What do I do

[MattBananafone34]

Guys I’m honestly so scared. Everyday I wake up and Brain Cancer is on my mind. Headaches in the morning. They come and go throughout the evenings. I’m nauseous right now in the morning. Sometimes I have a loss of appetite. I don’t know what to do. I feel so alone and I feel like there is no light. This is the absolute worst I’ve ever been. I’ve lost a couple pounds too.

[ankietyjoe]

What are you doing about your anxiety?

[MattBananafone34]

I’ve been trying breathing techniques and try meditating sometimes but I’m too distracted by this fear. I’m convincing myself I have this. I counteract by googling and it I have matching symptoms. I honestly don’t know anymore

[MRS STRESS ED]

I’ve been trying breathing techniques and try meditating sometimes but I’m too distracted by this fear. I’m convincing myself I have this. I counteract by googling and it I have matching symptoms. I honestly don’t know anymore

Sorry to hear how bad your feeling, you say you have matching symptoms well you will because you are convinced you have this illness so the mind will mimic it, because you are reinforcing it by googling symptoms , you know yourself this is a big part of it, you need to get some help for your anxiety it won't get better if you don't work on it,

When l have been it a high state of anxiety l have convinced myself l have all sorts of life threatening illnesses , l know it feels real but its anxiety get it sorted out and try and relax more take care xx

[Kuraimoar]

I definitely think its important to get things looked at by a doctor if they are really bothering you. Its probably nothing serious but its good to get some peace of mind. The loss of appetite is due to the anxiety though. Are you staying hydrated? Not drinking enough can cause pretty bad headaches for me.

[MattBananafone34]

I’ve gotten a blood test and got a physical exam from my doctor a month ago. She found nothing wrong. I do have nasal congestion still and a bit of pain behind the ear. For all I know, I could be hyper focusing on my head too much and convincing myself the worst. (Which I am)

[MRS STRESS ED]

I’ve gotten a blood test and got a physical exam from my doctor a month ago. She found nothing wrong. I do have nasal congestion still and a bit of pain behind the ear. For all I know, I could be hyper focusing on my head too much and convincing myself the worst. (Which I am)

You are so please listen to your doctor stop focusing on it focus your energy on something positive

Take care xx

[Redsmum]

I’ve gotten a blood test and got a physical exam from my doctor a month ago. She found nothing wrong. I do have nasal congestion still and a bit of pain behind the ear. For all I know, I could be hyper focusing on my head too much and convincing myself the worst. (Which I am)

Sorry to hear you feel so bad. I think you’ve answered your own question, you definitely are focusing on your head far too much, i know because i do exactly the same thing myself but with me its my throat. If you can try & take yourself away from those constant tiring thoughts even if only for 10 minutes at a time, it kind of breaks the cycle of negative thinking & makes you realise that when you focus on something else your mind feels freer & a bit less panicked by it all. Take care.

[Fishmanpa]

MattB...After two years on the site, I know you do get it. The number of all clears you've gotten from medical professionals alone indicates its not a physical issue. The real issue is what to do about it. If the advice and resources here aren't helping, then real life professional help with your mental state should be the next step.

Positive thoughts

[MattBananafone34]

Fishmanpa,

You have been a great help throughout the years and I can’t thank you enough. I do owe you and everyone an apology for going through these cycles where I tend to remake similar threads without realizing. The reassurance always helps but I DO need to attain more skill sets to control the anxiety.

[NoraB]

I’ve gotten a blood test and got a physical exam from my doctor a month ago. She found nothing wrong. I do have nasal congestion still and a bit of pain behind the ear.

Matt, your nasal congestion is the most likeliest cause for your headaches - especially if it's at the front of your head. I get them a lot.


For all I know, I could be hyper focusing on my head too much and convincing myself the worst. (Which I am)

There's no 'for all I know' about it. You are hyper focusing on your head too much and that will make any symptom seem far worse than it actually is.

[ankietyjoe]

The reassurance always helps but I DO need to attain more skill sets to control the anxiety.


You need professional help.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with you apart from an increasing case of anxiety and poor mental habit forming.

Imagine this, there is NOTHING wrong with you, and your life is passing you by because of imaginary problems. But you don't need to imagine it, because that's what you're doing.

Get help, CBT is the best place to start.


There is nothing physically wrong with you. Stop coming here for reassurance, get help. Reassurance is just part of the problem.

[MattBananafone34]

The past day or two I have been thinking to myself about how I’ve wasted ridiculous amounts of time thinking I have some crazy diseases. Ive looked over all my old threads on here and I’ve complained about the same stuff 2 years ago... I complained about the same headaches, the same twitching, the same EVERYTHING. It’s honestly laughable at this point because I realize how this is all a cycle. Some months I am totally free of anxious thoughts but other months it’s the same stuff. I even got to a thread where I was genuinely convinced I had RABIES... yes RABIES.

In 2018, I was deathly afraid of a heart condition, guess I don’t have it.

I am at the point now where I basically KNOW nothing is wrong with me and I need to learn how to control my mind when intrusive thoughts pop up.

Thanks,
Matt

[NoraB]

I am at the point now where I basically KNOW nothing is wrong with me and I need to learn how to control my mind when intrusive thoughts pop up.

Thanks,
Matt

You've probably said this before too Matt...

If you want some advice on how to get your life back, read my posts, or anybody else's posts who have gained control of HA.

Saying this to yourself isn't enough mate. You have to be proactive.

[ankietyjoe]

The past day or two I have been thinking to myself about how I’ve wasted ridiculous amounts of time thinking I have some crazy diseases. Ive looked over all my old threads on here and I’ve complained about the same stuff 2 years ago... I complained about the same headaches, the same twitching, the same EVERYTHING. It’s honestly laughable at this point because I realize how this is all a cycle. Some months I am totally free of anxious thoughts but other months it’s the same stuff. I even got to a thread where I was genuinely convinced I had RABIES... yes RABIES.

In 2018, I was deathly afraid of a heart condition, guess I don’t have it.

I am at the point now where I basically KNOW nothing is wrong with me and I need to learn how to control my mind when intrusive thoughts pop up.

Thanks,
Matt

The human mind is basically a computer that likes to repeat behaviour, and predict outcomes based on old experiences. If you keep practising catastrophic thinking, you'll stay really good at it.

The key here is to practice NOT doing that. Every time you think of a new malady or disease you have, you MUST say to yourself 'I've been here before, I know I'm fine'. You'll need to say it hundreds or even thousands of times over the next few months, but it's really the only way to climb out of the mental pit you've dug yourself into. It's a common thing to do, so don't beat yourself up, but health anxiety is a choice more than almost any other kind of anxiety, so choose to think differently and practise doing so until that becomes your new habit. It's hard, so start today.