Is there anyone....

[ScaredCaz]

Hello

Is there anyone here who suffers with health anxiety but is petrified of being referred for tests or scans etc?

I can just about cope with a blood test but ringing for the results and the week waiting for them is a nightmare I am beside myself with worry

I find myself reading people’s posts on here and feeling almost jealous that they have had these tests and majority are fine I’m 48 now my need for tests for one thing or another is going to get more probable as I get older

How can I sort this out? It’s like a nightmare I can’t wake up from 😥.

Thanks guys

[Fishmanpa]

Is there anyone here who suffers with health anxiety but is petrified of being referred for tests or scans etc?

How long have you been on the boards? :huh:

Positive thoughts

[BrokenGirl]

That's the one thing that we all have in common here - we suffer from health anxiety and we're terrified of tests, and even more terrified of the results.
But we go through the motions of it because we have to.
And yes, the majority of the test results are good, and we're delighted and relieved when we get the results.
But from the moment we find the symptom to the moment we get the results we're a living mess (most of us anyway)

We're all trying to sort it out, but meds and/or therapy is a good starting point if the fear is starting to get out of control

[Iced_diamond]

Hi there. Waiting for medical test results is probably a little agonising for everybody, but of course it's going to be worse for us HA sufferers. It’s odd though because if you didn’t put too much thought to a random medical condition/illness, you would go about your day normally, have no symptoms- feel fine. But if you then (completely hypothetically speaking) had to go for a test for something you’d never heard of before, you would likely convince yourself you had it! And that would be the case for the large majority of us. It’s the psychology of a “test”. A test usually indicates some kind of negativity, like a test you have to pass at school or to get a job and you immediately think “What if it’s bad?” It’s just not a very cheery word and immediately puts you on edge. Statistically most tests turn out to be fine and we all know that at the end of the day we put far too much energy and effort into worrying and often it’s for nothing. I’m sure you can relate to that too? Like the previous poster said, you go through the motions because you have to, but it doesn’t always have to be bad news. At least if you’re going for recommended tests then you’re being responsible and even if (and I emphasise if) there were something not quite right, it could then be put right, which is important to remember. Worrying about these things is totally normal, but just don’t let it consume you and remember to be rational (easier said than done I do know). Often things seem so much worse than the actual reality, because we give ourselves too hard a time, so it’s about time we were kind to ourselves. Give it a go. Be surprised. �� And at 48, my dad would have said “That’s still a kid in our family.” �� It is true that I have always had a very “old” family, as a result of my parents being quite old when I was born and I’m used to seeing people well into their 90s, even 100s and still being pretty upbeat. �� Wishing you well and I hope you find a way to relax a little more about these things and give yourself a break from worrying. Take care.

[Worrywart84]

Totally feel like this.

Getting a test and waiting for the results is like the grand finale of awfulness for whatever worry we have.

And then when you get good results it’s the best feeling.

Unless you somehow fall back into the worry and convince yourself you need more tests. Then it sucks again.

I hope we both can find a way out of this.

I hear you with the getting older thing—I have been this way since my late teens and am now mid 30s. Even thinking of all the standard screenings and increased likelihood of something bad with age makes my head hurt. One silver lining is that if god forbid something ever was wrong, people like us are definitely on the ball and would likely catch it quickly. I’ve heard stories of people just brushing off crazy red flags for months and I’m like “well I know that will never be me.”

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving.

[Flapj]

There’s also the increased likelihood of something benign. Incidental findings increase and for a person with HA, the overactive mind dwells on them even though they are benign or common. Scans are a rabbit hole.

[Worrywart84]

Very true!

[ScaredCaz]

Thank you guys

I’ve not had the best day but abbot better than yday

All you people on here help me so much

I hope we all find peace

Thanks again x

[ScaredCaz]

Hi all

Just a follow on to this thread

I asked if anyone with HA dreads the thought of any kind of test I know some people feel comforted by having tests obviously if the results are good

I feel like I’m a little different if I was referred to hospital for anything I honestly don’t know what I would do the thought of it just as I am typing it now makes my chest tighten and my jaw tense up that in turn makes me think my heart is dodgy and the anxiety starts

Everytime I get a bout of anxiety even if it’s exactly the same as I have had before my mind starts with “this is it this is the one that’s going to see you in hospital” as a panic attack is happening I’m picturing paramedics being called coming to the house strapping me up to monitors and taking me hospital I can’t even put into words how much that scares me 😟

In all the 12 years I have battled with this HA I’ve only ever had blood tests aside from blood pressure which also makes me crazy the pulse thing on your finger and generally checking me over

I love my doctor I am lucky she is as good as she is she has never suggested I go and have my heart checked or anything she always suggests we do bloods that’s bad enough waiting the week for results stomach turning every time my phone rings in case it’s them

My daughter keeps trying to convince me they can tell a lot about your body from a blood test (she used to work in a hospital) she tells me if anything was off they would look further I am scared to death that I have got myself to a stage where the only thing that will help me now would be a heart check

The people who do that at the hospital do it every day so they aren’t going to be scared of the process I feel like I would need almost a chaperone for the whole visit to get me through it with how anxious I would be and what effect would that have on the results?

I’m sorry to blather on like a fool I just need to get it out my head it’s driving me crazy

Thanks guys x

[ScaredCaz]

Hi all

Seriously struggling today already been in tears on my husband I bet he is proper fed up with it

I read through my old NMP posts last night and I noticed everything I am saying now I said in the summer when I last went through this I was really hoping I would wake up this morning and feel much better for it but I didn’t

I am really beginning to wonder if my new bed has set my fibromyalgia off I am going to ring my doctor again tomorrow I have work tomorrow afternoon as well and Tuesday don’t feel like I can face it but with redundancy hanging over my head wouldn’t be a good idea to have time off would it?

I think if I was on the verge of a heart attack I would have had one by now surely but I do worry what kind of stress all this is putting on my vital organs

I feel so sad right now just want to feel better

😔

[Scaredtoo]

Yep you just described me. I just can’t even function. It is beyond miserable especially when our minds go into overdrive with paranoid thoughts.

Honestly lately I just sit here and talk to myself rather sternly and remind myself that whatever this is I have to deal with it. Doesn’t make me feel better at all but it sure does bring me back to reality. If there was a way to eradicate this symptom in all of us, I think most of us would consider that a win win. Just know you’re not alone. Something I tell myself is “you won’t feel like this forever. Next year at this time, I will be worried about something else”.