Are symptoms real?

[Totally obsessed]

I don´t know if anyone can understand this. I seem to get all these symptoms then google them and obviously come up with the big C! As in other posts I am terrified that I have lung cancer and have read every single website there is on symptoms. About 3 weeks ago I started getting this upper arm pain then googled ´arm pain and cancer´. Of course Cancer came up! I have had this armpain for ages now - took a quick visit to the doctor who didn´t really seem that concerned, to avoid heavy lifting, strain etc. It is still there, but I don´t really know whether it is there because it is always always on my mind. I spend every minute of the day checking if it still hurts or not! Someone once mentioned to me that it is possible to create symptoms if you think about them enough. It is only that when I read a symptom I haven´t got I think - great I am not ill, then low and behold the next day I have the symptom. Does anyone really believe in psychsomatic symptoms?

[Spagetti]

Yes the mind is a powerful thing.

The best thing would be to avoid googling such things, especially when you are anxious, it sets off the worry cycle, which sounds like you have discovered. x

[bronte]

im the same i will have symptoms of a certain illness and think to myself at least i havent got that symptom but you can bet the next day i have my cbt therapist told me if for a moment you havent got the pain your worried about focus on the pain you had and it will come on its true try it

[Totally obsessed]

Thankss for the replies - glad that there is maybe some truth in the matter.? It is just hard to believe that the brain can create pain in a sense. I get to the point where I think I should have any medical test available to check I am healthy - I have had over 12 blood tests in 3 years - all normal except the odd slightly under/over average numbers but everything OK. My cbt says that if you had a really serious disease something would look out of sorts. They wouldn´t be able to say what it is or whether it was cancer but something would look not quite right?

Does anyone else have experience with psychosomatic symptoms

[j2]

Google is the devil for people like us. For fun type in two unrelated words and one of them being cancer and you find all kinds of results. I typed in stapler and cancer and got loads of results. I get upper arm pain too and have for years. Your body is really tense and your muscles are letting you know it. I don't want to belitle your fears, I know how strong HA is. Just don't google. Post here as much as you need. We will listen and try to help.