Studying medicine

[Lissy43]

When I was younger I always wanted to be a doctor or a nurse but as it turns out my parents were going through an awful time, divorcing and my brother had alot of mental health problems so after my GCSE's I went out to work.

I am now in my thirties and considering a career change, I suffer from health anxiety but have it under control now thanks to alot of therapy. I still am a worrier when I am ill (always think the worst, a headache is a brain tumour or meningitis, a lump is cancer...) but I don't want it to hold me back and have regrets its took hold of me for the last god knows how long and I want my life back.

Do you think someone who has health anxiety or who has suffered should steer clear from the medical profession?

[Deepest Blue]

life back.

Do you think someone who has health anxiety or who has suffered should steer clear from the medical profession?

Hi Aimee,

Interesting question, however, I think looking at it from both sides; on the positive side and that would be you already have the emotional understanding of what people go through would be so much more patient and would appreciate how people feel a lot more than if you had never felt the tortures of mental health. However, my concern would be that people would get too emotionally attached because you'd want to embrace people who are suffering so much because, as I've said, you know exactly how they feel so you do have to be a little thick skinned and be able to detatch yourself from certain situations.

I hope this makes some sense.
Good luck in whatever you choose,
Take Care

[bottleblond]

Hi Aimee

I think you should follow your childhood dream and go for it. We have so many members here who have health anxiety who work in the medical field and they manage it so you GO GAL.

I hope some of them reply to your post hun so you can get thier side on how they cope.

Fingers crossed for you.

Love Lisa
xxx

[pooh]

Hi there

I suffer from anxiety panic and depression and I work in the social care field, not that far removed from health at all. What blue says is very true you will most likely have a greater degree of empathy for some of the patients you would encounter which is great for your practice. The key however, is having the emotional ability to leave the job behind and come home at night. There always has to ne a degree of professional detachment otherwise you run the risk of it chewing you up and spitting you out.

In my own experience its not working with service users that generates issues for me...it's usually the management lol. I would always advocate though that you go for it. Nothing ventured nothing gained and you dont fail because you dont succeed in this life you fail if you dont try.

Go for it and test the waters you never know it could be exactly what you need

Pooh x

[Lissy43]

Thank you for your replies, they have given me alot of encouragement.

[CJH86]

Hi, i suffer from HA + panic disorder, Im studying to be a pharmacist and would like to work as a hospital pharmacist when i qualify, like medicine we learn about the biological basis of disease and how to recognise symptoms. but we focus more on how drugs work to treat disease

....if im going to be honest it doesnt actually make things any worse overall in terms of my anxiety. In my experience as you begin to understand how things work biologically, you may actually even worry less about them...i will say sometimes things i learn make me worry a little more and in times of stress i do have episodes, but even if i wasnt in a medical profession id find something to worry about and the anxiety will still be part of me (as it has been since i was 11).

I also think to myself theres a lot of people out there actually living with these 'diseases' we are so convinced we have.....when you meet people face to face who are ill, have a lot of courage, still wear a smile on their face and enjoy life they inspire me to think 'why am i wasting my time worrying' and it can be motivational.

Id say with the emotional thing, after exposure you get used to it....i remember my 1st placement on a cardiology ward when i saw a patient who was very ill with heart faliure post MI and it really upset me, she looked like she'd just given up and didnt want to go on But like people have said you develop a detatchment otherwise it becomes too overwhelming.

good luck with everything, i say go for it x

[Lissy43]

Thank you CJ.

I agree with you, already studying towards medicine I am begining to understand health & disease in alot of detail and I am finding I am less anxious.

I am deffinatly going to go for it.

Best of luck with your studies.

[eeyorelover]

Good luck Aimee!
I'm in Nursing school and I, too, started rather late in life for a career change but I've found it to be a wonderful challenge!!!
Having had GAD and HA for around 17 years it was a little rough starting out but gradually it has gotten easier to get to class and concentrate on the task at hand!
The plus side of starting out a little older and wiser is that we are more focused on our goal because we don't have the time to mess around!!!
LOL
I'm sure you will be a fab doctor!!!!
xxx
Sandy

[valleybear]

I trained as a nurse and have worked in the medical and social care fields all my life . I have health anxiety, but strangley, it has very, very rarely encroached on my working life. Retired now but have no regrets. You go for it and I'm sure you will do well. Good luck.