Fixating on a symptom makes it seem larger?

[Annabelle816]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to know if anyone else has this experience with HA. Whatever my flavor of the month is, I’ll fixate on the symptom related to my worry to a point that it seems larger than it is. I know this because once I feel that worry has resolved and I forget about it, if I think of it again without worry, it seems non existent or much smaller. For example, I was so worried about a mole for months and I would check it all the time. I moved on and now when I see it, it seems normal and small but I am certain when I was worried it was much larger.
I currently am obsessing on a thread vein on the side of my nose. I’m certain it got redder overnight but when I asked people in my family what they think, they say they never noticed it. That they’d only notice it if they inspect my face, not during casual talk. I can’t stop looking at it and I am sure it’s huge!
Health anxiety sucks....I’m waiting for a new worry just so I can move on from this one. It actually did take a back seat a few weeks ago when I was sure I had throat cancer. I actually stopped noticing the vein but that sore throat passed so now back to the big vein :weep:

[toddsmum]

Take photos of it and compare them once a month. No sooner.

I had a mole grow on the sole of my foot. Everything I read said that shouldn't happen and every time I looked at it I felt it had grown or changed. But when the dermatologist compared my first photo to the one of the day of the surgery, there was no change. I even freaked out one night after checking it for my husband to point out I was looking at it with new presciption glasses on! Thats how much of a trick my mind could play. The mole result came back completely normal, btw.

It’s a horrible example of the power of the mind. It can be used for so much good but there's an insidious side to that power that can ruin your life if you let it. I dont think I'll ever get rid of HA, Im trying to learn ways of coping with it.

[Careful1]

Yesssss most defiantly...

[Annabelle816]

Glad I’m not alone or imagining this. It’s amazing how powerful the mind is!
I’ll have some days where I think whatever I’m looking at is hardly noticeable
then the next day (or hour) it looks huge to me.

[B3521]

Yes, I've also found If I fixate on a problem or a pain I think I have, the pain gets worse and 8m focusing on every twinge. When I'm distracted by my next health worry the pain I think I have goes away. The brain is a very powerful organ.

[Potter86]

Id be shocked if the majority on here didn't do this,i certainly do

[Halle0587]

Every single time! I'm currently doing this with a diagonal line on my toe. I think per my googling it might be a subungual hematoma, but I'm terrified and I forgot to take a picture of it the first time I saw it so I'm unsure now. I have had leg pain since thanksgiving, specifically behind the knees in both legs. That let up, but probably only bc I'm currently worried about my back of neck/side of neck pain for almost three weeks (on and off and most at night.)
I think it's what we with HA do, absolutely!