Vicious cycle this Anxiety!

[gabes]

I just can't wrap my brain around this health anxiety! It seems like I go from one ailment to another. Just when I seem to be over one issue, or at least moving past it, wham! Another one is right there to take its place. Throat, heart, stomach, legs, brain, back, fatigue, doom etc etc etc, it just never ends. It seems to hit whether or not I have some apparent reason to be anxious or not. I’m in therapy for all this but its not CBT that I’ve heard everyone here talking about, its more of a traditional style of therapy the goal according to my therapist is to slowly get to the underlying reasons that cause me and my body to react in this manner.

Now I’ve got this thing where the skin on my thigh is so sensitive that the material from my pants is causing me pain, kind of like how sometimes your scalp hurts when you brush your hair. I've also been getting these sensations/tingling in my upper back that are not painful but just annoying. I spend so much time fixating on these symptoms that honestly I feel like I can control them with my mind. However that control stops short of my being able to stop the symptoms. The last few days I've been so on edge that I feel like I'm a tight bundle of nerves. Does anyone else feel this cycle? How do you break it?

[Under~The~Stars]

Hi Gabes,

Just want you to know that your not alone with the health anxiety and the vicious cycle that it is! I can totally relate to that :hugs:

I have been struggling with it for the last couple of years :weep: It seems like it's just one thing after another, I totally agree.

I have been getting therapy for the last few months, a combination of seeing my GP, getting counselling, and seeing a psychologist for CBT. All of these things have helped me in a way. The CBT has helped a lot due to thought records that I was doing - they helped me challenge my thoughts. And when you know loads about the anxiety it can help, as you can slowly keep telling yourself that that is what it is. I have just started seeing my therapist (counsellor) again after a 3 month break. Talking about what it is you fear, making sense of it, writing it down and challenging it can really help. It takes a lot of practice and hard work, but it can be done :)

I am still in the same boat as you, struggling with this. It takes a lot of time, and support and hard work. What help is it you are getting just now? Are you getting counselling? Sometimes it's just a case of trying to find the right help for you, as everyone is different. Counselling has helped me, however it hasn't helped others that I know. I would recommend going to your GP, and actually seeing what help is available to you, and what they think would help? Just a thought.

One thing that I will say that may help is that I feel a bit more in control now when I do get things wrong with me i.e. I was constantly worried before about every little thing that I got (sore stomach, sore throat, anything!) I always thought it was something serious and there was no way anyone could change my mind. However, after getting counselling, which is still ongoing, and CBT I feel more in control with it than I was, so these things do work! :) I still get things wrong with me, which is probably due to anxiety or just something simple :blush: , but I'm still getting treatment so not better yet, but definitely more in control. When I got stuff wrong with me before it used to cause panic attacks, as I worried myself silly about things, what was it? was it serious? You know how it goes :wacko: But I don't really panic as much about them now, I'm beginning to rationalise things. It takes loads of practice, and it does take a long time, and loads of support. I might add I didn't get any support from my family, I got support from my counsellor, and GP etc. No-one ever said it would be easy, just you hang in there! :hugs:

Just want you to know that your not alone, and loads of people here can totally relate to how you're feeling just now. Think about what I said, I hope it has helped, even just a little :hugs:

[Florida Gator]

Gabes,

I hear you loud and clear with respect to the cycle. I have run the gamut of disease and illness. I have had tests done on almost every body part. And it's not because I just "think" there is an issue, I actually feel symptoms.

It is amazing how it can be a brain tumor one week and I get an MRI that is perfect and then I have lung cancer etc... Something will always pop up if we don't learn to think differently. CBT is the answer I believe.

Just know you aren't alone and there are others who feel the same way.