I’m doing “okay” —then I read a story that sticks with me and I’m back again

[Amw311]

I was scrolling Facebook (a trigger for me when there are several sad or scary stories popping up) and happened to stumble upon someone telling a story about a man who passed away from ocular melanoma who left behind a wife and kids.

So what do I do? Walk up to my husband, look at his eye and notice some
freckles on the iris of his eye — cue the freak out. Absolutely convinced. Convinced that I read the story because he has it and needs to be checked out. Heart racing. Can’t calm down.

I should add, I’ve been handling my health anxiety relatively well lately. One part of my brain is saying “WHY OH WHY” do I have to read these stories and let them stay with me? And then the other part is saying “you read that for a reason”

Ugh. I hate this feeling.

 

[Cuchculan]

You read something that put a thought in your mind. You looked at your husband's eyes and you saw something that you thought you read about in that same story. It is a bit like going in search of something to worry about. Which a lot of people with anxiety do. If you are having some good days it does not feel right. Because you are not used to having good days. So the mind needs something to worry about. If it hadn't of been that story, I am sure you would have found something else. Get back to handling your health anxiety in a good way. Ignore reading stories on social media. They only cause you triggers and are not worth the time.

 

[Fraser]

And then the other part is saying “you read that for a reason”

Like divine intervention or something? If God wanted your husband to not die of eye cancer, my guess is He could sort that out on his own end.

 

[Sweet T]

I do this all of the time. I honestly stopped Facebook and Twitter for that reason. I’m only reading news once per day too.
A couple of years ago my husband smelled something burning but the rest of us did not. I recalled seeing a Movie where someone did that and it was a brain tumor. Seems quite silly now but I was convinced I was right. I was not.

 

[bigjetplane23]

Ohhhh… I went through a health anxiety episode about the freckles in the eye.
Couldn’t stop looking at my eyes everyday. No joke. As I have freckles in the eye,
Went to the eye doctor. Eye doctor said it’s like having a mole on your arm. It’s very common, just that we don’t notice it when we talk to people.