View Full Version : Health anxiety thought process...HELP!!
Hi
After a lot of analysis I have discovered that when I hear some bad health news my anxiety goes through the roof. This has just happened and I have discovered a small mole like feature that is red instead of brown and I have worried myself in to all sorts of anxiety symptoms, which makes me feel terrible. I am now acting out in my own mind the visit to the doctor followed by a refferal to the hospital for tests and then the bad news followed by its spread and it is incurable etc......... PLEASE LET IT STOP. Its as if I am addiced to the "lets play out the most negative scenario". I have tried the usuall distraction techniques but then when I am relaxing and by myself the mind sets off again replaying the same scenario over and over until I am so anxious I cannot relax. I feel every other pain and itch 10x stronger. I know that the doctor can put my mind at rest but I am teriffied that my thoughts may come true. My mind then starts adding up any symptoms I have had.
Shooting pains in my chest muscles - cancer has spread.
Lumps and bumps - cancerous lumps
Feeling absolutely shattered by 9pm each night - My body fighting the cancer.
These irrational thoughts fuel the fire even more until I am almost histerical. Then I begin worrying about my own familys health any symptom they have is blown out of proportion and the similar scenario is played for them.
I feel like I will go mad, or the stress itself will ironically cause an illness with me.
Do you think going to the doctor will fuel the anxiety futher or help. Some anxiety advise says that going to the doctor and having more tests does not help the thought process and that you should prove to yourself that nothing will happen if you dont rush to see the doc.
Alternatively it could be a real threat to my health and then I will have missed that important time frame.
What do I do....please help...
Mee
Hi Mee,
When my health anxiety is at its worst I could post a thread identical to yours hun :hugs: what you are seeking when you want to make an appointment with your doctor is nothing but reasurrance I used to visit my doctor at least 12 times per week. Since I joined this site when I get an ache or pain or I dwell on a symptom I come on here and read some posts and 99% of the time someone else has already posted about whats freaking me out and thats where I get my reasurrance now :D If you do make a doctors appointment hun the reasurrance will not last as it never did for me because we always get another worry to replace the one we had. It's tough I know but when you get the what if this time its for real thoughts challenge them and believe me it works everytime. Feel free to pm me anytime :hugs: xxx
Hi Mee,
Sorry to hear you are in such distress. First off is this a new mole? And they can be red in color hun, I have them from Red to dark brown, it's doesn't mean cancer. I know a person who just went thru this, they went to the doctor, they check it and measured it and told them it was fine, just to keep an eye on it.
Second the doctor is a double edged sword, yes they can relieve your worries, but yes, that can be habit forming. But me, I do what is going to work best for me, if you are that worried then by all means have it checked.
Remember to do your breathing and relaxation, keep at it, it will help.
Hi Mee,
i too could have written the same post :hugs: I'm not one for going to the doctors as i know i'd just find something else to worry about the minute i left the surgery.
Its changes in moles you are looking for. I do have some bright red ones (called cherry something ?and perfectly normal). They are very red and shiny. I have loads of moles and have the odd panic now and then. Just keep an eye on it for a couple of weeks (i know the worst thing to say to someone with ha !) I'm sure its fine
love anx xx
the only thing that helps me with this is Mindfulness ,
take a look at this ..........
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HLcIQEbLyUg
practise morning and evening for 8 weeks and , try putting it into your daily life when your mind is going overactive, its fantastic !
Hi Mee,
You sound so much like me .............. i too have these thought although im not too bad at the moment.
I had a mole on my lower forearm tht changed and it was going different colours and it was bleeding etc, well i was convinced that i was dying, full blown skin cancer that had spread, i made myself ill. Went to doctors , got refferred , specialist thought it was ok, but i got it off anyway. Waiting for the results was awful, i had planned what i was going to say to the kids , had my funeral sorted...........its funny in a sad sort of way!!!!!!!! Guess what my results came through and I was fine all that worry for nothing, i said i wasn't putting or going through that again.
Now ive heard tht my sister in laws mother who has already had a breast off, her cancer has returned and they think its spread to the stomach. This has set me off on daily checking all my lumps and bumps, but so far found nothing. I still find it hard to keep a lid on things and i do tend to go off on one , i think i'll never truly get rid of this, but i am managing to keep these thoughts under control and dealing with these things one step at a time . No more ifs for me.............i hope !!
xx
Thanx Everyone
I feel much better knowing I am diong the right thing by not feeding the anx with a doctors visit. Part of me says yes its very unlikly then my anx tells me but someone has to get these illnesses and it probably will be me.
Kitty
I feel the same, I am at that time of life when parents and uncles etc are suffering the ravages of old age and all I see is suffering. I seem to be waiting for the next bit of bad news. The media does not help by feeding us with health issues to keep our mundane lives more stimulation. I just feel I want to burry my head in the sand and make it all go away. I panic about my wife my kids also.
Take care all. When I feel anxiety sadly it is nice to know we are not alone and that many many others are going through the same suffering.
Thanks for the support. We will all get through this.
Mee
the only thing that helps me with this is Mindfulness ,
take a look at this ..........
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HLcIQEbLyUg
practise morning and evening for 8 weeks and , try putting it into your daily life when your mind is going overactive, its fantastic !
Mirry
Excellent...I study Buddhism and the skills I have learnt are fantastic...I try to meditate daily for 30 mins each day this usually covers 21 meditations. If I dont meditate daily I notice a big differnce how I can deal with the ups and downs. The more you practice meditation the easier it is to call up that relaxed concentration when you need it most.
Thanx again I am glad others recieve the benefit also.
Mee
The main anxiety I suffer is 'health anxiety' Never even realised there was a name for it until I was offered a book on it, it was me to a tee. I can empathise with the above comments, I am at my worst convinced I have a terminal illness and will die a horrifying death... I check myself neurotcally at times and have irrational thoughts to the extreme. I find it debilitating at times as well as exhausting. On a good day I will not think inwardly at all, but on a bad day I can worry myself stupid, and end up in a state of panic.
Hi everyone, just came across this thread and it is like i have written it myself, im going through exactly the same thing at the moment.
meewah ,
I am thinking of buying myself alittel buddah to worship ,lol.
Mirry
Not sure that will help. You are just wanting the meditation skills only..an assumption. If you have a spiritual need and western beliefs are letting you down then buddhism may be the one. Being an athiest I just cannot accept there is a God. Buddhism is like Pshycology, very obvious but very powerful at making you happier and a better person. You should of seen me before!!! LOL
Mee
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