Why is health such a common topic?

[uru]

I've only been on this forum for a few weeks but I noticed how common health is as a topic of anxiety. People don't worry about climate change, crime or nuclear war, it always seems to be health. Among Health Cancer, HIV and brain tumors are really common!

What is it about these thinks that make them such a common theme of people's anxiety?

[freshy666]

I actually worry about all those things, plus a few more ;-)

For me, it's about the uncontrollable things, and my health is definitely one of those things. I can eat healthy and exercise and not take drugs my entire life, but still randomly end up with cancer. I can't control that, and that is very scary and makes me extremely anxious.

[uru]

So it's a lack of control?

Do you like order?

[freshy666]

For me, yes, it's a lack of control. It's something about the unknown too. Questions that can't be answered.

I wouldn't say I 'like' order, as in OCD, but I definitely feel safer in an environment where I know where things are, know who I'm with, etc. Safety is a huge issue with me, and the prospect of having an illness or something life threatening makes me feel very unsafe.

[uru]

Do you mind lots of icons on your desktop?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Because that's NMP. It was the same when I joined.

The membership is much higher in people with HA. It's not representative of anxiety disorders at all in my experience, just here. I went to over a year of weekly walk ins at a local charity and health wasn't discussed much at all an then it was about mental health issues or physical problems that already existed. There was plenty of talk about symptoms though but not like in HA.

I came here and it was all the time. But the thing is, you can't talk in walk in meetings you can on here - they have rules and co-ordinators that enforce them well. The rules here aren't enforced like that, they haven't got the time.

A good example is the Meds board. That was not allowed at the charity other than on general terms. They were strict in ensuring these things were left to professionals.

So, in my opinion, what you see discussed on the HA board wouldn't be allowed in groups like that. Besides, it's irrelevant because the issue is the anxiety fuelling it, which cancer it is this week doesn't matter. That's what they would aim at.