Hi im new,recently diagnosed with health anxiety

[worriedwarrior]

:unsure: Hi,
I've recently bin dianosed with health anxiety after over 6 months of goin out of my mind thinking im dying from something.its such a relief to find this site an realise im not alone in this.I too have had one thing after the other, first my stomach prolems then my throat closing,heart palpitions,chest pains,constant fatigue and most recently headaches.basically if i havent got one this wrong its something else.
my doctor has perscribed my citralopram (which i havent started taking yet)an is trying to get me c.b.t im only a 22 lad an have never had much problems before this.
will i ever be myself again these last 6 months i feel i have been in a nightmare and everyday is a battle trying not to panic about my symptoms.
cheers chris

[judipat]

hi Chris and welcome to the site.
I too had my first bout of HA when I was in my early twenties (I'm a lot older now!!!!!). I had'nt a clue what was going on and thought had something serious wrong with me. Anyway, its a very long story, but I was very very ill and ended up on a psychiatric unit for nearly a month.
When I was a little better, I found a book by Dr Claire Weeks and from then on it was my bible - I thought she was writing about me.
What I'm trying to say is, read everything you can, especially this site and try and understand whats going on and why. I think this is the key to recovery.
I still have blips but I can deal with them because I understand. Its not easy sometimes and I get frustrated with myself. But, its the way I am and probably always will be.

Take care and feel free to PM me if you want to.

Judi xxxx

[milly jones]

hi chris

welcome to nmp

i dont have ha, but gad and sa

but were all here to support each other

love milly xx

[Alisonj]

Welcome.
I have had HA for as long as I can remember! I remember being a young child on vacation looking in the hotel phone book for the nearest hospital just in case. Unfortunately here I am now at 32 still dealing with it. But the good news is that I am finally getting somewhere. Things in medicine are finally advancing enough that the treatments we are getting are working or starting to now a days. CBT, relaxation, flooding and so many other techniques are just the start. I believe that you will be yourself again someday, as will the rest of us, in time we will all beat this. This forum is a great place to start!

[Nechtan]

After 3 years of agrophobia, GAD and panic attacks I am now recently finding I have health anxieties. At the moment the throat and stomach are the two. My throat feels like there is a block above the adam's apple and it keeps drawing my attention there. You are definitely not alone.

The fact you are sought out help early is good as it would just spiral otherwise. It is very common despite how we feel for things to get better. Hopefully the CBT will be the start of that.

[eljay]

Ive also been a sufferer for a long time, I always take it back to 17 when it really got going but ~I can go back to much further maybe 8-10, when I realised people died and that was that.. I remember my brother sleeping on my bedroom floor cus I couldnt sleep as I was scared I wouldnt wake up. Ive had a fair few s**tty yrs but ive also "gone into remission" you could say, and had many many happy times in between, ive just started my bout of HA again and feel mad with myself for letting it in again, I thought i was coping, not cured but coping. I got the all clear as such yesterday from my latest phobia and my husbands face could have made me cry, he is sooo supportive of me bless him and he is so hoping that the latest "episode" will be it for a while, not for him but for me. Im hoping so too.

Dont be too afraid of our stories though, yours could be completely different, ive known people to have a couple of panic attacks and then been fine. This site is brilliant though if you need it, my husband was worried it would make me worse and i admit I thought it might make me have more symptoms but it hasnt, hearing you arnt alone on something doesnt stop you worrying completely but hey it helps and awful lot.
take care x


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[precious78]

eljay this sounds similar to my experience. I think mine started years back about people dying and I used to cry myself to sleep at night.

Then in my teenage years I was ok. It was only in the last few years when responsibility for things have come that I have felt overwhelmed. And having had a true illness has probably made me worse.

I feel particularly bad at the moment but like judipat I have read a lot of literature and know deep down that I am ok. I've had routine blood tests when I felt my worst and they ahve come back fine.

Today I am feeling particularly ill. Extreemly tired and achy. I keep trying to tell myself it's a bug but there's the little HA monster that says cancer or MS or ALS or something else. I am trying to keep that at bay.

[eljay]

I think my main problem now is responsibility as well, as soon as i had my kids I started a phobia of flying which i never had before, I hate anyone elses driving as well so wont go on a coach etc, I do fly but see phobia thread...

Its like, " i cant die they need me" Im the head of our house I guess you could say, they all rely on me, it scares me tbh.

One of the things i hate with anxiety is the tiredness, I get a break in the afternoon with work and to be honest I need a sleep, I always get phoned though :lac: