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Convinced I have something seriously wrong

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Posted 2/22/2014 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hi guys not posted for a while but read daily the posts on here. Been feeling ok for few weeks so things were looking good. Until today. Went shopping with my 15 year old son. Was feeling good then all of a sudden I felt really really hot and dizzy. Stopped shopping and got home and that's it I'm back at square one. Been having dizzy spells on and off all day and now I'm convinced I have something seriously wrong. At doctors a couple of weeks ago they said they think I have health anxiety as I am convinced I'm ill and it's not the anxiety. My cousin has just been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Her symptoms were forgetfulness, numbness in fingers, dizziness and dropping things. Yep you've guessed it I now have all those symptoms! This is driving me mad. Will I ever return to normal???? Sorry for the long post. Thanks for being there xx

Edit:  I gave your thread a title

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 2/24/2014 12:15:35 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/22/2014 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
My brother was diagnosed with dementia (and has since passed). He lived out of state, and when I met him for the first time, saw how much he had changed and the limited way he communicated, well, for the next year guess what? I thought for sure I had it. Talk about bizarre thoughts. I did therapy at the Employee Assistance Program then went into regular therapy, and Viola! The bizarre thoughts went away.

It's amazing how the mind can influence our lives, more so when we are anxiety riddled.
Posted 2/23/2014 9:22 AM (GMT 0)
It's awful. It's really starting to get me down. Doctors have offered me medication but I'm too scared to take it. Where do these dizzy spells all of a sudden come from? Does anyone else suffer with these? Xx
Posted 2/23/2014 9:06 PM (GMT 0)
Do you think it's possible that you are internalizing your cousin's diagnosis, and without consciously even thinking about it,--perhaps feeding the anxiety monster with little thoughts here and there (that add up swiftly), that are manifesting in your own body in ways that you are correlating and comparing?

I think it's very common when someone close to us gets a scary diagnosis, that our brains go shopping at Lowes or Home Depot,...or Wal-Mart if our brain pinches pennies,.... and in it's own way, it buys a whole new kit of security bells and whistles to set off (like an internal air-horn and those flashing strobe lights,...anything to get our attention)....so that if we start to relax back into our own selves, these new alarm bells go off, just in time to prevent us from relaxing?

This would keep us hyper-vigilant and ever-on-edge for the next potential "symptom."

Just some random thoughts, here.....



M.
Posted 2/24/2014 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
Ckb,

Hey there, this is Kitt. Health anxiety is an anxiety disorder that is often housed within the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) spectrum of disorders. Those affected by health anxiety have an obsessional preoccupation with the idea or the thought that they are currently (or will be) experiencing a physical illness. The most common health anxieties tend to center on conditions such as cancer, HIV, AIDs, etc. However, the person experiencing health anxiety or illness phobia may fixate on any type of illness.

Although the causes of health and illness anxiety are not always easily identified, there are certain factors which may trigger the disorder:

Having a serious illness as a child.

Having a close family member or friend with a serious illness.

The death of a close relative/friend.

Being affected by an anxiety disorder.

Having a belief that being “healthy” means that you do not experience any physical symptoms or sensations

Having close family members who themselves have health anxiety.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely-used therapy for anxiety. disorders. The basic premise of cognitive behavioral therapy is that our thoughts—not external events—affect the way we feel. In other words, it’s not the situation you’re in that determines how you feel, but your perception of the situation.

There are several free online courses for CBT in our resources.  I will post the link to both of them for you:

Free on-line CBT programs:

http://www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome

http://ecouch.anu.edu.au/welcome

Do take a look and trust your Drs. that you most likely are experiencing Health Anxiety.

Also keep on talking with us.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 2/25/2014 5:29 AM (GMT 0)
I have this problem& have for a little while now& I can be just standing and all of a sudden out of no where get dizzy& feel like Iam about to fall down, and yes it is a real scary feeling not fun at all. And I have been checked all except my head in a few years, but blood work fine& heart is pure healhy as they say had a full blown panic attack the day before my birthday. And couldn't breathe felt nauseated and off track& I brought on self, not on purpose but from paying to much attention to a feeling of un easy that I was having& here come the grand supreme attack that can mimic a heart attack. Scary& my point to this is one neg emotion, if given by us the seeds to grow(our attention) will send us into a tailspin causing &weird feeling will click anxiety on& cause havoc upon our mind.
So we must speak to the problem in advance& tell the feelings to leave admediately because we refuse to let it get bigger then feelings, health anxiety sucks trust me I know. But 99% of time all signs read you are ok you are& know when doctors tell you ,you are ok you are so rest and live and tell yourself everyday you are fine. Best of luck to you. ☺
Posted 3/1/2014 8:10 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone. Sometimes it's just good to hear I'm not the only one feeling like this. I am going to speak to my docs about cbt and see if that helps.
Posted 3/1/2014 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
When you start feeling anxious make sure that you breathe deeply and slowly through your nose and focus on relaxing. When people start to feel anxious they usually start taking quick shallow breaths and that can cause them to hyperventilate. That makes them dizzy, lightheaded and tingly. I have health anxiety too. Sometimes it helps me to look up the chances of actually getting a disease. A brain tumor is very rare. I hope this helps.
Posted 3/1/2014 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah I get vertigo with anxiety too. It's sooooo scary. It's hard to work with. Remember it's usually a cause of not breathing correctly. Try breathing in for a slow count of 10 seconds and out for 10 seconds for 5 minutes every morning and your breath will eventually re regulate.
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