Craziest most Selfdefeating symptom ever

[skitty]

Hows this for insane - for about the last 6 months I have been suffering off and on with a pain in the left side/back. I took it to the doctor (along with a lot of other stuff Id been saving up) - not easy with my phobias. She said she didnt know what it was (very reassuring) and that it was probably muscle tension and or gut pain from anxiety. I think if I went to her with a broken leg she would say it was anxiety related.
Anyway, she prescribed effexor and CBT. I did the CBT but not the Effexor and havent had a PA in that time.
Ive tried to relax be rational and not catastrophise the pain whenever it returns and have done really well until last night. I woke up as usual at 3 am with anxiety and pain and became convinced it was kidney cancer. Worried myself sick about this, felt huge fear, anxiety but surprisingly did not experience the heart pumping out of control PA I expected at this point!
Youd think this was a good thing but now I am convinced that what I have is adrenal cancer since they are obviously not working properly!!!!
I am losing my mind.:wacko:
My question is how does someone with health anxiety/medical phobia ever take care of themselves? It seems I am always blowing things out of proportion or maybe trying to ignore something that really needs seeing to! I cant tell the difference!:shrug:
Thanks for reading this overlong post. I hope someone can relate to what I am talking about.

[breeze25]

Sorry you are feeling so bad.

I can totally relate to worrying about something and then once thats sorted, moving on to something else.

i am finding that the more I find out about anxiety, the more I understand and the less I worry/panic, I feel its hold on me is lessening, what helped was that huge questionnaire where everyone answered yes or no to their symptoms, knowing that all those people had anxiety and that a lot had the same symptoms as me made me feel so much better.

Perhaps the reason you didn't panic was because deep down you perhaps realised that it was the anxiety.

[Blackstar]

Hi Skitty.

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time of it. :hugs:

Like everyone on this forum I can identify exactly what you're going through, and believe I posted a similar message myself not so long ago. It was along the lines of 'if I'm fine why do I feel so awful?' and 'something must be wrong with me - how can I ignore it? What if it's this, that or the other?'.

It's so hard to know what to do for the best, but I think trying to rationalise things can help. I try to remember that although GPs aren't perfect, they're not going to send you home if they think there's a chance you have something serious. I find it really useful to set time limits with symptoms. If, say, I get a headache 3 days in a row (no doubt due to tension, but my rational mind is often asleep), I say to myself, 'right, if it's as bad in a week I'll make an appointment'. Often the problem will lessen, but if not, then you know the doctor appointment isn't a knee-jerk reaction. Obviously with really scary symptoms it's hard, but it can work.

I don't know if you indulge in Google, but if so - stop! I feel so much less panicky since I stopped Googling my symptoms.

Aside from that, try keeping hold of the positives (I know it's hard, I really struggle cos there's always a 'yes, but I still feel awful'!). You are still alive and functioning today, you got through another night and you're okay.

Best wishes to you sweetie, you'll come through this. :flowers:

Anna. x