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Posted 12/15/2010 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
Does anyone else have issues with health anxiety or cyberchondria?

By cyberchondria I mean a hypochondriac that constantly looks up their symptoms onlien and is convinced they have every disease.

My health is causing me the most anxiety and I freak out about everything.

I swear I have diabetes right now or high blood pressure or maybe cancer.  I'm always convinced I'm dieing of something.

Therapy isn't helpful and hasn't been for a year so I'm seeing a new therapist this Friday at an entirely different clinic.

Just wondering if anyone else suffers with this?  It makes me feel insane.

TG~

Posted 12/15/2010 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi T.G.:) The internet is without a doubt, both a wonderful and terrible thing when it comes to health management! While it has put valuable medical information at our fingertips, it also has the pandora's box effect for those of us with health anxiety. I strongly urge you to resist the temptation to symptom search on-line, as it will only feed your anxiety. If you have a concern about your health the best course of action is to make an appointment with your doctor. If you have had a recent check-up, and been given a clean bill of health, try to trust in that and feel secure. This is easier said than done I know! The more you tell yourself positive things however, the better you will feel. Repeat phrases such as "I am healthy, this is just anxiety telling me otherwise." The things that we think and say to ourselves affect our A/P. Replacing positive for negative thinking helps us to feel better, and helps to battle the worry.
I hope that your new therapist is better able to help you with this. Be sure and disclose to him/her all of your conerns so that they can treat you in the best possible way.
Good luck and let us know how it goes soon!
Scaredy Cat
Posted 12/15/2010 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
Evening,

Since medical knowledge became freely available to anyone with an internet connection, the urge to seek out answers has become a pass time for many.  Part of the answer to easing the anxieties of the cyberchondriac is  to resist looking up  symptoms on the internet for the purpose of self-diagnosis. Far from reassuring people, checking just seems to make things worse.

Please put this issue near the top of your list of things you want to address at therapy.  Big breath and know you are OK.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 12/17/2010 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
Ugh now I really am sick. Maybe I was coming down with something but now I've had the flu... and not the throwing up way... this is AWFUL!

Now I have a fever of 100 degrees and I'm freaking out cuz I went to the doctor yesterday and she said there was blood in my urine. She said there was no infection or proteins but it's freaking me out. I ache everywhere. I really don't want to still be sick even over christmas. I feel awful.

This does not exactly help my anxiety either or calm me. I'm convinced I'm dieing or something. If I'm not better tomorrow I'm going to the doctor again.

UGH

Twiggygal~
Posted 12/17/2010 4:27 AM (GMT 0)
I'm AVOIDING symptom checking though to the max so it is helping! I know I will come up with some insane diagnosis (or multiple diseases) so I'm just drinking fluids and taking tylonel. We will see what happens.
Posted 12/17/2010 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
Aww T.G, I'm sorry to hear that you're sick, but it is the cold/flu season. My dad is pretty sick right now too. You're doing the right things though, before you know it you'll be on the mend. Keep on trying not to worry, it's just a bug and you'll fight it off in a couple of days.
Rest up!
S.C.
Posted 12/17/2010 7:38 AM (GMT 0)
Once again I'm symptom checking.... its like an addiction... IDK what is going on with me but my stomach pain is awful....

thanks scaredy for responding. I know its flu season but I fear and hate getting sick. It just scares me. I'm so weak right now I can hardly get off the couch. My mind is so awake but my body is practically asleep.
Posted 12/18/2010 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

Yes I can relate to you on this topic as I to am bad for checking symptoms on the internet and have convinced myself that I have had all sorts of horrible diseases. The thing with having an anxiety disorder is that anxiety symptoms can mimic all sorts of other symptoms which then feed your anxiety to such a level that you believe you have the symptoms of what ever disease.I know it is hard but try tour best not to look things up on the web and your right it is like an addiction. Post more here about your anxiety and concerns and you will get the advise and support you need. Take it easy

Ben
Posted 12/23/2010 6:02 AM (GMT 0)
Ok, I'm fraeking out. I went to the shrink today and she asked if I had a history of bipolar in my family. I asked her why she wanted to know and she said some of my symptoms (anxiety and racing thoughts) can be symptoms of bipolar.

By the way there is no history of bipolar in the family.

Now I am freaking out and symptom checking every website and doing quizzes wondering if I am bipolar. It is incredibly frightening at the thought of being bipolar and I don't even know if I have it.

It feels like my only mood is anxiety or just blah... I'm just trying to stay relaxed as possible so I don't get anxious. It's a very boring life but I'm trying to cope.

Am I bipolar? Crazy? I'm anxious, racing thoughts, irritable (got my period on sunday tho and still have it horribly), and my fiance is saying depressing things to me due to my lack of interest in .. well.. you know...

TG~

Posted 12/23/2010 1:25 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning,

I aksed my PD the same question a couple of months ago - if I was bipolar and her answer was a firm no as I do not fit the criteria.  My lows can be very low but I never really have hypomania.  Here are the symptoms:

Manic phase of bipolar disorder
Signs and symptoms of the manic or hypomanic phase of bipolar disorder can include:

  • Euphoria
  • Extreme optimism
  • Inflated self-esteem
  • Poor judgment
  • Rapid speech
  • Racing thoughts
  • Aggressive behavior
  • Agitation or irritation
  • Increased physical activity
  • Risky behavior
  • Spending sprees or unwise financial choices
  • Increased drive to perform or achieve goals
  • Increased sex drive
  • Decreased need for sleep
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Careless or dangerous use of drugs or alcohol
  • Frequent absences from work or school
  • Delusions or a break from reality (psychosis)
  • Poor performance at work or school

I have obsessive thoughts which are usually the "what if?" thoughts of anxiety that want to cirlcle around and around in my head but this is anxiety for me.

Let me put it this way...if you really are BP, you'll almost certainly have some sort of anxiety problems that go with it. However, anxiety in and of itself is in no way indicative of BP...there are lots of potential causes for anxiety. I wouldn't focus on the anxiety as a potential diagnostic quality for BP, since it's so complicated. If you feel you need to, get a second opinion. 

Remember I am not a Doctor so all comments are just fyi.

Get off the merry-go-round and do not let the anxiety rule your life.

Gentle Hugs and holiday greeting.

Kitt

Posted 12/23/2010 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
I second the idea for a second opinion.
Posted 12/23/2010 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
T.G. It doesn't sound as if your P-doc has much support in her suspicion of B.P. Did she test you? I think that you should request testing, if only to set your mind at ease. It is a simple test, my oldest daughter was tested (negative) and I recommend that your p-doc administers it as the on-line versions can be unreliable.
Try to relax, you'll get to the bottom of this and feel better soon! Let us know how it turns out.
Hugs,
Scaredy Cat
Posted 12/23/2010 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
No she never tested me for bp. The thought of having bp makes me so anxious that I can't handle it. I woke up so anxious this morning and now I'd like to go back to bed. I keep praying to god to make me normal again. I'm seriously scared of ending up in a psych ward. It is my biggest fear.
Posted 12/24/2010 5:52 AM (GMT 0)
That is not going to happen. You are going to be fine no matter what, but I think it will stop the anxiety and 'what ifs' to know for sure. Hang in there, this is a hard time of year for everybody. I am struggling too, I am really having to pull out all of the tools. For me it's mostly family dynamic stuff (next stop? Dysfuction Junction!) Getting all of the extended fam together AAAGGGHHH! Anyway, we are strong and we will get through this okay? Use your coping mechanisms. Breathe, meditate, positive brain talk;)
Peace,
Scaredy Cat
Posted 12/27/2010 11:26 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry if this is an afterthought, but i recently read on cnn.com that cyberchondria is at an alltime high, and that they did a study on the correctness of the "health" websites and found that 60% of them were wrong. They also stated that any website can get high up on the list just by paying to be there. They estimated that out of the top 10 sites returned on a quary, the first 6 contained wrong information 80% of the time. They also said that the only one you should trust when it comes to your health is your own doctor. Because they are the only ones who can know your history or do tests.

As far as bipolar goes, my daughter thought that she might be, and when she went to a therapist, the therapist gave her a 10 page questionaire to answer. She also took a whole family history in order to better diagnose my daughter.

but I also agree with SC-- until then, use the breathing and possitive self talk... takes a lot of practice, but youll get through this!
Posted 12/27/2010 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
just_a_girl.. what wonderful information to know! Now I'm definitely going to be deterred from symptom checking.

What's the point if over half is fabricated? Wow!

TG~
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