This looks like the place for me!!

[whome]

Hello everyone!

I don't even know where to start, but I can say this...after looking around on this site, it is like a breath of fresh air! I feel terrible that there are others who suffer from such anxiety but at the same time, I am thankful I found them on here. I am slowly realizing that I have been struggling with health anxiety for a long time and just now really putting the pieces together. Of course, I am currently in a "crisis" and that is how I found this site. I have been googling my symptoms for about a week or more and have just turned inward and am stuck in my own mind over it all. The researching, self-diagnosing, worrying...it is SO time-consuming and exhausting! I sit on the computer for hours on end, reading "How I knew I had cancer," "How my cancer was diagnosed," "Stage 4 terminal cancer patient stories" and just slipping deeper and deeper into a dark hole when I read about someone who started with the same symptoms I have. I have made lists of those symptoms and bounce back and forth online from one terrible diagnosis to the next depending on what my google symptom search returns.

Here is the kicker-I am in the medical field and have been for more than 20 years. You would think I could use that knowledge to reassure myself right? Just the opposite! I know just enough to scare myself but not enough to reassure myself.

I just wanted to say hello to all because I feel I will spend a lot of time here. It already feels wonderful to vent these feelings without fear of judgement from others. This is an issue that hardly anyone knows about me.

Hope everyone is well and has a blessed day!

[BlueIris]

Hi from another health anxiety person!

Hope today's a relatively okay day for you, at least. I've been where you are (I'm not that far from it right now, in fact) so I really empathise. Hope things ease off for you soon.

[whome]

Sorry to hear that you suffer from the same! I am hoping that this site and hearing stories from kind people like yourself will help me change my train of thought. I started my day by opening the computer and searching scary things until I finally thought ya know what? This is driving me mad...then I found this. I am going to spend my computer time today trying to heal my mind instead of diagnose myself. Thank you for the encouragement!

[BlueIris]

Smart move The people here are really helpful and supportive.

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya whome and welcome to NMP

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and
are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and
support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way

[jojo2316]

Hello!
I’ve heard it is often those with some knowledge who suffer the most. Until google health anxiety was confined to medical students (said my father, the doctor)!
I’m not a medic, but am scientifically trained, and I’m certain it has made me worse. I think I can understand the medical research papers that google throws up. What a quagmire that is!
Good luck - and welcome. And I hope you can find some support here

[whome]

Hello jojo2316.
Your dad is a doctor!
I have worked with some wonderful doctors over the years and have so much respect for them for devoting their lives to helping others. He has a great point! I have always heard that sometimes ignorance is bliss and do believe in the case of health anxiety this is probably true. My sister is also a nurse and she agrees that knowing and witnessing just enough to scare ourselves is hard when it comes to our own health BUT she doesn’t take it to the extreme like I do and threatens to “break my fingers” so I can’t google or research symptoms that scare me to death anymore!! (she says this lovingly of course)
Thank you again for the warm welcome!


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[Carnation]

There have been quite a few doctors on here in the last 5 years I have been on this Site. You see, it's not their field and a few have been a tad embarrassed to ask their colleagues, some for fear of being judged differently.
Anxiety still seems to be an unknown territory when it comes to healing. Yes, you might have cbt, Mindfulness, take up meditation or take medication. But ultimately the healing lies deeper within us. In our heads! And how many doctors will tell you that the mind is one area that becomes a mystery and to some extent, untouchable.
I remember my GP, who was head of the practice explaining headaches as almost impossible to treat. Unless of course it is caused by a stiff neck and shoulders. Saying that, when I had whiplash, there's still nothing you can do but wait for the repair progress of up to 6 months.
No anything above the neck is certainly a complexed matter and that's why we end up googling and reading literature from other sufferers to gain some knowledge.
And NMP is brilliant for that including reminding members NOT to Google.

[whome]

Good morning Carnation,

Your post makes so much sense to me. Mental health issues are their very own kind of monster. It is amazing how the mind affects the body in so many ways and how hard it is to rationalize with yourself when you are in these states of HA. I am so glad this site discourages the use of google. You guys may have to steer me back in the right direction with this sometimes as we go along! Lol the best thing that has came of googling my symptoms is that I came here. It’s nice to shed light on my issues and I have already found that it is lightening my load somewhat in my current paranoia. I am trying to train myself to come to this site instead when the temptation to google my symptoms strikes. Thank you for taking time to follow up with me! Have a blessed day




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[whispershadow]

Hi and welcome, we're happy to have you on the forum, whome