My Current Numerous Worries

[helenhoo]

I told a few family about my decision to ask about meds and their response wasn't what I expected. I was told meds aren't the best and I'll be addicted and why do I need them. Tried explaining how awful it is and how constant it is. But deflated now.

[NancyW]

Let them read the 114 pages of this thread.

[NoraB]

I told a few family about my decision to ask about meds and their response wasn't what I expected. I was told meds aren't the best and I'll be addicted and why do I need them. Tried explaining how awful it is and how constant it is. But deflated now.

Meds can be helpful, but they only deal with symptoms - they don't address health anxiety. In all likeliness, the moment you try to come off the meds HA will kick you so hard up the arse that your head will spin if you don't combine them with therapy.

Drugs won't make the HA go away - they will just put the bugger into hibernation for a while.

Another thing...

Don't expect people who've never had HA to understand or even support you. People can be shit with stuff they don't understand - even those you share a bloodline with. It's not their call if you take meds or not. This isn't their nightmare, it's yours. It's your call whether or not you take medication for this (unless you were to totally lose the plot, and then you might have less choice in the matter.)

I broke the HA cycle without meds, but only because my body wouldn't tolerate the side effects. Point is, I was willing to take them alongside CBT and everything else.

There is no easy fix H - just hard work and determination.

[Carys]

There is no easy fix H - just hard work and determination.

Yup, 100 percent !

[Jo79]

I told a few family about my decision to ask about meds and their response wasn't what I expected. I was told meds aren't the best and I'll be addicted and why do I need them. Tried explaining how awful it is and how constant it is. But deflated now.

Firstly, Antidepressants are not addictive. Yes, you can get withdrawal symptoms if you decide to come off them and reduce the dose too quickly but this doesn’t happen for everyone. You don’t get cravings for them as you would for class A drugs.

If you decided to try an antidepressant your GP would probably offer you an SSRI such ad sertraline or escitalopram. You have to be patient and give them a good few weeks to start working and take them for at least 6 months.....BUT....you also need to PUT IN THE EFFORT to address the health anxiety through therapy such as CBT and put what you learn into practice permanently. You can’t just go for a few sessions and that’s it.

Secondly, it is your decision what you do and how you do it. Don’t let family members/friends with no experience or knowledge about mental illness influence your decision. It’s your life and you need to get some control over it. As already mentioned, I think 5 years and 114 pages of posts are evidence that you have a problem and aren’t dealing with it.

[helenhoo]

More tmi details warning


I know we hate me going back and forth but I can't shake current vulvar concerns. Now a tiny part of me thinks its been this way for years, and I thought it was normal and perhaps hymen remants but I've drawn a diagram. The blue bits are the fleshy 'lumps' attached to my vagina at bottom of the entrance. Only see when you open labia https://ibb.co/0c7kmnz like I said part of me thinks it's always been 5his way and another part is petrified its a cancerous growth. Literally at start of vagina entrance.

[helenhoo]

And I know, it is all on me. I had a good day not checking yesterday but since been wafting a mirror and torch up there like I'm looking for one eyed Willie's treasure.

[nomorepanic]

Why don't you just go and see your GP and don't say cos I don't have one at the moment.

[helenhoo]

Does it sound concerning Nic? And I'm too scared

[Jo79]