HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Health anxiety bad today

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 1/3/2015 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

Just thought I would add a posting today. Gosh this health anxiety thing can be pretty ferocious. I know I am in the right place to seek help. I am fairly young and mother of one boy. Which makes it harder. I catastrophize my thoughts. Everything is worse case scenario, like I will die young and leave my son behind. It is hard not to think of this every day/multiple times a day. It is really hard for me to accept uncertainty in life when it comes to my health. I just want to feel normal because being a hyper vigilant freak is destroying my quality of life. I do CBT, meds, yoga, hypnotherapy which are helpful, but not curative. Is there a cure for health anxiety? Some days are better than others and then some days are worse.

For example I got to checking all my moles today and DR. Googling pics of melanoma. I know this is a very bad idea for a person like myself. I have had 1 atypical mole removed in the past and have a history of tanning booth usage. I had an allpover check by Dermatology in September and she said I was fine, but of course today I am freaking out. Any suggestions to break the cycle? I hate my day today. smhair smhair
Posted 1/3/2015 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
This is a tough one for sure. I quit alcohol about 3 months ago and the withdrawal symptoms (acute and post-acute) have been horrible. Part of that has been worrying about bodily feelings, bowel movements, and skin problems. All I can say is that as my anxiety has gone down, I've been able to worry about my health less. I'm one of those off and on health worriers...for what it's worth, it seems that when I just let my mind go to the worst place, and maybe even consciously add more "bad news", it tricks my brain to cut the anxiety way back. This is very uncomfortable for a few mins, but then it goes away for a while.
Posted 1/3/2015 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

A lot of us here have health anxiety myself included and it is really hard to deal with and can have a massive affect on your day to day living. It sounds like you are doing all the right things by doing CBT & meds as the two together get good results but it does take some work to see the improvements so stick with it. Look into Mindfulness meditation I find that really helps but as with the CBT takes some commitment to see improvement the only other thing I would say is to not google your symptoms as that will only makes things worse and trust me I know as I have done that many times.

Hibee
Posted 1/4/2015 2:19 AM (GMT 0)
LoveOwen..I am a 30 year old mother of an 8 1/2 month old and i'm going through the same thing as you!! I've always had a bit of health anxiety/been an anxious person..but ever since I had my daughter I have this extreme fear of dying and leaving her as well. I've had all these crazy symptoms since she's been born..for a while I was sure I was going to have a stroke everyday, then I was sure I had MS, then I was getting a lot of chest pains/palpitations for a while...and that's mostly subsided, but now i'm going through this shortness of breath/hard to breath thing. It's not an easy thing to deal with..because everyday it's SOMETHING new. Something to worry about, some kind of symptom...It definitely takes away from me being the best mom I can be to my daughter. Today I told my boyfriend I was going clothes shopping and sat in the ER parking lot for over an hour. I hate being this person now..but i'm working towards getting better. We're all here for you and this forum has helped me so much just to be able to talk about what's going on! Best of luck to you!!!
Posted 1/4/2015 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Thinking about health/death always happens when I'm under heavy anxiety and am not on medication. I hate it. After a week of being back on Lexapro, I'm having those thoughts less and less, but do I EVER know that feeling. My sympathies to the OP!
Posted 1/4/2015 3:24 AM (GMT 0)
Health anxiety is the worst. I'm currently going through a nasty patch myself. It sounds like you're doing all the right coping. I also use CBT, meds, and meditation to combat my anxiety. Just stay positive and remind yourself that yr doc just told you that you were fine.

Hopefully your feeling better.
Posted 1/5/2015 12:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hi L.O.

I am sorry you are going through this! ;(

Have you seen the self-help material from our Resource here, specifically for health anxiety?

Would you like me to post it for you directly here? It is very good, and could enchance the great things you are already doing for your treatment.

Scaredy Cat
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply