Medication for health anxiety??

[eleanor_rigby]

I went to the doctors three months ago to tell them about my health anxiety. I explained my fears and how they make me feel as well as their regularity. I am 20 years old and the doctor spent most of the time explaining to me how unlikely it was for me to get any of the illnesses I fear. He made me feel pretty ridiculous, i tried to explain although i was aware i might not be at that much risk, i still cannot control my thoughts or rationalize them away enough to remove my worry. Anyway he put me on 20mg of citalopram. Just wondering am I even on the right medication? It hasn't really had any effect on me except made me a little less stressed during my exam period. i'm also having cognitive behavioural therapy, which i can see how it could help, however at present, hasn't really changed anything for me. If I get a symptom i will panic about it until reassured by my doctor and no 'rationalizing/coping methods' which i have so far been taught has changed that yet. I know it's only been a couple of months so haven't really given either a chance yet. I just feel this is always going to be a part of my life.

[lauren6]

Hi Alix, great that you're in cognitive therapy and hope he/she can help you. I can suggest 2 books that helped me more than my herapist (who wasn't knowledgeable about health anxiety although cognitive therapy is the way to go...he just wasn't a great therapist!). Please jot these down:

Stop Worrying About Your Health

It's Not All In Your Head

Both of these books are worth the money...it takes time to break the worry habit and change our thoughts. Cognitive therapy is just about that as you know...reshaping our catastrophic thoughts into something more realistic. It takes a ton of practice and I am not there yet but a little better than I was. We have to keep at it. I wish you luck..the meds are fine to take the edge off while you learn a better way to cope but in the long run, we have to correct our faulty thinking.

[lindzanne]

Hi, I am on 40 mg citalopram and it has helped me, both my gp and psychiatrist know all about my health anxiety, I think it is helpful because there is usually a root cause for health anxiety like OCD or another kind of depression and the meds can help calm it down. I do take clonazapam, which is just an as needed kind of thing, for when I start to feel an actual panic attack coming on.