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

[Concernedgal]

I have an appointment on Thursday. They are definitely hearing about this.

 

[Richard G]

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!

Superb reply - everything true that you say. I have had several close friends that have had or know someone who had cancer within the last year (most beat the evil beast, btw) but that triggered my Health anxiety. My PCP is very aware and understanding of my hypochondria. Your also right about just waiting for the sore, bump, whatever to resolve in a few days....easier said than done at times...but the last couple of skin lesions I thought were cancer cleared up within a few days. And your right, minor/benign symptoms go away. Cancer does not "come and go" and your body will make you very aware of something out of whack. That I've gotten from people who have first-hand experience.

 

[janemariesayed]

I have an appointment on Thursday. They are definitely hearing about this.

Good, and I hope they do something about it. Otherwise, it will be very hard for you to live with for such a long time. You need something better than what they've offered.

 

[Concernedgal]

I really do. I suppose i'm hatd,to treat also though. I don' t like medication

 

[janemariesayed]

I really do. I suppose i'm hatd,to treat also though. I don' t like medication

what do you mean you are hated? The docs hate to treat you?

 

[peppermt]

You are not alone. I thought I was the only one with this health anxiety, particularly cancer. For me, it started a couple years ago and has gotten worse. It's something I think about multiple times a day and have also cried over it. I'm going to a therapist next week so I am hoping she will be able to help me with this. You might look into going to a therapist if you haven't already. I did years ago for depression and it helped so I am hoping it helps again with this anxiety.

 

[Forever_Jung]

Have you talked to anyone face-to-face about your anxiety issues. I would begin there and see where it goes. At least find a group for anxiety disorders. It may not help all the way but it will begin to help for sure.

 

[XmasCarol52]

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

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

oh my goodness boy do i ever have health anxieties every little ache or pain i do worry about .i am on klonopin to be honest i dont think there is any meds that will help with anxieties.it gets to be so awful times i just cannot relax no matter what i do

 

[Peacelily]

I have severe anxiety attacks and am exploring health reasons for my anxiety symptoms. So far, I've learned that Estrogen Dominance (with low Progesterone levels) can cause anxiety. So can thyroid problems. So can IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Also, nutritionally, if I eat the wrong foods, that seems to ramp up my anxiety levels. Also, food and environmental allergies can cause anxiety.

Anxiety isn't just caused by psychological stress, but can be caused by health problems, food allergies, environmental allergies, being overweight, too thin. There are so many causes of anxiety that people overlook, I believe, and jump too quickly into taking an antidepressant. I had anxiety 20 years ago and took an antidepressant that caused me to miscarry and also turned me into a zombie (I had no energy, no libido, my personality was wiped away). So, I got off the antidepressant and have struggled to manage my anxiety the natural way ever since.

But...when I learned about biological causes for anxiety, recently, I became more optimistic that I can manage my anxiety better. I've been having panic attacks regularly for 3 weeks, and just learned that I have low iron, low vitamin d (both can cause anxiety and depression and insomnia), low progesterone, high estrogen, (which can cause anxiety attacks), and my IBS is bad as I tend to get gastritis a lot lately from my wrong food choices. So, you see, there are many causes for anxiety other than psychological reasons.

I would start with a doctor visit to get your thyroid tested, your vitamin levels tested, your estrogen and progesterone levels tested to rule those out as a possible cause of your anxiety. If those tests are normal, then you can move on to your digestive system. Do you have gallbladder or pancreatitis pain? I just learned that pain is associated with hormone levels. If our hormone levels are out of whack, that can cause our gallbladder and pancreas to overwork and get inflamed and cause us physical pain and anxiety. So, yeah. Hormone imbalance can cause anxiety too.

I would seek out biological causes first, by getting different tests done. Test your thyroid, your hormones, your vitamins. If those are normal, you can move on to environmental causes like allergies, (in your home, your yard, your laundry detergent, shampoo, food you eat, etc.). If nothing there turns up, then you can move on to your cortisol levels due to psychological stress. If your adrenal gland is maxed out from high cortisol related stress, that can definitely cause you to have anxiety and panic attacks.

Try acupuncture for relaxation. I just learned that it helps treat anxiety disorders so I'm going to try it. Also, meditation and deep breathing exercises, journaling, exercise, a creative hobby, can also help lower your anxiety. Don't go back to medication. There's a ton of alternatives you can try first, to help you get control of your anxiety. That's my plan anyway.

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

 

[janemariesayed]

I didn't realise that physical illness could cause mental illness like anxiety. When you think about it though, it is obvious as our body and mind are connected while we are living.

 

[Peacelily]

Yes, it is true that our physical health effects our mental health. That's why I won't rush to antidepressants anymore like I did 20 years ago. When I learn what I can do to reverse what's causing my anxiety without having to take an SSRI, I'm more comfortable going that route. If my state made CBD legal to take for anxiety, I'd definitely ask my Dr. for a Px. Although that can cause anxiety with some people, as my friend with cancer takes CBD and as a result has panic attacks and high anxiety which he never had before the CBD Px. I guess no matter what, anxiety will always be there. How we treat is, is up to each person which I respect. I just know for me personally, that an antidepressant isn't the best choice for me anymore.

 

[Valerie]

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

Totally in the same boat as you. Have had health anxiety for about 15 yrs, im 41 now, and since I had my children I have transferred all of my health fears to their health issues. I was in therapy and doing great until about 3 yrs ago when A dear friends son was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer at 18 mts old and died a year later. It sent me into complete tailspin and I was right back to where i was before and worse. I took zoloft which helped alot at first, but then i gained alot of weight and started getting depressive episides after about 2 yrs. I switched to welbutrin which is not a traditional antidepressant but it worked wonders! I know everyones body chemistry is different , but it helps tremendously especially with the compulsive thinking patterns. And it has the lease side effects. Right now im having a difficult time but I think its because im 6 mts pregnant and my hormones are a mess. My 8 yr old has a bump by his shin thats painful to the touch and i camt get out of my head that its a tumor .