Treating HA - What has worked for people?

[Munchlet]

So I'm been on and off this forum for many years with numerous different worries and I'm still having them on a regular basis.

The difference is this time I'm not going to give in and post what I'm currently worrying about but I wanted to ask for advice on what people have felt has worked to treat their health anxiety.

I have been on medication for years and the longest period of remission was with venlafaxine but I've recently come off of it due to it worsening my hot flushes which at my age I really don't need anymore of. I also constantly had a dry mouth and seriously dry eyes/nose etc. So I switched to Fluoxetine which I've been on previously and to be honest it's not working.

I've tried upping the dose but the anxiety is creeping up and I'm really struggling! So I've referred for CBT and obtained a stack of books on CBT exercises and how to beat health anxiety as I'm hoping I can find a way of controlling this.

I just wondered if anyone anyone has tried anything else that has worked like hypnotherapy, counselling, natural remedies? Any advice greatly received as I really feel that I need to find a way of controlling this without medication as ultimately the medication is just masking the problem for me and not really dealing with it.

[nomorepanic]

Please read the sticky threads in this forum as they are the best advice anyone can give.

[ankietyjoe]

Which bit of it can't you control?

How does your HA manifest, and how do you react?

[Munchlet]

Hi AnxietyJoe,

It’s a mixture really. I have the thoughts that I have a specific illness, then google or seek reassurance but then I start the OCD pattern of checking constantly for signs of illness and the anxiety then takes over and I start linking it all together and convincing myself there is something really wrong.

For example at the moment and for quite some time it’s been blood cancer. So I’m constantly checking for bruises or bleeding. I bruise easy anyway but every day I’m checking and spiralling when I find a bruise. I also cut my finger yesterday and wiped it and it stopped bleeding but then I squeezed it and it started bleeding again so I then convinced myself my blood wasn’t clotting. Even though my husband pointed out I was squeezing the blood out and if I didn’t touch it then it didn’t bleed.

Sorry for rambling but just trying to give you the picture.

I’ve just started reading overcoming health anxiety and when I had the urge to google this morning. I went for a walk and read some exercises from the book. I really do want to overcome this. ☹️

[NoraB]

Grabbing the annoying little oik by the balls and reminding it who is boss.

[ankietyjoe]

Hi AnxietyJoe,

It’s a mixture really. I have the thoughts that I have a specific illness, then google or seek reassurance but then I start the OCD pattern of checking constantly for signs of illness and the anxiety then takes over and I start linking it all together and convincing myself there is something really wrong.

For example at the moment and for quite some time it’s been blood cancer. So I’m constantly checking for bruises or bleeding. I bruise easy anyway but every day I’m checking and spiralling when I find a bruise. I also cut my finger yesterday and wiped it and it stopped bleeding but then I squeezed it and it started bleeding again so I then convinced myself my blood wasn’t clotting. Even though my husband pointed out I was squeezing the blood out and if I didn’t touch it then it didn’t bleed.

Sorry for rambling but just trying to give you the picture.

I’ve just started reading overcoming health anxiety and when I had the urge to google this morning. I went for a walk and read some exercises from the book. I really do want to overcome this. ☹️

I had assumed that Google would be involved, and this is your first action, just stop Googling.

HA is a stimulus/response problem. You have a thought, symptom or twinge and you immediately look to Google for reassurance. The problem with Google is that it will provide you evidence of terminal illness 100% of the time for ANY symptom. Because Google also provides you with further symptoms to look out for, you start looking.

It's probably important to understand now that as long as you use Google, you will suffer with health anxiety. It's not possible to use Google and recover.

Your story isn't unique, if anything it's textbook HA, so stop Googling!

[Munchlet]

Agreed, I think that definitely has to be my starting point. So everytime I get the urge I’m going to do an exercise from my book instead. I have my first CBT session next week and also thinking of looking into hypnotherapy. Will search on the forum to see if anyone has found it useful. The other thing I forgot to mention is I feel I’ve spiralled as my Dad has just been diagnosed with Leukaemia so it is very much at the forefront of my mind.

[ankietyjoe]

Sorry to hear about your Dad, and yes that will be a trigger.

The most important thing to try and understand is that HA is above all else, a habitual form of anxiety.

If you can break the cycle of checking and Googling, you're half way there. You don't have to succeed every time, but as you suggest, distract yourself with something else when you feel the urge to satisfy the habit.

[Munchlet]

Thank you Joe,

He's actually doing ok but as you say it's definitely a trigger. It's something I've been worrying about for years anyway so for a family member to be diagnosed then makes it more real but in some ways this has actually made me realise I really do need to get to grips with this.

Appreciate the advice and I will keep the forum posted on how it goes.