• Welcome to the Anxiety Community Forum, a friendly space for discussion, help and support with mental health issues. Please register to post and use the extra features available to members. Click here to register.Everyone is welcome!

Why am I in denial

Gale

Gale

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
Okay had my MRI's done the only thing that showed up was spinal stenosis on my neck and lower back. For years I always thought I had MS. Also scared because I have heard that MRI's don't always pick pick up everything. Been feeling this way for over 40 yrs. Symptoms will not go away.Doctors have told me it's anxiety. I don't know what to do or think anymore. Kinda feeling like a failure.
Y
 
A

avocado

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
62
Reaction score
27
Have you thought about doing ERP therapy? Could help you with reducing anxiety and stress over your health concerns!
 
A

avocado

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
62
Reaction score
27
Exposure and response prevention therapy. The idea is that when you get triggered by a feeling or "symptom" you just tell yourself, "maybe I have it, maybe I don't but I won't do anything about this feeling and I'll risk having X disease" and then force yourself to move on with your day without thinking about it, seeking reassurance, or googling symptoms. I have OCD and its super effective for this. But you can use the same therapy methods for health anxiety! You should check out OCD and Anxiety (Nathan Peterson) or ERP with Ali Greymond on youtube.
 
M

MATD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2021
Messages
1,848
Reaction score
1,665
“It’s Only Anxiety” by Carl James on Amazon. $11. Acceptance method for treating Anxiety disorders.
 
L

LotusTree

Active Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2021
Messages
143
Reaction score
63
I’m starting into a book “It’s Only Anxiety” by Carl James which advocates something called Acceptance Theory.
I will report back on my take on it.
you might also look up the wonderful Claire Weekes on YouTube.
Starting book because I heard about it on here.
 
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
Speaking of YouTube. I also recommend looking up videos from Eckhart Tolle. Someone told me about him years ago, and it helped me a ton.
 
Gale

Gale

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
MATD said:
“It’s Only Anxiety” by Carl James on Amazon. $11. Acceptance method for treating Anxiety disorders.
Click to expand...
Have you read this?
Gale said:
Have you read this?
Click to expand...
Sorry just saw that you are looking into it. I like an easy read.....some are way to complicated
bin_tenn said:
Speaking of YouTube. I also recommend looking up videos from Eckhart Tolle. Someone told me about him years ago, and it helped me a ton.
Click to expand...
Hey Binn.....thanks will do. Is he pretty easy to listen to? Some can be boring. Thanks for your advice.
 
Last edited:
bin_tenn

bin_tenn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
3,498
Reaction score
2,050
Gale said:
Have you read this?

Sorry just saw that you are looking into it. I like an easy read.....some are way to complicated

Hey Binn.....thanks will do. Is he pretty easy to listen to? Some can be boring. Thanks for your advice.
Click to expand...
I think he's very pleasant to listen to, but you may or may not agree. Worth a try.
 
Cuchculan

Cuchculan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2019
Messages
4,809
Reaction score
3,572
OK. So know you know what they found in the MRI. It shows there was something there. That does not make you a failure. What they found might have been acting up every now and again. Making you feel a certain way. But you had no idea back then what it was you had. Where is the failure part in all of that? You feel pain, you think something must be wrong. You keep hearing anxiety as an answer. We know spinal stenosis can cause pain. So know you know what has been driving you mad for so long, maybe see can you find out how to deal with that. Is there anything you can take for spinal stenosis? Any treatment that can help the condition? How far along are you with your spinal stenosis. As we know it can come on over time. Get worse over time. Still don't see no failure at all.
 
Gale

Gale

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
Cuchculan said:
OK. So know you know what they found in the MRI. It shows there was something there. That does not make you a failure. What they found might have been acting up every now and again. Making you feel a certain way. But you had no idea back then what it was you had. Where is the failure part in all of that? You feel pain, you think something must be wrong. You keep hearing anxiety as an answer. We know spinal stenosis can cause pain. So know you know what has been driving you mad for so long, maybe see can you find out how to deal with that. Is there anything you can take for spinal stenosis? Any treatment that can help the condition? How far along are you with your spinal stenosis. As we know it can come on over time. Get worse over time. Still don't see no failure at all.
Click to expand...
Cuch.......I feel like a failure because all these years I was told it's anxiety because years ago nothing was found and I still had symptoms so for years I was told it's anxiety. I feel like a failure because I never believed any of the doctors. And now they find spinal stenosis. Which I am sure is there. But what was it years before that.
 
Cuchculan

Cuchculan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2019
Messages
4,809
Reaction score
3,572
I know it is people 50 plus. Wear and tear of bones. But you always thought you had something. That is just my point. Maybe this was not with you all those years. But it has to begin at some point in time. I don't just think we hit 50 and something just appears. BANG. Out of nowhere. I admit I don't know much about the time frame of such a condition. When things begin to wear and tear for the first time. But here we are now. You know you now have something. Start looking into way to treat that. No point in looking backwards. If we all done that we could say we wasted so many years on nothing. Stop yourself doing that. It was clear you had health anxiety for all those years. Now you have something to deal with. We could all call ourselves failures. There would be no point in doing so. It is gaining nothing at all. Try to look forwards. Not backwards.
 
Last edited:
S

Sweet T

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2019
Messages
505
Reaction score
372
Gale said:
Cuch.......I feel like a failure because all these years I was told it's anxiety because years ago nothing was found and I still had symptoms so for years I was told it's anxiety. I feel like a failure because I never believed any of the doctors. And now they find spinal stenosis. Which I am sure is there. But what was it years before that.
Click to expand...
Could you be happy never knowing what it was years ago? It seems like there is no good reason for you to waste your effort on that.

You now know what you have. It’s not life threatening. Pat yourself on the back and go get help for your anxiety. That’s where you need to put you time and energy.
 
Gale

Gale

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
Sweet T said:
Could you be happy never knowing what it was years ago? It seems like there is no good reason for you to waste your effort on that.

You now know what you have. It’s not life threatening. Pat yourself on the back and go get help for your anxiety. That’s where you need to put you time and energy.
Click to expand...
Sweet T........thank you but I still feel my doctors misdiagnosed me years ago and I still have something like MS or a neurological problem. That's what I am scared of. I know now that I have a stenosis problem. It's been a big fear of mine for many years and very hard to diagnose. Guess I need some one to slap me to put some sense into me. Not fun to be feeling all these symptoms for so long. But thank you for your reply I do understand what you mean.
 
Doug97

Doug97

Active Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Messages
412
Reaction score
167
The past is gone and it can't be changed. All we can do is try to learn from it, so that we can make better decisions in the present. MS is progressive; there's just no way you could have had it for 40 years without treatment and not be in a wheelchair by now.

What exactly is it you feel you're in denial about? You have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and severe anxiety. Together these explain all of your symptoms - you don't need to go looking for anything more.
 
Gale

Gale

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
Doug97 said:
The past is gone and it can't be changed. All we can do is try to learn from it, so that we can make better decisions in the present. MS is progressive; there's just no way you could have had it for 40 years without treatment and not be in a wheelchair by now.

What exactly is it you feel you're in denial about? You have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and severe anxiety. Together these explain all of your symptoms - you don't need to go looking for anything more.
Click to expand...
Hello Doug......I have been told that I am in denial about having anxiety. I am in the dark when it comes to what it can do to the body and the symptoms it can cause. Symptoms come and go which I feel is a physical disease. I do agree with what you are saying to stop looking for anything more. Just want to feel normal...it's been way to long. Thank you.
 
I

Iugrad91

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Messages
599
Reaction score
456
Gale, it’s just the opposite. Serious disease symptoms do not come and go. That points to anxiety.
 
Gale

Gale

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
296
Reaction score
87
Iugrad91 said:
Gale, it’s just the opposite. Serious disease symptoms do not come and go. That points to anxiety.
Click to expand...
Thanks Lugrad.......pretty sad to say but it's taken me years to believe it. My symptoms would just freak me out and just did not make sense to me that it's anxiety especially when I have a pretty good life. Hope I can get some relief and be normal. Good talking to ya.
Lugra
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top