Tips for hyper vigilant behaviour?

[Mummybee]

So, usually after I have a bad bout of HA, I become hyper vigilant for a long while. Kinda like “dodged that bullet, but I better keen an eye out for shrapnel”

Ie, self checking, imagining pain, noticing things I wouldn’t normally notice.
I’m sure I’m not the only one, so help?
What are your best tips for curbing the hyper vigilant stuff?
I try
-physically stopping myself from feeling/poking/mirror checking.
-positive voice “you’re not physically sick, that won’t help”

But I’m wondering what works for others ?

Mummybee

[jojo2316]

I think this is the absolute crux of health anxiety. I really struggle with this and would LOVE to hear tips.
Every single day I notice symptoms that could be something awful. Three days ago it was a lymphnode in my neck, yesterday it was shooting pains in my head, today it is shoulder pain. On paper - and in doctor's opinion- I am healthy. So why am I plagued by a daily volley of alarming symptoms?? It must be hyper vigilance, surely that is the only explanation that makes sense.... and yet I am powerless to stop it: the symptoms keep coming and I keep getting scared by them.

Sorry I have not helped AT ALL! But I do sympathise and would love to hear other peoples ideas....
Xxx

[axolotl]

So, usually after I have a bad bout of HA, I become hyper vigilant for a long while. Kinda like “dodged that bullet, but I better keen an eye out for shrapnel”

Ie, self checking, imagining pain, noticing things I wouldn’t normally notice.
I’m sure I’m not the only one, so help?
What are your best tips for curbing the hyper vigilant stuff?
I try
-physically stopping myself from feeling/poking/mirror checking.
-positive voice “you’re not physically sick, that won’t help”

But I’m wondering what works for others ?

Mummybee

You have the good basics there. You missed "never Google", but suspect you already have that on your list.

Other things to try:

When you get a panicked thought, reframe it by thinking "I'm having a thought that [e.g. I may have a serious illness]". Even calmly mentally thank your mind for doing it, along the lines of "Thanks for the thought, but it's not not needed". I was skeptical of this when my therapist suggested it, but it does work, as it trains your brain to meet these thoughts with a shrug, rather than think they need attention. Another tip I've not tried is to say your fear out loud in a silly voice to reduce its impact on you.

A mindfulness technique is to dismiss thoughts as they arrive gently, and without fighting them, by noting if you're being distracted by a thought or a feeling, just by noting the words "thinking" or "feeling", but this takes some practice.

And obviously distraction - if you find the drive to prod or poke or check getting too much, do something that occupies your mind. Puzzles, drawing, video games, running, crafts - whatever works for you.

[Mummybee]

Thanks, I like those!
I just read the sticky post with the self help booklets too. There was some helpful pattern breakers in there too.
So easy in theory, but hard in reality

Mummybee

[melfish]

I am stuck in this cycle too. I check my visual disturbance constantly and if I'm not checking it, I'm ruminating on it.

I'm wondering whether my hypervigilance is making the symptom worse, in that I'm training my brain to always see it, as opposed to tuning it out ...

[pulisa]

Most definitely, Mel.

[melfish]

It's pretty impossible to ignore :weep:

[Fishmanpa]

I have chronic pain from treatment. It's on a scale of 3-4 at it's best all the time. That being said, when I'm busy at work or involved in a movie or reading etc., I don't feel the pain as much.

I imagine not working and being home all the time exasperates the pattern you're in. Perhaps indulging in a hobby or some other activity to divert your attention from your irrational thoughts and self inflicting negative behaviors would be worth exploring.

Positive thoughts

[melfish]

Yes, that's good advice. I have been making myself work out this week, which helps a lot both with the anxiety and also it is a distraction from the ruminating/checking.

I know my main problem is that I can't deal healthily with uncertainty, and life IS uncertainty ...