hi, my first post!

[strawberrie]

hi, i've been in chat for a couple of weeks now so i thought i would introduce myself properly.

I am 31 and ever since i can remember i have worried and obsessed about things. My mum was ill a lot when i was younger and when i was 17 she died of cancer. Ever since, i have suffered from depression and anxiety, the worst of which has been health anxiety. :(

I have been to the doctors so many times with symptoms i was convinced were cancer. I also developed a habit of checking symptoms over and over again to see if anything had changed - weird i know! [:I]

About 3 years ago, i had been quite stressed out and my anxiety got completely out of control. I had this horrible feeling i had cancer even though i couldn't find any symptoms to 'prove' it. I felt sick with worry all the time and thought about illness and dying all the time - i felt like i had completely lost control of my thoughts.

Since then i have been taking fluoxetine which has made a massive difference. I actually believe the depression is over now, and although i still have episodes of anxiety it is much more under control. I'm now trying to find out as much as i can about anxiety so i can keep in control of it when i stop taking my meds. Which is how i found this site...

Sorry this is a long post, but i have found it so helpful reading other people's posts. It has really made me realise i am not alone. Plus it has taken me about 15 years to get this off my chest so i might as well do it all in one go!

I am so pleased i have found this place, i have met so many lovely people in chat already, and i look forward to meeting more of you soon.

Take care,
mag xxx [8D]

[pips]

Hi Mag,

A BIG warm welcome to the site hun. Glad you are coping better now.

I to suffer with a health anxiety at times. Here are some examples in this recent post i did.

FLORIDA TRIP!!!!! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4611)

I think it helps to laugh sometimes else I would crack up LOL!

I hope this site helps you.

Take care,

Love PIP'S X X

[Meg]

The Battle that Rages in my Head (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4149)
contiuously obsessed with dying (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2691)
can someone reasure me? (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3931)


Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[michelleann]

hi mag:D
welcome to the forum i too suffered health anxiety for a while especially in the early days i thought i had cancer one week a brain tumer the next i was always at the doctors, now it seems to be general anxiety.
glad your finding all the posts helpful it helps me too[8D]
love michelle xxx

[FRANKIEISBACK]

Take Care

Frankie

[Claireabell]

Hello Stawberrie,

Welcome to the site

Claireabell

[Karen]

Hi Mag

Welcome to the forum.

Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[nomorepanic]

Hi Mag

We have met in chat so lovely to see you on here as well.

Welcome aboard.

Nicola

"Nearly all happiness comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open"

[Trev]

Hi Mag,
know totally where you are coming from with the thinking you are about to die thing.
One small piece of advice I was given that has helped me with reducing anxiety is to replace the "What if?" that speeds through your mind with "So what!". It's not easy at first but I found that at least trying to take this attitude with most stuff seemed to lower my baseline level of anxiety which in turn seemed to reduce the number of symptoms and therefore the "What ifs?" in the first place. Hope that makes sense.

Cheers,
Trev

[pinkscrumpy]

Hi Mag

A big warm welcome to you


:D:D:D[^][^][^][8D][8D][8D]

MANDIE XX

[seh1980]

Welcome aboard!! :D

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[sueiamnew]

Hi Mag, welcome to the site.

[mandie]

Hi Mag

I do understand what you are going through. I suffer with health anxiety. Every ache and pain I think is a fatal illness. I constantly think I have cancer, brain tumour etc.

I have been on cipramil for 7 weeks now and gradually I am getting back to my old self.

I am so glad somebody recommended this site to me. I know I am not alone with this horrible anxiety.:(

Take care x

[helen__w]

Hi Mag

I know exactly what you mean about checking your symptoms, I do it all day right up until I go to bed! I have difficulty swallowing and I have been for tests and the doctors haven't found anything wrong, but I feel that I am getting worse so feel like they are missing something! It is amazing how we can be controlled by irrational thoughts isn't it?

I am so glad I found this forum as everyone is keen to help you, so I hope it helps you too!

Take care

Helen x

[Mcched]

Hi Mag

Welcome aboard!!!!!!!!!

Nikki

[sal]

Hi Mag

Welcome to the site and please you have benefitted from the chat. Look forward to hearing more from you.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[Sarah-Jane]

Welcome to the forum, you have had a really awful time up to now and a lot of issues to deal with. Although you will never forget with the help and support from your new friends here, you will learn to live again and be the best that you can be. First hurdle you have overcome is that you are NOT alone, there are many other sufferers here and that is a comfort to know your NOT alone, which should be a comfort to you in the interim period of the recovery process.[8D]

Love & Hugs from Sarah-Jane xxxx

[Piglet]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">One small piece of advice I was given that has helped me with reducing anxiety is to replace the "What if?" that speeds through your mind with "So what!". Cheers,
Trev

<div align="right">Originally posted by Trev - 09 August 2005 : 15:18:39</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

I've been doing that one Trev for the last few years and it really does help!

Mags we've been nattering on and off in the chatroom (mainly concerning our avator hairstyles lol) but its nice to see your post on here too. Welcome lovie and prob see you later in chat.

Love Pig

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[Trev]

Piglet, I love your quote that appears at the bottom of your posts.

Is that quote from the "Tao of Pooh" book?
I've heard of the book but never read it. If it is I shall have to get a copy and read it coz that quote makes me smile every time I see it.
Thanks.

Trev