Help with anxiety and dealing with it. Driving myself insane!

[Stacey Lou]

Hi again all! I posted yesterday sharing my recent health scare with lymph nodes, and the trouble Iv been having since! I had a neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis ct and this was followed up with a neck ultrasound due to them finding a few enlarged lymph nodes in various areas. I'm assuming the ones in my neck were the biggest as that's where they did the ultrasound although this hasn't been confirmed, so I'm not sure where the biggest ones are. They haven't requested a biopsy, which is something I think I would of preferred them to do, if only just to curb that niggle in my head that tells me there's something wrong. Especially since the swellings are all still there, and noticeable too, although I have now stopped prodding and poking, so I'm on watch and wait to see if they go down. My doctors have told me to go back if I get any new symptoms, if anything changes or even if I just need a little reassurance. Trouble is I can't seem to figure out which of my symptoms are real and which ones are being caused be anxiety and stress, and of course as everyone in the uk knows our nhs is extremely stretched at the moment, so the last thing I want to be doing is going to the doctors with every little symptom unless I'm absolutely positive it isn't cased by anxiety. I spoke with a very lovely guy on here the other day who said the only way to suppress the symptoms if anxiety is to of course treat the anxiety itself. Given that I know this whole experience had really fed my anxiety and it's destroying my life and my confidence. So I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to help the anxiety. Any medications that you're taking that have helped? Any therapies or techniques? Any advice at all on this would be helpful! I really want to beat HA once and for all and get my life back on track, plus it would be great to be able to tell an actual symptom from one that's been created by anxiety lol! Please share any advice or stories you have, I would love to hear them! Thanks for reading! Stacey xx

[Gary A]

You should go to your doctor and tell them about your anxiety over this. Ask them about any therapies or medication they can recommend. Your doctor has a duty of care, anxiety is a recognised illness that must be treated like any other illness.

There's plenty you can do, but it really would start with a simple chat with your doctor.

[Stacey Lou]

Thankyou for your reply! I really appreciate it. I guess I just feel a little like I'm pestering if I keep going back, especially given the amount of times iv been back and fourth to the doctors and hospital since October due to all of my swelling. We do have one really good doctor at our go surgery who really takes the time to listen and has dealt with me throughout my recent scare, he was the one who told me just to go back even if I needed a little reassurance, so he obviously understands how scary this has all been for me and still continues to be for me so I will probably make and appointment to see him when he's next available, he only works at my surgery on a Friday. I'm not usually one to ask for help, even suffering with anxiety for many years I generally just tend to deal with it but this whole thing has really frightened me, and I still find myself waking up every day terrified that I'm going to find another swelling or one of the swellings already there are going to be bigger, so I do think I need some help this time.

[Stacey Lou]

Anyone have any medications or treatments they recommend that I could speak to my doctor about? Or any home remedies that have helped that I could try while I wait?