Yellowpolka
09-09-19, 12:23
Hello. I suffer from anxiety and depression, but I came here to seek advice on my bf. I originally posted this on another website and they directed me here, telling me that it is probably health anxiety:
So, I'm sure he has some sort of anxiety but he won't see a doctor and tells me he is fine... But I can tell he is not.
Maybe someone here can help me identify the issue. It goes like this; everytime he finds something he deems to be "abnormal, different or unhealthy" about his body, he obsesses over it. The first time this happened he went to the doctor over a lump in his side (fair enough, it seemed like it shouldn't be there) the doctor said everything was fine but if he got more symptoms to let him know. A few weeks go by with him constantly worrying about it, asking me if I think it looks different, crying about how he doesn't want to die.. I try and comfort him the best I can, tell him its OK to feel this way and that maybe he should go see a doctor about mental illness....
So this sort of went away by itself, until a month or so later when he just felt like he was going to die, same things happened, he would experience symptoms and look them up, find the worst case scenario and worry about it, checking his stools every time, losing his appetite (usually a big eater)... I'd see him crying from time to time and he would explain that he was worried he would die.... That calmed down too...
Until he visited the dentist. She told him that he hadn't taken care of his teeth as much as he could, but it is "mostly reversable" he focuses on the "mostly" part, thinks he's going to have terrible health problems due to gum disease... This time it is worse, because he is going to the bathroom and brushing his teeth.. (twice a day as he should) but he doesn't come out for at least an hour, sometimes two... I'm really worried about him now. No matter what I tell him he will not listen, and I love him, I want to support him, I want to understand him. I want to help convince him that this is a mental issue...
Please I need advice on how to help because I can't force him to see a doctor.
So, I'm sure he has some sort of anxiety but he won't see a doctor and tells me he is fine... But I can tell he is not.
Maybe someone here can help me identify the issue. It goes like this; everytime he finds something he deems to be "abnormal, different or unhealthy" about his body, he obsesses over it. The first time this happened he went to the doctor over a lump in his side (fair enough, it seemed like it shouldn't be there) the doctor said everything was fine but if he got more symptoms to let him know. A few weeks go by with him constantly worrying about it, asking me if I think it looks different, crying about how he doesn't want to die.. I try and comfort him the best I can, tell him its OK to feel this way and that maybe he should go see a doctor about mental illness....
So this sort of went away by itself, until a month or so later when he just felt like he was going to die, same things happened, he would experience symptoms and look them up, find the worst case scenario and worry about it, checking his stools every time, losing his appetite (usually a big eater)... I'd see him crying from time to time and he would explain that he was worried he would die.... That calmed down too...
Until he visited the dentist. She told him that he hadn't taken care of his teeth as much as he could, but it is "mostly reversable" he focuses on the "mostly" part, thinks he's going to have terrible health problems due to gum disease... This time it is worse, because he is going to the bathroom and brushing his teeth.. (twice a day as he should) but he doesn't come out for at least an hour, sometimes two... I'm really worried about him now. No matter what I tell him he will not listen, and I love him, I want to support him, I want to understand him. I want to help convince him that this is a mental issue...
Please I need advice on how to help because I can't force him to see a doctor.