worried sick! is it possible to imagine these symptoms?

[dreena]

hi, ive suffered from health anxiety for years, but since getting married and having my 3rd child 8 mnths ago its just got so much worse! iv convinced my self that i have cervical cancer, is it actually possible to just imagine these symptoms? im just so terrorfied that just getting up in the morning and getting my daughter ready for school and my son to nursery is a task! the day is spent with my baby worrying waiting for my husband to get home.
of course hes noticed im alot moodier and quiet than usual but doesnt know how i feel. i normally love this time of year getting ready for xmas! but i simply feel realy down and distracted by this and have convinced myself im seriously ill and not going to see my children grow up. im biting their heads off all the time. its no fun for anyone. my doctor says im not due a smear till june 2011 and my last one was perfect 2 1/2 yrs ago. dont wana tell my gp to much as they just suggest anti depressants and i dont want medication!:weep:

[blueangel]

Hi dreena

Are you suffering any physical symptoms at the moment that could suggest this? Are you having problems with your periods, or spotting in between times? The research suggests that women who are screened regularly (like you) very rarely show up with advanced symptoms, as the disease actually takes a long time to develop, which is why it's more common in women who have either never been for a test, or who haven't been for one for 10 years or more.

Hope this helps.

[dreena]

hi, yeh what started it off was the break through bleeding last month. id left a 2 week gap between my pill instead of a 7 day break, just so busy and didnt get to the chemist. then the breakthrough bleeding happend when my body wanted to come on but still had a week left of pills. i rang my gp at the time and she explained it was breakthrough bleeding. id never heard of it before. ever since then ive convinced myself shes wrong.
thought id got over all this health anxiety, but now starting to realise its always going to be here :(
thanks for ur post. it does make sense :)

[blueangel]

Hi again

Breakthrough bleeding is very common if you don't follow your pill cycle. I took the pill for years, and then found that my cycle got very strange for a few months after I came off them.

Health anxiety is like the monster in the cupboard. You think it's gone away, and then there's a dark night and it comes creeping out again!! :)

[KatieBel]

It is totally possible to imagine symptoms....We only conciously use a ridiculously small part of our brain so just imagine what it can do. I have honestly felt like I was having a heart attack in the past....tight chest, pain in my arm but obviously turned out to be nothing. It's just re-programming. If you are like me at the moment you are on high alert and aware of any weird sensation your body feels.....just remember on a good day you wouldn't even notice them.

[dreena]

no you are totally right. i can come on here and read a post like mine and give loads of advice about how its nothing serious and its amazing what health anxiety can do to your thoughts!
and yes i am like you, on a good day that head ache is just due to being tired and stressed, the pain in my chest is just heart burn from the wine i had the night before...... but on a bad day its a brain tumor or heart attack. its such a relief to know its not just me!
and yes it realy is a monster in the cupboard! wana keep that cupboard locked up!
thanks to u both x

[lilboops]

Have you considered that you might be suffering from some post-partum depression?

[constantworrier418]

sending you hugs! I can totally empathize with you - infact I could have written the thread myself. I have been quite bad like you since I became pregnant with my second child - even now she is five months old I'm still struggling and everyday I am consumed with fear that I won't live to see them grow up. I would dearly love to have smears alot closer than the current three year routine call, I even booked a smear a couple of months ago but when I went to the dr's the nurses couldn't do the smear as I hadn't been sent an invitation. Have you discussed you concerns at all with the dr's? I did and they have been really helpful, I'm waiting for CBT counselling but I'm determined to overcome this - I can't keep feeling that something bad could happen as it's stopping me enjoying the here and now. Like you I am reluctant to go on anti depressants as I've been there and although they helped in the short term - I cannot be on them forever so I want to avoid them unless I absolutely have to. Feel free to pm me in you want to - HA is such a isolating experience xxx