Health Anxiety...getting me down!

[HWaight3000]

I have been diagnosed with Anxiety but my main focus seems to be about health issues. I am constently googling symptoms and worry about different illnesses every week. This week is a "brain tumour" because over the weekend, I kept muddling up my words!! Last week was "Oral Cancer" because my gums hurt and I had a little mark on my cheek. Ended up having to pay £16.50 at emergency dentist so they could tell me that everything was fine.

How can I stop myself from feeling like this, I have a constant fear and dread and want it to stop.

I am a Mum to two gorgeous girls and just want to be able to have fun and love life... unfortunately at the moment I am constantly worried.

Can anyone help?

[vicky23]

hi I'm not really sure I have any tips but I can sympathise with how horrible it is.
There's loads of advice on here so have a good look around, one of the main things you must do is stop the googling, it's just feeding your fears. Google is not an accurate diagnostic tool type in anything and it'll come up with the worst case scenario! lol
have you gone to your GP to ask about Cognitive behavioural therapy? I think CBT is the most useful for health anxiety
best wishes

[Neen]

Hey

I can only but sympathise. I try humour! But I know how you feel when it's locked in your brain that you have some terminal illness. You ct although you 'actually' do have it. I've done the 'Brain Tumor' thing. Quite recently actually. I have really bad neck spasms, pain, lump in the throat and I've thought about Oral Cancer, Brain Tumors, Head and Neck Cancer. It's ruining my life and relationship...... I thought I had it under wraps for a while??? Obviously not.

This website is great and will really help you. You should try CBT. It's worth a shot. I'm going to try Reki? I'll try, pay anything to get rid of this pain and lump. I think I do need to take up Yoga but everyday life just leaves you feeling tired and stressed. I just wish it would all go away. So I know exactly where you are coming from, as does everybody else on here.....

Neen x

[ditzy]

Doctor Google is evil he will find 'cancer' somewhere as a cause of practically any symptom you can think of. That said I know how hard it is not to google, I find myself doing it for reassurance that I haven;t got something and it normally always backfires as I find something that 'confirms' even more what I have or I find some story about someone my age who had it etc, etc - sends me into overdrive.

All the cancers I have 'had' are all smoking related, eosophagul, throat now at the moment its lung cancer or could also be ovarian/stomach not quite sure yet!

My mum had the same thing and swore by yoga purely for relaxing the body and breathing techniques etc. This is the thing most of us need to do really or certainly me anyway and that's to calm down!

Personally the only thing that's worked for me so far is unfortunately a short dose of tranquilizers although that's not a long term solution, it will more than likely come back again (as it has for me). I have just started taking a form of anti depressant although I'm sceptical about that aswell not sure it will work & I don't really want to spend rest of my life on drugs.

I may look into CBT or another therapy as I am sure this is really the only thing that will work, I believe it is your mind and way of thinking that you need to change drugs may help but they won't be a cure I don't think.

[Wee-Mee]

I feel your painn so much :( I'm in a right state myself regarding my leg..and now thanks to google alot of other things that consist of me going to lose my leg :(

I have CBT but no meds as they never really had any effect. Was on Prozac and that made me severely suicidal then citalopra that just made me like a vegetable:(

so now it's trying to concentrate on the thinking but so far no success..I go through phases of being ok and then like just now..being a mess.

*hugs* Feel free to message if you want to talk,I am very similar in thinking! x

[HWaight3000]

Thanks for all your advice and help. Its comforting to know its not just me!!

I had a good chat with the doctor yesterday and she has pescribed me Citalopram 20mg. Not really sure I want to start taking these...........the list of side effects looks like I going to be more worried about my health than before.

Since the weekend, I have started worrying that my speech has gone funny?!? Convinced myself I now have a lisp even though my poor husband (after asking him all day yesterday) has said that I haven't!. I am listening too much to what I am saying and now I have gotten myself into another vicious circle of panic and more symptoms.

Why can't this all just go away :-/

[Natalie x]

Hi there. I know exactly what you are going through. My recent thing has been a tumor. Im just bk from my holiday and up until yesterday i had been great - not worrying at all. But yesterday my eye went all puffy and red and sore and here i am bk to square one with worry. Im so angry at myself. I too, seek reassurance from my boyfriend and i hate doing it cause he must get reali annoyed, even tho he says he doesn't! I am currently in the process of CBT and take homeopathic tablets. These have helped a lot because i didn't want to get addicted to other tablets. Im only 18 and it has changed my life so much. I just want you to know that your not alone and if you ever need a chat, feel free to pm me x

[Humly]

I think we all know what you are going through. Perhaps you should try the meds the doctor gave you and give. Dont take too much notice of the side effects - they seem to list every one known to man on those things, even simple paracetemols have a long list of symptoms and most of us dont think twice about taking them. The simple fact that you have discussed things with your doctor is great and is a step forward on the road to dealing with this awful anxiety. I wish you well.

[whisper58]

hi gosh i know what you are going through, mine is heart failure, cancer, stroke you name it i worry about it, only cos i have a condtion called spasmodic dystonia and cervical dystonia which took 5 years and many appointments to diagnose cos its quite rare here in england, until diagnosis i was given many wrong answers so it left me with very little faith in doctors and bang anxietys set in, now every pain ( i suffer chronic pain disorder) i worry my self silly and have in the past searched google and scared myself silly, so now i give them a miss but still worry but hopefully one day after therapy i will learn to think differently and i hope you get relief from it soon too.:)