Struggling with health anxiety

[Xjasmine]

Hi all.
Just wondering if anybody has any advice.
Since my 2nd child was born 3 years ago i have been suffering from health anxiety. To the point i was having numerous trips to the doctors and hospital within the first year. After that it calmed down a little. But still played in the back of my mind. 2 years after having her, i fell pregnant again. And since having my daughter 3 months ago i have been even worse. To the point i actually believe i have some sort of cancer, or i am dying. I literally think about it 24/7 mainly about how my kids would cope as i am a single mother. They all have different dads so makes me sad when i see them playing and how much love they have for each other for that to be taken away. I have cried over the thoughts on many occasions. Its literally taking over my life. I have been dealing with chest pain for the past year which hasnt been investigated fully and all i keep thinking is lung cancer. And tonight my upper lip has started twitching which has never happened before and googled it to see neuron disease etc. And now im panicking. I literally feel so sick and scared :(
I don't know what to do anymore. Its not the thought of dying itself that scares me. Its leaving my children. But every little pain i immediately think its something serious, or an extra symptom of the cancer i believe to have. And i hate that i think im dying every single day. How do i get past this ?
Also it lip twitching a serious sign of anything? I wish i didnt google it now!!

[Health-Anxiety-Sad]

Hi Xjasmine

Like you I suffer with crippling health anxiety and spend alot of my time convinced I have cancer and am dying. I have a 2 yr old and a 1 yr old and although I was always anxious it got significantly worse and became orientated around my health after kids. I dont really have any advise as such but your story was so like mine I wanted to respond and say your not alone. This is a cruel condition that robs you of joy and you cannot live in the moment and enjoy your kids due to fear. I can reassure you that I have lip twitching and so do many people on this site. Have you tried therapy or medication? I have done both but unfortunately I have not been 'cured'. Some days are better than others but I am obsessed with my health and that Im going to die along with having physical symptoms most of the time. I think if going to the Dr helps its OK to go. I dont think your time wasting if you can put your mind at ease. Try and do things that distract you and make you happy. Its not easy with 2 small kids x

[EmmerLooeez]

Jasmine,

I was like this after each of my three pregnancies. I think for those of us that struggle with anxiety anyway, the combination of wild post natal hormones and lack of sleep just makes it so much worse.

Of course if something happened to you it would be terrible, but it won't happen. Can you rationally see that you moved on from lung cancer to a neurological disorder really quickly and you've probably got neither?

Are you getting any support? From friends and family or from mental health services? Maybe antidepressants? My health visitor was amazing with my anxiety and would see me weekly, I got support from a charity called Home Start - look them up! I also had a mental health nurse and a few very good loved ones. You have to ask for help, sometimes over and over, but it's there. Do what you have to do to get yourself well and anxiety free for your little ones. You can do this xxx

[ErinKC]

I'm sorry you're going through this! I suffered very bad postpartum anxiety that was extremely similar to yours. My daughter is 4 now and I still struggle with it on and off and am still in therapy. Your twitching is almost certainly anxiety related. I get a lot of twitching and numbness when I'm anxious.



So many people struggle with anxiety after pregnancy. What you're experiencing is so normal. But, do seek help! Therapy was a life saver for me, and I know so many moms who have gone on medication after birth to help them cope with the postpartum hormonal roller coaster.



Good luck!