qrydem1987
24-07-11, 15:06
Hello all,
I suffered with Health Anxiey ( Hypochondria / Cyberchondria), Agoraphobia, GAD, Panic Disorder, Depression and insomnia. I am now fully recovered and posted my story on this board and the Success stories board.I lurk around forums and chatrooms to help others and give advice And i make this post as i wanted to stress a point to you all and hear your feedback.
I often heared when recovering and still do about people advising BREAKING THE CYCLE. I Must break the cycle... No you do not need to break the so called viscious cycle, It can not be broken. to recover you simply have to slow this imaginary viscious circle down eventually stop it. and turn it the other way.
What i mean is that your circle is, FEELING SYMPTOMS > GOOGLING SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS > PANIC ANXIOUS > FEELING SYMPTOMS > GOOGLING WORRYING > PANIC ANXIOUS. im guessing for most of you this is the circle or cycle whatever you want to call it and it was for me. When i look at the Main message boards for www.nomorepanic.co.uk (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk) and every other forum and Anxiety website. you can see for yourself that people viewing lets say the Success Story board is normaly about 4/5 people. But people viewing the Health Anxiety board at any given time is normal around 200 / 300.
Now the first step to recovery is not to feel less anxious or stop having panic attacks. But to simply control what you can do this second!. Now all of you with a bit of will power and motivation CAN stop googling symptoms or try to find other reasons for your sensations. OK, this doesnt cure the feelings your having but googling doesnt cure you either right ?.
This automatically SLOWS the circle down. You will not be cured from your panic / anxiety or irrational thoughts down 5 mins after closing the google window. But its the first step. Now yes its actually very helpful to use the computer and google to help your anxiety and fears in moderation. Aslong as you search for more positive success stories or advice and tips on these forums about dealing with anxiety NOT posting to the world you think you have a brain tumour because you have a dizzyness and a headache. This in time to allows you to have your mind more elsewhere rather than your health concerns. Maybe it will only stop your worrying for 30 minutes less a day. But that 30 minutes grows slowly to 1 hour a day...
and so on. Untill the cycle is stoped. When you notice less hours are being spent worrying and googling symptoms rather than relaxing and thinking about other things. Then this is the moment the dreaded famous Circle starts to turn the other way.
When the circle is turning the other way its IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP.
NOT GOOGLING OR CHECKING SYMPTOMS > LESS SYMPTOMS > LESS SYMPTOMS MEANS LESS IMPULSE TO CHECK FOR THEM > NOT GOOGLING OR WORRYING OR CHECKING SYMPTOMS > LESSER THE SYMPTOMS > LESS WORRY AND ANXIETY
this can take days / weeks / months depending on how determined and motivated you are. but like a WHEEL or circle it takes a while to stop when you apply the brakes, and when i say brakes i mean stop the obsessive thought to diagnose yourself. and then it takes time for the wheel to start reversing the effects of the viscious cycle and symptoms and irrational thoughts.
I hope this has been an interesting read. for proof and reassurance this could work for you read my story in the succcess topic
I suffered with Health Anxiey ( Hypochondria / Cyberchondria), Agoraphobia, GAD, Panic Disorder, Depression and insomnia. I am now fully recovered and posted my story on this board and the Success stories board.I lurk around forums and chatrooms to help others and give advice And i make this post as i wanted to stress a point to you all and hear your feedback.
I often heared when recovering and still do about people advising BREAKING THE CYCLE. I Must break the cycle... No you do not need to break the so called viscious cycle, It can not be broken. to recover you simply have to slow this imaginary viscious circle down eventually stop it. and turn it the other way.
What i mean is that your circle is, FEELING SYMPTOMS > GOOGLING SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS > PANIC ANXIOUS > FEELING SYMPTOMS > GOOGLING WORRYING > PANIC ANXIOUS. im guessing for most of you this is the circle or cycle whatever you want to call it and it was for me. When i look at the Main message boards for www.nomorepanic.co.uk (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk) and every other forum and Anxiety website. you can see for yourself that people viewing lets say the Success Story board is normaly about 4/5 people. But people viewing the Health Anxiety board at any given time is normal around 200 / 300.
Now the first step to recovery is not to feel less anxious or stop having panic attacks. But to simply control what you can do this second!. Now all of you with a bit of will power and motivation CAN stop googling symptoms or try to find other reasons for your sensations. OK, this doesnt cure the feelings your having but googling doesnt cure you either right ?.
This automatically SLOWS the circle down. You will not be cured from your panic / anxiety or irrational thoughts down 5 mins after closing the google window. But its the first step. Now yes its actually very helpful to use the computer and google to help your anxiety and fears in moderation. Aslong as you search for more positive success stories or advice and tips on these forums about dealing with anxiety NOT posting to the world you think you have a brain tumour because you have a dizzyness and a headache. This in time to allows you to have your mind more elsewhere rather than your health concerns. Maybe it will only stop your worrying for 30 minutes less a day. But that 30 minutes grows slowly to 1 hour a day...
and so on. Untill the cycle is stoped. When you notice less hours are being spent worrying and googling symptoms rather than relaxing and thinking about other things. Then this is the moment the dreaded famous Circle starts to turn the other way.
When the circle is turning the other way its IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP.
NOT GOOGLING OR CHECKING SYMPTOMS > LESS SYMPTOMS > LESS SYMPTOMS MEANS LESS IMPULSE TO CHECK FOR THEM > NOT GOOGLING OR WORRYING OR CHECKING SYMPTOMS > LESSER THE SYMPTOMS > LESS WORRY AND ANXIETY
this can take days / weeks / months depending on how determined and motivated you are. but like a WHEEL or circle it takes a while to stop when you apply the brakes, and when i say brakes i mean stop the obsessive thought to diagnose yourself. and then it takes time for the wheel to start reversing the effects of the viscious cycle and symptoms and irrational thoughts.
I hope this has been an interesting read. for proof and reassurance this could work for you read my story in the succcess topic