Health anxiety: handling it like a sane person.

After years of flying off the handle at any little twinge, I've had two big successes this week. I'd like to share my thought processes here.

1) Last Friday I had a migraine aura hit whilst shopping with my parents. The visual disturbance almost always triggers a panic attack so violent I generally vomit. I was with my folks, though, and had to hold it together. I took a breath, let them know what was going on and then tried to identify a possible trigger. Definitely not caffeine as I'd been avoiding it. However, I'd skipped lunch (vanishingly rate for me) and I'd read before that missed meals were a common trigger. Made sense, so I waited it out and it went away as usual.

2) I've spent huge amounts of time on buses this week, and on another 90-minute journey home today, I started to feel a slightly crampy twinge in my right calf. Later on in the supermarket, it got worse and it felt like my leg was filling up with liquid. Obviously, I thought DVT.

I didn't freak out, I didn't tell my husband, and rather than worrying I just made a mental note to take a look at my leg once I got home and to go to A&E if there were any concrete signs. When I got home, my calf wasn't swollen, hot or red, so I realized no further action was necessary. At no point did I feel uneasy, just mindful.

I'm sure I'll slip up at some point, but if I can do it so can anyone.

Well done :) always good to read peoples successes thank you for sharing!! and well done again

Well done Blue, fabulous to read x

Thank you! Feeling really positive about myself right now.

Yes well done you! I think it's always helpful to focus on red flag symptoms and to take action if these occur. Anything else can be monitored within reason with a "watch and wait" mindset?

I believe it helps not to be known as a "regular" at the GP surgery so that any future health issues are taken seriously and not just dismissed as anxiety.

That's the right mindset to have BlueIris, in practice.
And if you can manage to keep that going then you've mastered the art of controlling anxiety.
I try to do the same and yes there are times my thoughts are spiralling out of control. It's not failing and practice makes perfect and we are human after all.
So well done blue, it's a grand achievement to stay calm and think everything through with a level head when anxiety is at you with a hammer to your head. :hugs:

Well done Blue. Good to read this. :yesyes:

Well done BI! Very proud of you!