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View Full Version : Something that's helped me, that could help you


sam93
23-01-18, 20:04
So I've been worrying about a lot of things related to my health recently.

Today I downloaded an app called Babylon. On here you can essentially book an appointment to FaceTime a doctor for a one time fee of £25 or monthly fee of £5.

The cool thing is that they record the calls so you can watch them again in the app. That means that when the initial comfort of going to the doctor and being told you're okay has worn off, you can rewatch the clip to help calm yourself down again!

Hope that helps others :)
axolotl
23-01-18, 20:16
With respect this is a monumentally bad idea.

Overcoming health anxiety is about stopping reassurance behaviours, not paying a monthly fee to have a GP in your pocket.
Fishmanpa
23-01-18, 20:31
With respect this is a monumentally bad idea.

Overcoming health anxiety is about stopping reassurance behaviours, not paying a monthly fee to have a GP in your pocket.

Agreed... paid reassurance from a doctor on the internet who can't see you and doesn't know your history :lac:

Positive thoughts
pulisa
23-01-18, 20:37
Makes you wonder where these doctors qualified? Google Med School? The Royal College of the Interweb? Doctor QuickFix College?
axolotl
23-01-18, 20:39
Makes you wonder where these doctors qualified? Google Med School? The Royal College of the Interweb? Doctor QuickFix College?

Looked into it, to be fair they're qualified docs. Unfortunately looks like it's also used as part of a drive by the NHS to reduce their budget by pushing people onto private suppliers :(
Carys
23-01-18, 20:40
Agreed with all the above, I don't see what you gaining from this....reassurance from a different 'doctor' that you pay for and not dealing with your HA ?
sam93
23-01-18, 23:15
The doctors are all qualified NHS doctors. You don't have to pay for the service in some circumstances, as it's actually covered by the NHS. I just wanted a quicker appointment.

I am dealing with my HA the best I can, but sometimes I just need to put my mind at rest. And using this app really helped me today. Apologies for upsetting anyone.
swajj
23-01-18, 23:30
Seriously, reassurance on tap?

As if someone with imaginary illnesses is going to believe a doctor who can’t physically examine them. Put all those amounts you are paying towards counselling.

---------- Post added at 09:00 ---------- Previous post was at 08:59 ----------

Also it isn’t about you upsetting anyone. It’s about trying to help you get better.
Fishmanpa
23-01-18, 23:38
I am dealing with my HA the best I can, but sometimes I just need to put my mind at rest. And using this app really helped me today. Apologies for upsetting anyone.

You're not upsetting anyone. The reason I and others oppose the idea is that reassurance seeking is one of the core behaviors of HA and one of the hardest to overcome. Anyone here who's been in therapy for HA will affirm this and any professional therapist worth their salt would tell you the same thing. The app just reinforces the reassurance seeking behavior and keeps you in the HA cycle.

You know... There are a lot of parallels between physical and mental illnesses but one big difference is, with a serious physical illness, you have no choice but to treat it. Like in my case, treat it or die. With a mental illness, serious or not, you won't die physically if you leave it untreated. Frankly, I would rather have something I had the choice in treating, take control of it and consciously make the decision to get well as opposed to not having a choice.

Positive thoughts
Thelegend27
24-01-18, 06:37
It's better to have a GP hands on not in your pocket. This would be ok once you've seen a doc in person, and then you can discuss further concerns with the pocket doc.
jojo2316
24-01-18, 10:26
Thank you for the tip! Sometimes a doctor's opinion IS necessary and this is a good way of achieving fast access and reducing burden on the NHS. These doctors will know and say if a proper face to face consultation is necessary.
Thank you again. X
TheGroundhog
24-01-18, 10:40
It's a bit like offering a heroin addict some crack to take the edge off.....

Heath anxiety IS the behaviours and compulsions, it's nothing to do with heath. The longer you carry on the behaviours, the longer you will be suffer.
axolotl
24-01-18, 10:43
Thank you for the tip! Sometimes a doctor's opinion IS necessary and this is a good way of achieving fast access and reducing burden on the NHS. These doctors will know and say if a proper face to face consultation is necessary.
Thank you again. X

Honestly, if you're serious about beating health anxiety you wouldn't touch this with a barge pole. :lac:

If you want to pay monthly Hypochondriac Tax then be it on your own head.

For roughly the same price you'd be better off subscribing to Headspace and learning to control your thoughts.
Carys
24-01-18, 11:26
I agree with the other responses on here, who think this is a bad idea to subscribe to such an app. Sam93, honestly, people aren't angry or upset, just kind of saying it as it is to help you break the cycle of needing reassurance. By the way, minor health concerns can be dealt with by the pharmacist and at least you have to 'put yourself out' and go there to discuss it, so not as easy as typing something into a phone/computer. If someone is giving up smoking, and having a hard day you wouldn't hand them a cigarette thinking it was helpful.