Another day, another fear

[Limeslime]

I’m so freaking sick of waking up to feeling frightened for my life every single morning. Whilst I’m notably better now than I was at the beginning of the year, everyday is still such a battle with this awful Health Anxiety!
Today’s fear is a (possible) lump in my armpit. I have a hair follicle infection which has resulted in a large boil, and I’m sure I can feel a fleshy lump below the boil. Of course, any new looks lump in my armpit sends my HA into overdrive! I’ve been on antibiotics for a week now and the boil has gone down loads but the fleshy lump below it hasn’t. Sometimes I can feel it and other times I cannot. I know it’s probably just part of the infection, but my body just shoots into panic mode! I’m so fed up of feeling like this :lac:

[Carys]

I know it’s probably just part of the infection

Yep, this !

The body takes time to heal, it can take weeks for swelling and tissue to slowly sort itself out. Have you never had anything in your life where a scar takes months to go (or leaves a permanent mark) ?

You have been diagnosed, given an antibiotic, the boil is improving....why are you looking for an alternative more sinister explanation?

You need to start working on this yourself - reassuring yourself, using logic. Say it out loud to yourself if needed, things which reenforce the likely reason for this remaining swelling by the boil.

If you are tired of being this way, tired of another day and another worry, which is certainly exhausting and not beneficial to your health in general, then take some smalls steps to try and re-train your brain into different ways to think about small health issues. Look up some self-help books, try some online free CBT (I think Terry has a link to them on his signature) or eve....

....write down your daily worry on A4. In a column next to it write what LIKELY BENIGN and NON SINISTER things could be causing it (this should include a fair number of things). In the next column write what the most unlikely rare reason for what you are experiencing, it might be illogical and impossible, but write it down. Then fold over that column and keep open the side which has all the logical, likely stuff and read it through the day to help reassure you. Once the issue has resolved, you can open up the other side and look and cross off the horrible sinister thing that you thought it might be ! Thusproving to yourself that you were wrong to even think it.

Whatever you decide to do - this takes effort to stop these thought processes - they won't just stop on their own. I know its horribly debilitating when you are in a spiral of fear and adrenaline, but you honestly can do something to solve it.

[BRAMBLE]

hello Limeslime

I have health problems which often makes me prone to boils and infected follicles..I have to say those boils do take time to go.and often ive had smaller fleshy lumps left behind after it or with infected follicles.some are even quite tender but nothing sinister has come of them..obviously new lumps should be checked out by a doctor but you have already been seen so it is most likely that this is just that "infected follicles" which will clear up eventually..i was given some sort of cream from the dr too so maybe ask for that next time you see the gp

[Limeslime]

Thank you both so much for your helpful advice!!! I’m feeling quite a lot better tonight!
I discovered a love of gardening today! Fresh air, exercise and distraction all rolled into one! Now, instead of my brain going into overdrive about scary symptoms, it’s planning and googling my gardening challenges. I just hope this good feeling lasts!!!

[Halle0587]

Limeslime, I’m the same way. In the past two weeks I’ve had to talk mySelf off the ledge quite a bit. Today in counseling I learned while in my safe and happy place where I feel the most calm I should do a gesture-crossing my fingers is mine-and when I need to feel that peace when I’m anxious I will cross my fingers again. I was told I’d have to do it 50-100 times before I could recall with the crossed fingers, but anything is worth a shot right?