I Am On Lorraine Kelly Tomorrow And C4 In Evening

[Sazziesaz]

Hi,

I haven't been on for a while, but just to let you know as the previous link with Laura, I am also on the the TV programme on Monday night 9.00pm Channel 4, Laura and I are also on Lorraine Kellys show tomorrow morning!! Me, Laura, Kevin and Jayne all went away for weekend to get therapy and help for our anxieties. Mine was health anxiety, I think I have had every illness invented! A chest pain meant I had a heart attack, a headache meant I had a brain tumour! A pain in my leg meant I had a blood clot!! I have had anxiety all my life, which kept taking different forms, it came out in OCD, postnatal depression, depression and food anxiety, every time I tackle my anxiety it came back in different forms, the last being health anxiety. We had cognitive therapy over the weekend and just to let you know it really worked!!! They made me see that the main thing getting me was my anxiety, I was petrified of it!! Once I realised not to be frightened of the anxiety of the pain in my chest, it really worked!! It also showed me that reasurrance was the worst culprit!! The more reassurance I seeked the worst it got.

I know it is hard, but try for a week or even for a few days, NOT to ask ANYONE for reassurance, do NOT go on internet or read articles. Then after that time go overboard and ask everyone for reassurance, read everything you can. Then see the difference, I won't tell you what you will realise after doing that or you won't work it out yourself. Keep a diary of your feelings when doing the reasurrance or not seeking reassurance. I know which one makes you feel better and you will work it out yourself.

I feel so much better now, I have my life back! It is not something that goes away overnight and I will probably always have anxiety, but I now have the tools to deal with health anxiety and I am not SCARED of it anymore!!!

Cognitive therapy DOES work for this illness, there is help out there so ask your doctor about it! It will give you control of your life back!!!

Hope you enjoy the program!!

Sarah x

[t0rt01se36]

Hopefully I'll remember to watch those programmes. Thank you

[Piglet]

Yes I can definately see the sense in that - well done!!

I have deleted the other two duplicate threads as then you get more people answering on the one and it doesn't clutter the site - hope that's ok.

Piglet :)

[Sazziesaz]

Thats fine! x

[darkangel]

hi sarah

im looking forward to the prog - have been seeing advert clips for it and i can so relate to you especially.

Im glad things are working out for you and well done.

darkangel x

[boy]

Ah cool! Congradulations :D

[kittykat]

hi sarah,

I'll definately be watching and can relate to all your saying, the health anxiety is really scary and i'm just hoping tht the cbt does help it tht i'm getting at the moment. take care

shirley xx

[HazyMind]

Hi Sarah,

Its so nice to hear that people can be helped with this health anxiety, Well done on getting better!!

I have my first cbt appontment tomorrow for my agoraphobia but ill be asking my therapist if he can help with my health anxieties as well.

I'll be tuned in tomorrow night!! :)

x

[Lissy43]

Thats great.

Good for you.

[Sazziesaz]

Hi,

Thanks everyone for your support, I am really nervous for tomorrow!! Good luck to everyone who has said they are starting CBT soon, if really can work for you!! Trust your therapists when they get you to face your fears and face your anxiety and you will learn never to be scared of it again!!

Sarah

[domino]

Will Look Forward To Seeing You On The T.v.

[Wilburis]

Hi

Ive seen the adverts on TV, I cant wait to watch this programme.

I see my Doc one or twice a week for reassurance. What you said about this was very interesting.

Who refers people for CBT, my GP told me it was the Psyciatrist (Sorry cant spell that word)? Can you get it privately, do you know?

Ill be watching Lorraine tomorrow morning too.


Liz xx

[Sazziesaz]

Hi everyone, I hope you saw the shows and enjoyed it!

Sarah x

[Darren76]

hey all.

just watched the programme - was at work for lorraine kely so missed that :(. thought it was really interesting, obviously edited in places to make "good" tv, but thought the doctor was exactly the kind of therapist id like to have. quite in your face and pushing you but still seemed a nice guy as well.

related more to sarah and laura than the other 2 as i have health anxiety and have done for some time. did find it of note that laura had a "trigger" or cause per se of her fears which once she had confronted it, did seem to get her on the road to recovery and sarah realised it was all anxiety.

this is turn made me feel better AND worse as I dont have a specific trigger for my HA based PA's to identify but only really get the heart attack fear - have stopped goin to the docs as much and generally dont seek that much assurance, much as i agree with sarahs tip, i woulkdnt see much of the benefit.

all in all though, hope it opens a lot of eyes with people who dont have it and dont understand it (asked a lot of friends to watch it) and gave me a lot of food for thought.

[reddevil]

Hi,

Watched the programme and it was very interesting.

I watched it with my family and they kept pointing out how I'm 100% simular, worry over cancer, I think I will get it, symtoms, always after reasurance etc etc.

It made me think, when did I start and it was after headaches, which I had for 3 years 24/7, I lost trust in the doctors as they referreed me for an operation on the nose, which was a waste of time.

Red

[Sazziesaz]

Darren76, just read your note, I am Sarah that was on the show, and you say that you don't know your trigger, well nor did I. You say that your have the heart attack fear well that is all related to anxiety. There doesn't have to be a trigger for HA, just lifes experiences!! Well done for not seeking so much reassurance because that just feeds anxiety! CBT really does work and I would recommend it to all of us with HA!!

sarah x

[birdinumnum]

Laura and Sarah,

Thankyou so much! I learn't a lot from the show, I just wish it were a series!!!.
You guys have really helped me tonight.

Birdi xxx

[Sazziesaz]

Birdi

That really makes all the work and tears I put into the show worthwhile to me!! Thanks just to think I have helped at least one person means so much to me!!!!

Sarah x

[reddevil]

Hi,

Totaly agree with birdi and i must say it has also helped me and also helped me to show my family and friends what health anxiety is and what us sufferers have to live and put up with.

I must say, at the end of the show, you looked realy happy with yourself Sarah, it cheered me up.

Red

[manmoor]

Hi Sarah,

I just want to say a massive well done to you and also to Laura the programme was amazing. Thank you. xxx

[MatthewBuckley]

Hi Sarah. I watched the show - and wanted to say I found your courage inspiring and heart warming. You have given me a little hope and for that I thank you. Very well done and very best wishes.
Matthew.

[domino]

Hi sarah and laura, i to watched the show i thought you we,re both amazing,i do not suffer to that extent, but never the less i do suffer, how did you come to get on the show? i applied for panic room but was told that i was not exstream enough. i would love to "be my old self again" but i feel like i,m going round in circles,anyway, welldone to both of your,and let,s hope that you continue to make great progress.

[russ]

Hi Sarah, thought you were great on the documentary, take care.

[Sazziesaz]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your support! Yes I am happy and it really worked for me!! I am so pleased you are all supportive of the program as you never know when doing something like that how they are going to represent it!! Since doing the program, I have done live tv interviews, paper/magazine interviews and live radio interviews, a nerve racking time, but hopefully the word is spreading and it has made a few more people aware of our problem.

I hope you all can get help too!!!

Thanks again for your support!!! Now I have got to do the school run and face all the funny looks from the mothers at the gate!!!! That is more scarey than appearing on the documentary!!!


Sarah x

Sarah

[piglits pal]

Hi Sarah,

Just wanted to say well done. The sight of you bouncing on that trampoline gives hope to all of us.

[wobily_lin]

Elo Sarah,

Just wanted ta say well done..programme was great hun x

[langlim]

elllo you

laura here, finally managed to get on ive had to re-register a new name!

i was really pleased with the show just a little worried about what other people thought!!

But at the end of the day it has completely changed my life and thats all that matters!

See you soon

L
x

[Jimbo]

Well done for doing the program and for getting better. I think you were so brave to do that, and while being filmed for tv! :notworthy:

I wouldn't exactly call myself a health anxiety sufferer, but I saw so much of myself in you guys. It was inspiring and gave me hope I can get over my troubles and get well again too.

[Sazziesaz]

Hi Laura, glad you can login now!! I have had mostly positive feedback on the program which is great!! As you say it helped us and that was the great thing, I am just like you, feeling a bit worried about what people think!!

speak to you soon

sarah x

[strawberrie]

hi sarah, i posted on laura's thread too, so i'll try not to repeat myself, but just wanted to say thank you so much for appearing on the programme - it is very comforting to see other people who feel the same as me, and it also has brought attention to health anxiety which i dont really think most people understand or even know about. I suffered for years without really understanding what it was all about, and if i had seen a programme like that years ago it would've saved me a lot of grief.

Your conversations with your doctor and your husband really amazed me (and my husband!), it was like watching a film of myself.

You did brilliantly, i hope you feel really pleased with yourself. I know i would be exactly the same worrying about what the playground mums were thinking, but tbh theres probably loads that suffer too and were really relieved to see the programme, after all, its not the sort of thing people talk about is it really?

The only slight criticism I had (apart from the title which i hated), was that I thought the voice over was a little bit patronising - it sounded like he was taking the mickey a bit, and health anxiety definitely doesnt really feel like a lighthearted subject when you suffer from it - I was probably feeling a bit over sensitive cos it was the first time i have ever seen any mention of health anxiety in the media before.

But, you all did brilliantly and should be really proud of yourselves. Do you know how the others are getting on?

Best of luck for the future :) :D :)

mag

[Sazziesaz]

Mag,

Thanks so much for that, it means soooo much to me to know that it has helped other people!! That was one of the reasons for putting myself in the spot light!!!! Unfortunately I don't think Jayne was ready for accepting that there was a possibility that her not walking was her mind playing tricks so she can still not walk. She is having therapy so fingers crossed it may help her, her therapist was lovely!!! Kevin is doing really well!! He is using what he learnt to help him and it is working!! Like me it is something that we have to live with, but we have control over it rather than anxiety controlling us!!!!!

Thanks again for telling us that it was a positive program, we all didn't like the title and I agree the voice sounded a bit patronising, also the music made it sound abit comical, but hopefully it got the point across!!

Many thanks

Sarah x