Severe Health Anxiety is ruining me.

[AnxiousBen2020]

Hey guys,

So for a couple of weeks now I've been getting sporatic pains in various places in my body (shoulders, back, arms). I lost my job working in a dog kennels back in March (on my feet 8-9 hours a day) when Covid started and have since then done nothing but spend 8-11 hours either sitting at a PC or lying down in bed with little to no exercise and a very poor diet. (Waking up at 12pm and not going to bed until 4-5am most nights)

I'm 28, 5 ft 6 and weigh 11st 13 lbs so I'm classified as obese.

I've got a blood test coming up this week, but I suffer from severe anxiety and I keep thinking this is going to be something like cancer and it completely terrifies me.

My parents think the pain is because I've went from having a very active job to spending the last 5-6 months doing nothing but sitting in front of a computer and going to bed, but my mind is telling me its something completely sinister 🥺

[nomorepanic]

I agree with your parents on this one.

You have been doing nothing so the body will object to it and ache more.

Why not get out for a walk and do something to get moving again?

[BlueIris]

With Nicola and your parents here. Chances are that the problems are caused by poor posture; it happened to me because I was working from home for 5 months.

[AnxiousBen2020]

I've started taking my dog for a 8 mile walk everyday and the symptoms aren't as prominent as to when I'm sitting or lying down so they're probably right, but googling symptoms has ramped my anxiety to a 9.

[BlueIris]

Yeah, Google isn't your friend.

[AnxiousBen2020]

Thanks for the replies 😃. I thought I got a hold on my anxiety after suffering from intrusive thoughts a few years back, for it to return to this level really sucks.

[jayke]

I too have been inactive for months and now get pains all over. I was designed to move so need to move! Going for a long walk tomorrow :)

[Lu88]

Hey dude. I am currently in a deep spiral and have just had sense knocked into me on here so I wanted to hopefully do the same for you as I totally empathise with how you're feeling right now. Severe HA is consuuuuuuming and horrendous.

During the lockdown I tried to workout daily at home, but also spent A LOT of time just lay on a couch browsing the web as we lost our jobs due to covid. I went from being a busy and social woman to a couch potato. Between the couch potato thing, definitely lifting weights wrong at home, hardly moving from one position all day at the computer, etc - I developed what I think was sciatica. Well, it caused a spiral. I thought I had so many fatal diseases, I was in a hole of doom in lockdown.

It lasted approx. three months - today though? Completely gone. I started doing NHS stretches for lower back pain (check them out), youtube stretches and yoga every day and it really helped. I didn't see the point at first because I was convinced it was sinister but I knew I had to stick at it and fight the HA, I'm glad I did, the stretches helped my body and mind.

Also, once you become hyperaware everything will feel ten times worse, your anxiety will also cause your body to tense up resulting in even more pain from your tight muscles - don't underestimate this, physical manifestations of anxiety are very very VERY real. You do not have cancer, you probably need to lose some weight and move more. I'd put money on it.

Also, dehydration can cause sore muscles as they don't have enough lubricant to rest and recover from life.

Please please don't worry. This is another spiral, it can't hurt you but it can drive you mad! Xxx

[NoraB]

I've got a blood test coming up this week, but I suffer from severe anxiety and I keep thinking this is going to be something like cancer and it completely terrifies me.

Doing nothing for 6 months after being very active in your job will have an effect on your body. For a start, your metabolism slows down and you will put on more weight if you don't exercise, and if maintain the same (or more) calorie intake.

Losing your job is a massive stressor, and anxiety brings with it literally hundreds of physical symptoms - pain (in all parts of the body) being one.

From your short paragraph, I'm seeing someone who is anxious (therefore will be tensing parts of the body) is inactive, and is sitting in front of a computer all day long which could also explain the back, shoulder and arm pain.

You need to start moving cocker!