Shifting symptoms & fixation

[Guen]

Hey everyone!

I have another round of questions for people more experienced with health anxiety than me. So far I've been meditating & exercising as well as keeping busy that helps keep the anxiety at a minimum, but a few things I've noticed that I suspect are anxiety related but I'm unsure about:

1. On and off symptoms: I've been noticing that I will have a sore spot on my neck what will sometime change both position & sides. I got a a massage recently and the pain went away completely for a few hours, then slowly returned. I've also noticed if I busy with things (work or social stuff) my symptoms are practically gone, but the moment I'm alone, they come back. Or the symptoms will worsen throughout the day and disappear right as I relax to go to sleep. Anyone else experience this?

2. Fixation & severity: I've noticed that to more I pay attention to my symptoms the worse they will get. Like I'll notice a lump on the right inside of my throat and them more I think about it, the bigger it seems. Or just a few minutes ago I thought it felt like my neck was swollen, then it felt almost numb. I got distracted and the numbness is practically gone, though literally as I type/think about this, the soreness is back. Again, is this a common this with health anxiety?

Wishing you all well,
~Guen

 

[triceps]

Hi Guen. Boy, everything you've described seems like the standard effects of having health anxiety. As difficult as it seems, the more you can attribute these symptoms to your health anxiety just messing with you, the sooner they'll subside or at least improve. The problem comes with health anxiety being pretty chronic and when your current symptoms are gone or minimal, different ones will crop up that will seem so real that they just can't be caused by your anxiety, but they will be.

 

[Steven]

This is definitely classic anxiety/ocd symptoms. I also will fixate and on body parts and sensations. You’ve got to just accept it’s in your head, and once the anxiety dissipates your mind will move on to something else. I know, easier said than done.

 

[Rinka]

Hey everyone!

I have another round of questions for people more experienced with health anxiety than me. So far I've been meditating & exercising as well as keeping busy that helps keep the anxiety at a minimum, but a few things I've noticed that I suspect are anxiety related but I'm unsure about:

1. On and off symptoms: I've been noticing that I will have a sore spot on my neck what will sometime change both position & sides. I got a a massage recently and the pain went away completely for a few hours, then slowly returned. I've also noticed if I busy with things (work or social stuff) my symptoms are practically gone, but the moment I'm alone, they come back. Or the symptoms will worsen throughout the day and disappear right as I relax to go to sleep. Anyone else experience this?

2. Fixation & severity: I've noticed that to more I pay attention to my symptoms the worse they will get. Like I'll notice a lump on the right inside of my throat and them more I think about it, the bigger it seems. Or just a few minutes ago I thought it felt like my neck was swollen, then it felt almost numb. I got distracted and the numbness is practically gone, though literally as I type/think about this, the soreness is back. Again, is this a common this with health anxiety?

Wishing you all well,
~Guen

Hi @Guen health anxiety or anxiety in general can have a multitude of physical symptoms. The funny thing is, that the more you are analyzing your symptoms, the more and more severe they become.

 

[Future PA with HA]

I am new to this and still haven’t been evaluated by a doctor (I will be soon) but I’ve noticed that ever since my most recent bout of GI distress has occurred if I experience any kind of pain or discomfort I fixate on it and catastrophize it. It’s like every day I feel a different pain or symptom- I resolve one and another takes it place. I have a feeling it’s caused by being overaware or bodily sensations which is common to this problem, as well as catastrophizing and thinking every benign body sensation is the worst. These are sensations that people feel every day but don’t pay attention to and let them pass.

 

[Steven]

I am new to this and still haven’t been evaluated by a doctor (I will be soon) but I’ve noticed that ever since my most recent bout of GI distress has occurred if I experience any kind of pain or discomfort I fixate on it and catastrophize it. It’s like every day I feel a different pain or symptom- I resolve one and another takes it place. I have a feeling it’s caused by being overaware or bodily sensations which is common to this problem, as well as catastrophizing and thinking every benign body sensation is the worst. These are sensations that people feel every day but don’t pay attention to and let them pass.

You’ve literally described me haha I do exactly the same thing. Really all you can do is just tell yourself these are normal things to feel and once you aren’t anxious about them anymore your mind will just move on.

 

[Guen]

It's really true. The perfect example was I had a super busy day at work yesterday and my symptoms pretty much vanished. However, it was a slower day today which led me to messing with this tight muscle in my neck (which anxiety first told me was a cancerous lymph node, until logic mentioned that lymph nodes aren't long & thin and run along your neck). Since then all my old symptoms came roaring back. It's almost becoming more annoying than frightening.