Exhausted by anxiety

[missanxiouspants]

Hello everyone,
I am really happy to have found this website and other people who suffer from health anxiety. I didnt even realise that there was a name for what Ive been feeling, since everyone has just dismissed me laughingly as a hypochondriac and told me to stop being ridiculous.

Ive just turned 21 and for the last couple of years I have gone through phases of getting obsessed with a particular part of my body, convinced that I have some sort of illness. I have gone through appendicitus, mouth/ bowel/ cancer, AIDS, STDs, brain tumours etc, and at the moment MS. Each time I get an attack of it my mind is completely consumed by the thought of the disease, and absolutely everything I do is tainted by 'what if'. I cant look forward to the future because at the back of my head is the fear that I will get ill and it will never happen. I ask my friends, parents, boyfriend about it, check symptoms on the internet, see the doctor, but absolutely nothing I do will stop the worry. Then, without any particular reason, the worry disappears, and I wont get another attack for a few months when I will have moved on to something else.

At the beginning of the year I had a comprehensive blood test done and everything came back clear, which stopped me worrying for a good few months. However, recently I have started to get tingling feelings in my fingers and toes, which turn into a pin pricking sensation. Obviously the more I think about it the worse it gets, and I know I am just over reacting, but at the moment I cant think of anything else. Its affecting my studying, my relationship (my sex drive deteriorates when I am going through a phase) and my general enjoyment.

I know I have a problem, but I dont know how to cope. Can anyone suggest anything that will stop this continual stress and worry?

Thanks, sorry its been long,
Chloe x

[Alisonj]

Its hard to be so young and experience such a horrible thing. Mine started after my dads death when I was 14. I too obsessed about everything. I worried about my appendix and then sure enough had to have it out. But the majority of what I worry about never ever happens and is worst case scenerio thinking. But that doesnt stop me from thinking that way.
Its a horrible cycle. If you are like me once one thing is ruled out, something new comes up, or you just dont trust the results of the test and still worry. I get copies of all my tests and research the results because my doctor has stopped explaining anything to me.
My husband is the complete opposite. He worries about nothing. Even if his blood sugar is high or his bp is high he is not worried in the least. He has the attitude that worrying about it isnt going to change things, only waste energy worrying. There are things we can change in our life like diet, exercise etc, and others we just cant change. If you are taking good care of yourself. That is the best you can do. We spend too much time worrying about the what if's that we are missing out on our lives. We will deal with the what if's if they become a reality. I believe that those that suffer with anxiety are actually amazingly strong people. It may seem hard to believe but we deal with soooo much everyday. We are stronger people for it by far.
Hugs to you and I hope in some small way I have helped or can help. You are young, I hope you are able to enjoy your life instead of worrying about it.

[Humly]

Welcome Chloe. You are certainly not alone as we all suffer from the same thing here and just by coming on this site does help. Its great not having to bother friends and relatives all the time. My hubby is exactly the same as yours Alison, doesnt worry about anything and says worrying is not going to change anything but that doesn't stop me from doing it. I have got no great words of wisdom but to say that you are among friends and have always got somebody who can sympathise and reassure you whenyou are feeling bad. x

[sammyj]

My hubby is exactly the same too, he just takes things in his stride and worries about nothing, I envy him. He just says worry about it if it happens. I wish it were that easy, I tell him its not like I chose to feel this way its just happened. I have always been a worrier but the death of a loved one from cancer in January just took my worries to a whole new level!You know if it was just a case of my thoughts I probably could just ge ton with it, its the physical things that scare me and cause my anxiety...I just dont feel good, feel helathy you know. Otherwise I beleive for me if there were no physical things I could get by alot easier, why are these physical things happening is what confuses me