Irony of health anxiety

[ccake79]

So I've been anxious since my dad got sick and passed away, but only about other people's health (my kids mostly but also husband, mum, sister etc). The irony is, my health anxiety and contamination OCD have actually caused me to feel unwell. I get migraines frequently and for the past couple of months problems with my right SI joint and hip. Mostly caused by sitting in a highly stressed state and tensing every bloody muscle in my entire body. We're in the process of selling our house and obviously have to declare the asbestos, so writing about that on the form wasn't fun this morning (I get a physical response, heart racing, thud in chest, not pleasant).

I suppose I'm posting this because I'm fed up of how this awful anxiety has taken over everything and is now affecting my own health. And that I'm worried about that because I feel old and decrepit, rather than the kind of worry I get over the kids.

[Scass]

I could have written this. I do think that one thing they don’t tell you about grief is how utterly petrified you become of other people dying. I’m sure though that my anxiety makes that worse, and probably does for you too.

Moving house is also very stressful.

Keep trying to find things that distract and ultimately relax you.
Here to talk if you need anyone.


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[BrightPhoenix]

I could have written this. I do think that one thing they don’t tell you about grief is how utterly petrified you become of other people dying. I’m sure though that my anxiety makes that worse, and probably does for you too.


It's a bit of both I think. My dad's 75 and knock on wood is doing ok, but I'd be so scared if something were to happen to him, and that's on top of the health anxiety I have for *myself*.

Health anxiety truly is a ravenous beast that doesn't care about anyone's situation.

[ccake79]

Thank you Scass. Yes that's so true. I think I was always a bit of an anxious person (when I was pregnant I had a fear of falling down stairs and hurting my baby, made me so careful). But now I continuously worry about anyone else I love dying. My dad was 65 and as I work in oncology I've also seen much younger patients very ill.

I'm looking forward to moving and a new start, but the process is stressful. I'm doing a lot of it as I only work part time and my husband is full time.