Is Health Anxiety a form of selfishness?

[worriedGrace]

I have had HA for most of my adult life and am the mother of 3 grown up children and granny to 2 aged 9 and 6. I try not to bother my kids with my anxieties because when they were growing up, my daughter especially, had to put up with my episodes of crying all the time and doctor's visiting the house at all hours of the day and night for no real reason as they often told me very forcibly.
Recently we were discussing childhood ailments and they told me that I 'used to send us to school half dead' and was quite unsympathetic when they were ill. I only wanted to make sure that they didn't end up like me because my mother was so nice when I was ill I am sure it all pushed me towards HA.

I never gave a moment's thought that my kids, illnesses might turn serious while any little thing I had soon turned into a drama.
So my point is, is HA a form of selfishness? Do other sufferers worry as much about the health of family and friends as much as they do their own?

[zippy]

Yes i think it does because i have a 5 and 6 yr old and i never worry when they have an illness its anything serious but i do if its myself.My friend says why dont i try and channel my worries on someone else but i cant because my minds transfixed on my own ailments.I used to be so selfless and now i feel i dont give anyone any sympathy when there ill because i always think there not as bad as me.So yes i feel it is a form of selfishness. x

[agent orange]

There are selfish aspects to this condition, but it's perhaps not totally our fault as we cannot help it????