Just need to know I'm not alone in health anxiety....

[CK306]

Hello all,

I guess I just need to know I'm not alone in having this debilitating anxiety.
I'm a 33 year old married mother of 3 and my anxiety about my health and my loved ones health is out of control and debilitating.
I probably use Google every single day to Google any and every symptom anyone in my family might have at any given moment. I particularly am obsessed with cancer. I convince myself weekly that either I or my husband or kids have cancer from brain tumors to leukemia to bone cancer; you name it.
I cry daily. No exaggeration. Sometimes because I'm terrified someone I love is dying, sometimes because of my literal misery of living with this horrible anxiety.
I have had suicidal thoughts monthly for a while now because I don't want to live like this anymore. Living in absolute fear. Every. Single. Day.
It's like living in your worst fear or nightmare every day, all day.

Has anyone found treatment that has worked for them? I've only tried Prozac and I'm desperate.

Thank you for reading and letting me vent

 

[georgey]

You are not alone .I'm 31 and I developed heath anxiety this past december..and it's the toughest thing I've ever gone through..it sux ..
One thing that help me is that I stopped looking up symptoms cuz it just make me worst ..what I do look up is help with Hypochondria or how to treat health anxiety ..cuz that's what we have you and that has help me some ..

 

[JohnJ]

Hi CK306,

Do you currently take medication to help with your anxiety? Googling symptoms is a very dangerous thing for anyone with health anxiety. Medical websites that list symptoms are a driver for health anxiety -- they'll only propel it forward, amplifying your anxiety. I would love for you to attempt to rely less on Google when it comes to symptoms. I struggled with this for the longest time; reading the symptoms would immediately cause an increase in anxiety and I'd begin experiencing some of the symptoms I read about, even if I had never experienced them previously.

You can win this battle with anxiety. But, in order to win, you have to find the battle-winning strategy, which is different for every person. Luckily, we have a starting point -- let's start by trying not to Google symptoms.

 

[Phlash713]

It really can feel like you're alone with this, especially seeing how everyone else handles and even jokes about things that would completely tear us apart for the rest of the day. I've been dealing with health anxiety for about 9 years now. There are times here and there that I realize that everything going on is 100% caused by anxiety. I've learned to hold on to those specific thoughts and the feelings during them to bring back and tell myself when I'm experiencing the worries. I've been on numerous medications and this is the one route that has really worked . Also having one specific person in my life who knows my every thought towards my health anxiety has been extremely helpful, having an outside point of view during this time is very important . I've been trying online therapy through Live Health Online, it is something worth checking out, especially with having a busy schedule and anxiety in general.

 

[janemariesayed]

You are not alone. I have anxieties too although not so much with health. I'm too scared to think about health. I have started omitting fat in my diet for the last couple of months because of cholesterol. I've lost a stone in weight too!

 

[CK306]

Hi CK306,

Do you currently take medication to help with your anxiety? Googling symptoms is a very dangerous thing for anyone with health anxiety. Medical websites that list symptoms are a driver for health anxiety -- they'll only propel it forward, amplifying your anxiety. I would love for you to attempt to rely less on Google when it comes to symptoms. I struggled with this for the longest time; reading the symptoms would immediately cause an increase in anxiety and I'd begin experiencing some of the symptoms I read about, even if I had never experienced them previously.

You can win this battle with anxiety. But, in order to win, you have to find the battle-winning strategy, which is different for every person. Luckily, we have a starting point -- let's start by trying not to Google symptoms.

Hi John!
I don't currently take meds. A few years ago I was on Prozac and it definitely helped, but a very specific side effect was effecting my marriage and I couldn't handle it anymore so I stopped taking it. This past summer I decided I had had enough misery and went to a psychiatrust who tried me on 3 separate meds. All of which gave me horrible side effects and I couldn't tolerate :-(
I have looked into natural remedies with no real answer.
It's so frustrating to say the least when you desperately want to feel better but feel like there is no hope. My constant fears effect my relationship with my husband and my kids but, as I'm sure you know, I feel it's impossible to stop the thoughts.
I have had a weird headache the past week and a half and if course have cried convinced I have a brain tumor.
You are so right, I need to stop looking up symptoms on Google. I always start looking to find some sort of relief or reassurance but that's never the case....

 

[Concernedgal]

Medication sucks!
Zoloft is the worst medication in the world. ..paxil is no better. I have gone down this road of being a geinea pig for medication. I m currently off of medications completely and just trying to live my life and coping the best that I can.
Anxiety sucks..but, what aggrevates it is the fact the we are also depressed. We just don' understand why this us happening to us and we just don't understand how.
What we really need is clear cut answers and a legitimate cure!! No more just stupid "treatment of symptoms "...cure me!! You know what i'm saying? It' fracking frustrating.

 

[janemariesayed]

Medication sucks!
Zoloft is the worst medication in the world. ..paxil is no better. I have gone down this road of being a geinea pig for medication. I m currently off of medications completely and just trying to live my life and coping the best that I can.
Anxiety sucks..but, what aggrevates it is the fact the we are also depressed. We just don' understand why this us happening to us and we just don't understand how.
What we really need is clear cut answers and a legitimate cure!! No more just stupid "treatment of symptoms "...cure me!! You know what i'm saying? It' fracking frustrating.

How long have you been off the meds? Did you stop taking them slowly or suddenly? It can have an adverse effect to stop taking them quickly. Even slowly can give you problems. Do you think that was why you wern't well lately?

 

[janemariesayed]

The problem is though that we are being encouraged to search elsewhere for diagnosis. Because our healthcare systems are cracking up we are told to ask in the pharmacy instead or look online. We are not doctors so I think this is dangerous especially to look online. Different illnesses have the same symptoms and we don't know what they are for sure unless we do actually go and visit a professional.

 

[EscheLava]

No you are definitely not alone. I too am mid-thirties and a wife and mother of 3. I am also a biomedical scientist, which means that I know a lot about disease. You might think that that would make things better, but more knowledge sometimes makes things much much worse! I have dealt with health anxiety almost my entire life. I have never tried medications, but cognitive-behavioral therapy has been very helpful. As I'm sure you already know, Dr. Google is a really really bad doctor. And here's the really terrible thing...since most websites track your browser activity, if you get on health websites a lot, then you'll start to see advertisements for health websites on all your social media platforms, which makes you think about the potential diseases even more! I know it is difficult to abstain from looking up symptoms/diseases, but a strategy that has worked for me is to divert my attention to something else. For instance, if I have the urge to Google a symptom, instead I'll play a game of Sudoku or do some online shopping or some other activity that requires my full attention. Over time you can train yourself to think about that activity instead of focusing on symptoms and disease. Its definitely not a cure for the anxiety, but its a coping strategy that has really helped me; perhaps it can help you too. Again, I recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. I hope you get some relief very soon.

 

[Concernedgal]

How long have you been off the meds? Did you stop taking them slowly or suddenly? It can have an adverse effect to stop taking them quickly. Even slowly can give you problems. Do you think that was why you wern't well lately?

I haven't been on medication since the zoloft. I tried busbar again about a month ago but, all it did was make me tremble uncontrollably. I couldn' t have that. I have medication anxiety because of my experience with the zoloft. ..I just don't want to deal with it. I have hydroxyzine still in my purse from 2016. They gave it to me when I had that terrible attack a couple of years back when I passed out .

 

[Karla MOYA]

Not alone !!! Health anxiety sufferer since I was 12 I am 35 now

 

[fac6]

Ditto to Karla except I am now 49!!!! just today my fingernail hurt and I can see a small dark mark under it where it hurts, chances are I have knocked it or something but within 2 mins of seeing it I was googling nail cancer and panicking I now have that!

 

[janemariesayed]

I haven't been on medication since the zoloft. I tried busbar again about a month ago but, all it did was make me tremble uncontrollably. I couldn' t have that. I have medication anxiety because of my experience with the Zoloft. ..I just don't want to deal with it. I have hydroxyzine still in my purse from 2016. They gave it to me when I had that terrible attack a couple of years back when I passed out .

So had you tried the Buspar before you had your last attack? Do you think it may have been the Buspar that caused all that before?

 

[llee454]

Hey CK306,

I can assure you that you're not alone in this. A few years ago, I lost three of my uncles to cancer within months of each other. That experience triggered an obsession with cancer, that I've been struggling with ever since. When I first started to note the obsessive nature of my thoughts, I wondered if I too was alone, and was surprised to learn how many of my close friends were also grappling with the same disorder. Health anxiety is very common and, if you ask around, you may discover, friends and family members who are also working through similar issues.

Reading your post, I would definitely recommend that you avoid Googling symptoms. I agree with JohnJ and EsheLava. Google has never helped me correctly identify an illness and has almost always exacerbated my fears. Instead, I've found that the following has helped me:

1. Keep a journal and jot down whatever is worrying you from day to day. I find that recording my "symptoms" helps me feel like I'm doing something proactive and let's me "vent" my fears in a safe space.
2. Wait a day or two to see if the ache, pain, or bump disappears on its own. Minor issues usually pass on their own.
3. NEVER self diagnose. Always get an expert's opinion. Most health insurance plans provide access to a service in which you can talk with a nurse over the phone. Additionally, you can go in to visit your PCP or a walk-in clinic.
4. Let your health care providers know that you suffer from health anxiety. I've found that my doctor has always been sensitive to my disorder, which helps.
5. Talk to other people who understand the disorder. Connect with other hypochondriacs like those you'll find here.
6. Help others. Seriously, supporting others, helps me place my own fears in perspective and allows me to see my hypochondria as an opportunity to do some good as opposed to just being a painful burden.

I hope these techniques help. Also, if anyone else can recommend additional techniques, I'm all ears!

 

[Concernedgal]

So had you tried the Buspar before you had your last attack? Do you think it may have been the Buspar that caused all that before?

Yeah..and I'm strating to think that it may have been the busbar. ..not the zoloft. This could change everything for me.

 

[Kelculator]

You are not alone! Anxiety sufferer since childhood here. Has experienced health anxiety from a young age. So this is basically a lifelong battle up to now for me. I am personally on meds, and am doing relatively okay for almost a year now.

 

[janemariesayed]

Yeah..and I'm strating to think that it may have been the busbar. ..not the zoloft. This could change everything for me.

Have you stopped taking the Buspar now then?

 

[Concernedgal]

Yes I have. I think I will try the ssri again. All I know is that I need help and fast! I am getting back to my agitated state. I have this phase where I stay in an agitated state for 3to 6 MO . I hate my life sometimes.

 

[janemariesayed]

Yes I have. I think I will try the ssri again. All I know is that I need help and fast! I am getting back to my agitated state. I have this phase where I stay in an agitated state for 3to 6 MO . I hate my life sometimes.

Oh no! Not 3 - 6 months that will be awful. It will begin to feel like it is forever and that is dangerous. Get to your doctor quickly and get something to help. My heart goes out to you Concernedgal. Sorry for you. Sending you hugs.