ALS Fear taking over my life

[Jamie123]

I cant stop thinking about this fear. It is starting to consume my life. I am constantly thinking about it checking symptom or doing tests to rule things out (dont work as I find it difficult to heel walk without the top of my foot touching the ground which worried me). http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=175629 If anyone has any advice or can help me stop worrying about symptoms please any messages are very much appreciated as I dont want to be like this. I go to bed thinking about this and wake up thinking about it.I am on holiday and cannot stop thinking about it I have completely convinced myself. I am only 20 and at times think there is no point making plans as I wont be here long please someone I know you cant diagnose me but I need some reassurance I know everyone thinks I am crazy.

[Worrywart528]

Jamie, My first piece of advice to you is get yourself help. I wish someone would have taken me for help when I was 20. My entire life has been consumes with Health Anxiety... you will find yourself constantly living in fear, your precious moments on earth will be wasted thinking about your demise or some crippling disease.

In my early 20's I had the same worries about ALS as you did. I had constant muscle twitches. I constantly checked my balance and because of the anxiety my legs felt tight and I PERCEIVED weakness in my limbs. I remember breaking down one night telling my girlfriend I was dying from this horrible disease.

I seriously got over it by lifting weights. I worked out until I was exhausted and when I saw I was gaining strength and endurance my mind eventually shut up. I remember reading that usually the first noticeable symptom was muscle wasting and atrophy.

I would do anything to keep your mind off of it. That is the biggest thing.

[Jamie123]

Thanks for your help I am feeling a bit better now as I have found out Weakness comes before Atrophy which I dont have noticeably but I am still having worries about the patch of skin which is skinny as it points to atrophy and I think I also have twitching in that spot which worries me