Cant stop worrying

[Jamie123]

Over the past couple of months anxiety has ruined my enjoyment of life. I have been worried by so many things that can be seen in my posts. My current worries are that i have barretts esophagus or esophageal cancer because of often acid reflux and trouble swallowing from time to time as well as rare indigestion or that i have a brain tumour which has spread and will kill me. I wish i could stop thinking like this. I have had brain tumour for over a year and a half which had subsided due to me thinking that there would be something seriously wrong by now but then i read about slow growing tumours and had a panic attack. Then i read about how gerd can cause barretts esophagus which can cause cancer which also scared me a lot as i began thinking even if i dont have esophageal cancer now this means surely i will get it eventually. If anyone can give me any reassurance on these i will be very greatful. Also read people with reflux are at higher risk of esophaegal cancer which doesnt help.i also worry about lung cancer due to shoulder pain on one side going down my arm

[PWO_Nathan]

I haven't heard of any of the conditions you have listed bar brain tumour so I don't think I could be of much help other than to say I have a "brain tumour" 2-3 times a week. This week I have also had stomach cancer as I have been having stomach pains. Currently, my anxiety is quite high hence why I am perusing the forums (I find this helps).

I don't mean the tone of my response to be funny, or discredit how you feel. I am merely trying to convey that you are not alone. I have health anxiety focused around my heart. I weight train 4 times a week and slowly convincing myself my heart is fine. This being the reason, my mind has now started looking elsewhere for imminent death.

Its god awful being like this, I know how you feel. Please just remember the golden rule for people "like us" = STAY OFF GOOGLE!

I hope this helps

[Jamie123]

Thanks for your response i can tell you are being very genuine. I am always sad when i hear someone suffers with these thoughts but it gives me reassurance. Its just so scary especially at my age (i am 20)as i want to be able to experience life but am scared it will be cut short because of these diseases. I have become scared of planning for the future as I dont want to be excited for something which will not happen

[PWO_Nathan]

I once read a forum post on another site (can't remember which) which summed things up perfectly for me personally. It was a young woman who was 17 and a virgin. Her anxiety was focused about her having a STI and / or being pregnant. This for me hit the nail on the head of how I am / was. No matter what evidence to the contrary, every little pain is a prelude to imminent death / a sign of a terminal illness. At the height of my anxiety, I was worried everytime I eat something new incase I got anaphalytic shock (horrendous spelling).

I won't presume to tell you how you feel or what will work for you. All I can do is tell you how it is for me and maybe you will relate to some of it. I am 32 years of age and ex forces. I do not drink, I have never smoked and I go to the gym weight training four times a week. I am described as "muscular build" and for this reason in addition to the aforementioned ones, the Doctors find it very hard to remain patient with me when I go spouting that I have a heart condition. The ONLY factor I have, is that my father had angina. My Father was also overweight, seldom exercised, had the worst diet known to man and smoked heavily for 32 years.

Theirs a forum post somewhere on here that relates to Heart conditions and it helped me massively. I know your concerns are not applicable to this, but I am sure if you surf enough you will find a relevant forum post.

The best advice anyone can give you is avoid Google.

Enter headache as a symptom = brain tumour
Enter muscle spasms = ALS
Enter chest pain = heart attack
etc etc etc

[Jamie123]

You are 100% right and Ive always known this but its so hard when you keep thinking about what you read about the person who had a bit of back pain and was diagnosed with lung cancer or the person who was a little out of breathe and was found to have it. I always read too much into it as I want to find someone to tell me how severe my symptoms would be so I can stop worrying but I never can as ofcourse its different for different people.

---------- Post added at 18:38 ---------- Previous post was at 18:29 ----------

But then my worry is what if this is my sign and am scared to go to the doctor as i think they will tell me I have a terminal disease.

[PWO_Nathan]

It will all come with time. I don't mean to patronise but it will.

I went to A&E once convinced the medication I am now on gave me irregular heart beat. They did a heart trace via ECG = fine. This reassured me for a few days but then I found that I needed to have another ECG to reassure me for the next time. Its like a drug (reassurance). It never really helps as all you do, is discredit it almost immediately / get into a cycle of needing reassurance.

I find this advice so easy to give, however I don't follow it myself unfortunately :(

[Jamie123]

I ALSO FEEL THE THING WITH GIVING ADVICE BUT NOT FOLLOWING IT. Reassurance usually helps me quite a lot. e.g was worried by blood in stool about once a month asked dr he said not to worry havent thought about it since

[GoWhiteSox]

here is an unfortunate truth that people like us who have health anxiety have to make peace with, at least i think

a human being can feel absolutely horrible and have nothing life-threatening or even easily diagnosable wrong with them

conversely a human being can feel fine and go for a routine physical/x-ray and find out they are terminally ill

it is crazy and it is something that is completely out of our control..and we are anxious people and anxious people fear losing control very much...we have to work to surrender our need for that control, we are chasing something we will never grasp..we have to learn to give up that chase

[Jamie123]

its true but im having panic attacks all the time and cannot get on with my life I am sorry for putting my problems in this forum but i find it so difficult at the moment

---------- Post added at 19:16 ---------- Previous post was at 19:02 ----------

I am really having a tough time does anyone know whether feeling discomfort in back and front of left side of chest and down arm constitutes a serious problem?

[GoWhiteSox]

panic attacks are very scary for sure..but that is all they can do is scare you...i have had them for 13 years off and on..

the most effective way i find to deal with them is to just let them happen and carry on..float thru it and let all the crazy stress chemicals your body releases do their thing...panic attacks are your bodies' response to fear and are meant to protect you...

dont put pressure on yourself to stop having them..or see it as a failure if you do..they can be managed and the less you fear them the less frequent and severe they will become