a head cold, then the flu, then menigitis and then this morning -- woke up fine.

Why do we relapse after so much time of being fine? I know stress can cause this, triggers, unsolved problems, etc -- but WHY. Why does anxiety come in ebbs and flows? This is more hypothetical than anything but it's frustrating. And then we beat up ourselves because it seems we are back where we started. Will we ever be truely without HA?

[WiganLad]

i am the same as you i been fine for weeks and today i saw a bowel cancer advert and bang my mind goes into overdrive about the symptoms and i cant watch anything like holby or casulty our minds are a powerful thing and make you think the worst all the time

[elysemarie123]

Hi WiganLad -- thanks for replying! Isn't it awful?? And sometimes you can see adds for something and not even think twice, but then other times it just destroys you. I don't get it.:doh:

[Holds1325]

I had health anxiety when I first quit my alcoholism about 3 months ago and went to the doctor thinking I had liver failure or something from all that drinking. Doctor tested everything, came back fine! I have had acid reflux for awhile though due to the alcohol and horrible diet, also the weight gain from it. After the tests though I just let it be and never thought about my health for awhile.

Anyway awhile back I went fishing with a friend out in the country for some time. On the way back from our trip, we were talking and he told me about this guy who got stomach cancer and was talking about his symptoms. If I knew what I know now I would have told him to keep that bit of information to himself! But I just listened. Anyway he was telling, yeah the guy died from it etc. Well that set me off and here I am now completely worried that i have it.

Being a hypochondriac is horrible, I begin to think about what I would be doing now if I never heard that stupid story!

[WiganLad]

its your subconcious what does it i been for every test under the sun came back clear and you still think that where gonna die with something serious but at the moment apart from my stomach sometimes i am scared of driving again cause i had a accident on the motorway/highway with a massive lorry ever since i am scared of getting behind the wheel i tell everyone i been disqualified or got points to avoid driving

[yodascat]

Yup, I'm the same. I feel like after every test I get done that page/symptom/area closes off but soon after something else arises. I.e. recently been having a heart scare (thinking I had some genetic defect) because of palpitations at night but now I've got an obsession with throat cancer.....

[elysemarie123]

The kicker of it is that if there was something seriously wrong with us, we wouldnt be writing about it -- we would know. I think our minds are all consumed with the "what-ifs". At least I know mine is.