Why do hypochondriacs question the opinions of doctors?

[walkerbull]

Well, this isn't another "Me, me, me" thread but rather one of curiosity.

As a matter of interest when did you guys first get your anxieties and how have you managed it?

Another question I wish to ask is how did your first doctor react to your concerns?

And finally, my doctor didn't really take my symptoms seriously and talked alot about anxiety, I think this is when I 'sort of' realized it may be caused by anxiety, and said somatization may be the culprit.
I'd like to hear your opinions on this too and offered tests but thought they we'rent necessary.

My doc is a really good guy, one of the best but these twitches in my face and all over my body just keep occuring. (Even though I only went yesterday)

I am heading to a psychologist within the next two weeks.

[Clydesdale Epona]

I feel like I've always had them in a weird way, but I noticed them bad when I turned 9 years old(I had the absolute worst heart palpitations and about 6 hospital tests fir my heart because the doctors were concerned it was a condition) it calmed down after that but returned worse when I was 14 presumably my dad having a heart attack and my dog dying was likely to only make it worse, my first doctor reacted well to my concerns, they instantly got me the help I needed without a second to lose x

All the best :hugs:

[siwz991]

Another question is why normal peeps go to one doc and they are done. They believe in first diagnosis and 95% wont seek another reassurance. I dont understand why I cant do the same? I feel hopeless and depressed because I cant let it go and accept the diagnosis after 4 docs and ultra sound.

[walkerbull]

[
Another question is why normal peeps go to one doc and they are done. They believe in first diagnosis and 95% wont seek another reassurance. I dont understand why I cant do the same? I feel hopeless and depressed because I cant let it go and accept the diagnosis after 4 docs and ultra sound.

Okay I'll put it this way, tests such as CT's, Ultra-sounds, MRI's, and others are extremely expensive time consuming. And as radioactive tests go, doctors don't like to impose that level of radiation for no reason. Hence, why GP's always exclude benign reasons for those symptoms, the only exceptions if you were having extremely worrying and severe symptoms.

[unsure_about_this]

Sadly I am a hypochondria and dont always trust doctros, sometimes GPs make mistakes.

[axolotl]

Why do hypochondriacs question the opinions of doctors?

Because anxiety is a self-feeding condition of cognitive distortions, one of which is the tendency to minimise reassurance and maximise things that fuel it.

So an anxious mind will minimise the reassurance of a highly competent, highly trained medic with a full alphabet of letters after their name. An actual expert saying "it's fine, you have nothing to worry about", becomes "doctors get things wrong, they make mistakes, they misdiagnose, maybe they missed something, maybe it's a bad doctor, maybe they're hiding something, the doctor was only young maybe he/she's just out of medical school, the doctor is really old so maybe he/she's not up to date with recent research that I've been reading online during my 'research', maybe I need a second opinion, or a third, or a fourth, or a CT scan just to make sure, maybe the CT scan didn't show everything, maybe the doctor who looked at my CT scan misdiagnosed, maybe they're a bad doctor..." and so on, and so on.

Meanwhile the anxious mind will maximise the final bullet point on a long list on WebMD, which says in very very rare instances something could conceivably mean something nasty, or maximise a bad science clickbait article on the Daily Mail, or overhearing someone on the bus talking ill-informed rubbish, or our own ability to understand complicated websites aimed at medical professionals.

[Catherine S]

Unsure_about_this, yes doctors sometimes do make mistakes but very rarely, and given that they're all we've got we have to at least try to trust them. We only hear about the doctors who do get it wrong but they are in the minority.

Largely, with our own family doctors it's unlikely they'd get a diagnosis wrong since they know us best and know about our symptoms and how long we've been complaining about them. They also know about our health anxiety issues too and will base their opinions on that. They will know when to send us for tests and when it's not necessary to do so.

As I say they're all we've got and I'd much rather sit in front of my own doctor having a chat, than reading scary health stories in the newspapers or relying on Dr. Google to diagnose me.

ISB ☺

[KeeKee]

I've had health anxiety for 4 years now and have always trusted my GP. I've always thought (and still do) that when a person doesn't trust their GP, it goes beyond health anxiety and into trust issues. Especially if they aren't trusting multiple doctors.

[Gary A]

I've always wondered why people can't trust a real life doctor who has trained for years but take whatever they read on the internet as gospel.

[siwz991]

I dont understand my behaviour as well. It's weird specially because last doc told me he's 100% sure it's not a lymph node and he found one on other side of my neck just to prove it to me. When he touched it I really felt the difference as well. Also he mentioned that ultra sound showed no abnormalities and this is vein or muscle, cause it's soft and long etc.
And I dont understand why I dont believe and think they could miss something, I'm the most stubborn hypochondriac ever :-(

[MyNameIsTerry]

I've always wondered why people can't trust a real life doctor who has trained for years but take whatever they read on the internet as gospel.

Confirmation Bias. It reinforces what their subconscious is telling them out of fear.

Just part of the skewed negative thinking axolotl talks about.

---------- Post added at 11:19 ---------- Previous post was at 11:17 ----------


Sadly I am a hypochondria and dont always trust doctros, sometimes GPs make mistakes.

They do but with the things you guys fear on here, it's uncommon. It hits the news where It happens.

They make more mistakes with the small stuff, frustrating but at least resolvable.

---------- Post added at 11:22 ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 ----------


Because anxiety is a self-feeding condition of cognitive distortions, one of which is the tendency to minimise reassurance and maximise things that fuel it.

So an anxious mind will minimise the reassurance of a highly competent, highly trained medic with a full alphabet of letters after their name. An actual expert saying "it's fine, you have nothing to worry about", becomes "doctors get things wrong, they make mistakes, they misdiagnose, maybe they missed something, maybe it's a bad doctor, maybe they're hiding something, the doctor was only young maybe he/she's just out of medical school, the doctor is really old so maybe he/she's not up to date with recent research that I've been reading online during my 'research', maybe I need a second opinion, or a third, or a fourth, or a CT scan just to make sure, maybe the CT scan didn't show everything, maybe the doctor who looked at my CT scan misdiagnosed, maybe they're a bad doctor..." and so on, and so on.

Meanwhile the anxious mind will maximise the final bullet point on a long list on WebMD, which says in very very rare instances something could conceivably mean something nasty, or maximise a bad science clickbait article on the Daily Mail, or overhearing someone on the bus talking ill-informed rubbish, or our own ability to understand complicated websites aimed at medical professionals.

Yep, the one is scrutinised to unbelievable standards whilst the other is treated to an almost free pass.

[walkerbull]

I dont understand my behaviour as well. It's weird specially because last doc told me he's 100% sure it's not a lymph node and he found one on other side of my neck just to prove it to me. When he touched it I really felt the difference as well. Also he mentioned that ultra sound showed no abnormalities and this is vein or muscle, cause it's soft and long etc.
And I dont understand why I dont believe and think they could miss something, I'm the most stubborn hypochondriac ever :-(

You're not alone, I have many threads.

I am sure @axolotl he will tell you, eh?

[axolotl]

You're not alone, I have many threads.

I am sure @axolotl he will tell you, eh?

Don't mistake me for someone who knows more about this stuff than anyone else, I'm just working through things and making myself think rationally.

[Mav]

I always feel like my doctors aren't clear enough with me, they sort of whizz pass the information part and just say it's nothing or hand me some sort of reassurance quickly. It never feels enough, I always want to know why they think that but sometimes I don't get a detailed explanation in return. I feel fine when I leave the doctors office, but then I find that I will think back over every aspect of that appointment and what the doc did and didn't say and I start digging a hopless pit for myself.