Karahi
04-10-17, 06:47
So first off I'm new here and have no idea what should be where nor anything else. I read some of the rules and stuff but I suppose part of my anxiety is also related to perfectionism. So I can never be too sure if I fully understand what's up.
With that said, what are ways that people really get over health anxiety? Like, I've tried lots of short term fixes which have been advised to me. I'm practicing proper breathing (I learnt that I wasn't breathing properly most of the time, "chest" breathing rather than abdominal which can lead to, of course, frightening symptoms for worryworts like me.) But I mean in the long term.
I just can't wrap my head around actually completely getting better and becoming normal. Sure I can take my mind off my obsessions for a time but they're always back. I suppose the expectation is to let go of your obsessions but it just seems so difficult.
I have a lot of anxiety about cardiac issues, for whatever reason since I'm 22 without any family history or risk increasing preconditions. I know it's not helpful to worry about it all the time and, realistically, that would probably increase my odds anyway but at the same time it's such a deep fear for me that I feel like I have to be vigilant. I know it can happen suddenly. I know things can be missed in diagnostics. I know rare cases do happen. What if when I relax I'm not able to see it coming? That kind of thing, which I guess is the root of HA anyway for a lot of people.
But my question is, how can I ever just take things in stride? How can I ever be that person who has had like, 3 life threatening events and just says "welp, it was pretty awful but it's over now and hopefully it's a little while before it happens again." I know a lady who had an incredibly rare anuerysm rupture, like, 1 in a million sort of deal and she survived with only slight vision problems but her take is just "oh well, it is what it is." Not even remotely concerned about a repeat event. That's incomprehensible to me.
Is there really a way to get to that point? Is there anyone out there who recovered and never relapsed or fell back into old habits? And do they have any concrete advice? Sorry if this was longer than it probably needed to be. I just want to know from someone first hand if life really can be normal again or if it's like with alcoholics who just can't touch alcohol again for risk of relapse.
With that said, what are ways that people really get over health anxiety? Like, I've tried lots of short term fixes which have been advised to me. I'm practicing proper breathing (I learnt that I wasn't breathing properly most of the time, "chest" breathing rather than abdominal which can lead to, of course, frightening symptoms for worryworts like me.) But I mean in the long term.
I just can't wrap my head around actually completely getting better and becoming normal. Sure I can take my mind off my obsessions for a time but they're always back. I suppose the expectation is to let go of your obsessions but it just seems so difficult.
I have a lot of anxiety about cardiac issues, for whatever reason since I'm 22 without any family history or risk increasing preconditions. I know it's not helpful to worry about it all the time and, realistically, that would probably increase my odds anyway but at the same time it's such a deep fear for me that I feel like I have to be vigilant. I know it can happen suddenly. I know things can be missed in diagnostics. I know rare cases do happen. What if when I relax I'm not able to see it coming? That kind of thing, which I guess is the root of HA anyway for a lot of people.
But my question is, how can I ever just take things in stride? How can I ever be that person who has had like, 3 life threatening events and just says "welp, it was pretty awful but it's over now and hopefully it's a little while before it happens again." I know a lady who had an incredibly rare anuerysm rupture, like, 1 in a million sort of deal and she survived with only slight vision problems but her take is just "oh well, it is what it is." Not even remotely concerned about a repeat event. That's incomprehensible to me.
Is there really a way to get to that point? Is there anyone out there who recovered and never relapsed or fell back into old habits? And do they have any concrete advice? Sorry if this was longer than it probably needed to be. I just want to know from someone first hand if life really can be normal again or if it's like with alcoholics who just can't touch alcohol again for risk of relapse.