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Thread: Dealing with catastrophic thinking and the anxiety feeling?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    71

    Dealing with catastrophic thinking and the anxiety feeling?

    I've really worked hard in the past couple years to overcome health anxiety, and for the most part I have in regards to myself. But recently I've been hit with a ton of bad news.

    Might trigger some people so be careful...

    First thing... my mom was diagnosed with a rare cancer last year. At this point she is very weak. I visit her weekly, but its tough. She can't eat or drink and its hard to bring her comfort.

    Second thing... my dogs have both been hit with medical conditions recently. Its almost as though I angered God or something with how everything happened at the exact same time. One of them needs teeth pulled, not a big deal. The other one might have diabetes (caught insanely early). This came out of nowhere, both have a history of perfect health and are both completely normal weights. The dogs are pretty much my best friends.

    So my issue is that I've just had that numbness and weird feeling associated with anxiety. Like the constant pit in my stomach and I am thinking the worst case scenario in everything. I've never dealt with death in my life time. I don't know what I'll do when my mom passes. I don't know if there's treatment for my dog with diabetes.

    Any advice or anything encouraging is appreciated. How can I shake this?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    160

    Re: Dealing with catastrophic thinking and the anxiety feeling?

    With anxiety, usually it is pretty easy for us on here to point you towards CBT, or to tell you to stop worrying over nothing.

    However, it seems like in your life, as it will happen to all of us at some stage, you have some things in your life which would provoke anxiety in almost anybody. I know people who have never been anxious in their whole lives, when their parents get sick, an acute wave on anxiety comes over them.

    Having said that, you don't have to suffer. The best thing I would suggest is to be kind to yourself and accept that you feel anxious. Accepting the anxiety and realising that, it is just anxiety and can't hurt you, is one of the first ways to overcoming it. Understand that the events in your life at the moment are stressful, and it is a natural reaction to feel stressed and anxious.

    I am very sorry to hear about your mother, and about your dogs. Your dogs sound like they are in good health, one of them just needs some teeth out. I've had teeth out and I'm not unhealthy! Or I hope I'm not LOL!

    Once the stressors in your life are removed (ie your mum and dogs get better), you'll begin to feel a whole lot better. For the time being, acceptance is a big key of living with the anxiety.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    71

    Re: Dealing with catastrophic thinking and the anxiety feeling?

    I've done CBT for a while. I'm thinking about going back just to get some help.

    The one dog having diabetes is the tough one. I'm going to do whatever I can to get him into the vet and get medicine and all that. But I just have bad thoughts like what if they say he's sicker than we think or that the medicines won't work or something. He seems healthy and normal. Caught us entirely by surprise.

    Its like I'm projecting health anxiety onto my dog.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Re: Dealing with catastrophic thinking and the anxiety feeling?

    You're under a lot of stress because your family members are ill. This would cause a "normal" person without anxiety to have issues, let alone someone with anxiety. You need to recognize that this is what's going on, and be kind to yourself. You need support. It's time to go back to that therapist. Maybe not just for CBT, but for someone to listen to you and help you process. I also recommend joining a support group for people who have family members with cancer. There are lots of those out there and it will help you connect and not feel so alone.
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  5. #5
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    Re: Dealing with catastrophic thinking and the anxiety feeling?

    Quote Originally Posted by ToasterOvens View Post
    I've really worked hard in the past couple years to overcome health anxiety, and for the most part I have in regards to myself. But recently I've been hit with a ton of bad news.
    Well done for putting the effort in. Try to see this as a way of putting into practice what you've learnt previously?

    First thing... my mom was diagnosed with a rare cancer last year. At this point she is very weak. I visit her weekly, but its tough. She can't eat or drink and its hard to bring her comfort.
    I imagine, the fact that you're there will give her comfort - even if she's not able to show it?

    Second thing... my dogs have both been hit with medical conditions recently. Its almost as though I angered God or something with how everything happened at the exact same time. One of them needs teeth pulled, not a big deal. The other one might have diabetes (caught insanely early). This came out of nowhere, both have a history of perfect health and are both completely normal weights. The dogs are pretty much my best friends.
    I believe in God, but not one who gets 'angry' and punishes us..

    This is life. Things go wrong. People and animals get ill and die. No living being can live forever..

    So my issue is that I've just had that numbness and weird feeling associated with anxiety. Like the constant pit in my stomach and I am thinking the worst case scenario in everything. I've never dealt with death in my life time. I don't know what I'll do when my mom passes. I don't know if there's treatment for my dog with diabetes.
    As it happens, yesterday HA paid me a brief visit. Two things happened to me in a short space of time and my initial thoughts were classic HA. However, because of what I've learned on my journey to controlling my HA - I was able to park the HA thoughts and think logically - and there were the answers!

    My point is that things will happen to test us - even those of us who are in control of our health anxiety. Having those thoughts and the familiar physical sensations isn't the issue; it's how we respond to them that matters..

    When your mum passes, you'll deal with it. I watched my dad die from cancer and in the end it was a release for him and us.

    There are lots of things they can do for dogs these days, and at the moment - this issue is still an 'if' but even if it it's what you fear - you'll deal with it - as will your four-legged friend.

    You've not angered God, or anybody else. This is life...
    __________________
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