Am i going Mad ????

[longbourn81]

Okay here goes.... I am a 34 Year old female and for the past 12 months I have suffered from what I believe is Health Anxiety. I am constantly worried that every ache or pain is some sort of cancer and it is making my life miserable. I have been to the doctors with my concerns and of course none of my symptoms were cancer and I feel better for a little while and I think that I have kicked the Anxiety thing. But it seems to always return. I have been stressed lately with my job and I have had a very emotional couple of years with deaths in the family and my mum (who I love dearly having a near death heart attack) and just last week my precious Grandmother died, so I am feeling a little sorry for myself. I just want to feel like my old self again so I am asking if CBT is a way I can work out why I have developed this anxiety. My family try and be supportive and not treat me like I am a Hypochrondiac, but I think they think I am being silly. It is just nice to see that there are people out there like me and that makes me feel less like I am alone.

[dizzy daisy]

Hi
Welcome up the site.
It's awful when you have a build up of emotional things that have affected you. I'm the same. I've had lots of major stuff going on in my life the last couple of years and I thought I was dealing with them ok, then bam, it's hit me hard and I'm having a horrible time right now too.
CBT will be helpful, but like all things you have to accept that it will help you first. o don't think they will focus too much on why this has happened, but more on how you can change your way of thinking to feel better and move forward.
I've iust started counselling sessions and she said she thinks I've also got some low mood too due to bereavements etc. We're going to pick out a few themes such as loss to work on how I feel and how I can improve and move forward.
Xxxx

[longbourn81]

I am sorry to hear that you are having a horrible time at the moment, my heart breaks for anyone that has to go through the torment of this anxiety. It is a mystery to me why my brain is easy to convince I have something which I have Dr Googled, and so hard to convince that I don't have it when I research further and more logically come up with a less deadly solution.

[dizzy daisy]

I know it's amazing isn't it. Xxxx

[artist12]

Welcome! I'm relatively new here and in your shoes - having a really bad year when it comes to my health anxiety. I'm glad you're meeting with someone! I tried meeting with a general family therapist a few months ago and while she was extremely nice, I really think you have to work with someone experienced and qualified to treat true anxiety disorders. So it's good to hear you're working with someone who sounds.

This forum has helped me tremendously, just to feel like I'm not alone and going mad, or to have people who can instantly relate when I'm having a particular catastrophic day of thinking I have ever illness known to man.

Let us know how the CBT goes and best wishes to you!

[longbourn81]

I know how you feel sometimes I am convinced I have more then one disease at the same time. But I agree that this forum is great I sometimes come on and read all the posts, I guess to reassure myself that I am not crazy and that there are people like me that suffer the same thing. Since posting my first post I have felt so much better, I hadn't really told anyone about my anxiety except my family, I guess it felt better saying it out loud so to speak and acknowledging that A I had it and B it was okay to have it.