Mind over matter

[whatisitnow]

Hi
Hopefully this wont bore you by the end, its long lol
I have suffered with health anxiety for 12 years now since my father in law died. Im 35.
Back in November i started noticing a sensation in my right arm pit, not pain, just like there was a lump there but there wasnt. I got in a right state about it & was sure i had breast cancer. I eventually plucked up the courage to check for lumps in the breast & there wasnt any, then i decided it was in my mind & seemed to forget about the armpit thing & life went on as normal. I gave up smoking a couple of months ago, started eating healthy & did lots of exercise, felt brilliant! because i want to lose a stone in weight. 2 weeks ago my scales told me i havent even lost a pound! I was mortified, cried on and off all that day, i have worked so hard! within days of losing faith in dieting my arm pit anxiety came back, i was sat on the sofa lent forward talking to someone and simply had my hand on my arm, thought i felt a lump in my top arm, after feeling it again there was no lump, must have been the angle my arm was at on my knee. But since then the sensation is back & im always aware of it, but i wake up in the morning and notice its not there, but comes back within about 10 minutes (the same as 6 months ago when i had it) I just feel like crying all the time and my chest feels heavy all the time. Surely after 6 months it cant be anything bad? Now im wondering if its been there the last 6 months but i just didnt notice.
Do you really think our minds are that clever that we can exagerate symptoms to a great extent?
I feel so screwed up right now. Im suppose to be going out tomorrow night, havent been out for months & i just dont feel like doing anything.

[Shaz]

|Hi Caz,
I'm sorry to hear your having a rough time at the moment. It's brilliant to hear that you ahve been looking after yourself with diet and exercise. Don't be disheartened muscle weighs far more than fat, so you have probablty gained muscle and lost fat. Have you noticed your clothes feeling more comfortable? And yes! Your mind is such a powerful and clever part of your body. Please do not underestimate it. It can and does play out your deepest fears in a mental and physical way, that are real symptons. Your fear in your arm, somebody elses could be a brain tumor and mine is my heart. I hope this offers you some support, but please read everything on this site as it has helped me no end to understand what my mind is doing to my body.

Go out and have a great time.

Take care
Shaz

What cannot be fitted into your day, cannot be done - forget about it!

[alexm]

Hi there,

I think its all down to the powerfull mind... my symptoms vanish if i have something to look forward to or my mind is extreamy occupied.

Try to plan something realy exiting for the following weeken and concentrate on looking forward to that.. thinking positive and giving the mind something to think about removes the subconcious anxiety thoughts..

try it hun, i hope it helps as much as it does for me.

[whatisitnow]

Thanks you guys, i have just been on the phone to my big sis who suffers from health anxiety the same as me & she always makes a lot of sense. Just wish one of us had a magic cure for anxiety in an instant, like she said the thought of going through this off and on for the next how ever many years is an awful thought, but apparently does get easier the older you get. We will see.
I will go out tomorrow and am determined to have a good time
Thanks again xxxxxxxxxxxxxx