Please help this mama out

[hopeful927]

My 16 year old has always had a sensitive stomachs. She has struggled with nausea off and on for a couple of years. This summer she has been working at a camp and has had nausea constantly. She can still eat and drink but definitely smaller amounts. Because of my health anxiety my brain does not think rationally. My mind goes right to a brain tumour, stomachs cancer or some other awful disease. Every time she texts me and says she is nauseated I have a panic attack. I will take her to the doctor next week but I am panicked. Please help me

[palspals]

It's hard because obviously as a HA sufferer myself, I understand the difficulty of thinking about things rationally. Yet, let's assess this situation. Your daughter has always had a sensitive stomach and now she is on a camp whereby she is in a completely new and likely busy environment and where the food being served is likely different to what she normally eats. These factors could all be contributing to the increased nausea and decrease appetite. Additionally, if she's been experiencing nausea for years, don't you think something serious would have happened by now, if it truly were an awful illness? Despite my HA, there are 'dysfunctional' things about my body that I don't stress about (frequent urination) because it's been this way my whole life. Sometimes it's important to remember that, even when negative thoughts are taking over.
By all means go to the doctor and for your daughters sake, stress that this has been a chronic issue and that you'd appreciate it be taken quite seriously. But don't assume the worst as it sounds like there are numerous, non-threatening reasons why your daughter is feeling this way.