Bobs
10-01-09, 17:01
Hello all,
I have suffered from Health Anxiety for 17 years, since I was nine years old, and have worried about everything from Aids, to vCJD, Menningitis, MS and now the latest is MND.
You would think that having worried about all the above and never contracted any of them that I would be able to shrug off my latest symptoms as just anxiety rather than MND. Unfortunately as most of you will know it's not that easy - the symptoms that I have are so similar to symptoms of MND I really believe that this is what I have. Here's a list:
Weakness in arms and legs,
Stiffness and weakness in wrists and fingers
Pain in hands, arms, legs, feet
Muscle twitches all over the body but mainly in arms and legs
Slurred speech
Weak voice (not all the time)
I even feel like I can detect some wasting in my hands and feet although am not certain as I can't remember what they looked like before I started to worry if that makes sense?
Difficulty swallowing/excess saliva
I have been to the GP and after several visits he's referred me to the same nuerologist I saw when I thought I had MS. My problem is that now I am an adult I am able to look at the internet and research more into my suspected illness which, I know, makes it worse but it becomes an obsession. I know it's a terrible thing to do and I know it just makes me feel worse however I just can't help myself, I then feel completely over come with terror and fear as I really can't see how it could be anything else.
I am seeing a therapist once a week for HA and I really want to kick this health anxiety once and for all but I am so scared that this is MND that I'm not really giving the therapy a lot of my time.
I know this affects me and my family's life in a really negative way and that all just adds to the guilt and feelings of anxiety increase. It's such a visious cirlce of symptoms/anxiety/guilt/tempting fate i.e if I really try and believe this is health anxiety and not MND and don't go to the nuerologist then I'm tempting fate.
I know my therapist would say that this is a form of seeking reassurance and just perpetuating the cycle so I even feel guilty posting this!!!
x x x x
I have suffered from Health Anxiety for 17 years, since I was nine years old, and have worried about everything from Aids, to vCJD, Menningitis, MS and now the latest is MND.
You would think that having worried about all the above and never contracted any of them that I would be able to shrug off my latest symptoms as just anxiety rather than MND. Unfortunately as most of you will know it's not that easy - the symptoms that I have are so similar to symptoms of MND I really believe that this is what I have. Here's a list:
Weakness in arms and legs,
Stiffness and weakness in wrists and fingers
Pain in hands, arms, legs, feet
Muscle twitches all over the body but mainly in arms and legs
Slurred speech
Weak voice (not all the time)
I even feel like I can detect some wasting in my hands and feet although am not certain as I can't remember what they looked like before I started to worry if that makes sense?
Difficulty swallowing/excess saliva
I have been to the GP and after several visits he's referred me to the same nuerologist I saw when I thought I had MS. My problem is that now I am an adult I am able to look at the internet and research more into my suspected illness which, I know, makes it worse but it becomes an obsession. I know it's a terrible thing to do and I know it just makes me feel worse however I just can't help myself, I then feel completely over come with terror and fear as I really can't see how it could be anything else.
I am seeing a therapist once a week for HA and I really want to kick this health anxiety once and for all but I am so scared that this is MND that I'm not really giving the therapy a lot of my time.
I know this affects me and my family's life in a really negative way and that all just adds to the guilt and feelings of anxiety increase. It's such a visious cirlce of symptoms/anxiety/guilt/tempting fate i.e if I really try and believe this is health anxiety and not MND and don't go to the nuerologist then I'm tempting fate.
I know my therapist would say that this is a form of seeking reassurance and just perpetuating the cycle so I even feel guilty posting this!!!
x x x x