Not doing very well….

[glassgirlw]

Yep.

[Chlobo]

Mine sort of protrudes out a bit in the middle? Is that normal? It isn’t something I can see when I look and shine a light up there.

[Fishmanpa]

Maybe go read Nora's post again

FMP

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

[NoraB]

Thank you. I have read this every day so far.

And it's obviously made no difference at all..

I got some food stuck in the roof of my mouth last night and while I was getting it out I noticed that there is an almost hard bone like area in the middle. Is that normal anatomy?

When we have health anxiety, we notice things. We become hyper-aware of what's going on in our bodies. What you're describing is the perfectly normal palate which is there to separate your mouth from your nasal cavities. It's always been there and up until now hasn't given you any cause for concern, but you have health anxiety and this is all it takes to become obsessed with yet another body part and yet another non-starter illness, disease - or affliction.

This will keep on happening until you learn to challenge those irrational thoughts Chlobo. You just have to be prepared to put the work in and how long this takes will be up to you and how determined you are to be mentally well again.

Readings posts and understanding them are two different things. My post wasn't designed to comfort you; it was intended to encourage you to think differently about death because health anxiety - at the root - is the fear of death or dying. That's why our minds generally go with the diseases that 'could' kill us. The fear is about us 'not being here' or us not being here for those we love. It's about mortality and our own society has helped to nurture these fears by dramatising death and that's because good & peaceful deaths don't make good news stories. It's drama that sells..

Back in the days before internet we only had the news on TV, radio, and papers that you bought from a shop or had delivered by a moody looking paperboy (or girl). These days we have the internet as well - which means that we are constantly bombarded with drama, fake news and general bullshit because this is what catches people's attention and makes them click on those links! And even if you don't click on the link, you've already seen the fearmongering advertisement, right?

Magazines like CHAT? They claim to be 'outrageous' and 'inspirational'? but I fail to see how stories like, 'Why I put Fifi in the freezer', 'STABBED AT KAROKE (had I sang my last song?)' (well obviously not or you wouldn't be writing about it, ya muffin) or, wait for it...'Every parent's nightmare SNATCHED FROM HER BED! Jessica was taken with her teddy bear and never seen again!'. All front page and all aside a smiling model. I mean, wtf?

They've nailed the 'outrageous' part for sure, but I'm struggling to see the inspirational?

My point is that shit like this sells. It's there for a reason. It grabs people's attention and that's why it's there. If you want to read lots of inspirational stories about death - check out websites like IANDS because those folk did die (for a bit) and came back with lovely stories and no fear of death. Or go and spend an hour or two in a hospice so you can experience that sense of warmth and peacefulness (like I did - which totally obliterated my ideas about hospices being gloomy and sad). The evidence for 'good death' is all around you but your mind is drawn only to what it fears, and that's why you have to work on your thoughts but also your daily choices. You get to choose what you ingest whether that's body or brain. So make good choices?

The other way to work with this is to distract your mind so hobbies or going for walks in nature are all good. Or go out with your friends? Just don't sit in front of a computer or phone screen Googling symptoms or posting on here for constant reassurance. As you can see by your own history - any comfort and reassurance you may achieve from us is temporary. Nothing any of us can say will make any difference to you if you don't make that mental shift to change your situation. Until then, they're just words. You have to decide that you've had enough of HA and you are going to do whatever it takes to gain control back over your own mind. No 'if's' and no 'buts'. No excuses..

I was very mentally unwell with my last bout of HA (2017) and it was when I was at my worst that I experienced the mental shift I'm talking about. I wanted to hear from (and read about) people who were every bit as ill as me but who'd got better. I wanted to know how they dragged themselves out of what seemed to be a never-ending void of fear? This is what I'm doing on this forum now - passing on what I learned during my journey to recovery and If I had to simplify the whole thing into what I believe is the key to recovery from HA - it would be: 'understanding the stress response' 'acceptance' and 'determination'.

Question is, do you want to get better? And how hard are you willing to work for it? Because the easiest thing to do is what you're doing now. It's effortless. It's horrible, but effortless. You just allow those catastrophic thoughts to take over and post on here for reassurance. Effort is when you begin to challenge those thoughts. It's incredibly hard work and it's always going to require effort because beating HA isn't about not ever having those 'what if' thoughts again - it's about how we respond when they do come.

What are you going to do to help yourself today? You can choose to stay as you are (and obsess about your perfectly normal) body parts or you can choose to be proactive.

Every time you Google a symptom or read a fearmongering article, you are firing up your stress response (fight or flight) and this creates real symptoms which your HA mind mistakes for diseases. So do something today which will be beneficial to you. Something which will trigger the opposite to the stress response (rest & digest).

What can you do that will make you feel happy today?

[Chlobo]

And it's obviously made no difference at all..



When we have health anxiety, we notice things. We become hyper-aware of what's going on in our bodies. What you're describing is the perfectly normal palate which is there to separate your mouth from your nasal cavities. It's always been there and up until now hasn't given you any cause for concern, but you have health anxiety and this is all it takes to become obsessed with yet another body part and yet another non-starter illness, disease - or affliction.

This will keep on happening until you learn to challenge those irrational thoughts Chlobo. You just have to be prepared to put the work in and how long this takes will be up to you and how determined you are to be mentally well again.

Readings posts and understanding them are two different things. My post wasn't designed to comfort you; it was intended to encourage you to think differently about death because health anxiety - at the root - is the fear of death or dying. That's why our minds generally go with the diseases that 'could' kill us. The fear is about us 'not being here' or us not being here for those we love. It's about mortality and our own society has helped to nurture these fears by dramatising death and that's because good & peaceful deaths don't make good news stories. It's drama that sells..

Back in the days before internet we only had the news on TV, radio, and papers that you bought from a shop or had delivered by a moody looking paperboy (or girl). These days we have the internet as well - which means that we are constantly bombarded with drama, fake news and general bullshit because this is what catches people's attention and makes them click on those links! And even if you don't click on the link, you've already seen the fearmongering advertisement, right?

Magazines like CHAT? They claim to be 'outrageous' and 'inspirational'? but I fail to see how stories like, 'Why I put Fifi in the freezer', 'STABBED AT KAROKE (had I sang my last song?)' (well obviously not or you wouldn't be writing about it, ya muffin) or, wait for it...'Every parent's nightmare SNATCHED FROM HER BED! Jessica was taken with her teddy bear and never seen again!'. All front page and all aside a smiling model. I mean, wtf?

They've nailed the 'outrageous' part for sure, but I'm struggling to see the inspirational?

My point is that shit like this sells. It's there for a reason. It grabs people's attention and that's why it's there. If you want to read lots of inspirational stories about death - check out websites like IANDS because those folk did die (for a bit) and came back with lovely stories and no fear of death. Or go and spend an hour or two in a hospice so you can experience that sense of warmth and peacefulness (like I did - which totally obliterated my ideas about hospices being gloomy and sad). The evidence for 'good death' is all around you but your mind is drawn only to what it fears, and that's why you have to work on your thoughts but also your daily choices. You get to choose what you ingest whether that's body or brain. So make good choices?

The other way to work with this is to distract your mind so hobbies or going for walks in nature are all good. Or go out with your friends? Just don't sit in front of a computer or phone screen Googling symptoms or posting on here for constant reassurance. As you can see by your own history - any comfort and reassurance you may achieve from us is temporary. Nothing any of us can say will make any difference to you if you don't make that mental shift to change your situation. Until then, they're just words. You have to decide that you've had enough of HA and you are going to do whatever it takes to gain control back over your own mind. No 'if's' and no 'buts'. No excuses..

I was very mentally unwell with my last bout of HA (2017) and it was when I was at my worst that I experienced the mental shift I'm talking about. I wanted to hear from (and read about) people who were every bit as ill as me but who'd got better. I wanted to know how they dragged themselves out of what seemed to be a never-ending void of fear? This is what I'm doing on this forum now - passing on what I learned during my journey to recovery and If I had to simplify the whole thing into what I believe is the key to recovery from HA - it would be: 'understanding the stress response' 'acceptance' and 'determination'.

Question is, do you want to get better? And how hard are you willing to work for it? Because the easiest thing to do is what you're doing now. It's effortless. It's horrible, but effortless. You just allow those catastrophic thoughts to take over and post on here for reassurance. Effort is when you begin to challenge those thoughts. It's incredibly hard work and it's always going to require effort because beating HA isn't about not ever having those 'what if' thoughts again - it's about how we respond when they do come.

What are you going to do to help yourself today? You can choose to stay as you are (and obsess about your perfectly normal) body parts or you can choose to be proactive.

Every time you Google a symptom or read a fearmongering article, you are firing up your stress response (fight or flight) and this creates real symptoms which your HA mind mistakes for diseases. So do something today which will be beneficial to you. Something which will trigger the opposite to the stress response (rest & digest).

What can you do that will make you feel happy today?

I’ve really been trying to stay away from articles and anything triggering, but I just seem to get these random symptoms that send me down a hole regardless. I’ve moved on from my mouth now because I’ve got this numb feeling on a patch above my eyebrow, it’s really odd. I get like a pulling feeling when I move my eyebrow too, it just feels numb and weird. I had my eyebrows waxed on Tuesday and it came on soon after that so I don’t know if it’s related.
I feel completely exhausted as well.
I’ve stopped taking my Citalopram because In the mornings I’m waking up with huge pupils and it scares me. I’m not sure I can cope with that as a side affect.
Today I’ve tried to use distraction but my brain just keeps going in the background, I’ve put some washing away, and tidied up but I can’t help the thoughts of panic sneaking in. It’s everyday at the moment, the uncertainty of everything is just making me worry constantly.
On Sunday I went to a pumpkin patch with my son and we did have a nice day, I tried my hardest to forget the roof of my mouth but now this eyebrow feeling has come on I’ve sort of moved over to worrying about that.
I’ve got some PTSD relating to brain issues as my brother had a brain tumour when I was in my early 20’s. He’s all good now but it was traumatising at the time, and I had the health anxiety anyway so it made it worse. I just want to feel normal, I don’t want my body to keep throwing these weird sensations at me that make me panic, I just want to feel normal. I’m just a constant state of anxiety and worry.

[Chlobo]

And it's obviously made no difference at all..



When we have health anxiety, we notice things. We become hyper-aware of what's going on in our bodies. What you're describing is the perfectly normal palate which is there to separate your mouth from your nasal cavities. It's always been there and up until now hasn't given you any cause for concern, but you have health anxiety and this is all it takes to become obsessed with yet another body part and yet another non-starter illness, disease - or affliction.

This will keep on happening until you learn to challenge those irrational thoughts Chlobo. You just have to be prepared to put the work in and how long this takes will be up to you and how determined you are to be mentally well again.

Readings posts and understanding them are two different things. My post wasn't designed to comfort you; it was intended to encourage you to think differently about death because health anxiety - at the root - is the fear of death or dying. That's why our minds generally go with the diseases that 'could' kill us. The fear is about us 'not being here' or us not being here for those we love. It's about mortality and our own society has helped to nurture these fears by dramatising death and that's because good & peaceful deaths don't make good news stories. It's drama that sells..

Back in the days before internet we only had the news on TV, radio, and papers that you bought from a shop or had delivered by a moody looking paperboy (or girl). These days we have the internet as well - which means that we are constantly bombarded with drama, fake news and general bullshit because this is what catches people's attention and makes them click on those links! And even if you don't click on the link, you've already seen the fearmongering advertisement, right?

Magazines like CHAT? They claim to be 'outrageous' and 'inspirational'? but I fail to see how stories like, 'Why I put Fifi in the freezer', 'STABBED AT KAROKE (had I sang my last song?)' (well obviously not or you wouldn't be writing about it, ya muffin) or, wait for it...'Every parent's nightmare SNATCHED FROM HER BED! Jessica was taken with her teddy bear and never seen again!'. All front page and all aside a smiling model. I mean, wtf?

They've nailed the 'outrageous' part for sure, but I'm struggling to see the inspirational?

My point is that shit like this sells. It's there for a reason. It grabs people's attention and that's why it's there. If you want to read lots of inspirational stories about death - check out websites like IANDS because those folk did die (for a bit) and came back with lovely stories and no fear of death. Or go and spend an hour or two in a hospice so you can experience that sense of warmth and peacefulness (like I did - which totally obliterated my ideas about hospices being gloomy and sad). The evidence for 'good death' is all around you but your mind is drawn only to what it fears, and that's why you have to work on your thoughts but also your daily choices. You get to choose what you ingest whether that's body or brain. So make good choices?

The other way to work with this is to distract your mind so hobbies or going for walks in nature are all good. Or go out with your friends? Just don't sit in front of a computer or phone screen Googling symptoms or posting on here for constant reassurance. As you can see by your own history - any comfort and reassurance you may achieve from us is temporary. Nothing any of us can say will make any difference to you if you don't make that mental shift to change your situation. Until then, they're just words. You have to decide that you've had enough of HA and you are going to do whatever it takes to gain control back over your own mind. No 'if's' and no 'buts'. No excuses..

I was very mentally unwell with my last bout of HA (2017) and it was when I was at my worst that I experienced the mental shift I'm talking about. I wanted to hear from (and read about) people who were every bit as ill as me but who'd got better. I wanted to know how they dragged themselves out of what seemed to be a never-ending void of fear? This is what I'm doing on this forum now - passing on what I learned during my journey to recovery and If I had to simplify the whole thing into what I believe is the key to recovery from HA - it would be: 'understanding the stress response' 'acceptance' and 'determination'.

Question is, do you want to get better? And how hard are you willing to work for it? Because the easiest thing to do is what you're doing now. It's effortless. It's horrible, but effortless. You just allow those catastrophic thoughts to take over and post on here for reassurance. Effort is when you begin to challenge those thoughts. It's incredibly hard work and it's always going to require effort because beating HA isn't about not ever having those 'what if' thoughts again - it's about how we respond when they do come.

What are you going to do to help yourself today? You can choose to stay as you are (and obsess about your perfectly normal) body parts or you can choose to be proactive.

Every time you Google a symptom or read a fearmongering article, you are firing up your stress response (fight or flight) and this creates real symptoms which your HA mind mistakes for diseases. So do something today which will be beneficial to you. Something which will trigger the opposite to the stress response (rest & digest).

What can you do that will make you feel happy today?

Thank you for taking the time to write such in-depth posts, I know I don’t always reply instantly but I read them and I do try to take on what you’re saying.
It does help, one of my friends has actually said hypnotherapy might help.
What helped you Nora? Did you have to go on anti depressants or did you just do CBT?
My friend has said to keep taking my meds but to distract myself from my pupils, it’s just hard when I’m getting ready and all I can see is my saucer eyes. It triggers that panic.

[BlueIris]

What's wrong with having large pupils, though? This is something you need to ask yourself.

From experience, you have to learn not to surrender to every fleeting anxious thought, just let them pass by.

[Chlobo]

What's wrong with having large pupils, though? This is something you need to ask yourself.

From experience, you have to learn not to surrender to every fleeting anxious thought, just let them pass by.

They’re unusually large, really dilated and it takes a couple of hours for them to go back to normal. It’s only when I wake up as I get up about 6/6.30am
But it scares me

[BlueIris]

Just because it feels scary, it doesn't mean that there's anything to be scared of.

The whole point of health anxiety is that it makes us fear harmless things - I say that as somebody who once went to a GP because my irregular pupils were freaking me out so badly.

Just keep on reminding yourself that it's a harmless side-effect and sooner or later the self-talk will stick.