Therapy and health anxiety - did it help you?

[carriewriting]

Hi all,

I am interested to hear if therapy has helped your health anxiety.

I started seeing a psychologist after getting some blood test results that scared me.

I've had health anxiety for about 15 years, but this time it feels real and I have to wait 3 months to be tested again so my stress levels are through the roof.

I went to therapy committed to dealing with health issues better, but I feel like my anxiety is worse since I started.

To be fair, I am a therapists dream case - bad childhood and multiple traumas over the past 8 years (marriage breakup, mother's terminal illness and dreadful death, child's mental health issues), but my health anxiety pre-dates all of these, so I'm a bit frustrated that he's focussing on that when I'm struggling so much at the moment.

Every time I bring up the blood tests and how scared I am (elevated blood protein so I am convinced I have multiple myeloma) he doesn't seem to want to discuss it.

Now on top of the blood test I've just been to the dentist about a tiny lump I can feel with my tongue (but can't see) behind my bottom front teeth and she's sending me for x-ray and to a surgeon (cue freak out)

And I had my regular mammogram today and my state of mind is that the way my luck is going something will be wrong with that too :(

I'm perimenopausal and premenstrual so that probably isn't helping my state of mind today, but I feel like pulling the pin on this therapist and finding a new one.

I need strategies and so far I haven't got anything.

Did therapy help you with your health anxiety? Should I get a new therapist?

All thoughts shared would be appreciated.

[bin tenn]

Seeing a therapist really helped put things into perspective for me, personally. Luckily, the therapist I've seen approaches my case in a way that is helpful to me. I didn't have to see multiple therapists before I found the one who was capable of helping me overcome my health anxiety.

Therapy isn't a magic cure, and it takes at least a few sessions before you begin to acquire the tools and techniques effective in treating the anxiety. How many times have you seen the psychologist? Does he have any special interest in treating health anxiety, and using techniques such as CBT?

Different therapists will produce different results, from what others have said before. Not every therapist can effectively treat health anxiety, or an individual's specific case - it really depends. If you feel like you're not getting what you need out of it, perhaps you could consider seeing a different therapist. However, I'd first ask if you've addressed this directly with your therapist? Perhaps he doesn't realize that treatment is not effective thus far. If you talk to him about it, it's possible he could choose a different approach. If you decide to see a new therapist, at least continue seeing this one until you find another.

Sorry you're struggling to find a way to deal with all this, but it takes time. Hang in there and do what you feel you need to do in order to help yourself. It'll be worth it.

[lofwyr]

It helped me immeasurably. The thing I think you need to remember is even with the tools it is a lot of work to overcome anxiety, whether GAD, HA etc. It is not a passive activity. It requires patience with yourself, patience with the CBT tools, and expectations that it will take time and effort to see results.

To me it is much more akin to losing weight and getting in shape than it is taking a drug which cures an ailment. It requires deep seeded changes that take a lot of sincere effort to plant and foster.

So, look for a therapist that fits your bill, and try and be patient with yourself.

[Scass]

It certainly gave me the tools to deal with anxiety. It’s up to me whether I use them or not.

It did make mine worse too actually, but I still learnt an awful lot. Also about how I’m a terrible avoider....

[carriewriting]

Thanks for your replies. It's good to know therapy can help in the long term. I know I'm being impatient and need to give this therapist a proper go, but I feel so overwhelmed and out of control. I also can't see the therapist again for 4 weeks as he's on leave.

Either I'm having the world's biggest over reaction to my blood tests and now this mouth issue, or this is it and my worst fears have finally come to pass - or maybe both.

I had my mouth x-ray today and there was a white patch on it in the area where the lump is so I've been fighting Googling all day while thoughts that this might be further evidence of myeloma keep tormenting me. Ironically I've also had thoughts that maybe it's gum inflammation is why I had the blood protein result, but then I can't stand to get my hopes up in case I'm wrong.

Sigh. I hate being like this. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.