Health Anxiety is relentless

[flatterycat]

There's being vigilant and then there's being obsessively vigilant. I think it's sensible to be aware of red flag symptoms and to make a GP appointment if they occur to get a professional medical opinion. I don't think it's helpful or healthy to believe that hypervigilance is necessary as a protection mechanism against illness. I don't believe it's helpful to believe that researching and googling endlessly will give anyone greater knowledge than that of a trained doctor. I think it's really important to get the balance right to protect mental health.

Yeah you are so right. It’s learning ways to break the cycle and be able to see what’s sensible and what’s not. Unfortunately when I’m like this it’s hard to get any perspective. I think I’ve also got very low tolerance to any uncertainty at all. I notice that it’s all or nothing - as soon as I get a niggle or someone says get it checked, I have to sort it there and then. I wish I could be like those people on here who reach that point where they just say no more and finally manage the HA.

[pulisa]

No reason why you can't. It's hard but this doesn't make it impossible. What's sensible is not googling and not rushing to the GP at the slightest niggle. If you do this you get a "reputation" and it doesn't bode well for being taken seriously in the future.

Good luck for tomorrow. Do ask about the pregabalin increase if you want to? x

[flatterycat]

No reason why you can't. It's hard but this doesn't make it impossible. What's sensible is not googling and not rushing to the GP at the slightest niggle. If you do this you get a "reputation" and it doesn't bode well for being taken seriously in the future.

Good luck for tomorrow. Do ask about the pregabalin increase if you want to? x

Thanks. I will definitely talk about the Pregabalin.

[Dobbiedoo]

I can relate to so much of your thread - I'm also mid 50s and also worry that 'this time' my luck will run out, especially now I'm in the "risky" age group.

I'm exactly the same waiting for test results, feel physically sick phoning up for them. I had a CT scan 10 days ago as I ended up in a&e with unexplained bruising which was almost certainly caused by the Sertraline I was taking for my health anxiety (ironic eh?!) Bruising now gone with stopping the drug & bloods normal but trace of blood in urine, although period started next day so surely that?! I know they only ordered the scan to be thorough but I'm terrified of what it will show. I was told my GP will contact me with results after 2 weeks and I jump everytime the phone goes. I'm hoping no news is good news and suspect I will end up having to call them for results but the thought of making that call gives me a full on panic attack.

Sympathies - HA socks.

[flatterycat]

I can relate to so much of your thread - I'm also mid 50s and also worry that 'this time' my luck will run out, especially now I'm in the "risky" age group.

I'm exactly the same waiting for test results, feel physically sick phoning up for them. I had a CT scan 10 days ago as I ended up in a&e with unexplained bruising which was almost certainly caused by the Sertraline I was taking for my health anxiety (ironic eh?!) Bruising now gone with stopping the drug & bloods normal but trace of blood in urine, although period started next day so surely that?! I know they only ordered the scan to be thorough but I'm terrified of what it will show. I was told my GP will contact me with results after 2 weeks and I jump everytime the phone goes. I'm hoping no news is good news and suspect I will end up having to call them for results but the thought of making that call gives me a full on panic attack.

Sympathies - HA socks.

Hi Dobbiedoo

Sorry to hear you struggle too. Waiting for results is awful isn’t it, but I do know that if they see a problem, they contact you really quickly. That fear of ‘this time’ is also horrible and so hard to explain to others. I just wish I could get over the constant feeling that I’m ill and start enjoying things. After I got my blood results back I immediately started worrying about another issue and that’s continued over the last week or so, changing occasionally to other concerns. I know this is typical of HA, but that doesn’t make me immune to getting something and at 53, I feel like I’m now at even more risk.

Im sure your results will be fine - Sarah x