Why do anxiety sufferers think they have symtoms of other people?

[reddevil]

Hello all,

I lost a friend last week, she was 38 and died of cancer of the blood.

I'm still down over the matter as it was a shock and of course I suffer from anxiety, which has been worse since I heard the news.

One of her first symtoms apparently was feeling tired all the time, which made her visit the doctor.

Knowing this information from friends, it has triggered off my brain thinking I'm tired all the time and stressing that I have the same problem.

My wife said I had a blood test in March and it was normal, so try and concentrate positive thoughts.

Red

[manmoor]

Hi Red,

So sorry to hear about your friend :hugs: A while back I just had to hear someones symptoms and I'd develop them automatically. I've always wondered too how that can happen but for me it did and still can sometimes depending on how positive I'm feeling. I would agree with your wife you had blood tests done in March so try to put that idea out of your head :hugs: xxx

[northern_sky]

Sorry to hear about your friend.

I used to be obsessed I had a hernia as I have a pain somewhere down below (vague or what?) then I read of someone on a forum who had a burst ovarian cyst. Guess what I think my pain is now? I was awake most of the night worrying about it. As always with pains I can not let it go. 24 hours obsessed.

[breeze25]

Very sorry to hear about your friend.

Echo what has been said about your blood test, you rnot alone in developing peoples symptoms, I have also been known to do it too.

[neon_skyline]

i'm so sorry for your loss. i know how it feels to lose someone close to you in somewhat unusual circumstances and then imagine the same could be happening to you.

as my counsellor pointed out, everyone close to that person would feel a huge sense of loss and sadness, but not everyone would suddenly believe they could be suffering with the same problem. that's how i try to convince myself that it's just terribly sad and unfortunate and not something which is going to happen to me too.

take care of yourself and try and stay strong.

x

[Lindalou64]

anxiety is strange as we all know what u seem to have is health anxiety and i have empathy when i lose a friend i get loads of anxiety for there kids, spouse ec,t like i picked up on how there feeling at there time of loss or could be someone with bad money probs,or people who are real sad i feel that sadness also... weird isnt it........linda

[debera]

sorry to hear about your friend.i suffer health anxiety. i am the same way. when someone has a really bad illness i take on all the symptoms too. i guess the trick is to try and stay busy to distract yourself. i find it helps. hard i know.
debera

[Janieb]

sorry to hear about your friend, but you might find that tirdness and a collection of other things prompted their doctors visit. But I know how you feel about having symptoms. A friend of mine a while back was explaining how a close friend passed away and the thing that prompted a doctors visit was a pain in the shoulder, which was inface lukemia and so on and so forth. For a long time after that every time I had a pain in my shoulder I was almost convinced that I had something terrible, discarding the fact I had had a motorbike accident and sometimes my shoulder plays up :)

If you seriously worried i am sure a trip to the doctor can put your mind at rest. As Debra mention try and distract yourself.

Take care,
Jane

[reddevil]

I visited my doctor Friday and told him my friend had passes away and he was fully aware of this person.

I told him i'm feeling tired etc, he said i could have a blood test but it is not needed, which i said ok but today I'm wishing I had the blood test.

Why, because I'm focusing on my tiredness and legs and arms have started aching.

Wife told me to stop thinking about it etc but I keep asking myself, what if i ignore it and it is serious?

Any help would be thankfull.

Red

[luc]

I think the last line of your message is key to the understanding of HA >i am exacly the same - what if i miss something (that i know deep down is not really there)> I have relinqueshed some sense of responsibility and as i do not trust the medical profession It is all down to me. I think the problem lies here, but as yet i have not got any further in understanding why i need to control this situation. I would be really interested in anyones' thoughts on the bigger picture of HA as along with support this is what i would love to gain from this site. TAKE CARE ALL.

[AndrewG]

Hi reddevil,

I am pinpoint exactly like you, my friend passed away 3 years ago and since then my OCD turned to a health anxiety and Panic disorder.

I have had 9 blood tests, 6 chest x-rays, 2 ultrasounds, 8 ecgs and 1 treadmill test all telling me I'm as fit as a fiddle. I'm fine for a while and then I need re-assurance I am a 36 year old male with a loving wife and daughter and I know I'm becoming aburden now with all my worry. Blood tests are the bain of my life in fact I have another one booked for next Tuesday so that will make ten (in three years). I know I'm well I just need re-assurance my wife tells me this, I don't trust doctors ayway and I'm always researching my ailments on the internet.

I have reached a point in my life now where I am trying to stop this constant need for reassurance. After this next test that's it for me I'm ruining my life and that of my family because I just go very insular and uninterested in anything apart from my health.

reddevil all I can say is the more tests you have the more difficult the cycle to break. I am going to try a new way of dealing with my disorder and I'll let you know how it goes I've done CBT tried Meditation (not great with that) and I'm going to try something I've seen on the internet "the linden method" in the hope that it works I'm sceptical about everything but I know in the end it's just me hurting me!

Speak soon

Andrew.

PS Keep your chin up at least you're not a Welsh Rugby supporter like me! We are gonna get beat bad!!

[spacebunnyx]

hi,

i'm so sorry to hear about your friend and i hope you feel better.
i'm the same about symptoms etc.. my mother is a dr and always tells me the latest from the hospital or her friend who's ill (i'm not sure why she does it - she knows i have HA!) and i always seem to be able to make my symptoms mirror the condition that someone has had by focussing obsessively on that area (at the moment its my neck and chest). anyway, i'm going to ask for some cbt now as its become really debilitating (i haven't been able to work properly for a couple of months- following a real life health scare- that is now manifesting itself in health anxiety (well i hope it is and i'm not really seriously ill!).

anyways, all the best and i hope you feel better soon. xxx

[reddevil]

I just wished I had accepted the blood test as my joints are all aching and i feel tired, trying not to google for symtoms of Leukaemia as I'm convinced i have it.

Red

[AndrewG]

I have loads of joint pains too, I've been checked before for these and the tests came back clear. No arthritis, no cancer, no diabetes you name it they tested for it.

Just Me!

Speak soon

Andrew

[luc]

Its like an alcholic though - just one last drink. In this case one last test. My fight is now with myself to not have any further tests because i know it will not end there.