Severe health anxiety

[Kimbles]

Hi, don’t know where to start really. I have had health anxiety for years now, and I mainly panic about My two children getting ill/hurt. Lately it’s becoming worse and I can’t control My thought process if that makes sense. I obsess over everything. If one of them scratches themselves or falls over and grazes their knee I panic they will get a bad infection/sepsis. I often read something/someone’s experience then automatically think it will happen to My children. I’m always waiting for something to happen and can’t relax!! We are staying at My sisters’ for Christmas and have been panicking one of them will get sick and it’s happend!! I had images of My LG being sick and tonight she was. Now currently laying on the sofa with her and I can’t relax. Thinking because I had images of it happening that if I imagine something worse that will happen too!! Thanks for reading.

[NotDeadYet]

Kimbles,

I'm sorry you are experiencing this right now.

Our anxiety does a tricky little thing where it will seek ways to confirm its existence. You've been worrying about your kids getting sick because they've been around other kids. That's extremely logical and rational as kids share one another's germs. Your anxiety however is now telling you that you were right and that something worse is going to happen. At the end of the day, these thoughts are simply words in your mind. They are not real. You say you can't control your thought process but that isn't true. It just takes practice to recognize that you are having words come into your mind that you are creating a story for. When you notice that happening, I recommend taking five deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth and then say to yourself, "I'm having thoughts that ___________. These are just words and are not real." This will help you defuse your thinking from what is actually happening.

Best Wishes.

[Kimbles]

Thanks for your reply. Trying to tell Myself My brain/anxiety is making me worry. Having another bad day, but trying not to let it show. Will be tying some coping techniques.
Kim

[Kimbles]

I have posted already about My severe health anxiety and will be looking at getting the help I need.
I feel I always have something I worry about, and mainly about My children. My main worries are sepsis and meningitis. My daughter has a small cut on her finger. She doesn’t know how she done it, and hasn’t complained about it. But inside I’m panicking like a mad person!! Worrying it’s going to get infected and turn to sepsis!! I put cream on it when we got home, but I don’t know how long ago she done it. Trying to tell myself to stop worrying, then I tell Myself if I don’t worry it will turn bad. I’m not even googling cuts and if they can turn to sepsis as I know I will find something. I’m just constantly looking for signs.
Thanks for reading.
Kim XX

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

[Kimbles]

Hi, can someone help? I had a raw chicken in the fridge which was in the original packaging and also wrapped in another bag. I threw it out after a few days as it had a tiny hole in the original packaging and didn’t cook it in time. (I had seen the tiny hole and wrapped it back it the bag and put back in the fridge) after this I cut into a watermelon and put tin foil on top of the watermelon. I placed the watermelon on the bottom shelf where the chicken was. A day later I noticed that the watermelon was slightly touching the bag that the chicken was wrapped in. My girls have just had some watermelon. A slice was taken off the watermelon as it was a bit dry, then cut a fresh slice. Now I’m freaking out I have given them food poisoning and that something serious is going to happen!! I have read up on the bacteria you get from raw chicken, even the packaging and I can’t think straight because I’m panicking. Says it can take 2-5 days for symptoms to show.
Thanks for reading!!

[Fishmanpa]

Respectfully, this is totally irrational. Stop Googling!

Positive thoughts

[ErinKC]

I'm so sorry you're in this space right now. I've been there and it's so hard. Have you sought out any help for your health anxiety? I would urge you to do so for your children's sake alone. I grew up with a mother who had health anxiety about me and my brother. Every bump or bruise or fever or cough was potentially life threatening. She obsessed over every sound we made, what our breathing sounded like, how often we used the bathroom. She also would throw dinners away because she's get scared that the food wasn't cooked properly or didn't look right. As a child I brushed this off and thought she was crazy, but as an adult I developed severe health anxiety that almost completely mirror what I grew up with. Thankfully, mine is only focused on me and not my daughter. I've been in therapy for many years and my therapist suggested that I ended up with this anxiety because I grew up being taught that the world is not a safe place and that normal, safe things were actually dangerous. And, she still does it. Any time I'm sick with a cold or something and we speak on the phone she starts questioning me about my breathing and do I need to go to the doctor for an antibiotic, etc... I am not saying this to make you feel bad, but to give you some motivation to get help!

[ankietyjoe]

Thanks for your reply. Trying to tell Myself My brain/anxiety is making me worry. Having another bad day, but trying not to let it show. Will be tying some coping techniques.
Kim

It's not your brain doing it, it's you doing it by reading stories of worst case scenarios.

Stop feeding the nonsense, and you'll find it easier to let the irrational thoughts go too.