Do you feel that your doctors will just say "it's just anxiety" with everything?

[Ben1989]

I went into the doctors the other week regarding a 'ball' in my tongue. A very real non-anxiety related issue.

In the UK, as we know, we call up to book an appointment, they perform a mild form of triage and decide when to get you in. So we turn up to the doctor where they have no idea as to why we're there.

I could tell the doctor had a bit of 'here we go' after reading my health anxiety issues. Although, I do believe that I try my hardest to not go the doctors often.

Anyway, I'm just curious if people visit the doctors and no matter what you say they just say 'yeah, it's your anxiety'?

The tricky thing is, if we all do end up having serious issues not related to anxiety it may be hidden under the 'anxiety hat'

[PASchoolSyndrome]

Anxiety is a diagnosis of exclusion here in the US. If you show up to the ED with a racing heart and chest pain - all the tests will be done to ensure it's not a heart attack or PE and once all the dangerous deadly things have been ruled out, they'll send you home with the reassurance that it was an anxiety attack and you're in no imminent danger.

That being said I'm sure there are a few cases of the boy who cried wolf. BUT ALSO, despite what HA sufferers believe, they are not actually sick. 9/10 nothing is actually wrong, and doctors can visibly see that the second you walk in the door. Because yes, majority of the time it is just your anxiety.

Only thing I can advise it to find a doctor who understands and is able to explain and talk you down - not just chalk it up to anxiety but treat the anxiety after ruling out all the bad things.

[Josh1234]

That's cause it IS your anxiety. Hypos are just very stubborn sometimes and insist they know more than doctors.

[Catherine S]

So what did he say about the ball on your tongue? You didn't really say.

ISB ☺

[Colicab85]

I difficult.

The mistake that we have as anxiety sufferers is that our Anxiety is extremely uneducated and arrogant.

A doctors knows what a BT looks like when it walks in the door. We think we know because a website said that a headache is a symptom of a BT. What that website doesnt say is the company that the headaches keeps.

[Ben1989]

Don't get me wrong, if you have chest pain or breathing problems and the like our doctors err on the side of caution always.

Josh, I understand where you're coming from but you're implying that HA sufferers are immune from ever getting a serious condition.

The doctor said it was a cyst in my tongue which should go over time

[Ihavelostmymarbles]

This happened with my old doctors. Something was/is actually wrong with me but it's not fatal. I think it's really hard for doctors to see things that aren't considered an emergency when you have anxiety like hypochondria. Either that or it was just military doctors.

That's probably not an answer that anyone on here wants to hear, but it does happen.

[PASchoolSyndrome]

Also with all due respect and no offense meant, if you go to the emergency room without an actual emergency you should be asked to leave.

[Ihavelostmymarbles]

Also with all due respect and no offense meant, if you go to the emergency room without an actual emergency you should be asked to leave.

Don't they already do that? Or just make you wait until the more serious cases are taken back? The military hospital was weird though. Any time you called to make an appointment, they would tell you that you had to go to the ER if it was heart related (like me). Even if you were just there yesterday and trying to make a follow up appointment with your doctor. It was pure luck if they actually gave you an appointment. I don't think PP went to the ER, but my PCP would still consider my issues anxiety related...even with abnormalities on my ekgs.

[PASchoolSyndrome]

Yeah normally they do. The reason regular doctors will send you is because god forbid it was a serious heart problem if you deteriorated in the office they wouldn't be able to do anything for you until you got to the ED anyway. Once you get to the ED they take heart problems seriously.

I just say this because I was working in the ED the other night and a patient came in complaining of an upper respiratory infection. After triage they were asked to make an appointment with their primary care or wait like 6 hours and they lost their mind. It sucks and when your anxious it feels like an emergency but it is frustrating while working when a non-emergent case is taking up a bed in the ED. Harsh but the reality. Also off topic.. sorry!