Help with Health Anxiety

[username001]

Hey guys,

Wondering if someone can help me - I'm gonna see someone after Christmas about health anxiety - but I was wondering if anyone has any tips to deal with it over Christmas, I have a bad back - it is getting better to be fair, but I've convinced myself it's a spinal tumour...I even know myself that it's a ridiculous conclusion to jump to, but I can't seem to shake it - I also Google, which really doesn't help...can someone advise?

[Hopefulmi]

Both last year and this year I was convinced I had pancreatic tumours, had ultrasounds both years....nothing. This was due to back pain too. Since my u/s yesterday pain has already reduced massively! Our minds can be our worst enemy!

One technique I was taught was make a percentage pie chart of how much you think you have something so mine would have been 100% probably. Then do it again but put what it is more likely to be so 50% muscle tension, 20% acid reflux, 30% whatever else and don't put the disease in til last if you get me?

I hope you can settle and not worry too much and have a lovely Xmas xx

[Fishmanpa]

You know the obvious... DON'T GOOGLE. But can you do that? Good advice and suggestions are only good if you act on them.

Positive thoughts

[username001]

Thanks guys - appreciate it, not Googling is the obvious answer and the irony is I Google out of curiosity, not fear - then end up worrying myself. My latest like I said is a spinal tumour, literally the only symptom I have is lower back pain for the last few days - back pain, which is statistically one of the most common aches people get. But because I'm now aware of other symptoms the slightest ache or pain and I worry myself silly again. It's crazy because earlier this year I was convinced I had testicular cancer - had an ultrasound and there was something there, so I wasn't imagining the lump - just they were cysts, totally harmless. I don't typically worry irrationally, but the slightest thing does tend to set me off.

The other thing I've noticed is that I tend to swing back and forth, one minute I'm fully aware how ridiculous my worrying is and the other I'm sat thinking about me being on my death bed - I just wish I could shake it once and for all. I can't remember the last time I went for any period of time without worrying over something!