Lets help each other

[milly]

Hi,
I am new to this site but have been suffering with hypochondria for about 5 months. In that time I have been checked for diabetes (twice), anaemia (twice), had a head x-ray and been to the opticians as well as numerous other sundry visits to the doctor, including one where I insisted he reassure me that I did not have a brain tumour.
My problem is now that I am in a cycle of anxiety. The first thing I do in the morning is remember the last 5 months which sets me off for the day. I am then on a treadmill of thinking about my bodily sensations non stop. Sometimes I get so worked up that I feel sick and dizzy, my GP gave me Lustral which I took for 8 days but had to stop. I felt awful and lost 10 lbs and was not happy at all on them. I want to beat this thing medication free and I know that stopping SSRI's after several months can increase anxiety so did not want that. I was then given Alprazolam and had 2 weeks of them. I have more but have not taken them, they are not the answer either. On Tuesday I start CBT and am so looking forward to it. I am ready to beat this but am EXHAUSTED by it. I was having panic feelings which put me off going out but went out anyway despite feeling apprehensive about doing so.
I had a bout of hypochondria about 13 years ago which lasted about a year. During that time I thought I had a bad heart, a brain tumour, cervical cancer and more and even had an ECG at hospital as well as blood tests. All clear but I spent the next year on Diazepam and beta blockers.
I am sorry to ramble but what I am trying to do is get rid of this once and for all. I have an absolute phobia of blood tests which does not help as I keep imaginging I will have to face this fear. Basically its a cycle of anxiety. I had a marvellous 3 days this week where I seemed to be free of this health anxiety but the surge of worry returned on Thursday. I have been doing a lot of diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation which has helped.
Who wants to join me in facing this full on? Its making a lot of people lives a misery. What are others experiences of CBT with this problem?
Basically I want my life back, I want to enjoy things and look forward to things without these ridiculous thoughts and sensations.
Thanks for hearing me out.

[ceecee]

hi milly
welcome to the forum
i could have wrote that post myself as i too feel .
i know how horrible this condition can make you feel,and the symptoms it gives you.i was convinced i had a brain tumour and had an mri in may of this year which thankfully came back clear but now my anxiety has moved on to other parts of my body(which is exactly what the doctor said would happen!)
at my doctors the cbt therapists have never stayed long enough so i have always had to wait until another therapist joined the surgery so the cbt that i did have was never on-going.
i find myself trying to remember what thoughts i had before i had anxiety where the things that i worried about were quite trivial compared to the thoughts that i have now
then again i have always been a worrier
you,re not alone hun

[louwilliams]

hey

[louwilliams]

hey milly

i am EXACTLY the same as you! everyday i feel like something is going to happen to me due to physical symptoms

i have chest pains on and off all week-convinced it is a heart attack. i have head pains-convinced it as a brain tumor

i'm not sure you should class yourself as hypocondriac as if you actually have physical symptoms then it is not all your imagination

i am having cbt for panic attacks and general anxiety-i had to leave my job because of this is august and desperatley want to get to work asap but my CPN has told me not to even think about it for the time being.

My head pains have been getting gradually worse over the last few weeks-i actually had to leave a restaurant yesterday due to them as they are a trigger for a panic attack-i was put off my food and had to get home asap. i rang my CPN and she said she needs to start treating me for health anxiety now aswell as the other things. she was great-i completely broke down on the phone and she helped me calm down and feel a bit better

i think we should keep ion touch and share our progress with our CBT and our everyday life. its nice to know we are not on our own with this

my msn is lwilliams869@msn.com or you can pm me on here whenever you want to

tc

louise
xx

[Janieb]

Hi Milly,

I am like this a lot of the time, something I am trying to break the cycle of at the moment with CBT. My Therapist helps me work through the negativeness of the cycle, so far it's been really great without meds. Also maybe look at Hypotherapy, possibly start off and get a DVD from the libary to walk you through the beginning of it.

I have a couple of techniques to stop the bad thoughts, like changing my watch to a different wrist and other things to help me stop the negative thoughts. But I feel like you, I want my life back and to stop feeling so imprisioned by this illness.

You sound very positive, you can fight it, I think we all can with a little bit of help.

Plus one thing which I find really helps, at night when I can't sleep I come and chat on the chat here, it's awsome and very helpful.

Good to see you here taking the first steps!
Good luck
Janie