HA and Nervous Breakdown

[Samsmom]

Hello

This is my first post here. I have suffered from Health Anxiety since being a child but the last year or so it has been horrific - that is the only word I can use to describe it. Every day I have a different ache/pain/symptom and last October convinced myself I had cancer so much that I had a complete breakdown. I spent 6 months on Citalopram and started counselling in May. I'm not on the meds now but am nearly back to square 1 - got so upset the other day about an illness that I thought they would come and take me away to the local mental health ward.

My body is in a permanent state of fear, I sleep but feel knackered and my mind can't take much more worry. The counselling really hasn't helped. I keep telling the counsellor but I know he doesn't have a magic wand. Is it possible to spend 1 day without worrying about my health?

The illnesses I do get are often caused by stress. Is it just me??

My mom wants me to go back to the Docs but I'll just get more meds which won't solve the problem. Really scared I'll have another breakdown.

[lmb_nj]

Hello samsmom,

Sorry to hear about this health anxiety as any anxiety can be so dibilitating.

I wanted to say that perhaps taking meds while you are also going to therapy would help. Back in 2001 when all my depression/anxiety came to a full on assault, I got up the courage to go to therapy. I would go weekly. After three months I was not seeing any real signficant improvement. My therapist said that it would be good to be on medication to get my anxiety under control and then I would be in a mind frame to actually work on the issues troubling me. I did this. Once on medication, I was able to focus on the help she was giving me and come to terms with many of my demons.

I know meds aren't the cure, but could be a means to help take full advantage of therapy.

good luck,
Lisa