What started your health anxiety?

[Brooke4131]

Hi All,

I'm very curious about when other people's health anxiety began. After a traumatic event, a family member's illness, your illness, it was always present, etc. Also does it seem to wax and wane with life events?

I'll get the ball rolling.....mine started when my mother was told she had terminal cancer. Four years later she's cancer free, but I still see health anxiety rear it's ugly head when I hear of other health scares.

[kah]

Great idea for a thread....

I think mine started when I had my first daughter (now 4), although it only got bad last year at the same time as I was diagnosed with Post Viral Fatigue. Since then it's been one thing after another to worry about :(

K xx

[countrygirl]

Mine was traumatic event as a 4 yr old. My grandmother who was my mother at the time was a diabetic and I was told she must not eat sweets ( mine) and she did and then she had a massive stroke ( I found her) and I was left with her for up to 4 hrs at a time to look after her ( she was totally paralysed and could not speak) and then she died.

The 4 yr old me then put together that any illness resulted in death- simple to a 4 yr old!

I have been told that the trauma at that age was so great that nothing in the way of therapy could possibly re wire my brain and the best I can do is manage my health anxiety with help of my GP - I am now very honest with Drs and it has helped.

[sammi]

I started having panic attacks when my mum had her windows put through with sledge hammers while her and my little brother were in the house.
The symtoms of my panic attacks mimic the symptoms my dad had before he died of a heart attack at 28 so it soon turned into health anxiety.

[Zee]

Ive had 2 episodes of HA..11 years ago strange symptoms which I saw GP about with no anxiety. When he suggested a full blood count I suddenly went into overdrive and my HA started up big time.. It took 8 months to get it under control.The FBC was all good.
10 months ago I went to GP after a 10 year gap for a sinus related issue. He suggested a FBC and here we go again.. full scale anxiety which ive been struggling with until about 6 weeks ago when everything started to come together and feel much better.The FBC was excellent.
In December I had a fissure and I recognised the symptoms as i.d had it a few years before. It came and went since then, but being an idiot I googled and set the HA off again!!

[Greenman50]

Mine was in october last year, i had a constant sore throat , not a normal sore throat it was burning 24/7 for 8 weeks , my glands were also swollen under my neck and i was told it was a virus . Ended up on acid reflux tablets , then my stomach really kicked off with all the worry , the glands under my arms swelled up (by this time i had used doctor google ) so i had throat cancer , barrets osopagus , lymphoma etc....
The glands under my arms got checked out at the breast clinic (i,m male) came back ok , 2x full blood counts came back ok aswell .

Was still going the docs at the end of December , with chest pains , stiff neck , and the acid stomach . I Ended up getting upset in the doctors as i told her i thought i had cancer as i was feeling food going down when i swalled , i was assured that the blood tests would have shown something up but they were perfect .
I sunk into depression / anxiety over December now i look back but didn,t see it at the time .

I got prescribed cit 20 mg and valium 2 mg as it was said she felt i needed a break from this cycle of illness and couldn,t keep on takeing the valium as i would get hooked .

I,m now feeling much better after nearly three weeks on the meds but i still worry about throat cancer , my throat is slightly sore today but it comes and goes , so does the food sticking feeling .

I,m sure its because it was sore for so long , plus the acid reflux and anxiety that the throat is just a symtom of that .
Some days its ok for a few hours untill i focus on it .


Anyway thats how mine started :shrug:

[daisycake]

I don't know what started it off being specifically health anxiety, but I've had anxiety since I was a toddler due to family situation in which my mum was mentally ill and dad was abusive (towards mum, not me) so have always felt anxious most of the time - I think it's ingrained in my personality! Health anxiety I think is just my way of actually having something concrete to worry about, something I can resolve and something I have the possiblity of controlling/changing - as opposed to everything else that I'm really scared of, that I can't control or change at all...

[jessicalittler79]

my health anx started bad when my sister ,she was only 31 pass away in her sleep i was lost with out her and i still am ,she pass from heart problems...:)

[dizzydaisy]

Mine started about ten years ago when I turned forty. It affected me greatly being 40, and I started to suffer anxiety and panic attacks, I felt as if time was running out. Then later that same year my brother was diagnosed with MS, he was 43. He then suffered a heart attack. From there my anxiety turned into health anxiety and depression. I do have quite long periods of time when Im almost normal, but it always seems to rear its ugly head again. Last august my son in law died suddenly and completeley unexpected, so once again my HA is back with a vengence. I just accept now, that any traumatic things in my life are going to trigger it off, or make exisiting worries worse.

[Anxious_gal]

My mother got ill and almost died...... I was 6 or 7, it took her a while to fully recover.

Great tread by the way :)

[Typer]

2 years ago when the heart palps started - made me worry about my heart and general health...not too bad now, apart from the dreaded heart palps

[nikkinik]

Mine all sort of came at once really, over time, but had the same trigger.. My agoraphobia, anxiety, etc etc..

I think Ive always had a fear of being sick, but when my partner was killed on his motorbike it all kicked off, this was about 8 years ago.
I was 6 weeks pregnant at the time.. I ended up being signed off work, I'd basically sunk into depression. When I didn't have to get up for work I just sat at home all day, not dressing or washing half the time.. After so long I figured it was safer, now that winter (and the germs) was approaching to stay at home. It made sense to me to keep us indoors where I could protect our unborn baby from possibly catching anything that could endanger him. As he was all I had left of my partner it added into the 'got to keep him safe' feeling.
I obv had to go out here and there, for shopping, baby things or antenatal, but even then I felt uncomfortable..

So I think the health anxiety went to a whole new level over those months.

I didnt realise I was agoraphobic until the year after that.

I went to the cinema and as I was due on (ladies will probably understand), I felt hot, sickly, a bit dizzy.. Then it felt as though the room was closing in on me. I stuck out the film because I didn't want to look silly by running out.. But the second it was over I couldnt wait to get out. In the car home I was pulling at my clothes, feeling totally out of it, feeling utterly sick etc..

It happened a few more times after that, while out shopping mostly (oddly, in parks I wasnt too bad, probably because there were fewer people, more open spaces).. Then I didnt want to go to the cinema again, I started feeling like Id rather stay in than go through that, and it went from there.

My health anxiety went to another level 2 years ago when I had an ectopic pregnancy. I tried to brush off the 'Im ill' feelings for a good few days, then I finally gave in a did a test. Id never felt so ill and afraid.. I was dragging myself about for days, pushing myself through the exhaustion, nausea, dizziness etc.. But the test obv confirmed I was poorly - I knew I was ill then because I had the coil in. The whole thing went on another 4 days while they made sure the foetus was still growing and that I hadn't miscarried. I felt so ill I thought Id die on the table. They said it would take 6 weeks to recover.. it took me about 6 months or more!
Now everytime I get a cold, feel ill, or anything else I go into a full blown panic that can last hours and take days to recover from!

[Em.ma]

Mine started after a consussion which I was convniced was brain hemmorage

[sherryk]

Hello, I am new to this forum and anxiety. Mine started in October 2010. Since than I have had way too many tests than ever in my life. Pretty healthy my whole life. I was only 34 years old getting ready to turn 35. I can see inow it was all a whirlwind from stress from work. If only I could see that before. Now I am worried even more from the radiation exposure from the tests. I feel crazy most days lately. It was so bad I eneded up with shingles. It is nice to see I am not the only one worried about things. Each day gradually gets better.

[Nattyburt]

Hey All,

Mine started when my dad died suddenly with a heart attack when i was 19, we were very close and it was an extremely upsetting time. Soon after i became obsessed with my heart and thought i was going to die. That was 13 years ago, and i still have the same thoughts. 13 years of worrying about nothing.... what a waste.

xx

[trolleydolly]

hey all
Mine started 2 years ago when my mum died of cancer

[blueangel]

I've had HA for most of my life. I think part of it for me is hereditary as my dad had it too, but when I was very young I lost several family members (including my dad and both grand-dads) so for me illness = death as well.

[cassie1975]

My husband was really poorly christmas 2009 his liver count was up and i was told by a doctor (incompetent if you ask me ) that my husband might be lucky that they have found something early !! I was distraught x it turned out to be gall stones. I then had a panic attack because two of my husbands sisters have died young, one suddenly and the other fought ovarian cancer before losing her life. I panicked that my husband was going to be taken away early too. My family are very important to me. We had also moved house that year that was stressful in itself. I was finally diagnosed with anxiety but because of my symptoms was convinced the doctors had it wrong. I then spent weeks going back and forth to the gp and A and E. It took six weeks of citalopram and this website to convince me i wasnt dying. I still have the odd thought but seem to be managing it. One thing i dont do any more is google symptoms.

[Joannaglassheart]

I think my anxiety attacks started happening at times when I was generally feeling low in confidence. I can clearly remember panic attacks happening at certain low points in my life in particular when my relationship broke up and also stress from work and then eventually losing my job.

It makes me feel awful to see some of the other replies that people have put. :unsure: Life can be very harsh and cruel sometimes.

[donnaanderson]

mine started after both my sons were seriously ill one with septasemia and the following year my other son got mrsa after spinal surgery while at the time i coped very well probably too well hense 2 years of panic my anxiety levels so high as if waiting for the next bad thing.

[ladyj]

Mine started when when my husband had a series of heart attacks 3 in total I am always on edge waiting for it to happen again and him not being so lucky it gave me such a sense of mortality I find it hard to cope I my self am having lots of test endoscope this week and I can feel the nerves kicking in for some reason this test scares me I have had ecgs heart scan gall stone scan blood test galore but endoscope scccccarrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy xx

[lollypopgirl1981]

Its Amazing to hear of everyones reasons why there health anciety started, mine started 5 years ago when my mum was told she had breast cancer, she had an op and chemo and then was given the all clear after chemo, but my health anxiety kicked in then, funny though ive never worried they i have breast cancer mines always been aboutt brain tumors. mums great now 5 years old so lucky she caught it early on, but again from both our pasts with docs and family we have always got things checked out sooner then later, rather do that then it be to late, and if its nothing then great x im sorry for anyone that has lost someone close to them as i can imagine the day that happens to me. x

[lindajane1971]

looking back on my life i now realise i had mild anxiety for around 3 years and then in april 2008 my mum died suddenly at 54 from a heart attack out of the blue, since then its rocketed and ivew come to the conclusion now i will always have anxiety, i just need to learn how to manage and control it instead of it controlling me

[mel1972]

i have had my HA for 2 yrs and started after i lost my best friend and my rock... My mum - She had a heart attack but died from a brain aneurysm when having surgery!
Was a routine op, so totally knocked me for six! I have had i think pretty much every symptom of health anxiety and still having different signs..
although its not everyday/week as it was to start with i still get them and still panic but i am still here and know that i have to ride the wave of anxiety not letting it beat me.. Thats easier said than most times but its remembering the last time you had that feeling and what happened at the end of it... Nothing!
I am due to have counselling and hopefully cbt in the hope of getting my life back to as near as normal as it was.. for my kids sake and for mine!
Hopes and prayers for everyone... one life we have to live it!!

[kinnygirl1]

First time round 12 years ago it was triggered by eating some tuna fish on holiday which gave me food poisoning. Felt so ill and scared being in a foreign country. After that I was afraid whenever I ate in case in gave me the same reaction. I lost a ton of weight and then as well as being phobic about what I was eating I became claustophobic and started having panic attacks as well. It was hell but I did overcome with medication and CBT.

This time round I think it has been triggered by the loss of a really good friend at Christmas. He had swine flu which led to a heart attack. Now all my health worries are about my heart....

SO sorry to hear of the losses some of you have had.

Best wishes to all for a recovery from HA.

[Liliana83]

My aunt whom I am super close to was diagnosed with lymphoma...went through chemo...and thankfully got better. I then went through a health scare in February where I was high risk for cervical cancer...and have to go back in September to see if things are okay...it's been a tough year and a half for me. :unsure:

[Liliana83]

By the way...great idea for a thread...big hugs to you all!

[kg78]

My anxiety started about 10 years ago when I had a visual migraine, my first one, completely out of the blue and I panicked, thinking I was having a stroke or a brain aneurism.

A while after that I had food poisoning really bad, I collapsed and threw up all over the restaurant.

Then during labour I nearly died.

Most recently a colleague died of stomach cancer in her early 40's and a family member died of leukemia aged 20.

Every time I seem to get my health anxiety under control something else happens and it kicks off again. And the food poisoning incident has left me with horrendous social anxiety, I can't eat or drink in public, although with the help of hypnosis I seem to be managing it a bit better.

I don't think I'll ever be "normal". :shrug:

[Johnny17]

My health anxiety started while I was in grade 6 the teacher was talking about terry fox who ran across canada for cancer rescerch who also had cancer that led him to passing away early at a young age (I believe 21), when listening I got a deep hot white flash in my eyes and felt I was going to panic annd black out and BAM I am on edge everyday and im going into grade 12 now.

[janey1979]

hi all
mine started i think about 10 years ago i had a young baby and not much support i think becoming a parent sparked memories of my own childhood which was very bad i was sexually abused from a very young age and my mother was never affectionate to me and always resented me and would treat me badly i fainted a few times because she didnt give me breakfast (although she was always a caring mum to my brothers). I was very close to my maternal grandparents but they both died suddenly when i was 15 from heart attacks. I have been to the doctor who once told me i had post traumatic stress i went to a therapist but never felt like she cared and just wanted me off her books. I am now again suffering chest pains etc and yesterday had a severe panic attack i am also on prozac. I look forward to chatting to you all and supporting each other.
Janey x

[Gemma T]

A friend had it. I lived one of those lives blissfully ignorant of heath worries. Her worries became my worries

[dusty41]

Hi mine started 6 months after I lost both my parents within the space of 12 weeks of one another, I cared for my dad for 10 years previuos to him passing away and then cared for my mum at home (on my own and with the help of mcmillian nurses) for 5 months till she passed away. I thought I was coping really wll considering then my mind and body just imploded(panick attacks and now health anxiety). Every twinge pain or cough or cold, all I can see is my mum in that bed skin and bones, in and out of conciuosnous and thats how I then see myself. If my stress levels are high I usually find myself a few weeks later experiencing physical sypmtoms, the one that really annoys me the most is the dizziness.From when I get out of bed untill I go to bed its the same all day like im on a boat. Sometimes the way I deal with it is to get angry and think "No" youre not gonna interfere with my life and try to distract myself!!xx

[haynsey]

Hi, my health anxiety started when i was 23years old, my grandad, uncles and dad died suddenly in space of 6months in 1995....Also i lost friends in the same year!!

[SH2727]

My HA started when I was 21 and my close friend died of cancer. She had it from when we were 16, and watched her battle it for years.

My HA got worse and to the point it is now after having my son 5 years ago.

Best wishes everyone.

[Worried_Male]

I think it was a mixture of things. Not long after my Uncle died i started to realise how vulnerable the human body is.

Not long after i developed this wierd cough and wheezing in the mornings. I consulted Dr Google and read that it could be HIV. I had a major panic attack and have not been the same since. Went and got tested and reading all this stuff about HIV in the clinic made it seem real. I was convinced i had HIV and the 3 weeks waiting for the results was the worst 3 weeks of my life. I didn't eat, sleep or even get dressed some days. Everything come back good but it still has not convinced me.

Was put on anti-depressants for a while but they didn't do anything so i stopped taking them. To this day i wish i never read what i did on google as i would maybe be living a normal life right now.

[Mirabelle]

My dad was I'll with his heart all through my childhood.
Then when I was pregnant with my first child my GP said he could hear a heart murmur. That was it I have been anxious about my heart on and off for the 24 years since then.

[morganbird]

I am ashamed to say mine started after a heavy night out with the girls drinking and doing cocaine.
I had a panic attack and thought I was having a heart attack and ever since I have worried doing drugs has caused my heart damage and now not a day goes bywhen I dont worry about having a heart attack!
But what it did do was stop me from doing drugs again!!!!!

[Davinci817]

Mine began when I started having some physical illness that was blown off as anxiety. Now that the worst of the physical pain is gone 5 years later, most of the anxiety seems to be subsiding. I am sure my CBT, hypnotherapy, meditation and acupuncture are also helping me to move on from this.