advice to overcome HA

[cook ie]

Hello

I have suffered from HA for over 4 years now and its getting worse. I seem to visit my GP every couple of months with the same issue - breast lumps. I'm not even sure that I feel any lumps, its more me persuading myself that something is wrong. I get into these horrid cycles of checking for lumps over and over (several times a day), finding something unusual (well what I believe is unusual), visiting the dr who reasures me, feeling better and then 2 months later the whole thing starts again. and if I'm not worrying about breast cancer I'm worrying about lung as my mum died of it when she was young.

I feel like its taking over my life i.e. i would love to have children but fear dying young and leaving them motherless.

Anyway I'm currently having one of my panics and am determined to overcome it and not visit the dr as I feel like this sometimes feeds my fear.
I would really like some advice from anyone who has overcome HA or at least manages to keep it at bay.

Thank you for listening x

[eeyorelover]

Hi and welcome to the site :)

I've had health anxiety for many years but have made progress as my anxiety has lessened.
I used to worry about every spot,lump,and bump! Made countless trips to the doc or ER. Really the only thing that started to lessen my health anxiety is to, first admit to myself that it was all anxiety related and that I wasn't dying of some undiagnosed condition and secondly working on confronting my anxiety as a whole. I actually would counter negative thoughts with positive ones and then redirect my attention to something else.
While getting a yearly mammogram is essential for every woman over 40, some women just have lumpy breasts! I know because I am one of them :)
I'm perfectly fine, no cancer or anything, I'm just lumpy! That's me! LOL

If you have been checked by your doc and he/she has said you are fine then you just have to keep reminding yourself of that when you have these thoughts about cancer.
I know it's hard!! But you can do it!
Try reading other posts about HA, reading the help pages on the site, and keep posting! We will help you to work thru it :)
xxx
Sandy

[cook ie]

Thanks for your reply Sandy. I was so pleased when I found this site after years of believing I was a freak and no one else suffered from this strange and cruel condition. I think your advice makes sense and I will try this over the coming days. Its strange because my partner also has suggested this method inthe past. Thank you again x

[eeyorelover]

You're very welcome!
If you need to talk feel free to PM me anytime :)
xxx
Sandy