View Full Version : Here’s what you should be REALLY worried about
Anyone who’s been on here long enough knows that around 10-15 years ago I was seriously crippled with health anxiety. To the point where I was poking through my own stools with a cocktail stick thinking that undigested kidney beans were patches of blood from stomach cancer...
I’m now completely free of it. Have been for years. Look at my post history if you don’t believe me.
Forget coronavirus, heart palpitations, cancer, als, ms etc. Because here’s what you need to REALLY worry about:
Picture yourself right now on your deathbed, with mere hours to live.
You’re about to enter oblivion. Everything you could have done with your life, you can’t do. You can’t repeat your journey - it’s done. That’s it. The end. Your life is over, forever.
Did you spend that precious life having as much fun as was physically possible? Or did you spend most of it crying on the couch because you were so convinced that the doctor missed your brain tumour that was causing all of your migraines?
I utterly WASTED most of my 20s worrying about my health. I will never get that time back, and I will never forgive myself for that.
What a complete waste of some of the best years of my life.
Do not repeat my mistakes. Do not waste your precious life worrying about your health, just enjoy whatever time you have.
I feel this should be mandatory reading for anybody with HA who signs up to this forum. Bless you.
Im going through bad HA at the moment with my stomach and bowels. I just want to be free of it :(
Phoenixess
11-03-20, 00:32
Anyone who’s been on here long enough knows that around 10-15 years ago I was seriously crippled with health anxiety. To the point where I was poking through my own stools with a cocktail stick thinking that undigested kidney beans were patches of blood from stomach cancer...
I’m now completely free of it. Have been for years. Look at my post history if you don’t believe me.
Forget coronavirus, heart palpitations, cancer, als, ms etc. Because here’s what you need to REALLY worry about:
Picture yourself right now on your deathbed, with mere hours to live.
You’re about to enter oblivion. Everything you could have done with your life, you can’t do. You can’t repeat your journey - it’s done. That’s it. The end. Your life is over, forever.
Did you spend that precious life having as much fun as was physically possible? Or did you spend most of it crying on the couch because you were so convinced that the doctor missed your brain tumour that was causing all of your migraines?
I utterly WASTED most of my 20s worrying about my health. I will never get that time back, and I will never forgive myself for that.
What a complete waste of some of the best years of my life.
Do not repeat my mistakes. Do not waste your precious life worrying about your health, just enjoy whatever time you have.
I’m tempted to print this out and put it on my bedroom wall thank you [emoji120]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Absolutely!
Reminds me of those lamenting the death of someone they knew who was "wonderful, great, good, full of life" etc, yet rarely spent time with them or gave them any importance when they were ALIVE.
Life is short, and frequently cruel, so show your love for those you really do appreciate and don't waste time consumed by your own fear of illness and mortality, because life is so much more than just YOU.
Well said. I hope everyone on the boards reads your post.
But do forgive yourself for your 20s. It sounds like you've learned powerful lessons and your life is better off for them moving forward.
Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
Well said. I hope everyone on the boards reads your post.
But do forgive yourself for your 20s. It sounds like you've learned powerful lessons and your life is better off for them moving forward.
Thank you. I will always have a twinge of regret about the sheer amount of time I wasted, but yes I'm a stronger person for having gone through that.
Brilliant post skippy and very considerate of you to share. :)
Brilliant post skippy and very considerate of you to share. :)
You're very kind thank you.
ToasterOvens
11-03-20, 21:40
Good post. I had a similar experience in my 20s.
To be honest, maybe there's something about our 20s that cause health anxiety. Its a major time in everyone's life with things like college, jobs, girlfriends, etc.
Never beat yourself up over it though. There is something to be learned from every life experience, good or bad.
I've never thought of using cocktail sticks. Thanks for the tip 😂
elysemarie123
12-03-20, 22:41
THIS IS SO HELPFUL. I really needed to read it today. I have been reeling with this coronavirus stuff. I live in the US and even though my area doesn't have any cases yet (or any within hundreds of miles), I dove right into the HA pool. I didn't even bother putting on sunscreen and just jumped right in. I think I have redone YEARS of work with my HA because of covid.
I did take some proactive steps - delete all social media, delete news apps from my phone, limit the news I consume (which is very hard) and I'm still having trouble. BUT this post. This is what I need to focus on. No amount of worrying will prevent me from getting covid. Hand washing will. THANK YOU for the sobering reminder.
I said as much before on another thread in a reply to you but this is brilliant! Having been here while you were in that spiral and to see you come out the other side in such a positive way is inspiring.
Positive thoughts
An excellent post. I am now 49, have a couple potentially life ending conditions, none of which actually worry me at all, and feel the same way you do. I have vowed to never let anxiety have the reigns like it did in my 20s. Never.
Are there times the anxiety--for many reasons, not just health--come raging back? Sure. But I have a lot of tools to deal with it now and I do so.
I am not perfect, I do not always make the right decision, and I have a harder time with anxiety some days more or less than others, but I can recognize it as anxiety, and that is usually my first step to doing away with it. When my stomach pain is acknowledged as anxiety, the first thing that happens, is it usually fades away.
I have two conditions that could actually kill me, and generally speaking, I have never been happier in my life.
An excellent post. I am now 49, have a couple potentially life ending conditions, none of which actually worry me at all, and feel the same way you do. I have vowed to never let anxiety have the reigns like it did in my 20s. Never.
Are there times the anxiety--for many reasons, not just health--come raging back? Sure. But I have a lot of tools to deal with it now and I do so.
I am not perfect, I do not always make the right decision, and I have a harder time with anxiety some days more or less than others, but I can recognize it as anxiety, and that is usually my first step to doing away with it. When my stomach pain is acknowledged as anxiety, the first thing that happens, is it usually fades away.
I have two conditions that could actually kill me, and generally speaking, I have never been happier in my life.
Good on you, sounds like you’ve got an excellent attitude towards it, which I always say is half the battle.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.