Panic whether it's Health Anxiety or something real?

[hazy]

Hi,

I am constantly battling with myself over my health and as its almost 4 years since all this began I am scared that I am assuming its HA when in fact it is something?

Symptoms of so many things are similar, such as heart attack can be back ache, but so can cervical cancer? The slightest blimp and I assuming the worst and it's really scaring me. Right now I have weird stomach ache which is in a specific spot, but I am terrified I will wake in the night in agony?

So when is it Health Anxiety or something real, can anyone tell me?

[Carys]

Well, you say it has been '4 years since it began', if there had been something serious then you'd not be ok 4 years down the line !

[hazy]

I know you'd think that would be the case, but as I have dealt with this for such a long time now I am scared that I will put something down to HA when in fact it's something real? ��

[crystal17]

I know what you mean, like the doctors would assume you're 'crying wolf' because you have HA.
I suppose the key thing is to tackle the root cause of the HA to get to the bottom of it and then hopefully the symptoms will disappear. And in the meantime, any serious (as in intense) or very long lasting symptoms, go and tell your doctor.

My dr once told me when I was worried about this, "Hypochondriacs get ill too you know!" and this reassured me that she was taking it seriously.