No Googling support thread [Archive]

carriewriting

04-02-20, 10:36

So I had a bit of a rock bottom moment tonight. I was spiralling about something health related that I've been obsessing about for weeks and felt close to a breakdown. I felt so overwhelmed by my health anxiety and so sick of having it.

Every single health anxiety recovery story I've read has one thing in common - don't Google. Ever.

I know this, but it's so hard. I relapse every few days and get back in the cycle.

My therapist suggested I try to get some accountability for not Googling. I don't feel comfortable doing that with people in my life, so wondered if it would be okay to do it here?

I would love it if people would join this thread so we can support each other not to Google symptoms or health related things that feed our anxiety.

So if you want to join the no Googling support thread, just comment below.

I'll start:

Hi, I'm Carrie and it's been 1 hour since I Googled something about my health :)

Bennyjj81

04-02-20, 11:01

Hi Carrie,

I'll throw my hat in the ring. Google has undoubtedly been a major factor in my current downward spiral. I've not googled anything yet today about my chronic headache and now dizziness (docs are adamant its stress and anxiety related) so I'm probably about 14hrs clean. Lets see how long we can go.....!

Ben

NancyW

04-02-20, 12:29

What a wonderful idea!

pulisa

04-02-20, 14:04

I think you should all commit to not mentioning your own symptoms either on this thread? Just stick to supporting each other to avoid googling or "consulting" other unhelpful medical sites?

Good luck-it's the only way to make a stand against HA and it's in your power to do it!

carriewriting

05-02-20, 02:01

I agree Pulisa. This thread is just for support and to share improvements in your health anxiety from not Googling. Please don't post about what you want to Google about or ask questions about health concerns.

Good on you Ben. Remember that Google only makes you feel worse in the long-run (and sometimes earlier too). Stay strong.

It's lunchtime here and I had a fleeting urge to Google something, but then remembered this thread and put my phone away :)

NancyW

05-02-20, 02:10

It's lunchtime here and I had a fleeting urge to Google something, but then remembered this thread and put my phone away :)

Whoop whoop!!! 👍💪

Fishmanpa

05-02-20, 02:15

I think you should all commit to not mentioning your own symptoms either on this thread.

:yesyes:

Positive thoughts

pulisa

05-02-20, 21:03

Symptom talk is so popular on here and very much a part of maintaining HA so it's even more of a challenge if it's banned on a thread!

I hope everyone reading the thread is doing well and keeping well away from Google and similar unhelpful sites. It gets easier once you realise how liberated you feel steering clear of internet rubbish.

pulisa

05-02-20, 21:06

Also having your own ways to cope with health concerns is far more empowering than having to rely on a soulless search engine

NancyW

05-02-20, 21:29

a soulless search engine

Sooooo perfect!

carriewriting

06-02-20, 05:17

2 days without Googling and my anxiety about the thing that shall not be named is still high, but I read this on Reddit and think it makes a lot of sense.

"Next time you feel anxious about your health and your mind is asking for that instant gratification seeking reassurance, do nothing. What will happen? Your mind will make you more anxious trying to persuade you that there is a danger and you must react by seeking reassurance. But if you keep on doing nothing about it, then your mind will think that there is no real danger and will stop asking you to google for symptoms."

Stay strong people.

pulisa

06-02-20, 08:30

"Sitting it out" is hard but very worthwhile. Red flag symptoms need urgent attention but vaguer stuff can wait and often symptoms abate once the brain isn't constantly trained onto fixating on them.

You always know what you're going to get with Dr Google so why bother? Make your own judgements and be in charge of your own health.

Phoenixess

06-02-20, 09:07

This was my cbt challenge not to google heart things last week, I did quite well and the same this week. Except I’m now severely depressed seems like my anxiety enjoyed reading and fantasising about spontaneous heart attack death/stroke/artery disease.....
I often wonder if my anxiety is a secret narcissist ??

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pulisa

06-02-20, 13:53

I think a lot of people get a morbid fascination from googling and scaring themselves reading about sinister diseases. Also from comparing and discussing symptoms on here.

pulisa

07-02-20, 08:49

Is anyone else currently posting on the HA board interested in trying to help themselves by joining this thread and getting support to stop googling symptoms?

ankietyjoe

07-02-20, 09:24

Something I found useful was an experiment I dreamed up when I had HA.

One day I sat down and decided to google a symptom I DIDN'T have. At that time it was boob pain (because I knew that my boobs weren't actual boobs). I knew that it was a safe search. It took me about 30 seconds to find cancer.

I then did the same thing with knee stiffness. Again, not a symptom I was suffering at that point. Even something as benign as joint pain led me to an article about cancer in a matter of minutes.

What I was trying to achieve was the idea that no matter what I searched for, it was absolutely going to lead to a website telling me I was dying, so what was the point in researching anything?

In other words, whatever you search for on google is going to tell you about something terminal. Every single time.

The body can experience thousands and thousands of diseases and conditions, the vast majority of them not terminal. But...it can only show you a handful of symptoms to describe them...so it stands to reason that multiple diseases can share that handful of symptoms.

NancyW

07-02-20, 12:30

ankietyjoe I SOOO wish we had a "like" tab... your post it great!

pulisa

07-02-20, 13:47

Yes it's a great post, Joe. I'd like to know why people know this yet continue to google though? What's in it for them? What benefit do they get?

ankietyjoe

07-02-20, 14:05

Imagine you were walking through the woods at night in the UK. We all know there is NOTHING dangerous that in the woods in the UK, worst case scenario is a startled badger.

Now, even though you know that, what would you do if you heard a twig snap in the trees? You would imagine the worst and think a bear was coming to eat you. It's instinct. You would have to check, you would have to know there is no bear there, even though you already know there can't be.

And I think it's the same with HA. You have to investigate the danger in order to feel safe, you have to check all possible scenarios. The trick is to intercept the subconscious moron and outsmart it with logic and biscuits.

pulisa

07-02-20, 17:52

But the irony is that you don't feel safe after checking all possible scenarios..You feel worse...and then you repeat the exercise endlessly.

I'd love to see a "regular" join this thread voluntarily just to prove that he/she wanted to be able to manage HA.

ankietyjoe

07-02-20, 18:04

ShaunRyder

07-02-20, 19:21

Really wish I saw this post before my latest HA worry!!

pulisa

07-02-20, 19:50

No you don't feel better, but it's still engaging the same part of the brain that thinks it will be by checking.

Like at night. I turn the lights off downstairs and walk upstairs to bed, and do I have to look back every night to check to see if there's anything in the dark room behind me? The room I was just sitting in for 5 hours. The room I JUST left? Of course I have to check. Because boogeymen.

I'm terrible for checking for safety issues and my brain is quite convinced that gas taps can turn themselves back on/doors can unlock themselves etc etc but I've got a way to cope with that and have learned to control the worst of it. I have to admit to recently falling off the bandwagon due to prolonged stress at home though so guilty as charged!:D

Pkstracy

08-02-20, 18:12

Google is the place where you type in sniffles and it tells you, you have cancer, also banged my knee, google will scream cancer, google is not a doctor it can't diagnose you, the only one that can is a doctor when I got cellulitis, I went to urgent care, I told the doctor that I believe I have cellulitis and I am scared, he goes let me guess you googled, I said yes, he laughed and said I wish my patients would stop doing that, he goes google makes it so much worse than what it really is, what google does is sweep through a bunch of medical articles and sites and lists the top hits and searches, then picks up on frequent keywords and then compile them to say anything and everything is cancer, I googled how to treat a hangnail once, and it came up cancer.

Phoenixess

08-02-20, 18:14

Really failing today with heart paranoia!!!! rubbish not happy at all

glassgirlw

09-02-20, 18:30

So I googled my symptoms yesterday and it told me lung cancer. Went to the doc today, it’s Influenza B. Google is not all knowing lol. Always seems to give the worst case results!!

so today I’m resisting googling “tamiflu side effects” and “influenza b”. I’ll just lay here and watch tv instead lol.

pulisa

09-02-20, 19:45

Trust your own GP, glassgirl, who has actually seen you and is treating you.What would be the point of using Dr Google?

Get well soon!

Cptdebbie

09-02-20, 20:50

Okay, I'm joining the group too. It's sooooo hard for me not to google. I am a trained and highly educated genealogist and historian. The part of my personality that makes these vocations perfect for me is that I have a "have to figure it out" gene. I essentially have lived my life researching and figuring out mysteries.

I hate not knowing what is wrong with my body or why it is doing something unusual. With my anxiety stuff, so often I go to the doctor and they give me a shrug. They don't know why this weird thing is happening to me. Sometimes the shrug comes after several invasive tests which I think have been detrimental to my overall health. Radiation, contrast, and all that stuff isn't good for our bodies.

As part of my healing, I need to accept that my body is going to be quirky sometimes and I'm not going to know why. Google freaks me out and often sends panicky me to my doctor. Doctors then often feel that they need to protect themselves by testing, testing, and more testing. It's a vicious circle.

So, consider me as part of the group. It has been two hours since I googled a symptom :) GO me!!!!

glassgirlw

09-02-20, 21:21

Trust your own GP, glassgirl, who has actually seen you and is treating you.What would be the point of using Dr Google?

Get well soon!

thats my plan! I’ve been burned so many times by Dr Google - gotta learn eventually!!

Cptdebbie

09-02-20, 23:51

Oh my gosh!!! I already googled. My left hand has been feeling strange, and I was thinking maybe I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome or something. So I looked up the symptoms. Wow!!! I think there was every disease in the book listed. YIKES!!!

Google is like an auto response for me. Do they have rehab for google? LOL

Allochka

10-02-20, 07:56

Hello guys,
wonderful thread, I’m joining!
I’m Alla, I was on meds for 2,5 years and was doing fine, then decided to go off meds and here we go - health anxiety returned after big stress at work. I googled and convinced myself I have brain tumor. Had MRI, all clear - but the very next day I convinced myself my 4,5 year old daughter has brain tumor! I MUST stop googling! At the moment for last 3 days I googled only health anxiety and was reading nomorepanic...
Let’s do it together!

ankietyjoe

10-02-20, 08:23

here we go - health anxiety returned after big stress at work. I googled and convinced myself I have brain tumor.

There's something very important to learn here.

This phrase is like saying 'here we go, my headache has returned after I drank a weeks worth of booze'.

It didn't return, you made it happen.

It's important to take responsibility for the cause/reaction cycle.

You've absolutely done the right thing by only researching anxiety, doing that is beneficial in the long run as it allows you to recognise the habits that fuel health anxiety.

Phoenixess

10-02-20, 08:25

I started to type “warning signs of a heart attack....” but I came here instead. I have had some very strange symptoms all weekend which have made my head bad but I’m still not sure if it all started with the Coronavirus fear or with the physical sensations I have been getting.
I’ve rang the GP so I can keep tackling the anxiety without ignoring something serious

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pulisa

10-02-20, 08:28

Give it time...It's a lucrative market! There are plenty of "victims" out there but they keep unscrupulous doctors' wallets filled..so private practice benefits from Dr Google consultations.

I think it helps to have a doctor who is firm and who will only refer you for tests if there is a clinical need. A doctor who will firmly challenge patient use of Dr Google as a diagnostic tool.

You are obviously highly intelligent and very well educated, Debbie, so why should an internet search engine be the oracle in terms of providing you with an accurate diagnosis? Is it because you need an instant explanation and answer to your health fears?

Phoenixess

10-02-20, 09:30

Spoken to GP today they are seeing me on Friday real Dr not Dr Google

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Fishmanpa

10-02-20, 13:40

One thing I've suggested many times here is to have a real life accountability partner. While this is a great idea for a support thread, how can one be sure Googling is not taking place? I've suggested using or installing parental controls on your browser and having your accountability partner block certain sites and keywords so you can't feed your dragon. They also would have the password so you can't get around them.

Positive thoughts

Cptdebbie

11-02-20, 03:49

Hi Fishmanpa, I totally agree with you about accountability. I am living all alone for the first time in my almost 60 years of life here on earth. I could spend every minute of every day on Google and no one would know. Being part of this group is as close as I can get. I’m going to treat it like AA. I’ve never been an alcoholic, but my husband and I volunteered to head up an addiction recovery program for our church. So, I know the protocol. Here goes:

My name is Debbie and I am an addict. I suffer from complex-PTSD. I was in an abusive relationship for nearly 40 years. Because I believe I am broken and have no value, that something terrible is always going to happen to me, and that I can’t trust my own thoughts, one of my problems is health anxiety. When my health anxiety is bad, I can’t stop searching Google. I seek reassurance from this non-human entity. Ninety percent of the time it ends up increasing my anxiety exponentially. I know I need to stop searching Google, but I continue to succumb to its allure. I am nevertheless going to keep trying.

My therapist says I need to replace my bad actions with good ones. So, I’ve decided to pray every time I am tempted to search google. I definitely could use the assistance of a higher power.

It has been two hours since I googled hand twitching.

Thank you, everyone, for your support.

Allochka

11-02-20, 19:44

Hi Debbie,
please continue “notgoogling” :-) You’ve been through a lot, no wonder your anxiety is high! I’ve heard that at the start not googling/not seeking reassuranse will make your anxiety even worse. But only in short-run. In long run it will get better and better!
I’ve come here right now because I felt an urgent need to google and reassure myself that another “symptom” I sorta noticed in daughter is nothing to worry about. but I didn’t google, knowing the consequences. I WON’T GOOGLE, I WON’T GOOGLE!
Pullimg all my willpower for this!

pulisa

11-02-20, 19:53

One minute on the screen, a lifetime in the memory.

resist the temptation and feel liberated?

Allochka

11-02-20, 19:58

Yes, I haven’t googled and managed to reassure myself using common sense :-]

Cptdebbie

12-02-20, 02:18

My name is Debbie and I’m an addict. I am addicted to googling bodily symptoms. It has been almost 24 hours since I last googled.

I am also going to add “checking” To my accountability posts on this thread. I did engage in some checking today. However, I am sworn to not check anymore.

AntsyVee

12-02-20, 05:17

I just wanted to say I think this thread is a fantastic idea!

pulisa

12-02-20, 08:31

It's a true support thread for brave people who are challenging their HA and who want to recover, not just blog their symptoms and look for reassurance/engagement with others who are similarly immersed in HA but who stay stuck and continue to stay stuck.

BlueIris

12-02-20, 09:06

May I please join as a non-checker? I haven't checked for 12 hours now and I want to keep it that way.

pulisa

12-02-20, 13:35

Good for you, Blue and it's great that you are joining the thread!

Scass

12-02-20, 20:12

Hello [emoji3]. I don’t think I google too much, I can’t remember the last time I did - maybe 2 weeks ago? But I will join because when I do get the urge I get it badly!

I did google “does everyone fart in their sleep” last night though - does that count? [emoji23]

pulisa

12-02-20, 20:47

Nope..that's just curiosity, Scass!:D

I hope everyone has coped well without the services of Dr G today..If not tomorrow is another day!

Tui911

12-02-20, 23:30

Hello, I'm new to this board and a Google addict too. I've definitely noticed that I tend to Google more when I am bored and have nothing interesting to do. Sometimes this happens when I am at work - I sit in the office all day, in front of a computer, with Dr Google available at my fingertips. I've spend a lot of time Googling yesterday but am resisting the urge to do so today. Also, what I noticed is that when I Google in relation to someone other than my immediate family, and the results spit out a range of possible causes including cancer, I never think it's cancer. But when it comes to me and my immediate family then it must be the worst possible cause.

AntsyVee

13-02-20, 04:54

Some humor for you all:

From an episode of the scurrilous Fox cartoon: Homer Simpson's wife, Marge, searches for mentions of herself in Google. Marge Simpson is impressed: "629,000 results. Wow. And all this time I thought that Googling yourself meant the other thing."

Cptdebbie

13-02-20, 08:45

Awesome quote Antsy ��

My name is Debbie. I failed at not googling today. I’ve come down with an intestinal bug, I think. I googled to see if one was going around. Tomorrow is a new day.

I did succeed at not checking. It may be because I was too sick, but I’ll take it.

Keep rocking friends :bighug1:

BlueIris

13-02-20, 08:48

Don't beat yourself up over it; we all slip up from time to time - if that even counts as a slip-up.

I'm getting better at not putting the light on when I use the bathroom, which is a great way not to check for blood ;)

pulisa

13-02-20, 08:49

Hello Debbie...

You googled for general information though, not to see what gruesome disease your symptoms could indicate...So it's ok!

I hope you feel better soon! x

Allochka

13-02-20, 11:45

Yes, Debbie, I guess such googling doesn't count as bad one. Get well!
And I come here this moment because I have another urgent need to google smth about my daughter and "symptoms" I thinks she is having. I feel the need to google so strong that I get great anxiety not doing so. But I WON'T GOOGLE !!!!

I know the results, I'll freak out even more. NO, NO, NO !!!!

BlueIris

13-02-20, 11:47

Exactly, you're stronger than that!

pulisa

13-02-20, 13:53

Allochka

13-02-20, 16:00

Thank you all for support!
And I didn't Google! Anxiety still here, but not as severe, and I don't feel compulsive need to Google at the moment :-)

BlueIris

13-02-20, 16:04

Congratulations! :bighug1:

Elise

13-02-20, 16:51

Hi!

seems like an impossible task for me, i've googled about ..erm..ten times today as im off sick from work, so twiddling my thumbs! However I will join you in giving it a go :D

Elise

pulisa

13-02-20, 18:03

Boredom and googling....always a lethal combination!

It's not an impossible task, Elise. It's very doable and a huge investment for a future liberated from google-inflicted HA panic.

ankietyjoe

13-02-20, 18:11

Hi!

seems like an impossible task for me, i've googled about ..erm..ten times today as im off sick from work, so twiddling my thumbs! However I will join you in giving it a go :D

Elise

It's just a habit you have to break, and ultimately a choice.

Instead of googling symptoms, why not google only anxiety and it's side effects? That can be productive as it creates a mental map of future symptoms and might make it easier to NOT overreact next time you experience something new.

Elise

13-02-20, 18:15

Very true guys! Thanks! Haven't googled since, had a tidy round instead :)

Hope you're all well

Elise

pulisa

14-02-20, 13:49

Hope everyone on this thread is ok and trying to stay Google-free. It's honestly the best path to choose..This board is full of people who still don't see that or would prefer not to.

Allochka

14-02-20, 14:57

I am not Googling!
But the bad thing is I remember too much medical stuff from Googling in the past. So too much info about horrible things is already in my head, and I can't "forget" it. This proves how dangerous Google is for us HAers.
At least I'm not drinking in any more info and not terryfying myself more and more

Scass

14-02-20, 16:06

I did google earlier. My daughter has a bad cold/cough and I googled ways to help her. I did only look on nhs though. I don’t know if this counts as rule breaking. - probably [emoji23]

Allochka

15-02-20, 19:08

I think this one also doesn’t qualify as bad googling :-)
I’m still not googling and feeling a bit better today!

BlueIris

15-02-20, 19:41

pulisa

15-02-20, 19:47

But you didn't google any health-related stuff though when you could have....So this is a successful day!

You were just planning ahead which is sensible.

Allochka

04-03-20, 20:50

Hello my friends! Have you googled health topics lately?
Ihaven’t, and feel so much better! Plus my meds are starting to kick in. I’m sure that with an effort I’ll be able to overcome this HA set-back
Good luck to us!

pulisa

04-03-20, 20:57

That's great news, Allochka! I'm so glad you have made significant progress and have binned Dr Google's number!

All the very best for your continued recovery!

Allochka

04-03-20, 21:10

Thank you, Pulisa!
Would be happy to see others are doing better

ankietyjoe

04-03-20, 21:35

...I've messed up horribly this weekend, I thought it didn't count because it wasn't health stuff, but...

I had a day out planned for today, somewhere I really wanted to go. I knew there was a storm coming, though, so I was convinced we'd have to cancel.

For the past week, I've been checking the forecast for both my home city and the one I was visiting pretty much every two hours. It looked as though it was going to be gales and torrential rain.

We went anyway. It was a bit wet and blowy, but basically just a February day. Bit ashamed of myself now.

I wouldn't stress that too much tbh.

We took the kids to Legoland during the half term and I checked the weather dozens of times the few days before we went. I still don't really like going to places like that because there's no swift exit once you're in, but I went. Just like you did! :)

JD8888

02-09-23, 17:59

New to this thread. Today is day one of no googling symptoms. It’s been very hard but this place has been such a wealth of positive information and amazing people it’s truly helped. Tomorrow is day one of no checking.

Hypo84

02-09-23, 18:45

Day 9 for me. I am not noticing any positive effects yet. Feeling the same, or even worse.

hotandbothered

02-09-23, 20:30

Hello! New to this thread. I’ve had a real issue with HA flare up for the last few months. Started CBT recently and finding it very confronting but determined to feel better. Tomorrow will be my first day of no googling

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