Is avoidance normal for HA?

[emmc]

I see a lot that people tend to symptom check or body check which I do in a way but my main one is avoidance. For example, I avoid checking my breasts in case i find something, I avoid going to the doctor even though my brain is obsessing over a symptom? It’s completely taking over my mind but I’m avoiding it at the same time.

[NoraB]

Yes. Some people are avoiders. Others are totally the opposite way.

[Munchlet]

Speaking as someone who has been both I can say yes I think it is quite common.

When I was younger I was up the Dr's as soon as something worried me. Having said that I had a great GP who rarely did tests. He was very old school and was usually able to reassure me through an examination.

Since he and a few of the other old school GP's retired it feels like the minute you mention a symptom they want blood tests, urine tests, you name it!

This led to me avoiding tests for 16 years. Up until 2 weeks ago I hadn't had a blood test for 16 years. I finally had them as I'd found that the avoidance had made me think all sorts of things were wrong with me and my GP insisted.

So I think yes both are common in HA. My tests came back satisfactory but I decided to dig and find out why they were "satisfactory" and not normal and now I'm fretting because one of them was out of the normal range. My GP wrote No further action on it but that's not enough for me so now I'm still fretting.

I think the thing with HA is you can't win. We worry if we don't have tests, we worry if we do have tests and even when GP's say nothing to worry about we still pick it apart!

I can completely relate to where you are coming from. In my CBT recently we've covered how HA tends to go one way or the other, either demanding every test under the sun or avoiding anything medical!

[Fishmanpa]

Yes. Some people are avoiders. Others are totally the opposite way.

Agreed. From what I've seen here, it's either one extreme or the other.

Positive thoughts

[lovemydogs]

I used to go to the doctor constantly, I now avoid them. Though, I have a truly wonderful therapist and I am learning to try to be more in the middle. Not easy, as I even avoid the eye doctor, but working really hard towards getting a good mix. I have also been doing what is called "leaning into the uncertainty", it's where you accept that nothing is certain and it takes practice, but it has helped tremendously.

[Minimoonshine]

This is me. I've had health anxiety since childhood, I'm now 45. Always worried about every little body sensation, but always avoided the doctors.. it really doesn't make sense does it! I hadn't had a blood test my whole life until about 6 years ago and I had a smear test at 21, then was too scared to have one again... I worked hard on this in therapy and finally had one 20 years later at 41... I've had another since at 44. I STILL worry about my health and I feel like I'm having a set back again this year, as I was definitely much better up until the pandemic started... massive trigger for all of us I'm sure. Anyway, I'm not sure what advice to give, apart from that I NEVER thought in my life I would get my smear test done and I did... and I am trying really hard to just do things now, so I don't get back into old habits.. but I really do understand how hard it is. I found talking to my gp about it actually helped, cos they do tend to reassure me and also I'm very open now about my HA which has helped take the acuteness out if it... for most of my life noone knew and I suffered alone..so so horrible.
Anyway, hugs and I hope you can find a way to manage this that works for you. X

[glassgirlw]

Yep, I’m absolutely an avoider. I will not go to the doc unless absolutely necessary - like kidney stone pain necessary :roflmao:one of these days I’ll probably work on that...but it won’t be today. Lol

[anom]

God yes

It's good to see these posts, A lot on here seem to be running to a doctor when they have an itch. But I'm very much the opposite, I broke my ankle a few years back on a Thursday, carried on working through the weekend doped up on painkillers...thinking it will be fine, it was all black and bruised and I could put no weight on it. I refused to go to a doctor for the best part of a week till I was begrudgingly dragged there. I hate GP surgeries and hospitals with a passion and will do my best to avoid dealing with them (I've still not chased up my CT scan results of over 6 weeks even though I'm still dealing with some problems)

[AuntWithIssues87]

I’ve got bealth anxiety and been googling a ton lately but I also have trust issues and can’t face any sort of test or procedure with how bad my anxiety it. Thing is though, I am going to have to go to the doctor soon as they stop refilling meds unless you are seen for your yearly and its been a few years for me. Plus, I really do think something is wrong right now.

[DL45]

Speaking as someone who has been both I can say yes I think it is quite common.

When I was younger I was up the Dr's as soon as something worried me. Having said that I had a great GP who rarely did tests. He was very old school and was usually able to reassure me through an examination.

Since he and a few of the other old school GP's retired it feels like the minute you mention a symptom they want blood tests, urine tests, you name it!

This led to me avoiding tests for 16 years. Up until 2 weeks ago I hadn't had a blood test for 16 years. I finally had them as I'd found that the avoidance had made me think all sorts of things were wrong with me and my GP insisted.

So I think yes both are common in HA. My tests came back satisfactory but I decided to dig and find out why they were "satisfactory" and not normal and now I'm fretting because one of them was out of the normal range. My GP wrote No further action on it but that's not enough for me so now I'm still fretting.

I think the thing with HA is you can't win. We worry if we don't have tests, we worry if we do have tests and even when GP's say nothing to worry about we still pick it apart!

I can completely relate to where you are coming from. In my CBT recently we've covered how HA tends to go one way or the other, either demanding every test under the sun or avoiding anything medical!

I could have written that word for word!! Especially the bit about bloods, I have been trying all week to get somebody to just talk me through blood results as I cannot accept they are normal!

[Anxietysufferer92]

It takes a lot for me to see a doctor. I always pick up the phone and try and book an appointment but then I just hang up and tell myself that there's no need to ring one, even though I had symptoms that needed to be checked out. It took me months before I went to see the gp about my postcoital bleeding. I was worried and stressed the whole time until I couldn't cope anymore and just needed to get some form of diagnosis (turned out to be nothing). I'm so fearful of getting told I have a terminal illness. I cannot even accept the thought of being TOLD that I have this/that. Terrifies the crap out of me.

[millie123]

I’m exactly the same. I have HA but avoid anything medical and. Even try avoid reading anything medical. I even pretend I don’t have symptoms which is crazy I know. I can’t even do self checks like breast exams. The past year and COVID has made my HA worse as it’s always in the news and everyone talks about it.