How to stop obsessing over diseases/examining yourself all the time?

[freja]

Kind of a long rant, sorry..

Anyways..I have this obsessing over diseases several times. I have thought I have meningitis (was really a common cold), a brain tumor (had an MRI done and it didn't show any tumors), ovarian cancer (had a ultrasound done, doctor said that everything's healthy), breast cancer (didn't get any tests done about this one, but i'm guessing it was temporary breast tenderness), tumor in my finger (when it was actually something they call writers finger or whatever. it's just a bump that forms on your finger when your pen constantly rubs against your finger when writing) and once I actually thought I was pregnant (because my stomach was bloated and looked very big) and I've never even had sex..

I also check my pulse and my lymph nodes pretty frequently and I try to find any changes. Every little change concerns me. When googling my symptoms and using symptom checkers it usually says that I have some kind of deadly disease and sometimes it makes me so worried that I get nauseous and throw up. Sometimes I calm myself down and think that it's probably nothing but a lot of the times I expect for the worst.

My latest fears are HIV (have several symptoms and a possible exposure) and aneurysm (I have pulsating in my legs, abdomen etc frequently) :(

I also have trouble trusting doctors and their diagnosis since I was once misdiagnosed (I had severe chest pain and the doctor said it was just cold when it turned out to be a bad case of GERD). When I was convinced I had a brain tumor and I got MRI done I was pleased with the results for a few days. And then I started worrying that the doctors might have missed something or mixed up my test results with another patient.

Also, have any of you ever had some or all of the symptoms of some disease and then it has turned out to be nothing? And do you trust your doctors when they say there is nothing wrong? Or you keep looking for a cause for your symptoms?

[Starscream]

And do you trust your doctors when they say there is nothing wrong? Or you keep looking for a cause for your symptoms?

I never trust a professional and I constantly self examine and keep finding small things.

[freja]

I never trust a professional and I constantly self examine and keep finding small things.
Why? Is it because you have been misdiagnosed before? Or do you feel like they don't take you seriously/are not thorough with the examinations because you have anxiety?

[Ella_Jayne]

I can relate to this. i was fixated on my heart for a few months, thought I had a fatal arrhythmia, heart disease, MVP, I was convinced I had something wrong with it, had every test under the sun and it came back as nothing, just anxiety related!! I had a fast heart rate and what I though were irregular beats, but it turned out it was just in my head.

At the moment I'm fixated with everything to do with my brain/head: Tumours, Blood clots etc... I have some symptoms I guess, usual headaches, visual disturbances, but nothing constant, just comes and goes so I guess it's probabley not a tumour and If it was a clot, well I don't think I'd be typing this if it was... But I'm determined to fight this without demanding an MRI or CT scan. HA is the hardest thing I've ever had to face in my life and I've been through some shitty situations. I do trust doctors but sometimes tell myself that they could easily make mistakes, but since I've been to several doctors, I doubt they can all be wrong, I suppose.

[freja]

At the moment I'm fixated with everything to do with my brain/head: Tumours, Blood clots etc... I have some symptoms I guess, usual headaches, visual disturbances, but nothing constant, just comes and goes so I guess it's probabley not a tumour and If it was a clot, well I don't think I'd be typing this if it was... But I'm determined to fight this without demanding an MRI or CT scan. HA is the hardest thing I've ever had to face in my life and I've been through some shitty situations. I do trust doctors but sometimes tell myself that they could easily make mistakes, but since I've been to several doctors, I doubt they can all be wrong, I suppose.
I know that it's kind of ridiculous for me to try and give you advice since I was convinced that I had a brain tumor for a long time too and right now I'm obsessed with several diseases.. but as much as I have learned..headaches usually occur in the late stages of the tumor and if you actually had a brain tumor you would also have bunch of other severe symptoms. And ofcourse, headaches, sensations in head etc are often listed as a symptom of anxiety.


Also, here's another thing I just noticed about myself - it's easy for me to tell other people that it's probably nothing serious but I still worry about my symptoms and have a hard time calming myself down.

[Starscream]

Why? Is it because you have been misdiagnosed before? Or do you feel like they don't take you seriously/are not thorough with the examinations because you have anxiety?

Down to the anxiety plus they have never suggested tests when I tell them what is wrong with me

I dont think they are thorough enough

[ali03]

Hi
Firstly Im not sure if I am doing this right as this is my first attempt at posting, I just wanted to say that I am in the same position as Freja. Over the last 4 years I have suffered from just about every possible disease, except I haven't! At the moment I am convinced that the lymph node I feel in my groin is cancer and the ache I have there is related to this cancer. Even though my sensible side tells me it is unlikely I cannot stop worrying.
Sorry if this is not the type of thing to post here

[mikhail1028]

My latest fears are HIV (have several symptoms and a possible exposure) and aneurysm (I have pulsating in my legs, abdomen etc frequently) :(

Currently im also battling these fears as of the moment I had symptoms which are kinda confusing(HIV and ANXIETY!!!) im having sores in my mouth and i cant stop thinking over and over again is this HIV or just anxiety im really hoping its just anxiety, really dead scared here and now affenting my social life my work,family everything

[ali03]

Its mad because you know the more you worry the worse it gets yet you cant stop. I also find its effecting my family life and I no longer want to go out places. I am short tempered and find I just want peace from everyone to go and worry!

[Starscream]

My latest fears are HIV (have several symptoms and a possible exposure) and aneurysm (I have pulsating in my legs, abdomen etc frequently) :(

Currently im also battling these fears as of the moment I had symptoms which are kinda confusing(HIV and ANXIETY!!!) im having sores in my mouth and i cant stop thinking over and over again is this HIV or just anxiety im really hoping its just anxiety, really dead scared here and now affenting my social life my work,family everything

Same as me. I fear that too.

Girlfriend was completely clear after she got a test done when we'd been going out for 5/6 months and sleeping regularly together. I'd just been terrified of needles for it.

I have hypnotherapy next Thursday. We'll see what happens I guess.

If it re-assures you in anyway, I have constant mouth problems as you've probably read, got two ulcers within inches of each other at the top left of my gum just now, despite taking several meds. It's horrendous. Have a dreadful cough as well. The mouth problems are every single week. It's too much to handle.

[Starscream]

I am also dreading my night out on Friday Night.

It could end in disaster with how anxiety driven I am.

I was out at Halloween and a horrible sort of thought just popped up in my head halfway through the night where I was convinced it was my last night out to enjoy before I got admitted into hospital. It was horrific.

I cannot seem to handle this anymore and I hope this hypnotherapy calms me down

[mikhail1028]

Ive already been to my GP but no signs of symptoms so far im just thinking it all over in my head no swollen glands no fever my average temp is 36.5 but right now im really obsessed in looking to my mouth and checking all the sores or any sings of fungal/viral infections(Im a smoker of 10 years its hard to tell wheter those are really symptoms or just because of my bad smoking habit)

[Starscream]

Ive already been to my GP but no signs of symptoms so far im just thinking it all over in my head no swollen glands no fever my average temp is 36.5 but right now im really obsessed in looking to my mouth and checking all the sores or any sings of fungal/viral infections(Im a smoker of 10 years its hard to tell wheter those are really symptoms or just because of my bad smoking habit)

I am the same.

Check my tongue 50 times a day. My gums about 100 times a day. And every day there is something new. It's horrible. It clears up after a few days but it's not the point.

The first thing my doctor/dentist asked me was "do you smoke".

Surely it's all to do with smoking man ?

[mikhail1028]

I am the same.

Check my tongue 50 times a day. My gums about 100 times a day. And every day there is something new. It's horrible. It clears up after a few days but it's not the point.

The first thing my doctor/dentist asked me was "do you smoke".

Surely it's all to do with smoking man ?

My last possible exposure was (non-penetrative protected sex/unprotected oral sex) a low risk ive had unprtected sex with my past girlfriends 4 GF's thats what really buggin me right now my last unprotectd was almost a year ago

[looking4answers]

Hi,
I have fought this battle for 55 years. I have imagined everything and anything that could be or might be wrong with me.So far I really managed not to have anything that I ever thought I did. Everyday I wonder if this feeling or that feeling is a tumor or heart issue or aneurysm or something and every night I go to sleep and wake up again the very next day and still haven't succumbed to any of the dreaded diseases but keep thinking Ill be right about one of them one day.. I don't know how to stop this other than to try to keep your focus on something other than yourself. I find when I am I don't worry about they symptoms but then when I am not busy I find that im miserable worrying checking my pulse and being hyper sensitive to every sensation. Hope you feel better soon.. Michael

[freja]

And just now I discovered that I have yellow coating/blotches on my tongue. I checked online and it's listed as a symptom of HIV :(

[Big-B]

i know the thread is old, but i just found it and made me want to ask if any of you have had any relief? have you taken your HIV test?

i took mine back in february 2013 after worrying for months..anxiety/panic that would not leave me all day...bed ridden basically..i had the test done which was painless...its the waiting that hurts the most...i came back negative and when i heard the results i had a good long cry with laughter for about an hour and all my anxiety disappeared.

unfortunately for me google and self diagnosing is very evil to me as i now feel like i have any all diseases but not HIV...