How do you tame intrusive thoughts?

[amyamyamy14]

I’m a massive hypochondriac and have had health anxiety ever since I was young. I’m always over-analyzing my body and diagnosing myself with illnesses and its obsessive. When I’m not doing this to myself, I do it to the people I love, making them scared that they could have serious illnesses. Only a few months ago, I drove my sister into a panic thinking she had lymphoma, she got biopsied and it all came back negative.

At the moment, I’ve been stressing out about my mum. She had stage 2 breast cancer five years ago and lately, I’ve noticed her coughing every now and then. My anxiety has caused me to become obsessed with the fact that her cancer is back and it's in her lungs. It’s terrifying me and I haven’t stopped obsessing about it. I'm not sleeping and my days are spent trailing health forums and reading medical sites.

I feel like I’ve lost control and I can’t stop obsessing about illnesses. People keep telling me to stop, but I can’t. My obsession with Dr. Google has even gotten in the way of doing normal life stuff and I’m supposed to be working on my minor thesis at university, but I can’t since I’m so distracted by Dr. Google. Whenever I leave the house, all I can think of is jumping on my phone to google symptoms.

I was on Lexapro, but I stopped last year and I’m not too keen to restart on them anytime soon. Does anyone have any good strategies you use when you become obsessed with unhealthy thoughts?

[braindead]

I’m a massive hypochondriac and have had health anxiety ever since I was young. I’m always over-analyzing my body and diagnosing myself with illnesses and its obsessive. When I’m not doing this to myself, I do it to the people I love, making them scared that they could have serious illnesses. Only a few months ago, I drove my sister into a panic thinking she had lymphoma, she got biopsied and it all came back negative.

At the moment, I’ve been stressing out about my mum. She had stage 2 breast cancer five years ago and lately, I’ve noticed her coughing every now and then. My anxiety has caused me to become obsessed with the fact that her cancer is back and it's in her lungs. It’s terrifying me and I haven’t stopped obsessing about it. I'm not sleeping and my days are spent trailing health forums and reading medical sites.

I feel like I’ve lost control and I can’t stop obsessing about illnesses. People keep telling me to stop, but I can’t. My obsession with Dr. Google has even gotten in the way of doing normal life stuff and I’m supposed to be working on my minor thesis at university, but I can’t since I’m so distracted by Dr. Google. Whenever I leave the house, all I can think of is jumping on my phone to google symptoms.

I was on Lexapro, but I stopped last year and I’m not too keen to restart on them anytime soon. Does anyone have any good strategies you use when you become obsessed with unhealthy thoughts?
why did you stop Lexapro?????????

[Talihina Sky]

Hi I'm sorry I can't really help...as I am exactly the same as you :blush:
Hopefully someone will reply soon with some helpful advice. I just felt I should comment as your thoughts and behaviour are exactly the same as mine - and I am also aware and have insight that what I'm doing is not helpful but can't seem to stop it.
I'm hoping to start pregabalin soon, I will update if any good for these type of Gad symptoms xx

[melfish]

I am the same. I spend every waking moment - even while I'm trying to eat - re-reading the same medical sites over and over and refreshing forums. I literally don't do anything else and I get anxious if I have to go anywhere I can't be online. It's exhausting and I know it's fuelling my anxiety but I can't stop. I look forward to bed, so I get a few hours' reprieve but as soon as I wake up my heart is thumping and I feel sick to the stomach and I do it all over again.

[scaredpt]

IM the same. Anything little happens and I freak out and think the worst. My therapist says I need to postpone worry but it's bullshit honestly