Anyone else notice this?

[tashbarnes87]

Heya all, just wondering my biggest fear is HIV and cancer, still convinced i may have them both even after a few tests. Any way. Its seems that where ever i look i see things relating to HIV, hollyoaks has a big story on it for example i was in somerfield and a magazine had a story on the front ' i caught HIV from a rapist' etc and it goes on. I looked up a simple thing online about thrush and couldnt believe that it says you are more likely to have thrush if you have HIV. I notice it everywhere and it pushes my anxiety to the max!. does anyone else feel constantly reminded by things?x

x

[Ddcoo]

Hi Tash, I think when we are stressing about a particular illness, it suddenly seems to be mentioned everywhere, and I don't think it is just us "worriers", as I was speaking to a neighbour this week who is having treatment for a nasty disease and he said that he never took any notice of thre illness before but now he seems to be surrounded by it. Best thing to do I suppose, is not read the articles, but if you are like me, you will have a morbid interest in what is written.

[BKF1515]

Yes, I know what you mean. A word of advice is not to look up causes and symptoms of diseases online. Just fight the habit. You will find that your health anxiety will decrease at least a bit. Good luck and take care.

[breeze25]

Yes I notice this as well.

I remember as a kid being terrified the world was going to end (something to do with Michael jackson and the year 1999) and whatever I watched someone always seemed to its not the end of the world you know.

Also when I was pregnant everyone in the soaps seemed to be having a miscarriage or threatened miscarriage.
I guess it just seems that way because we are more aware of it.

[Janieb]

yes I have the same problem, the web tends to generalise about things that push the triggers to our anx. I am seriously worried about HIV and cancer, and I go and get tattoo's piercings...worry if they were all sterilised. Then read something in the paper and convince myself that I managed to pick something up somewhere somehow because I sometimes get that particular symptom a bit more than other people.....

I seriously just give up, my brain in my worst enemy....

My therapist said to me that if you are particularly susceptible to something you will automatically pick it out, like notice how many red cars there are on the road. Bet you will see loads today now you have thought about it!!

[scaredsilly]

i know exactly what you mean... if i even think about, say, some kind of cancer, i'll see a billboard about it or a commercial. i guess it's just because we are hyper-aware and hyper-sensitive to these things.

[Stressed32]

Well, I can completly relate!! I am scared of HIV too and it is like my ears perk up when I hear the mention of it on the TV or see it in a book. It is like this..I want a baby and all I see are pregnant women everywhere!

[LisaLisa]

OMG

This is so true. I had the worst experience like this ever last week right after I crashed my car and was so stressed. I am suffering with total fear of hiv symptoms just now and after all that happened i was walking down the road when a big issue seller came over to me and it was obvious that he was on drugs and on another planet but he started asking me questions about how much drugs I took and when I started the programme and weird stuff like that, I knew he was just talking rubbics and in a stupor but then he said -How did you feel when they told you you had it? How did they know was it your teeth?

I freaked out so much as though he knew by looking at me that I actually do have it ! It took me hours to see that it wasnt possible and he could have been talking about anything. I got so stressed I actually called the police and said he was bothering people cos he was clearly on drugs. Felt guilty incase he lost his job but I just freaked

Lisa

xx

[Wee-Mee]

This is true..

We've had adverts and leaflets about cancer for years and I wa never particularly bothered though occasionally I would have the odd prod and feel about for lumps...

But when my anxiety and state of mind is worse,those thoughts get worse..

My bout of HA just now is all related to the Jade Goody stuff..

When she got diagnosed with cervical cancer,my head and symptoms of everything has been all over the place.

I dunno what came first,chicken or egg to be honest.

:( But yes..this is true.. for example..the magazine I had the other week,had an article about the girl Claire I think her name was..who was 23 died of cervical cancer and as I was reading...she had went to the doctor with pelvic pain and stuff and the doc gave her antibiotics for an infection and when it didn't clear,he sent her for tests and then she was diagnosed...

Well,I had a pelvic infection,and it's not really total better,so....you know where I'm going!!!

Our minds as someone said above are our own worst enemy..

I guess when the mind is all out of sync with anxiety and stuff it does affect our bodies..as it's all nerves.. and the brain is after all part of the central nervous system.

God,I've went on a big rant sorry!

I very much sympathise with how you are feeling though sweety

Amy xxxx