I feel like everyday it's something different..

[Erin0820]

I feel like every time I get rid of a pain that is bothering me something pops up the next day. I almost feel like these pains are self inflicted.. I have had "something wrong with me" for like the past 5 months.. I'm so tired of it! I want to go back to the days where I had no worry. How do you guys deal with this!?:weep:

[ServerError]

Seeking treatment for the condition you do have is the starting point. You may benefit from some therapy to tackle this pattern of thought you've gotten stuck in.

Beyond that, it's about living your life as best you can and doing your best to apply rational thought to your worries. You've become sensitised to every little thing your body does. I think that's how most people develop health anxiety. What one person can dismiss or not even notice becomes terminal cancer in our minds. But you can get past this. You'll need to start challenging those irrational thoughts, though.

[swajj]

Use it to your advantage. I (and many other HA sufferers) have experienced the same thing. It's like going to get a test done for something you fear you have eg kidney cancer and finding out you don't have it after all. The next day or a few days later you will start focusing on a new set of symptoms which mean you have a different terminal illness. Choose your illness, brain tumour, ALD, pancreatic cancer and so on. It will almost always be a serious one which usually results in death. It helped me to think logically about it. That is, seriously what are the chances? How is it possible that you get over one thing and the next day a new thing pops up? It's not possible so it has to be anxiety. Tell yourself that.

[KeeKee]

How is it possible that you get over one thing and the next day a new thing pops up? It's not possible so it has to be anxiety. Tell yourself that.

That is a large factor in my ability to manage my health anxiety now. Obviously I still have it but I don't throw it massively out of proportion like I used to.

The more times you realise you don't have anything, the more you will realise it's all your anxiety. I've had 2 'scares' this year and whilst I was worried, i also expected to be told it was nothing. Neither were fobbed off as anxiety, but neither were anything serious.

In my opinion it's always best to get checked out for things those without health anxiety would get checked out for, such as lumps, strange marks etc and even certain pains. I had a stomach pain in one specific area for around 8 weeks and even my therapist said it should be checked out. But don't let it take over your life and don't look out for issues.

[Ceri78]

I can so relate to this ! Recently I thought I had something wrong with my liver or kidneys due to horrendous under skin itching,I had bloods taken all clear and the itching has gradually subsided! 4 days later the glands behind my ear and back of neck are raised and painful,onset the panic/anxiety of the next disease to focus on! It just never seems to end I'm now focused on some deadly infection my body is fighting due to these glands it's getting me down xx

[swajj]

There was a time when I was in my doctor's waiting room twice a day.

I had lots of tests and all resulted in nothing being wrong. I wanted to be tested for everything. And then of course once I got the all clear I would manifest a new illness and wanted to be tested for that. Eventually my doctor asked me if I really wanted to keep exposing myself to radiation when it was absolutely unnecessary. I hadn't thought about the risks. I did after that.

---------- Post added at 19:30 ---------- Previous post was at 19:29 ----------

Leave your glands alone. Pressing them all the time will enlarge them.

[alxwang]

HI all, I am newer here and very happy to find this site and this is my first reply.
This "endless I feel something going on/wrong in/on my body" is difficult to deal with. One test can make me peaceful for a period but something else will alert me soon.
My GP told me only worry about the thing which will bother me enough so my life/work be impacted. I understand/agree the idea but just can not do it. The "What if this time is serious illness" always force me into panic mode - thanks lot of the media!

Plus side: I have to work on my HA for about one year already. My GP suggested me only trust the following two site which I am doing my best to only check with them when I want to see DR google:
mayoclinic
merckmanuals

Also, I am crazy enough to get the following book and read them:
Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History-Taking - Eleventh Edition

They all helps but I still have HA every day.

[LouiseC1896]

Hi, I'm the same, I feel like I'm losing control, this time last year I went to the doctors thinking I had lymphoma, he said I didn't but sent me for an x ray as I was having difficulty breathing, it was clear and anxiety related. I have then had 2 types of skin cancer, breast and till a few weeks ago cervical cancer. Now its back to lymphoma, I hate being like this. As soon as I discovered I did not have cervical cancer I found a small squishy lump inside my forearm followed by arm and hand pain. I am certain this time it's something serious, I just wish I didn't panic so easily!

[teawithsugar]

I feel your pain!!

im so distant from people as my mind is constantly ticking over.. i even look at other people and think i wish i could be as healthy and careless as you!! im jealous of normal people as i think im terminally ill and there not (fyi i havent been diagnosed with anything) I just hate my mind sometimes, its my own worst enemy x

[LouiseC1896]

Same here, I feel I can barely hold a conversation anymore, I just keep thinking I might be dying!

[Dfw]

Same here�� My HA is about pain and permanent disability, not necessarily terminal illness. I went through back pain for 1.5 years, with a few other insults along the way. Needle stick, 1.5 months, hair in Eye, 2 months, foot pain 6 months, now a wonderful new one tinnitus for 5 weeks, which I was actually doing good at, then today a loud noise and back to square one with it. Yes, 20 doctor visits and 5 mri's for the back pain, 3 dr visits needle stick, 4 dr visits hair in eye, 4 dr visits for pain and now 3 dr visits tinnitus, with another in 10 days since I was exposed to loud noise again (another hearing test). So, yes, I agree, it seems just when we start looking at the top of the mountain, we find something else to suck us back in. I look forward to the day I can figure out how to get out of this loop, it is very depressing and exhausting. Not many people understand the amount of energy and resources we put into this obsession.

I can only hope with support from people like "y'all" and trained people I can make that crest of the mountain, rather than continuing to fall back down.