How do you know you have health anxiety ?

[Miznuvem0412]

How does someone know they have healthanxiety.

My medical doctor told me I probably have health anxiety. That is until he saw my blood work and seen that that my absolute eosinophils were out of range .( a form of white blood cells)

Then he went into worst case scenario that it might be cancer :lac:

He then proceeded to test me for allergies, Rheumatoid arthritis , parasites, lung x-ray , autoimmune disorder , and a cancer screen. This has me freaked out but then my other doctor ( got a second opinion ) said it might had been a lab error because all my other white blood cells came out normal range. So it doesn't add up .she ran my blood work and told me she highly doubts its cancer .


:huh: my psychiatrist told me the same and said it just might be that I'm still fighting some virus I caught 2months ago :mad:

I'm thinking the same since I did my physical august 2016 and everything was normal . Then I caught a virus nov 2016 and now my system is out of whack .

I also have anxiety /insomnia but I think my sleep is getting a little better as I sometimes sleep 2hrs straight then after wake up every 1hr /1.5 hrs compare to waking up every 45 mins -1hr the whole night and was having panic attacks now no more panic attacks

I also have Ativan, trazadone , and zyprexa to help me sleep but I only take 2-3 times a week since I'm in school and sometimes I need a good night sleep for tests or an important lecture plus I see a sleep therapist :unsure: I'm a start working out to get a better grip of my anxiety . So far it has diminished without meds .

I just got tired of worrying about my insomnia and I'm really not sitting here worrying about my blood work and chest X-ray just yet . I'm sure once I go to my doctor appointment I'm a freak out.

The only thing I care about fixing is my sleep as I miss sleeping 9-10hrs

How does one develop health anxiety ? I don't think I have health anxiety . Since before this virus hit me I would only go to the doctor once a year for my physical check up or when I had a horrible sore throat/cold which was maybe once a year too.

Now I live at the doctors and then this doctor points out I probably suffer from health anxiety . My psychiatrist told me I don't suffer from that . This is making me feel like my doctor probably thinks I'm crazy or something .and makes me not want to see him anymore . So I'm a ask to see the other doctor in that office instead


I did tell my psychiatrist I'm scared to develop health anxiety . Since something always keeps coming up after this virus I caught .im starting to think maybe I caught something more dangerous .



Ugh

[Fishmanpa]

This actually could be a great subject for a thread and a laugh... Kind of like "You might be a redneck" thing but for Hypochondriacs.

If you think that every freckle on your body is potentially melanoma... you might have health anxiety.

If you think you could have contracted rabies from petting a stray dog... you might have health anxiety.

If you think every lump or bump you feel is cancer... you might have health anxiety.

If you keep a record of your bowel movements... you might have health anxiety.

There's a million of 'em :D

Positive thoughts

[Miznuvem0412]

Hmmm , yeah can't say I suffer from health anxiety . Just plain old anxiety ����������

[Toaster]

Maybe your psychiatrist was saying that you don't have the DSM-V symptoms of illness anxiety or somatic symptom disorder. Both require 6 months of continuous anxiety if I remember correctly. They abide by that DSM-V.

[Miznuvem0412]

Oh ,ok

I suffer from general anxiety and have OCD tendencies


However, I don't fixate on having illnesses . However , I was fixating on my insomnia like crazy since I never had that in the past . Hopefully it resolves soon since it's terrible

[GlassPinata]

I've kind of always known. Not sure how. Good question.

[Miznuvem0412]

I've kind of always known. Not sure how. Good question.


Do you fixate on diseases?

[montys]

Google "hypochondria test", click on the 4degreez link, and take the survey. That's the point at which I went from "why am I feeling all of these feelings" to "ok I definitely have health anxiety," and was able to start addressing it.

[MyNameIsTerry]

HA is a non medical term. Are you aware it overlaps GAD, OCD and the Somatoform Disorders?

As for the DSM, that differs but the US uses the WHO ICD which provides the 3 groups I've just mentioned. The Somatoform Disorders is where the DSM & ICD differ.

You say you accept you have anxiety and mention GAD plus OCD tendencies. That can cover HA.

You say you worry about getting HA too. You may already have it but it could just mean an additional element inside your GAD or that your OCD tendencies have developed into OCD.

Regardless of what name they give it, it won't change how you are now so isn't it just fear making you worry about a name change on a computer?

I don't have HA as an element of mine. I do have GAD & OCD, not tendencies. GAD is my primary disorder though. I never go to a GP about health, I find bumps or lumps or bruises or pretty much anything I might see on this board and my automatic reaction is "no big deal, it's just a x".

[Miznuvem0412]

HA is a non medical term. Are you aware it overlaps GAD, OCD and the Somatoform Disorders?

As for the DSM, that differs but the US uses the WHO ICD which provides the 3 groups I've just mentioned. The Somatoform Disorders is where the DSM & ICD differ.

You say you accept you have anxiety and mention GAD plus OCD tendencies. That can cover HA.

You say you worry about getting HA too. You may already have it but it could just mean an additional element inside your GAD or that your OCD tendencies have developed into OCD.

Regardless of what name they give it, it won't change how you are now so isn't it just fear making you worry about a name change on a computer?

I don't have HA as an element of mine. I do have GAD & OCD, not tendencies. GAD is my primary disorder though. I never go to a GP about health, I find bumps or lumps or bruises or pretty much anything I might see on this board and my automatic reaction is "no big deal, it's just a x".


I know for sure I don't have health anxiety I don't go checking for lumps, pains , or anything on my body. I don't go assuming I have a terminal or sickness. The virus I caught wreak havoc on my system and seems to be lingering . I'm clear of allergies, cancer, autoimmune disorders & my chest X-ray was clear of cancer .he ran those tests because some white blood cells were out of range Only thing that came back was that I have inflammation , but the doctor assumes it could just be my swollen tonsils . One of the doctors from that office pointed out I could be suffering from health anxiety . I'm like not my fault this virus has been causing me issues since November .

I said I fear I might end up with health anxiety because this virus just keeps messing up my system and something new always comes up . I talk to my psychiatrist about it .He also whatever I caught really messed me up but I would be fine .

I rarely go to the doctor until know but for legitimate reasons .


My OCD tendencies were also never health related nor has my anxiety been health related .

Only thing I did freak out about was my insomnia because I love sleeeeep. Mostly all my posts are about insomnia after having GAD for over 10 years I never knew it could destroy someone's sleep pattern. So I came here asking about it since after so many years my gAD never cause me sleeping issues

[swajj]

My psychiatrist told me that I am not a hypochondriac. He is in his 70s and he said that when he was young and in training his mentor told him that it was unlikely that he would ever come across a true hypochondriac, and he never has. Maybe that's what your psych meant.