Am i right???

[Tracy68]

Ok so i've been a member on this site for a few years and have always suffered with health anxiety. I continually worry about my heart and other things.....but I always wondered where this health anxiety came from well I can only come up with 2 answers really........one is i started getting ectopics from a very young age so thats probably why i have constantly worried about my heart. The second answer is a bit silly and kinda embarassing but here goes. When i was about 19 (i'm 40 now) I had intercourse with a bloke who after turned round and said "welcome to the AIDS club" now back in those days everyone was very naive about HIV and AIDS so i went into total panic as you can imagine. Every spot, cough, rash etc etc that appeared I convinced myself that i had got it. I would like to say I haven't lol but i was just wondering if anyone else had something that may have triggered off their own health anxiety. I'm sure in my case those 2 factors i've mentioned are what caused mine...am i right?

Tracy
xxx

[Tracy68]

Guess it must be me.......mind working overtime again lol

xxx

[angie3077]

Hi, you could be right as both things sound to me like they could have easily triggered the HA. Its good also that you can think back and try to work out what it is that made you start out on this rocky road!
I too have one thing that stands out in my memory that may have started the weird cycle of HA off! When I was working in a shop.....I was 16 and I witnessed an elderly man, a regular customer, just walk into the shop, have a heart attack and die! rght in front of my eyes...within minutes - one guy was trying to resussitate him, a colleague was on the phone to 999 and I was just stood there in a state of shock watching everything happen, I literally couldnt move! So in a matter of around 30 mins I had gone from a care free teenager
to suddenly realising how quick we could all just die! I guess you could say I had just realised my own mortality! The next few weeks after that happened I had my first panic attack and then the downward spiral into HA started, and still continues nearlly 10 years later! So no, its not just your mind working overtime, I think we all desperatly try to understand why we are the way we are and if we can link it to one thing - maybe it makes it a little more understandable!:shrug:
Angie xx

[Andyroo]

ive had HA ever since i was a kid :weep: i remember i was 12 years old talking to my mom about a lump on my arm!!! as a kid i was always worried about health! i dont hear about 2 many kids with HA anyways(enuff about my child hood lol) ..about a year and a half ago i was smoking alott and always worried about lung cancer.. i stopped smoking but still thought i had lung cancer! anyways one morning i finished shopping and was waiting for a taxi to go home.. i always payed attention to my breathing! i got in the tai and we drove off and my chest started to feel tight and i felt as if i couldnt breath! my wrists went numb and tingly and i felt pressure... it was horrible i thought i was sufficating or having a heat attack!!!! .. anyways for me it was HA that started my panic attacks :shades:

[tashbarnes87]

Hello Tracy omg what a horrible thing to go through my HA started with an HIV 'scare' ( it wasnt really a scare just me being irrational) i am pregnant and you get given a routine HIV test i was convinced from the moment the blood was taken that i had HIV. I made a mistake when i was 18 with a guy who shall we say was a charmer. Luckily i didnt have HIV ( thank god) but it definitly triggered something because i am convinced i have cancer all the time. Its draining and makes every day so hard.

xx

[Worrier]

Hi Tracy,

When I read your post I could completely understand. I believe my HA started in 2002 after my husband had an operation that we both agreed on (if you know what I mean) and I felt so guilty afterwards watching him suffer in pain that it all started with indigestion for about 1 month and then palpitations came on with vengeance. That went on for about 4 months until I finally went to docs (which I am terrified of) and got checked out and found out it was all anx. Having recovered from all that I am left with complete and utter anx about health issues, every small pain, scratch, itch you name it, I worry about it.

I think when I was going through all the palps etc I became completely and utterly aware of every sensation in my body and it has just escalated from there.

It is a tough way to live but I try and make it through every day the best I can and of course pretend to most that I am fine. I think I have become a very good actress through all of this.

Anyway just wanted to share my thoughts/experiences.

Take care and PM me if you would like.
Natalie

[kathyanne]

Same here. I think mine started because when I was 11 years old I had to clean my Aunt's colostomy bag as she had bowel cancer. Ever since i was in my late 20's, I am now 49, I think every symptom I have is cancer.

I live with it. What a nightmare ay.

[Tracy68]

Its amazing isn't it how our minds and bodies work once something has triggered it off.
I just hope that i don't rub off on my children i would hate to see them suffer the way we all do. I posted in panic attacks earlier about what happened to my daughters friend and she witnessed him having this attack so just hope it doesn't put anything into her head.
I've been suffering with achy muscles today round my right side and back but i've been good and kept it all to myself even tho at times i've convinced myself its something serious i am trying to be rational in my thinking lol.
Don't you just love it :wacko:

Tracy
xxx