I need help

[nick9912]

Hey everyone, I posted on here a couple of weeks ago because I was worried about some swollen lymph nodes in my groin area but since posting I started spiraling into even worse anxiety, I spend my days touching my neck, armpits, groin and pushing around the skin only to eventually be able to feel the lymph nodes and therefore getting extremely anxious, sometimes even to the point of not being able to breathe. I am overall very thin (I did not experience an increased weight loss recently so I do not think that is a symptom of something more serious) so I can easily feel my lymph nodes under the skin, most of them are small, soft and they move around easily but still the fact that I am able to feel them sends me into panic mode and I cannot control my emotions. Anyone has any advice to give on how to ease this continuous anxiety? I went to 3 different doctors because I wanted different opinions and all of them, after blood tests and a sonogram (I think that's what it's called), told me I have nothing to worry about but I still fear I might be dealing with a more serious illness.
And also I noticed that every time I prod/squish those areas afterwards they hurt and so I get even more anxious, I honestly do not know what to do anymore, I'm gonna go see a dermatologist on Monday so that maybe they will give me something to cure the infection that apparently caused all this but I feel doomed

 

[suzzeeb]

Oh my gosh you sound exactly like me! (and probably everyone else on this forum). I can almost feel your fear and anxiety. I just went through something similar last week and am still not over it completely. If 3 different doctors were not concerned after testing then you should try to let it go. I realize that is very hard to do. I can't do it either. I need constant reassurance when I start freaking out, and I don't believe what even the professionals tell me. I go into a mental state of knowing I have whatever I fear and living like I do with the same emotions as if it were a fact, and I am tortured until after several days or weeks later it either starts to fade or I move on to some new symptom. It is exhausting!

All we can do is the best we can and try to realize it is the disorder that keeps us stuck in the fear after adequate reassurance from doctors.

Praying that you move past this fear very soon!

 

[nick9912]

Oh my gosh you sound exactly like me! (and probably everyone else on this forum). I can almost feel your fear and anxiety. I just went through something similar last week and am still not over it completely. If 3 different doctors were not concerned after testing then you should try to let it go. I realize that is very hard to do. I can't do it either. I need constant reassurance when I start freaking out, and I don't believe what even the professionals tell me. I go into a mental state of knowing I have whatever I fear and living like I do with the same emotions as if it were a fact, and I am tortured until after several days or weeks later it either starts to fade or I move on to some new symptom. It is exhausting!

All we can do is the best we can and try to realize it is the disorder that keeps us stuck in the fear after adequate reassurance from doctors.

Praying that you move past this fear very soon!

Thank you so much for your reply, you described exactly what I am feeling right now because I feel like I have some serious illness and I cannot get that thought out of my head. I really wish I could feel good again so that my anxiety could leave but I am so scared, I guess for now all I have to do is wait, still thank you for replying

 

[bigjetplane6]

I have lymph nodes scares all of the time.
I can easily feel lymph nodes in my neck and it drives me crazy. The more I feel around, the more I find. Even some the size of a grape.
A lot of people can feel their lymph nodes and it’s completely normal. And from what I’ve read, it’s normal for them to stay large after an infection. Don’t worry, you’re ok.

 

[nick9912]

I have lymph nodes scares all of the time.
I can easily feel lymph nodes in my neck and it drives me crazy. The more I feel around, the more I find. Even some the size of a grape.
A lot of people can feel their lymph nodes and it’s completely normal. And from what I’ve read, it’s normal for them to stay large after an infection. Don’t worry, you’re ok.

i had heard most people could feel their lymph nodes but my brain cannot seem to be able to look at the bright side. Thank you for your reply, I indeed suffered from a skin infection which is still lingering around so the swelling is probably coming from that. Either way thank you again for taking your time to help me feel calmer, I spent the day prodding around my neck and groin and the worst thing is that you are kinda supposed to feel them if you press enough but my brain immediately pictures the worst case scenario.

 

[bigjetplane6]

i had heard most people could feel their lymph nodes but my brain cannot seem to be able to look at the bright side. Thank you for your reply, I indeed suffered from a skin infection which is still lingering around so the swelling is probably coming from that. Either way thank you again for taking your time to help me feel calmer, I spent the day prodding around my neck and groin and the worst thing is that you are kinda supposed to feel them if you press enough but my brain immediately pictures the worst case scenario.

Oh trust me. I have been in your shoes. Currently still am, but not as bad as my mind is focused on moles right now on my body.
I have read the more you look for them, the more you’ll feel them. That’s why I refuse to even try touching around the groin area, armpit, collarbone. But I can’t stop on my neck. I actually just touched my neck and found a new lymph node closer to the ear side on neck.
The more you look for them; the more you’ll find. Even if they feel hard and don’t move, that can still be normal. I’ve read many stories of people who had hard lymph nodes that didn’t move and it was normal.

 

[nick9912]

Oh trust me. I have been in your shoes. Currently still am, but not as bad as my mind is focused on moles right now on my body.
I have read the more you look for them, the more you’ll feel them. That’s why I refuse to even try touching around the groin area, armpit, collarbone. But I can’t stop on my neck. I actually just touched my neck and found a new lymph node closer to the ear side on neck.
The more you look for them; the more you’ll find. Even if they feel hard and don’t move, that can still be normal. I’ve read many stories of people who had hard lymph nodes that didn’t move and it was normal.

I am so sorry you’re feeling bad too lately, I wish you a quick recovery because these issues can be tough on your psyche. Either way yeah that is totally true, the more you look for them the more you are going to find because they are under your skin and apparently you are supposed to be able to feel them even if just a little bit. What I noticed lately is that if I touch them they usually start bothering me even though I was perfectly fine before does that happen to you as well?

 

[suzzeeb]

I find the whole thing so strange really. I mean, I have completely freaked out about something and totally ruined and wasted so much time worrying about things that at the time seemed so real, but looking back I think the things I worried about were pretty unlikely and I'm a little embarrassed about going so over the top about them, but then I do the same thing over and over again and it seems so real.

 

[bigjetplane6]

I am so sorry you’re feeling bad too lately, I wish you a quick recovery because these issues can be tough on your psyche. Either way yeah that is totally true, the more you look for them the more you are going to find because they are under your skin and apparently you are supposed to be able to feel them even if just a little bit. What I noticed lately is that if I touch them they usually start bothering me even though I was perfectly fine before does that happen to you as well?

OH YESH ALL OF THE TIME.

 

[nick9912]

I find the whole thing so strange really. I mean, I have completely freaked out about something and totally ruined and wasted so much time worrying about things that at the time seemed so real, but looking back I think the things I worried about were pretty unlikely and I'm a little embarrassed about going so over the top about them, but then I do the same thing over and over again and it seems so real.

I completely understand where you're coming from, I've panicked over other possible bad things that could have happened to me and now I feel silly about it, but this one feel so real and I cannot convince myself that the doctors are right

OH YESH ALL OF THE TIME.

Oh ok that reassures me a lot because just today I was perfectly fine but after prodding at my neck I eventually found a small lymph node and now the whole area kinda hurts and I cannot even find it anymore, so yeah thank you again for helping me out

 

[bigjetplane6]

I completely understand where you're coming from, I've panicked over other possible bad things that could have happened to me and now I feel silly about it, but this one feel so real and I cannot convince myself that the doctors are right


Oh ok that reassures me a lot because just today I was perfectly fine but after prodding at my neck I eventually found a small lymph node and now the whole area kinda hurts and I cannot even find it anymore, so yeah thank you again for helping me out

After responding to your forum, I started picking at my lymph nodes and I found more and also they started to hurt. It happens a lot. How big are yours?

 

[nick9912]

After responding to your forum, I started picking at my lymph nodes and I found more and also they started to hurt. It happens a lot. How big are yours?

I am so sorry that responding to this thread made you uncomfortable, but I am sure your lymph nodes are perfectly fine. Anyway the ones in my groin feel as big as a frozen pea (idk if that makes sense but they are that size) and the ones in my neck are very very small (I have to really dig in to even be able to feel them) but since I started to feel around my neck I cannot stop doing that

 

[Euonymus]

I found that if you keep touching them or pick at them, they will hurt or you will at least feel discomfort. I had a small period of concern about lymph nodes and thankfully it's gone now. I have one that's pretty big on my neck near the jaw. I think it became swollen after a pretty bad and ignored tooth infection.

Go to the doc to get it checked out just in case and when it's confirmed that it's nothing to be worried about just try not to get fixated on lymph nodes. Stay strong and i hope you get over this quickly.

 

[nick9912]

I found that if you keep touching them or pick at them, they will hurt or you will at least feel discomfort. I had a small period of concern about lymph nodes and thankfully it's gone now. I have one that's pretty big on my neck near the jaw. I think it became swollen after a pretty bad and ignored tooth infection.

Go to the doc to get it checked out just in case and when it's confirmed that it's nothing to be worried about just try not to get fixated on lymph nodes. Stay strong and i hope you get over this quickly.

thank you for your reply, I actually didn’t have any sort of pain or swelling in my neck until like yesterday afternoon when somehow I decided that it was a good idea to prod and dig in my neck to try and find out if my lymph nodes were swollen there. They actually weren’t but just the fact that I am able to find them (I have been tall and pretty thin for my whole life so I guess it is normal to be able to feel them?) is making me go nuts and since then I have been obsessively pushing my skin and prodding around, and so now the places where I did that hurt, making me even more prone to touching that area. It is really a never ending cycle that I cannot seem to get out of

 

[Joshua1]

And also I noticed that every time I prod/squish those areas afterwards they hurt and so I get even more anxious, I honestly do not know what to do anymore, I'm gonna go see a dermatologist on Monday so that maybe they will give me something to cure the infection that apparently caused all this but I feel doomed

You have to manage your mentality and subdue it. Its possible to not be so anxious. It comes through self reassurance. You have to believe you are okay and the anxiety is minor and take it from there.

 

[nick9912]

You have to manage your mentality and subdue it. Its possible to not be so anxious. It comes through self reassurance. You have to believe you are okay and the anxiety is minor and take it from there.

I do understand your point but it is so hard to believe I am okay, since this whole thing started (the beginning of July) my lymph nodes have reduced in size and have now remained smaller but stable for weeks so I guess that is a positive aspect right? I am working with a therapist but it is so hard to wake up everyday and feel doomed for some unknown illness that no doctor seem to be considering (cause in fact I am completely fine)