View Full Version : Having an HA attack on holiday! Help!
Please help!
I’m on holiday with my husband and kids. We’ve came to a lovely log cabin in a tranquil, countryside setting. I thought this place would be great to relax and forget about everything.
But instead, I’m having the most severe health anxiety attack I’ve had in months!
This isn’t fair on my family. I’m ruining the holiday!
Please can anybody give me some advice to tame this dragon quickly?!
Strangely I'm normally more at peace with my HA whenever I'm on hols!
Firstly, I would recommend taken a few moments to settle yourself. Maybe go into the bathroom, toss some cold water onto your face. Take some deep breaths. Once you feel more put together go and sit with your husband/kids- try to play a game together. Something that will take your mind off of your worries, if they are gone to bed. Find something to keep your busy! Playing a game on your phone, reading up on things you can do together the next day.
I hope you feel more at peace x
Thanks Sarah!
I agree, I usually feel better on holiday too!
The only thing I can think that has caused this, is that it’s my time if the month...and my anxiety is always worse when my period is due. To make matters worse, my period came a week early....so this shouldn’t even be happening!
I actually cannot believe just how bad this HA episode is though! I’m spiralling so, so badly!
I’m gonna get some sleep now, and hope I feel better tomorrow!
Thanks Sarah!
I agree, I usually feel better on holiday too!
The only thing I can think that has caused this, is that it’s my time if the month...and my anxiety is always worse when my period is due. To make matters worse, my period came a week early....so this shouldn’t even be happening!
I actually cannot believe just how bad this HA episode is though! I’m spiralling so, so badly!
I’m gonna get some sleep now, and hope I feel better tomorrow!
I tend to be worse when i have time to think. If i say sit and enjoy the scenery i will usually find something to worry about. I think distraction is key. Go for a walk, or mind puzzle games tend to help me. If you are in need of a quick distraction but are out and about try counting back from 100 by 7. Easy but challenging enough to quickly distract yourself. You could decide to say to yourself that you will worry about it when you get back from your hols. Enjoy your holiday. Your worry can wait till you get back.
My anxiety always spikes just before my period, too. It's so annoying! But, if you listen to how you're talking about this it's clear that you know it's anxiety and nothing more. That's great, even though you feel terrible! You aren't here posting about your symptoms or what you think is physically wrong, but rather pointing out that you're in a bad anxiety state. Try to focus on that - it's anxiety, you're not in danger. It doesn't feel good, but you're ok.
My anxiety sometimes spikes on vacation because I'm away from home and the familiar and it can be unsettling.
Thanks everyone for your kind replies.
I’m back home now, and feeling a lot calmer.
I’m devastated that happened!
My HA is very focused on breast cancer. I spent the whole holiday popping to the bathroom every ten minutes to check my breasts under a “new” lighting than what I have at home! It was like I was possessed! I couldn’t stop looking, and was convinced I could see dimpling and puckering. I was also obsessing over minor breast changes that I’ve previously seen my GP about and been told were ok.
I also found a hard lump....but I’m gonna monitor it for a few days and see if it is just related to my menstrual cycle as this has happened before!
But the worst part was the panic symptoms that I couldn’t switch off. I’ve never had that so bad! I felt dizzy and sick with worry constantly. I felt like I wanted to vomit and cry...and just go to bed and pull the duvet over my head.
My brain was trying to tell me that this was just anxiety, but I couldn’t shut it down no matter how hard I tried.
I’ve actually scared myself with how far down the rabbit hole I went!
I feel Calmer now. I’m just trying to work out why it happened so that I don’t have to go through that again!
Unicorn1985
03-06-19, 18:05
Just wanted to send some love. I’m fixated on my breasts and have been for six months now. I recently came back from holiday and I too really struggled. I keep getting pain in my right breast and sometimes my left which is not linked to my cycle (I think my bras don’t fit correctly and I’m right handed so move that side more). I spent most of the holiday in a panic in my mind, whilst desperately trying not to show it to my kids. I ended up arguing with my husband as I wasn’t in the mood one evening (I think he was gutted as he was hoping I would relax and I bit at him).
its to hard. My counsellor said I won’t allow myself to have happy times, like I’m punishing myself. I just can’t stop panicking about breast cancer. When you spiral it’s so hard to get out of it. I’m currently on the edge of spiralling I can feeel it and I keep trying to give myself a good talking too.
sorry for war and peace. I just wanted you to know you aren’t alone. X
Unicorn, thank you so much! It’s so reassuring to know that I’m not alone in this!
I’ve made an appointment with my GP on Wednesday to talk this through, though I don’t know what I’m expecting from it!
I honestly feel like a breast ultrasound would be the only solution! The alternative is to go back on medication which I really don’t want to do 😞
Unicorn1985
03-06-19, 23:20
Unicorn, thank you so much! It’s so reassuring to know that I’m not alone in this!
I’ve made an appointment with my GP on Wednesday to talk this through, though I don’t know what I’m expecting from it!
I honestly feel like a breast ultrasound would be the only solution! The alternative is to go back on medication which I really don’t want to do 😞
It is awful and I’m sick of feeling this way personally.
My husband has suggested that I too go for an ultra sound but my health anxiety has gone so far I’m now terrified of going to the Drs. Which is silly because a diagnoses doesn’t change whether you have cancer or not. With out one you still have cancer if you have it. If that makes sense.
i guess the question you need to ask yourself is, will it stop the anxiety having a scan? Say you go, they say all is fine. Will you be ok for a few days and then it will start Again? Either with you doubting what they’ve told you or fixating on something else.
Ive has so many cancers over the past two years I would be dead now if it were true. So my thinking is if I go for a scan I’m sure I’ll be buzzing if I’m one of the lucky ones that gets the all clear but I know with in a matter for of days or weeks it will start again. It will be back to throat cancer, or pancreatic cancer etc.
Are you having counselling? I am and it’s helped me to understand what triggered my health anxiety. I can recognise more now what triggers it. I also find too much free time makes me spiral. On Sunday we spent all day in the garden. Real physical work. I had a sports bra on and I had no pain in my boobs at all. It only started again when I put an underwire bra back on and I wasn’t distracted. So I started fixating on it.
Health anxiety is so awful and I find people in my personal life are so dismissive of it. I don’t want attention I just want to be happy. I’m sure it’s the same for you but living in fear is crippling x
I don’t know why but I’ve had bad episodes of ha whilst being away, i don’t know if it’s because I feel like I’m away from my comfort zone or because the days tend to be much slower, therefore allowing too much thinking time. Mornings tend to be the worst. I find that if I use every little ounce of energy I can gather and just keep moving it can ease the intensity a bit. Instead of lying in bed once I wake up just getting up (as difficult as it may feel)
Thank you for your replies!
I’m getting married next year, and going on an amazing honeymoon abroad. I cannot risk a break-down like that again whilst on holiday so I need to get this sorted out one way or another.
My HA has only ever been limited to melanoma and breast cancer. I’ve recovered (or maybe suppressed) the melanoma HA thanks to a wonderful GP who really educated me about it. Now I feel that I need to address the breast cancer HA in the same way.
I still have a hard lump in my breast near my sternum....it’s not really changing. I think it’s a cyst as it feels quite fluid-y between my fingers, but if I press it from above, it feels almost like s marble. I’m gonna get it checked at my GP tomorrow, and hopefully get a much needed referral to the breast clinic. I’m trying to cling on to the euphoria I will feel when the scan shows that everythingbid fine, rather than worry about “what if”.
I truly believe that if it can be proven on a scan that I don’t have BC, I might actually be able to start moving on from my health anxiety! But I need to eliminate the doubt first! Then I can work on the psychological side!
UPDATE:
I went to see my GP this morning about the hard lump in my breast. She felt it straight away and said she thinks it is a cyst. I hope that’s true....do they generally say things like that to keep you calm?
Anyway, she has referred me to the breast clinic.
I’m relieved to finally get some closure on my breast issues, BUT here starts a very anxious 2 week wait!
Unicorn1985
05-06-19, 18:21
I find most gps don’t do reassurance. So if she was concerned she probably would of said I can feel it and I will refer you. Then if you pressed her she probably would of listed the possibilities of what it could be. When I went about a lymph node behind my ear last year she said come back in two weeks, we will run some blood tests to rule out things like cancer. Straight to the point basically. I think like with cancerous nodes breast lumps that are cancerous can feel different to cysts etc x
Hi I’m currently on holiday, I’ve had Breast Cancer 12 years ago, being referred to a Breast Clinic is standard practice, they treat everything there including cysts etc, so don’t be alarmed.I am no Dr but I think you will be absolutely fine. Im in a lovely villa in Majorca but I’m all over the place today anxiety wise, I’ve had such a hard time in the last few months, I’ve lost my dad, losing my job in July, and had a massive fall out with family members.
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