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Peacock
18-02-06, 18:03
My wife has been suffering from Carcinophobia for over two and a half years. We've had so many visits to Doctors and the hospitals but she is still convinced that she has or will have cancer.
No matter what the medical profession tell her, they have all got it wrong from her point of view and no amount of checking, scans and all-clears (both verbal and in writting) seem to make her feel better. She went in January for a scan (and given the all clear again), but now, 4 weeks later she's back at the hospital.
I just don't know what to do or how to move on from the point where we were two and a half years ago. There is a tiny lump on her breast that has been checked (three times) and scaned and been given the all clear. But now she is convinced there are other things wrong.
I really need a hand as the medical staff appear only interested in her physically and not really mentally.

nomorepanic
18-02-06, 19:43
Hi there.

I am pleased that you are concerned about your wife enough to post here so welcome aboard.

Perhaps you could get her to look at these pages on the website.....

Health Anxiety (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms.php?nmppage=healthanxiety)

Common Symptoms of Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Phobias and OCD. (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms.php?nmppage=symptoms)

It sounds like she has Health Anxiety and this is best treated with CBT - Therapy (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms.php?nmppage=therapy)

She get this on the NHS as well.

Hope this helps

Nicola

jackie
18-02-06, 22:53
so good to see you are willing to help your wife.

she is not alone, there are many here who fear things and desperately want to stop being afraid. for many it is cancer or ms or as me a heart problem. strange things usually start it off do you no where your wife developed this from.

she needs to recognise that it is her mind that is weary and in need of help, and the period of recovery will begin. be patient as it takes time for this to happen and a while to replace the negative thinking. but there are many success stories on this site as you will see, i hope to be one of them one day

hope your wife is too. pm me any time
jackie

Tomimo
19-02-06, 00:24
Your wife is not alone in feeling this way and she is probably very scared, although I imagine it is hard and frustrating for you to see her that way and not be able to help.

Health anxiety is a scary thing and it can spiral out of control blwoing everything out of proportion.

This site is a great place for support and encouragement and to shrea with people who have been through the same. There are lots of success stories from people who have overcome their anxieties.

I hope that your wife gets to share some of the stories from here and can relate to them.

Keep us updated.

Annie x

Peacock
19-02-06, 16:57
Thank you Nicola. We do appear to be going round and round in circles with the NHS at the moment about where to go. BUt I'll take a look at all the sites you have posted. Thank you for your encouragement.

GMorris
22-03-06, 21:35
I totally sympathise with the position that you are in. My mother also suffers from this fear, and whatever minor ailment she gets she's always concerned that it may be the early stages of cancer.

In fairness to her she has had biopsies on two occasions in recent years from a lump on the breast and from enlarged lymph nodes. The results of both were thankfully benign but the worry has only made her phobia worse.

Now, if she suffers from stomach ache, headache, mouth ulcer or a cold, she's down to the GP to get it checked.

Maybe because of the way she is, I now have a fear of cancer. Not of getting it myself, but of someone close to me getting it. I'm 33yrs, married with 2 kids. The worry I have for my wife, kids, mother, can be unbearable.

I agree with you Mr. P. re. the NHS. Help only seems to be available to those who are a danger to others, but not to the individuals who are living in their own personal hell.

Good luck to you both.