Health Anxiety & me.

[Manc12]

So. I *think* I've been suffering health anxiety for a number of years now. In the past I've convinced myself a heart attack was imminent and that I had various cancers. But upon seeing "Dr Google" the symptoms always come back as possible anxiety.

I've never seen anyone for this. Nor have I ever had ANY serious illness.

I've recently started getting twitches all over after reading an article about a footballer diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The more I read about it the more of the early symptoms I've started to have. I've imagined weakness and loss of balance and convinced myself this must be MND/ALS. I've seen the doctor just in case and have blood tests tomorrow.

It's started to give me sleepless nights. However. I've recently started browsing this forum and it has helped a lot.....Fact is, there is a miniscule chance I have anything serious. But a huge chance I have health Anxiety.

So I'm not here for people to reassure me on what I don't have. But more for advice on how to cope with my health anxiety and how I can put thes ridiculous feelings to the back of my mind.

Thanks in advance.

[BlueIris]

I'll get keelhauled for saying this, but as a long-term sufferer, antidepressants are incredibly helpful.

In all seriousness, though, meditation seems to work for most people - it does for me, too, I just need my SSRIs to get me into a position where I'm in a fit state to do so.

There's tons of good resources available on the site, so why not take a look?

[NotDeadYet]

Manc12,

Welcome! I hope that you find the the help you are looking for here at No More Panic. You seem to be in a much better spot than I was when I found this site. Much like you, I stumbled upon NMP while in the throws of a health crisis, mine was lymphoma. After several doctors visits and some incredibly logic jogging posts by in-tune users on this site, I was finally able to snap out of it. I finally got into some therapy where we worked on the underlying issues causing my anxiety plus some excellent cognitive behavior therapy to give me the tools for when my HA flares. HA will always be a part of my life however I've been able to manage the times in a much more healthy manner since I've gone to therapy. I now follow and respond threads on NMP as part of my own recovery in *hopefully* helping others through it as well.

Best Wishes.

[lofwyr]

So. I *think* I've been suffering health anxiety for a number of years now. In the past I've convinced myself a heart attack was imminent and that I had various cancers. But upon seeing "Dr Google" the symptoms always come back as possible anxiety.

I've never seen anyone for this. Nor have I ever had ANY serious illness.

I've recently started getting twitches all over after reading an article about a footballer diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The more I read about it the more of the early symptoms I've started to have. I've imagined weakness and loss of balance and convinced myself this must be MND/ALS. I've seen the doctor just in case and have blood tests tomorrow.

It's started to give me sleepless nights. However. I've recently started browsing this forum and it has helped a lot.....Fact is, there is a miniscule chance I have anything serious. But a huge chance I have health Anxiety.

So I'm not here for people to reassure me on what I don't have. But more for advice on how to cope with my health anxiety and how I can put thes ridiculous feelings to the back of my mind.

Thanks in advance.

You may not really feel it, but there are a lot of positives in your post. Even just recognizing your symptoms *could* be anxiety, that is huge. The people far down the rabbit hole cannot fathom that all these symptoms we feel could be anxiety and nothing more. You have a real shot at getting out of this without getting in too deep.

Can you learn some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques, even online if you cannot get professional help? It really helped me a lot.

[Manc12]

Hi all. Thanks very much for your responses. I will certainly look into cognitive behavioural therapy. I am going to try and avoid medication though as I don't really think this is needed. I am not overly anxious in my day to day life. It's more when I get a health related niggle that I start googling.

But the way I look at it is that I've had this going on ten years and I'm still here. So these latest twitches are probably one of a million things, so I need to stop believing and fearing the worst and just concentrate on the fact it's probably nothing. Or my anxiety. As the symptoms started AFTER I read up on a disease. So I figure my mind is playing tricks on me.

[NotDeadYet]

Manc12,

Honestly your posts are quite impressive as you are logically thinking through your situation. You are already practicing CBT without knowing it!! Way to go!

Best Wishes.

[Manc12]

Manc12,

Honestly your posts are quite impressive as you are logically thinking through your situation. You are already practicing CBT without knowing it!! Way to go!

Best Wishes.

Thanks. Do you know what the mad thing is. Since reading this forum and posting this message. I've barely even noticed my twitching. And I'm not even worried about them at all. I'll still go for my blood tests tomorrow. But just shows a positive mind really does help the HA.