Do all women check their breasts regularly?

[BrokenGirl]

Just wondering how often any ladies here check their breasts.
I know they tell us to do it monthly but I've not been able to do it for a long time. I'm just too scared. Every time I check them I find something, it's been that way for years with me.
I'm starting to worry now because it's been about 4 or 5 months I'd say since I checked mine.
Does anyone else have extreme breast anxiety and not check them because of it?

[jojo2316]

I have had extreme breast anxiety yes. And like you found something every time i checked. For me the answer was an annual scan to “outsource” the checking. But i don’t think that is addressing the problem: health anxiety!!

[BrokenGirl]

I've had HA for years but find that breast anxiety is the worst for me. The fact that we're supposed to check them regularly is what makes it so hard.
I wish I could get an annual scan like you do. It might not be addressing the problem but would certainly give me peace of mind a lot of the time.
I've had so many different doctors over the years, they keep changing where I go. The doctor there now isn't the best with my anxiety, in fact I don't think she understands anything about it to be honest. I asked her would she check my breasts about 6 months ago and although she did, she made me feel like I was being a nuisance. So it's not easy to go back to see her.
So I know if I check them I'll find something and that means going back to see that doctor.

[jojo2316]

I totally totally get that. It feels like such a big burden and responsibility- and for someone with HA, being encouraged to look for signs of cancer (which is what breast checking is all about is kryptonite. Im sorry your doctor made you feel like a nuisance… that is really rubbish. Before i got the annual scans i used to get my gp to check them once a month. This was on her own advice because, for me, self checking was having such detrimental effect on my mental health.

[BrokenGirl]

It really is difficult isn't it, asking people with health anxiety to regularly look out for signs of cancer.
I've had a few doctors like your one over the years who said they would check my breasts for me due to the anxiety it was causing. And that had such a positive effect on my mental health. So to have a doctor like this now is just horrible. I don't want to go to see her but at the same time I don't want to completely ignore my breasts. I think I might leave it maybe another month and build up the courage then to check them. And when I find something (which is almost guaranteed with me), I'll just have to bite the bullet and go to see her, even if she does make me feel like crap. I just don't see why she has to make me feel that way. You'd think as a doctor she'd understand that mental health is just as important as physical health, and anxiety is something that can't just be switched off.
Do you mind me asking you jojo, does your doctor refer you for a scan once a year or do you go privately and get it done yourself?

[jojo2316]

Im afraid i do pay. And yes my doctor does refer me. All because i had a stupid mental breakdown over my breasts. Could you change your doctor? She doesn’t sound like she is helping you….

[BrokenGirl]

No she's not helping me at all. And it's so pointless for her to behave that way. I said it out straight to her that I have extreme anxiety over checking my breasts and it was obvious that I was stressed when I was talking to her but it's like she just didn't care. She didn't see it as a good enough reason to warrant a trip to the doctor.
There's no hope of changing doctor. It's impossible to get a new doctor anywhere in this country, none of them are taking on any new patients.
I'm just going to have to suck it up for now. I'll try to build up the courage to check them sometime over the next few weeks and then go to see her and see how I get on.
Thanks so much for replying to me jojo. It's always some bit comforting to know that we're not the only person going through something

[jojo2316]

You really are not alone in this. At one stage i had to bath in a t-shirt to stop myself even looking at my breasts. And if i started checking i very quickly and inevitably found something “sinister” and then would check and check and check trying to “interpret” my finding, until i was bruised (and sometimes even bleeding). It was awful.
Sadly though my HA is not confined to breasts. I am nuts about most things. And once the breast fear was addressed i quickly found something else. If you were reassured about your breasts do you think you would find another worry?

[BrokenGirl]

Oh I hear you about bathing in a t-shirt. While I haven't done that myself, I won't even look at my breasts whether I'm in the shower or just changing my clothes. I'm afraid to even rub gently against them while getting dressed. I avoid having anything to do with them as much as I can but I also realise that the checking has to be done. I've often caused bruising on them too. It's so stressful isn't it :(
My health anxiety covers everything from my head to my toes. So even getting reassurance for my breasts would be short term relief. Something else would quickly come along to take it's place.
I can't imagine a life without health anxiety. How can people just not freak out about lumps, bumps, pain, blood or anything else out of the ordinary? I long for those days back again

[jojo2316]

I know. I long to be like other people, thinking about normal things. How did it all begin for you Brokengirl?