Are you using this forum to get better? Or are you seeking reassurance?

[Fraser]

We all know the pattern of worrying about symptoms and then seeking reassurance from others (health professionals, family, friends) to allay our fears. While we want to make sure that we still contact our health professionals in a balanced manner for symptoms (and then trust their diagnosis), the cycle of reassurance is PART OF THE PROBLEM. Asking people at this forum "I have symptom X, could it be [horrible disease]?" is a short term band-aid (if even that) that is not going to do the work to get rid of your actual problem: health anxiety. When you continually seek reassurance, you enable the cycle that you are trapped in, even though it has the illusion of being a reprieve. It's a fake escape.

So what are doing to get better from your actual problem? I ask, because if you don't put in the work, you can suffer from this for decades. I should know, because I have. But I've had enough. I'm not wasting another 20 years of my life on this ****.

 

[JustMe]

Idk. This forum has helped me more than any dr ever has and it's sure a lot cheaper too. The best part is in also able to help others because I know what they are going through.

 

[bin_tenn]

I can't speak for others, but when I'm here lending advice, I try to avoid providing strict reassurance and instead focus on helping others get better. There's nothing inherently wrong with reassurance as long as one can recognize that it's a problem and actively works to resolve it. We've all been there.

 

[TruthHurts]

I'd say a little bit of both. A lot of time all a person needs is some reassurance to feel better. I like to help others as well if possible.

 

[imsotired]

although it has helped me, alot of the work has to be done on your own. people can support you but at the end of the day it is up to you what life you want

 

[Fraser]

Idk. This forum has helped me more than any dr ever has and it's sure a lot cheaper too. The best part is in also able to help others because I know what they are going through.

That's great. How has this forum helped you? What advice or support did you find the most useful?

 

[bigjetplane6]

I’m using this forum to get better, seek reassurance, when i’m going through a HA episode hopefully have others relate to what i’m feeling and calm me down, and also help others with their HA episodes.

 

[Ggirlangel93]

I think the forum is a great place to simply feel like you are not alone. Having anxiety especially health anxiety can be very isolating and lonely so having people who deal with the same things you do is comforting. Also helping others and being there for each other is a good feeling. I'm def guilty of seeking reassurance here and from my family...sometimes in the moment when you are overwhelmed with thoughts reassurance even for just a moment can go a long way and make you feel alittle better.

 

[JustMe]

That's great. How has this forum helped you? What advice or support did you find the most useful?

Always someone here who understands what I'm going through. People are very supportive here and are able to calm me down or help me think more rationally when I'm freaking out.

 

[Belizz]

I think both yeah, reassurance and discussions about healing from HA. But as I see mostly reassurance.
This is a condition that makes the sufferer become so frustrated with themselves because it's almost impossible to avoid falling into the reassurance loop. If one of us goes through a very bad episode of HA and seeks reassurance here, we give it to them in an honest and realistic way.

On my part, I refrain from talking about symptoms as much as I can, even though I notice many people here constantly asking about symptoms to gather reassurance material to justify the compulsive behaviors (HA was listed under OCD in DSM for quite a while and there is a good reason for that imo).
And as others mentioned above, when we post here we know that all others understand how we feel and we are not going to be ridiculed by them no matter how irrational our worries get.