Won't go to doctor

[Baddone]

From what I can read here so far my problem is quite different from most of yours. You think something is wrong you go get a check up but still worry. Me? I wont go and keep worrying. Have done it since my mid 30s am now 75 in a few days. I am now sitting on my bed as I have for the last 10 days. Because this time I actually went and had a bad hemorrhoid banded. Had to..was in so much misery. Now I'm just afraid to do anything. Afraid to agitate it, or bring it back. Every little itch or discomfort makes me worse. Oh yes, I wonder. Do I have anal cancer? I've done a more extensive rectal exam than the doctor feeling for lumps and bumps. He just inserted his finger, put the instrument in and popped the band on. So here I sit. Really afraid and don't know what to do. Maybe medication is the answer. Although I've been down that road. A whole other story. Went through klonapin withdrawal, cold turkey, earlier this year. Ill talk more about that later. Actually considering magic mushrooms..I need help...really...cant do this myself....all thoughts and wisdom appreciated

[swajj]

Find a therapist. That’s all I’ve got.

[LF87]

Hi! I'm the same, the worst. I've had a little lump in my armpit for about a year (I'm 34). Rationally at this stage I know it is likely nothing, but for a long time was crippled with fear and still didn't get checked. I still really want to for reassurance but just can't do it. Try not to be afraid of another haemorrhoid they're so common. You don't have anal cancer. Stop prodding. I've done all that stuff and it's just pointless and validating your health anxiety. Ignore it a few weeks and if you still have worries get checked. I've found the less you pay attention the more it fades off. Don't worry!

[BlueIris]

Fellow avoidant person here! I once went 12 years without seeing a doctor, including a time when I fell and knocked my elbow so badly it later spat out a bone chip. Heck, I deliberately ignored a basal cell carcinoma for five years.

Doctors are scary. Hospitals are REALLY scary. However, none of it is one tenth as scary as the narratives we build in our own heads. Just get it dealt with and feel better, you deserve to be comfortable.

[NoraB]

From what I can read here so far my problem is quite different from most of yours. You think something is wrong you go get a check up but still worry. Me? I wont go and keep worrying. Have done it since my mid 30s am now 75 in a few days. I am now sitting on my bed as I have for the last 10 days. Because this time I actually went and had a bad hemorrhoid banded. Had to..was in so much misery. Now I'm just afraid to do anything. Afraid to agitate it, or bring it back. Every little itch or discomfort makes me worse. Oh yes, I wonder. Do I have anal cancer? I've done a more extensive rectal exam than the doctor feeling for lumps and bumps. He just inserted his finger, put the instrument in and popped the band on. So here I sit. Really afraid and don't know what to do. Maybe medication is the answer. Although I've been down that road. A whole other story. Went through klonapin withdrawal, cold turkey, earlier this year. Ill talk more about that later. Actually considering magic mushrooms..I need help...really...cant do this myself....all thoughts and wisdom appreciated

Health anxiety is about having your own parking space at the doctors, A & E, or the chemists and constantly checking body parts, or it's avoidance. With both ends of the HA scale - acceptance is the key to recovery.

Medication won't deal with your HA on it's own. Medication only dumbs down the anxiety to a slightly more functional level(once the side effects have eased off) whereas therapy deals with those anxious thoughts which are creating the symptoms..

Re your piles. The good news is that you acted on your pain so you're not as bad an avoider as you could be, so good on you!

From what I'm reading you're ten days in after having a procedure done up your bum? If you could see inside your body you'd be amazed at what's going on. Your body is healing itself. Problem is that you're not 30 anymore and the healing process takes longer as we get older. Longer still if we add severe anxiety to the mix.. And if you're sticking your finger up ya bum while the body is trying to heal itself - more discomfort is inevitable. The best idea is to help yourself by making yourself as comfortable as possible. Use special seat pads. Use heat to aid the healing process and (if you're able) take OTC painkillers. Discomfort is to be expected after banding. My brother has gone through all this and is just about to have another op on his piles. Dude has been walking around in an adult nappy because his bleed that much. No cancer though! It's this discomfort which is triggering your HA..

Ageing is all about aches, pains, and bits behaving badly so it's important to deal with the psychological aspect rather than just the symptoms..

Meds, therapy and determination.. Or therapy and determination. That's what you need to be able to control your health anxiety..

[pulisa]

Banding is an incredibly painful procedure because it's such a sensitive area. You need to make sure you don't become constipated so hopefully you've been prescribed stool softeners to ease things through, so to speak? Getting pain relief as Nora suggests will make you less anxious..Sit on cushions, ask about using proctosedyl ointment to aid healing..