Why cant i remember how i coped before

[billywhizz]

Hi guys,

ive just managed to shake off a cold that i had over christmas, which incidently helped ruin my holidays. Had the cold for a good 2 weeks, and although it never really developed into much other than a cough and sore throat. I couldnt stop my health anxiety from taking over.

Seems that everytime i feel the slightest bit unwell, or the slightest twinge in my body or new mark that ive never noticed before. My anxiety levels go through the roof.

Thankfully, so far (touch wood) my recent illnesses have all been minor, but and every time i get them, i recover in the same way anyone without anxiety would. But for some reason i forget this fact when im ill again.
I seem to go back to square one with my irrational thoughts.

Its really debilitating for me, over the last 5 years this health anxiety has been the only part of my anxiety that hasnt seen an improvement.

So im wondering, how do you get it into your head that its just a normal cold etc. Im constantly seeking reassurance from other people, "do i look ill", "how do i look". It drives my misses insane, but i cant help it.

Also, just out of interest, does anyone on here run a blog?

ive been blogging and video blogging since last january, and managed to video several exposure therapy sessions on myself attempting things that id never done, being agoraphobic, this had a profound effect on my agoraphobia.
If you;ve never seen any of these exposure therapy videos, and are interested i really recommend them. my latest video is an update on my anxiety in general and you can find it at:
http://panicstation.ning.com/video/update-on-life

its not just me on there, there are loads of members all blogging and filming about there anxiety disorder.

Thanks for reading guys, hope someone can point me in the right direction with this health anx, its becomming my main stumbling block towards my recovery.

[Balinese]

Will be interested to check out your videos - will do so when I get home from work!

I think we would all like the answers to the questions you asked - especially "how do you get it into your head that its just a normal cold etc" !

[meg86]

Hello I can really sympathise!! like you i have overcame alot of my anxiety issues but health anxiety seems to be the hardest to kick!! i know i should know better with certain situations but thats the thing when our anxiousness kicked in our cognitive responses are out of wack!!

The only thing i find that helps is writing my health issues down and try to look at them objectively, without writing them down its easier to get overwhelmed by panic, once i have worked through it and decided whether i am being rational or not i use a distraction until the anxious feelings subside.

This works great especially with health issues caused by anxiety, when its not anxiety related its a little harder!!

I had a large lump that appeared on my head i thought i was a gona, the doctor sent me straight away for a ultrasound, it all came back ok but i was soo scared! and now i have breast problems, its hard because i actually think normal people would be worried by these things to, its just a never ending cycle!!

Its good to write things down, sometimes i look back at some of the health issues that bothered me and i can actually laugh and say that was soooo irrational and cant believe i was worried by it!! but at the time my fear was so real. Its also good to look back at these things and it reminds me that yes i have a illness its called anxiety!! xx

[Cell block H fan]

I think its just a case of us probably thinking 'ok the last thing sorted out & went, but this time its different this is something bad'
And it goes on like that. But so far for most of us, it isn't different, we get over the next thing that comes along, only to end up with something else, & the cycle continues. x

[billywhizz]

Thankyou for your comments, I guess if we knew the answer to health anxiety then none of us would be here.

Hopefully I can keep on progressing and hopefully get somewhere with my issues, I'll just keep blogging and vlogging and see if it can push me through the anxiety by keeping track of what I've dealt with previously.