Re: How do we know if a symptom is real or just our HA mind in overdrive?
Originally Posted by
BrokenGirl
I'm sure this question has been asked before but how do we know what's real and what's anxiety?
Every time I try to challenge a thought it always comes back to the same thing - what if this one is real? I know the things I've worried about in the past turned out to be nothing ( or nothing very bad anyway), but what if this is really the first symptom of something serious?
My experience is that none of my 'What If' thoughts re disease have ever come true. The one time I was in actual danger (internal bleeding during pregnancy) it was blindingly obvious there was a serious problem. There was no 'what if' about it, and also I wasn't scared as was always the case with my HA thoughts because it was real - it was happening - and I was completely calm.
Do we notice and spot things that non HA people wouldn't even see?
Yes, because we are hyper-focused on ourselves and anything health related. A drop of blood on the floor is panic attack fodder for HAer's for sure.
We also 'see' things that are not actually there, as in moles which 'look' different, but actually aren't..
My policy is to see a GP if a symptom is new and doesn't bugger off in about 3 weeks because it's common sense. Ignoring symptoms is worse than over-reacting to them - and for obvious reasons.
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A thought is harmless unless we believe it.