View Full Version : Young Adults With Health Anxiety
Potatopotato
01-04-16, 12:21
I've noticed a lot of young adults afflicted by health anxiety (such as myself) on this forum and elsewhere. It is something that affects all age groups, but I've been wondering why so many of us are concerned with things that are statistically much less likely than, say, a car accident. Perhaps we buckle under the pressures of early adulthood, with its new responsibilities and expectations, and health anxiety is a manifestation/projection of this internal struggle. And therefore we project our fears onto things we can't control, such as illness or heart failure.
In an attempt to rationalize the statistical probability of a big fear a lot of us have, the big C, I've done a small calculation that helped put things into perspective for me.
According to the latest census, there are currently around 8.2 million people in the UK between the ages of 15-24. There are around 1000-2000 reported cases of cancer in this age group a year in the UK (90% of which survive over 5 years).
If you take a look at the UK cancer research website you can observe statistics regarding each type as well. It's been helpful for me as I'm quite an analytical person (when not in the throes of a panic attack, mind you!).
Your likelihood of catching something serious is around 1 in 30 000.
In particular I have a fear of brain tumours. The odds of a bad one at my age (23) are 1 in 277 000.
The odds of having an anxiety disorder are 15% in adults. That means I have over a 1 in 10 chance of being anxious and experiencing some of the symptoms that come with it.
Now, anything can happen to anyone, but all of us here are hyper-aware of what goes on in our bodies as a result of anxiety. We notice every change, lump or bump to the smallest detail and we don't let it go until we get a test or some other symptom pops up to distract us.
I'm not a statistician so these are just estimates based on what I researched online, it's just a general idea of the big picture. Of course people get ill, I'm just saying the odds of it being anxiety are much greater in our cases.
I hope this has been helpful, I'm struggling with anxiety so much at the moment but knowing I'm not alone is a great feeling.
Young adults start to feel the pains of adulthood, and I think it leads to this.
Here's an example of what fuels my anxiety, using statistics.
I'm from the United States though, so I'll use SEER statistics.
I'm worried about Hodgkin's. Pretty gosh darn rare at 1 in 25,000. BUT I have a tiny swollen lymph node. So I instantly think that the chances are different for me because I have a symptom. If I didn't have a lymph node in my neck, I would be happy knowing that the chances are 1 in 25,000 and would think its super rare.
Potatopotato
01-04-16, 13:31
1 in 25 000. What causes lymph nodes to swell? Ear infections, mouth infections, things like the flu, even stress. How common are these? Definitely more than Hodgkin's. So while some people really do get ill, chances are that if you're on this forum you're hypersensitive or your nervous system is ramped up so everything is seen as all-or-nothing. It's a twisted thinking process. Besides, from what I've read Hodgkin's is usually very treatable.
I know what you mean. If I didn't feel random symptoms all the time, I'd be 100% at ease. It's the symptoms that trigger anxiety. Because anxiety triggers symptoms.
Scientific evidence shows that stress biology produces a wide variety of symptoms, and the longer anxiety persists, the more extreme the symptoms become.
For example: you feel anxious because of a node -> this leads to you subconsciously tensing muscles (back & shoulders when sitting, etc.) which leads to muscle twitches or a stiff neck, that in turn can cause headaches and other nuisances. Or it just causes inflammation in muscles and that keeps the node hanging around. Not to mention the dizziness from over/under breathing due to anxiety, the stomach issues, etc. and once you find your number 1 anxiety disease to obsess over you tend to just link all the above to that specific thing.
I was worried about colon cancer for a while because I had a stomach bug. Tests showed everything was fine, and then I developed headaches from stressing so much during that period, so now my fear is a brain tumor of some sort.
Last year I had a huge rabies fear actually, and despite having been vaccinated (there was a bat flying around the house and I woke up the next morning with a little itchy bite - probably a mosquito) I legitimately began to experience muscle twitches and a fear of water for a while. As in, I was afraid of being afraid of water (I don't even know what that really entails) so I would just stay away from rain etc.
The mind is a wicked thing!
I applaud this do Much.
I'm 25, female, good blood pressure, heart rate, lungs etc but God forbid I read an article on someone dying of any form of cancer and off I go to google. For instance - Denise roberston and pancreatic cancer; I'm aware this type affects older people but I still checked online.
My latest fears; toss up between Luekemia and brain Tumour/aneurysm. I'm getting better at controlling this anxiery malarkey but deary me it does consume me at times.
I'm enjoying this conversation. I do really like your post. I love getting things put into perspective, something that I cannot do by myself.
I 100% agree with you about the tension and the lymph nodes. But anxiety and my OCD are also leading me to consciously and subconsciously poke the node. A lot. Last night I was poking the node consciously in the shower. This morning.... its about twice as big. It's still tiny. But still... its obviously that my anxiety wants this node to never go down. The best part? The doctor that saw the node gave me the diagnosis of "lymphadenopathy due to inflammation" and said the cause of the inflammation was me poking a node that enlarged after the flu jab.
So its annoying.
Doctors definitely take statistics into mind when making a diagnosis. HA worriers don't look at all many diseases cause a cough. They only look at the worst. Doctors are looking for a cold. That's why we should never ever self diagnosis. We are making decisions with 10% of the information we need.
Potatopotato
01-04-16, 13:55
Exactly. We aren't doctors. We are people with a disorder of the thought process that leads us to consider only "all-or-none" thinking.
Essentially, when something happens to us we can't accept that it can be something minor and unexplained: we're either 100% symptom free or we're dying. It's a faulty thought process. And it goes from being a habit to an obsession pretty damn fast because of how the brain forms pathways - a certain type of logic/thought will cause pathways to bind and therefore become harder to shake off.
Look at it this way, we're essentially addicted to reassurance. Not a day goes by that I don't wake up and IMMEDIATELY look for nodes or symptoms. I wake up in a panic.
It's all about looking at facts and logic and retraining your brain to make less drastic/fatalistic conclusions.
Easier said than done, as today a bit of pressure on my cheekbone has led me to nearly call my doctor in tears :D
Yup. I have/had sinus infection and even though it's pushing last bit out I'm concerned about the mildest of mild eye aches that I'm not even sure is there or in my mind.
Eyeache is common with sinus issues, that I know I have but because I was once OBSSESED with reading about aneurysms Im panicking. On the surface I'm cool.
Potatopotato
01-04-16, 14:09
What I've found useful as a barometer for detecting if there's a chance I'm making symptoms up with my mind:
When I feel the panic set in, I go for a run. A hard, sweaty, agonizing, punishing run. It's nothing but me, the road, and some tunes, for as long as I possibly can. The heart pounds and the muscles ache with every incline, these are REAL. The panting and wheezing are REAL. And it's a somewhat comforting reminder that when your body is under pressure (from an illness or from exercise) you won't have doubts about whether symptoms are severe or just exaggerated by your hypersensitivity.
And sure enough that nagging headache is nowhere to be found. That weird stomach spasm? Nope, it's not there either. That weird pea-sized lump? Probably an inflammation from running too hard too often :yesyes:
At the end of it, I'm tired and still anxious. But deep down I know I'm young and I can breathe and my heart pumps and I'm alive.
Yup. I have/had sinus infection and even though it's pushing last bit out I'm concerned about the mildest of mild eye aches that I'm not even sure is there or in my mind.
Eyeache is common with sinus issues, that I know I have but because I was once OBSSESED with reading about aneurysms Im panicking. On the surface I'm cool.
I know this thread isn't about reassurance, but that is how my sinus issues manifest themselves every single time. I was in bed early last night from the eye pain.
The all or nothing of HA is crazy too. I'm a health perfectionist. I've NEVER been admitted to the hospital. Never had the flu. Had the chicken pox once. So... when you are perfect for 26 years, when you start to feel achy you instantly assume death.
Potatopotato
01-04-16, 14:14
I'm seeing a psychologist at the moment and she has been very insightful. When I'm with her, we break down the fears and I'm rational and I find my own pseudo-illnesses almost hilarious.
Then I get in the car. And the headache or stiffness comes back. And I try shake it off. And then I get home. And maybe I feel dizzy, or maybe my stomach is acting up. And it's panic mode. The urge to call a doctor or google everything is immediate and overwhelming, because health anxiety falls into the Obsessive Compulsive spectrum and we have to engage in certain behaviours as a survival response. Fight or flight.
I have a psychiatrist appointment Tuesday. My first ever.
My therapist helped me break down my worries, but she didn't really know anything about CBT. So didn't help me much.
I'm putting self forward for therapy; got a big wait by the looks of it.
I'm just reading about Paul Daniels and his terminal brain cancer and fighting urge to google!
Potatopotato
01-04-16, 14:57
Good luck with your appointment! I'm not doing any CBT either for the same reason. I'd like to try but it's actually quite hard to find a specialized psychiatrist in my area.
Reb90, the reason why these kinds of things make the news is because they're so rare. If you believe that simply because it's not impossible it will definitely happen, you should start buying lottery tickets :D You need a google detox!
Also, another way of looking at it statistically. Half of the nasties young people get are things like leukemia, which show up in routine blood tests (not to mention how achingly ill you'd feel for ages). You can pretty much rule the extreme nasties out immediately unless you're having really extreme symptoms. Also the majority of terminal cases at our age result from people ignoring extreme symptoms for a while, and because we're all very sensitive to changes in our bodies I doubt any of us would let that happen without seeing a GP or doing some extensive googling first :blush:
That means the likelihood of you catching something is more like 1 in 80 000 - 100 000.
Keep in mind, of this microscopic percentage, a lot of these cases are hereditary (i.e. a history of illness in young people in your family) or caused by things like Epstein-Barr virus and so on.
And even then, most survival rates are considered over a 5-year basis, so they would have started measuring in 2010. There have been a whole lot of advances with immunotherapy and treatments in the last couple of years that have rendered some previously terminal cases quite curable. So the likelihood of something really hurting you are so so tiny. You are legitimately just as likely to die by slipping on some soap in the bathroom because you were so worried about checking lumps that you weren't focusing on what's around you.
While you wait for therapy, feel free to message me anytime. A "young-adults-with-health anxiety-support-group" of sorts :)
You're very on top of things; you seem like me in the sense you know all of this but still can't stop the worrying! And that's frustrating part. We're logical and educated but anxiety is the front runner and it's up to us to put that away.
I'm flashing my bum to mom some nights askin if that's a normal part of my skin. I'm twenty bloody five ffs.
Potatopotato
01-04-16, 15:30
Thanks :) I've been a total mess for the last 6 months but I try stay on top of it with numbers.
I know your pain. My Dad just finds it hilarious now. He says I know of so many types of illnesses that maybe oncology is my real calling.
To put things into perspective, the likelihood of dying in a car accident is 1 in 6700. That's still really tiny, I drive every day and never give it a second thought, yet I'm terrified to the core by the odds of 1 in 500 000 of a brain tumor in my 20's. I would like to get to the point where I'm as unafraid of illness as I am of car accidents. Or being murdered. (Which is a 1 in 18 000 apparently)
All it takes to demolish the little glimmers of rationality is a mild sinus headache. And then I'm back to square 1.
I enjoy that we are all about the same age.
I'm 26 with a tiny lump in my neck. I'm positive its Hodgkin's
I've been to an Oncologist in December. I had a chest xray. LDH and ESR in October. But the lump appears after. Right around the time of my flu shot.
Between flu shot and Hodgkin's, I lean towards Hodgkin's
It's mad that your so like me, people here don't believe that I am very logical majority of the time. It's just that sheer panic that takes us over; gut wrench, heavy breathing, shit what's this lump/rash/ache' my aunt told me that as we get older we do feels things. It's like a car. It's annoying because everyone close to me knows about it now. It's like I even worry about crying wolf :////
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I'm moving in with my chap in the summer and I'm worried
A) i or he will get ill before then
B) my anxiety will break us
c) I'll just have anxiety and well bicker
He knows I have it but I control it more now. I'm the constant reassurance seeker. Do you have this, like this though? Ha
My fiancée is a psychology major about to be in a masters program. She understands my situation and likes me nonetheless.
So that's good. The Hodgkin's thing is confusing it though. My bump is only under my skin. Can't even see it. She thinks its touchable because I poke it every 2-3 days and it stays enlarged.
Is this your first bout of HA? Ive had mine since las july and probably worried about most diseases known to man.
Mine all started with a doctor that knew very little English that I have never seen before.
I had a high pulse due to white coat syndrome. She thought I was having like severe heart issues and called an ambulance.
Ever since then... terrified. It was two years ago.
I had a period of spotting around same time I had my first smear done so I read leaflet that came with it and woah, madness consumed me! I was convincwd. I then worried about breast cancer, lymphoma (I went docs in tears three times convinced), brain Tumor, aneurysms, lupis, skin cancer, eye cancer, and luekemia.
I love this thread, so uplifting and reassuring. I'm also a young HA sufferer at 20 years old :emot-wave:
I know we aren't seeking reassurance but you guys get me. I'm now worryong if I feel dizzy/lightheaded or am just tired. I feel mildly woozy. I am on my period and long day st work. Nothing is spinning and I can walk in straight line...
Breaaaathhhe
I have to break out of the HA spirals. Here's a story for you why. Might be a minor trigger. Has a happy ending though!
I live in the United States. That's important information because I think we overcharge for health care over here. In the past year, I have received over $15,000 in tests for essentially nothing.
I had a high WBC a few times in a row. Very minor. Once you're over 10,000 WBC, its high for the lab I go to, and mine was 15,000. I had a mental breakdown and my doctor knew that I was absolutely miserable, but that I also am terrified of doctors. He knew I wouldn't be able to function unless I knew I was okay, so he sent me to an Oncologist/Hematologist.
I thought I had chronic myeloid leukemia. The two weeks between the blood test and the Oncologist visit, I couldn't function. I saw the Oncologist and it turns out that he was already alerted by my family doctor that I had anxiety. I did not know this. The first thing he asked me was all of my health concerns in the past year. He ordered tests to rule out a ton of cancers.
I ended up getting an abdominal ultrasound, chest xray, sinus xray, fecal occult blood test, 5 CBCs, ESR, LDH, reticulocyte counts, FISH for BCR ABL, flow cytometry on blood, JAK2 mutation test, JAK 2 Exon 12 and 13 tests, and tests for an MPL mutation. (You should see how scary the descriptions of what the tests check for are. Not fun. Thank goodness they were negative.)
Every single test came back without issue. I was released. It was the worst 3 months of my life waiting for the test results. Oncologist found nothing wrong.
Here's the funny part.
Went to see my family doctor in January and got my flu jab. He said he sent me due to my anxiety and wanted to prove nothing was wrong. He also joked that I had more tests than any of his patients ever.
The next day a lymph node on the same side of my flu jab swelled. I called him and he was pretty angry. "I literally just saw you yesterday. You gained 20 pounds in 6 months. People with cancer don't do that. Its not cancer. Good bye."
Its a spiral.
You've spent that much?! I don't understand the American health system sorry. I don't know how of be if I was over there rather than here. How much is it for each doctors visit with no tests?
To begin with I went to doctors constantly for reassurance; once I was concvinxed I bad three breast lumps and was in tears. I wanted to go there and then. Turns out because I have small boobies I can feel more tissue and stuff.
It's horrible but this site is good to find people like you and OP (and others along the way). Just a you're not alone acknowledgment. I find myself giving people advice. It helps me when ive been there, with your node issue.
I have employer health insurance and the insurance companies get MASSIVE discounts.
So my total cost was only about $1,000.
A visit to my regular doctor is about $300. That is for an acute illness or physical.
A visit to the Oncologist was about $500. This is before the discounts. I don't end up paying this.
Catherine S
01-04-16, 22:29
If I can join the debate a little? I'm no longer young at 62, but I was young..In my 20s...when anxiety and HA started for me and it was much more intense in those days. It's ironic that even though i'm at an age when some of these illnesses can actually happen now, the fear of them is so much less than it was in my 20s. So why is it you think? Teenage angst? Unsettled hormones? But hormones play a big part throughout everybody's lives, male and female.
It's an interesting thread. I'll keep on reading :)
ISB x
I'm surprised how many people suffer HA, a friends boyfriend posted ablut checking self into hospital from panoc attack and I wouldn't have guessed he too suffered. I definitely think it's the millenial generation and our phone useage. I rememebr being 13ish and having this but once or twice, literally. I'd be like oh what if I have this. And then I'd go and play football or sims ha. I had no internet to google. Nothing to fill that crave. Ive not googled for a good few days until today. I'm getting there.
X
ServerError
01-04-16, 22:47
My dad, who is in his mid 60s and experienced anxiety in his 30s (like me now) said this: "you suddenly realise you're not going to be young forever and you stop feeling indestructible and it frightens you. But nowadays, when I see my contemporaries dying, I'm just grateful for every day I get and I don't worry about things half as much."
I think he's on to something.
Personally, I feel like I have so much left to do in life and I'm terrified of being robbed of it. Of course, I'm not saying life is less worth living when you're in your 70s, 80s or even 90s, but I think a lot of people at that age begin to look back and feel that they've lived a full life and just enjoy what they have left without worrying as much.
I dunno. It's all just conjecture, I guess.
Yeah i dont know, i think it could be because we're still learning about our bodies so we dont know whats normal and whats not? And we go through a lot of changes during this time
Catherine S
01-04-16, 23:20
I think jj and server have it spot on actually with both of those theories. When we are young we don't know much about health and how our body reacts to stimulus. ..apart from the obvious yeah yeah lol, and then, by the time we get to 50s and 60s we've more less figured out that worrying about health was probably a bit of a waste of time, because...well, we're still here :D
Liking this thread guys, It's making people think a bit more deeply about the subject.
ISB x
When I was a kid as mentioned I had it; Id read take a break real life magazines (exaggerated) and I'd worry about my mom walkong home from work. I think then it was because I was looking after me and my sister and felt responsible. I had a neck cyst around simialar age and just left it til it was golf ball sized 'mom, look at this' 'sure it's noth- oh my dear Jesus' ha. doctoes sent us to dentists who thoght it was cancer. I honestly don't remember this is in detail I assume j was morphined up or very carefree. I remember the op and feelin cool at school for having a cyst lol.
I feel like this thread is a form of therapy.
It's the news I thin that scares me.
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Istillbelieve I have that thinking Strategy when I think about what ive worried about and how wrong I was then. Like the mentioned nodes the OP has that I once feared and cried about for weeks! I'm now like 'oh, I was worried about THAT'
Catherine S
01-04-16, 23:44
Exactly Reb. It doesn't stop the worrying completely, but talking about how you all react to each symptom like this...well not me so much as you youngsters. ..helps loads yes? Like putting it all into one thread from y'all in this way, you can all help each other.
It's a great thread for bringing you all together like this, to share your feelings about why HA is so overwhelming for young people. That's not to say that us oldies don't still panic, but i'm interested to know why it started when in my 20s, because no doctor has ever been able to tell me.
And....you play football Reb? Even more reason to wonder why HA can get such a hold of even the strongest person physically. Just goes to prove mental health has no boundaries.
Maybe this thread could be made a 'sticky'?
ISB x
Hey, bouncing in. I'm 24.
I honestly think my HA started when I was 11. I found a lump behind my ear. I remember going into the bathroom at a Chili's and actually crying because I thought I was dying, but I was too scared to tell my parents for fear it would be true. I was able to ignore it a bit (for the record, I still have it - it's just always going to be there according to my doc). A year later I got ringworm of all things, but was convinced that it was a symptom of my "cancer" somehow. Again, I tried to keep it hidden.
Funny thing is, I didn't ever Google, at least not then (if Google even existed it was primitive at least). That "version" of my HA was probably more like what I've got now -- where I don't Google so I don't fear something super specific, just generally that everything is a symptom of something "bad".
Anyway, time went on. I had a bit of just GAD until I was 16 when my HA hit again full force. I spent 3-4 years cycling from various disease to various disease, this time with the help of Google. Finally got that lump checked out, along with another that I'd had. Both were clear. I was fine for awhile. I thought I was better.
Again, time goes on. A few years of just GAD and a bit of depression. It wasn't ideal, but it was what I thought of as "real world" issues as opposed to worrying about health so I was able to deal with a little better.
A few months ago I started taking Accutane. Clearly it didn't GIVE me anxiety/depression but again I found pockets of the internet with all kinds of horror stories and my HA kicked back in full force.
I stopped taking the med a couple of weeks ago. Right now, I'm in a roller coaster. Every new little spot (because I still get tiny pimples, just not really the massive cysts I did before) I panic thinking it's all coming back again and it was all for nothing. On top of that, I fear all kinds of bodily symptoms and have started worrying about my future and my loved ones as well. It's always something, always.
I'm in therapy, doing online CBT, have seen a psychiatrist and am on two medications. Terrified of side effects. Scared of everything, really. Scared I'm going to get worse and go crazy. It's all just so nasty.
Good thread and positive "discussion" as opposed to reassurance seeking.
I'm up there in years as well (57) and while I've had some "scanxiety" from my illnesses and a bit of depression, I've managed it quite well with therapy and meds when needed.
That being said, I have a daughter (22) who suffers from anxiety and depression. As a parent, it saddens me to see so many suffering. My daughter came to me and opened up about her problems. I, along with her mother (ex) made sure she got help. She's in therapy and along with meds is doing great now. Mind you, she was in a pretty bad way for a while.... took off a semester of school to get herself together. Now she's back in school and graduating in December. She still has her moments but she's learned how to cope with skills she's learned in therapy. That and an open ear and freedom to talk to me whenever she needs me. I've found this site helpful in that aspect as reading others experiences gives me additional insight and references.
Keep the discussion going and don't let it slip into a reassurance buffet. Good stuff happening here :)
Positive thoughts
I just logged into one of many yahoo accounts I have which fill my reassurance seeking we've realsied I have and wow. This one account was from the summer when it wasn't so bad but every week I was asking different questions for something I now shrug over. I had backache but Id started a new desk job; sorted out desk alignment and it went but for four weeks I worried! And then, don't read if you're eating
Vaginal discharge. A normal healthy production women produce before period and im worrying. Sometimes I sound like a child. My boyfriend sometimes says to me 'it's like you don't know how your body works' and joked about buying me a book on it but worried I'd be annoyed ha.
---------- Post added at 11:21 ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 ----------
And my node questions was there too! Mine got bigger after a chest infection and hasn't shrunk since but countless doctors are like 'and...?'
Thought i'd chime in.
25 years old and a new victim of HA. Currently stuck in the endless cycle of thinking i have stomach or colon cancer right now. Currently on Citalopram and CBT therapy in an attempt to wrestle and beat the beast. This thread is good and should be kept going. Very reassuring!
Had:
Abdominal ultrasound
Numerous Blood Tests
Various Tablets
Waiting on:
Gastro specialist referral
This will be a good thread for us all to update so other young people can read it and maybe find some solace! :)
Hi Aleman, thanks for input. This thread is very helpful for us in similar age group. Hope you're well x
Catherine S
02-04-16, 21:45
Just to add to fishmanpa's post. I had a very similar situation with my youngest daughter who, in her 2nd year at Uni, became very anxious and stressed and i felt so helpless because I was living in Germany at the time. So she ended up leaving halfway through the term and came over to stay with us for 3 months, which really helped her to get back on track. She went back for her last year and managed to make up the lost time and she completed her law course, and was lucky enough to get a good job out of it. She saw a CBT therapist for most of that last year too.
She's 28 now and she and her fella have their own house and get married next year and she's doing really well health wise...and mental health wise too.
Do mental health issus run in families? As far as i'm aware, nobody in my past has suffered from HA, but I guess it has to start with someone. That's not the kind of legacy I want to leave behind though.
ISB x
ServerError
02-04-16, 21:55
Do mental health issus run in families? As far as i'm aware, nobody in my past has suffered from HA, but I guess it has to start with someone. That's not the kind of legacy I want to leave behind though.
Figuring out why people have mental health issues is a complicated business. However, there is thought to be a genetic element. One of the reasons they ask you during a psychiatric assessment whether anyone in your family has been prescribed anti-depressants in the past is because of the evidence that genetics can play a role, although a family history of depression can also point to environmental factors. As I said, it's complicated!
Anyway, I just wanted to say, in the hope it perks up anyone reading - and assuming I'm considered young at 31(!) - that even with health anxiety, even with feeling ill, even with a degree of depression, even with GAD and panic attacks, I still love life. I have so much to live for and anxiety isn't going to stop me. That's the attitude I go about life with. The Sertraline and CBT do help. though.
Catherine S
02-04-16, 22:05
Lovely post Server, thanks for your thoughts, and Kudos re your attitude to living life with HA, it's the only way to beat it...preferably with a big stick!
ISB :D
Female healthanxiety
05-04-16, 16:34
Hope you find some peace within yourself.
My sister is 18 and has had depression and anxiety since she was 13.
I was told my one of her physiatrists that in teenagers, hormones are a big part to play. Hormones are at the highest in adolescent age so I'm turn everything, including anxiety, would be too.
The good news is medication apparently reacts better and quicker in adolescents than in adults.
As for brain issues - it is very very 'rare' for anyone let alone someone so young.
Please don't waste your life worrying, I'm 33, and I've always worried about something or another. Xx
Hello everyone!
I'm 20 and have had health anxiety since I was... 9/10. I lost a lot of people I knew to cancer, worst of all when I was thirteen I lost a best friend to it. My dad also has HA -- so possibly it is hereditary or learnt behaviour.
Just want to say that this is a fantastic thread. Of course I wish you all didn't have to suffer with health anxiety and hope you all find some peace with it, but it's nice knowing that there are others out there who are suffering with it like I am because I think HA can be quite lonely at times.
Reading your statistics has helped to calm me down today as I'm all over the place after finding a small ball of skin at the back of my tongue. It's not hard. It just rolls under my finger, like a skin tag Don't know what it is, but it's hard to convince myself that it isn't cancer, but reading how you look at it in statistics... that's helped. So thank you for that! Thanks for sharing :)
Yes, it can be lonely. I have GAD and some depression that leaves me either constantly worrying about health or other things, or feeling totally hopeless, or both. It's exhausting.
Honestly one of my favorite things about going to therapy is that I can talk to someone, get it all out of my head, and have someone sympathize/support me.
I'm 25 and have had health anxiety since i was maybe 15/16.
It's always there but i go through phases of it being extremely bad and phases of it being mild.
I can't pin it on anything, but i have GAD, which my mum also has but she has no health anxiety.
She has said in the past that maybe her constantly talking about health problems(although not worrying) led me to have HA.
She had a lot of problems as i was growing up.
Ultimately i have a fear of death, if it's not dangerous, not terminal, then it doesn't bother us, because ultimately we are afraid of death or dying.
Over the years i've had health anxiety i have never been right about anything i have feared. That alone is proof to me that i have and am being completely ruled by my anxious subconscious. I am currently having CBT therapy, as well as practicing self help, and most importantly learning how to relax and lower my stress levels.
I've been reading a book that's helping me, passage below, i am trying to look at life in a different way. Although i suffer from anxiety and depression, i still class myself as a happy person, i love life, and am amazed by it, i don't take anything for granted and really do appreciate the small things.
"Are you worried? Do you have many "what if" thoughts? You are identified with your mind, which is projecting itself into an imaginary future situation and creating fear. There is no way that you can cope with such a situation, because it doesn't exist. It's a mental phantom.
You can stop this health and life corroding insanity simply by acknowledging the present moment. Become aware of your breathing.
Ask yourself what problem you have right now, not next year, tomorrow, or five minutes from now. What is wrong with this moment? You can always cope with the Now, but you can never cope with the future nor do you have to.
The answer, the strength, the right action or the resource will be there when you need it, not before, not after."
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