First time posting.. Health anxiety

Hi R2R and welcome.

I am sorry to hear of your anxiety and struggles with eating. I used to have a lot of trouble with this at the heigth of my anxiety issues/panic. In fact I lost an unhealthy amount of weight that took its toll on me physically.

The good news is that there is hope and help to feel better both physically and mentally.

You have obviously been to your doctor since you have an A/D Rx...did you also talk about the option of a therapy referral at that time? If this is a possibility for you, then I highly recommend it.

If it is not, then there are great self-help options and programs that you can consider.

In our Resources (main page, 1st post), we have a lot of tips and even two book recommendations on the subject of health anxiety. If you haven't checked it out already, I encourage you to do so.

Keep posting with us as well. We have many members with your very same concerns and fears. You are never alone here!

We understand and are here to support you.:)

Looking forward to getting to know you better.

Scaredy Cat

ReadytoRun, People with Health Anxiety fear that   bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness. Constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body are considered symptoms of Health Anxiety.  Many individuals with Health Anxiety   express doubt and disbelief in the doctors' diagnosis, and report that doctors’ reassurance about an absence of a serious medical condition is unconvincing, or un-lasting. Many people with Health Anxiety   require constant reassurance, either from doctors, family, or friends, and the disorder can become a disabling torment for the individual with health anxiety, as well as his or her family and friends. I am glad to read that you are seeking the help of a medical professional to help you break out of the health anxiety.   Seeing a wise therapist is one of the good things you have chosen to do and remember if you don't mesh with the first one you see after giving your relationship a fair trial, find a new one. While it is wise to be aware of how you are doing physically, it is actually not helpful to pay close attention to your body at all times.   This is because your body naturally fluctuates during the day and at night, and overtime.   Thus noticing every little change provides very little useful information. And worse - any change that is noticed is worried about , and as worry increases, physical changes and symptoms tend to get worse, and as this happens, checking and monitoring increases even more.   In other words, checking and monitoring your body feeds into the vicious cycle of health anxiety. People with Health Anxiety are likely to seek reassurance about their health from their Dr. and in many cases are told that nothing is wrong.   This quickly makes them feel better.   But...it doesn't take long until the anxiety returns. The reassurance doesn’t last  a nd the vicious cycle continues.   A question for you to think about :   How much reassurance would it take to make you stop worrying about your health forever?   It may be difficult to come up with a precise answer.   This is because seeking reassurance is a strategy that doesn't work well in the long term. No amount of reassurance is enough to convince you in any lasting way that nothing is wrong.   Remember the purpose of helping you to learn to cope with your health anxiety is not to make the symptoms disappear - it is to help you become less worried about your health.   I am glad to welcome you to HealingWell and I do hope you stick with us as we are here to help you. Kindly, Kitt  

So glad to hear that you are getting the book and seeking therapy! You are definitely on your way.:)

Keep us posted as to your progress and post often...we are cheering you on!

S.C.

Great to meet you Sue! No webmd or medicine side effects reading for me either. I even have a problem watching the commercials listing side effects of medicine I don't even take! Ugh... I just need to get out of my own head, sounds so simple...