How do you stop from googling?

[MB8]

So I know as someone with HA, the worst thing we can possibly do is google symptoms. Something as small as a little red spot on a breast which was a pimple, turns quickly into inflammatory breast cancer , which I hadn’t even heard of before I googled “red spot on breast” btw, and then spent the next 2 weeks spiraling and checking the spot 10 times a day until it of course just went away on its own.. then on to the next symptom , more googling , more doom and gloom. I know better than to google , yet sometimes I just can’t help myself. I go on there seeking some type of reassurance , fully knowing all I’ll find are terminal diseases. What are some tips you guys have to stop googling??

 

[Mandi]

I'm the same way. It's horrible.

 

[mollyfin]

Mostly I just have to get to a point where I'm just too fed up with it to keep Googling. And the longer I stay away, the easier it gets. But when I crash, I crash hard.

 

[MB8]

Mostly I just have to get to a point where I'm just too fed up with it to keep Googling. And the longer I stay away, the easier it gets. But when I crash, I crash hard.

I hear you.. I do the same sometimes . I just soooo damn fed up and don’t do it for a little while, but like you said when I do do it again, it ends up consuming me I wish we all weren’t like this..

 

[Iugrad91]

Over time I’ve just realized that Googling has never helped me and usually sends me into a deeper panic so I just don’t do it anymore. It’s like hitting yourself over the head with a stick. The more you do it the more it hurts. Why keep doing it then?

 

[MB8]

Over time I’ve just realized that Googling has never helped me and usually sends me into a deeper panic so I just don’t do it anymore. It’s like hitting yourself over the head with a stick. The more you do it the more it hurts. Why keep doing it then?

So true! Thanks for your input. I know better too, I just need to stop once and for all.

 

[Annie22]

hey i also done the same thing, surfing for hours on google that made my anxiety worse but i can't stop doing it and that also made me do counseling with doctors online a lot.

i always tell myself "no, don't google it." when i got new symptoms on my body. i did google it, but slowly i've began to stay away from googling (Eventho i still did but rarely now). it's just that because i like to play games, i recently found mobile game that i really like and try to do my hobbies again (anxiety kept me away from my hobbies that i like to do once ) and that slowly make me forget about little needles pain or other little symptoms that i have.

 

[MB8]

hey i also done the same thing, surfing for hours on google that made my anxiety worse but i can't stop doing it and that also made me do counseling with doctors online a lot.

i always tell myself "no, don't google it." when i got new symptoms on my body. i did google it, but slowly i've began to stay away from googling (Eventho i still did but rarely now). it's just that because i like to play games, i recently found mobile game that i really like and try to do my hobbies again (anxiety kept me away from my hobbies that i like to do once ) and that slowly make me forget about little needles pain or other little symptoms that i have.

Thank you for sharing. It’s definitely hard , but I’m glad we’re all trying to slowly get better about googling when we know it’s the worst thing for our health anxiety.

 

[MakUSA]

I figured out that Google is very bad in medical results, I put that in my mind and stop checking. You can do it, trust yourself.

 

[MB8]

I figured out that Google is very bad in medical results, I put that in my mind and stop checking. You can do it, trust yourself.

Thank you so much for your advice and support!

 

[H.J.J.C.]

I'm not sure the left brain-right brain hypothesis is still considered valid, but I know that when I am thinking analytically, using reason (left brain), I can handle my HA, but when my right brain (emotions) kicks in, I find myself in an absolute panic. I think I see this same thought process going on in the posts in this thread. It's really tough for us with HA to hold that right brain at bay. Any techniques?

 

[Izthewiz]

It takes practice.
Ha and Google are like drinking and driving.
Scary and dangerous

 

[thenewme]

Googling has cause me so much stress. I have decided to act like I'm back in the 90's. Im sure health anxiety was much lower then. Too much of anything can hurt us including information overload. We are all so unique and different so looking at subjective conflicting google results is something that those of us with health anxiety have to take control of and stop.

 

[Angelx]

One thing that helps me is asking someone I love, who isn’t a hypochondriac, to google my symptoms for me and tell me if I should worry or not. Our mind zeroes in on the worst thing, but sometimes other people can think more clearly. My boyfriend is good at explaining why it’s not the worst case scenario, and telling me what it likely is instead, because he’s able to read all the information and decide what best fits my situation. I like that and it helps me a lot.


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[Cuchculan]

Block certain sites. So if you try and go on them, you won't be able to. Problem solved.

 

[H.J.J.C.]

So I know as someone with HA, the worst thing we can possibly do is google symptoms. Something as small as a little red spot on a breast which was a pimple, turns quickly into inflammatory breast cancer , which I hadn’t even heard of before I googled “red spot on breast” btw, and then spent the next 2 weeks spiraling and checking the spot 10 times a day until it of course just went away on its own.. then on to the next symptom , more googling , more doom and gloom. I know better than to google , yet sometimes I just can’t help myself. I go on there seeking some type of reassurance , fully knowing all I’ll find are terminal diseases. What are some tips you guys have to stop googling??

I recently read that even the most accurate symptom checker on the internet is only correct 47% of the time. That's less than a coin flip. Keeping that in mind may help when you're tempted to google your symptoms.

 

[Vincent]

I always leave my doctor appointments with a much clearer, nuanced diagnosis or explanation than what I'd get from any online list of symptoms. I don't remember any diagnosis or explanation being the same as what I got myself thinking after reading an online symptom list. What I got myself thinking was a big deal; what the doctor told me wasn't a big deal.

 

[H.J.J.C.]

I always leave my doctor appointments with a much clearer, nuanced diagnosis or explanation than what I'd get from any online list of symptoms. I don't remember any diagnosis or explanation being the same as what I got myself thinking after reading an online symptom list. What I got myself thinking was a big deal; what the doctor told me wasn't a big deal.

Excellent word choice, Vincent, in "nuanced." That, indeed, is the crucial difference between Dr. Google and your doctor and mine. Understanding nuance is the "art" in the art of medicine.

 

[Guitarist41]

Throw your phone, and/or your computer out the window

 

[MB8]

I recently read that even the most accurate symptom checker on the internet is only correct 47% of the time. That's less than a coin flip. Keeping that in mind may help when you're tempted to google your symptoms.

Wow! That’s really helpful information, thank you. Really helps puts it in perspective.

Throw your phone, and/or your computer out the window

Hahaa most days I want to

I always leave my doctor appointments with a much clearer, nuanced diagnosis or explanation than what I'd get from any online list of symptoms. I don't remember any diagnosis or explanation being the same as what I got myself thinking after reading an online symptom list. What I got myself thinking was a big deal; what the doctor told me wasn't a big deal.

So very true! Thank you , that’s really helpful