It's pointless talking about health anxiety to people who have never experienced health anxiety. Sadly this includes many doctors too - yes they have professional training and you should obviously speak to them about physical symptoms, but when it comes to discussing your health anxiety sometimes it's like you are banging your head against a brick wall.

Unless you've been down in the belly of this beast, where virtually every minute of your life is consumed by an irrational focus on your own bodily symptoms, then you simply don't understand the condition.

I have been there, and if you don't believe me please read my first ever post on this forum: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthr...599#post570599

I was a complete mess and my life was spiralling out of control, all caused by fear of disease and illness.

You may, right now, be in the same place as I was, thinking that there is no hope, no way out from this. I can tell you 100% that there is. I am now free of Health Anxiety and have been for a number of years. Life is SO much better when you beat this. And I did not need anti-depressants or therapy from any experts who haven't been through what I went through. I'm not knocking CBT, I'm just saying that I didn't need it. And I believe that you can't be any worse than I was, so you probably don't need it either.

I would welcome your comments below, but the message I want you to take from this rare thread of mine (I'm very busy at the moment with work but don't want to abandon you guys!), is that YOU CAN BEAT YOUR HEALTH ANXIETY AND GET YOUR 'OLD' LIFE BACK. It just takes a modicum of willpower and an open mind, a willingness to try to get better.

Thanks for reading!