Bowel cancer fear bc of blood in stool - 20 years old

Hi, new here. I'm a 20 year old female who has been dealing with serious health anxiety for the last 8 months. I worry about everything in life. Whenever I get over one of my fears, my anxiety latches onto something else. All I do is google everything. It started with a fear of having various mental illnesses, various STD's (mainly HIV), brain tumors, ovarian cancer, and now the worst one bowel cancer bc I have a concerning symptom - blood in the stool. No one can take me seriously anymore. My parents were laughing at me when I said I wanted a colonoscopy and they were like "we're in our 50's and still haven't had one!!" I've had constipation issues my entire life so there's no change in bowel movements. Regular brown stool color with a small streak of blood. I used to strain just about every time I went to the bathroom and had blood when I wiped (bright red dots). It used to hurt down there a lot too. Then I started fiber one bars and it stopped. Well, I stopped eating those. I also don't drink water that often. I only go the the bathroom once a week. My anxiety is very severe over worrying about cancer. I strained last week bc I forced a bowel movement just so I could see if there would be blood and there was and it's been continuing when I thought it would stop. I thought hemorrhoids/anal fissures went away quick. Can't concentrate and can barely eat or sleep bc of this fear. Normally my appetite is great it's just the severe anxiety that makes me not want to eat. There's no family history of any cancer in my family, but I still worry bc it doesn't matter. My doctor suggested a sigmoidoscopy for peace of mind. I don't think it'll be good and can't stop worrying! Has anyone had blood in stool and it ended up being something other than cancer? I feel like it's not iBD because I don't have diarrhea or much abdominal pain at all

I suffer from this also . the solution is high fiber intake. if I don't take it -I strain like you and go days with no bm . scat is right as usual. eat less red meat helps a huge amount too. chance of cancer at your are are slim to none

I keep thinking I have cancer bc anal fissures/hemmoroids are supposed to hurt but I have 0 pain. If I didn’t have blood I would drop this fear but I can’t stop worrying. Haven’t had a bowel movement in days as usual. I just never feel like I have to go. Keep fearing death but trying to remind myself I could die in a car crash or something random at any time and I can’t control everything. I’m setting up an appt with a psychiatrist for some medication for the first time. I have done traditional talk therapy which has kind of helped and she said the anxiety is out of control (other health fears at the time). CBT I might not be able to get into until end of January. This is by far the most debilatiing fear. Read so many stories of young people who had just blood in stools and had like Stage 3 or 4. That’s what scares me - Stage 3/4. Stage 1 not so much although a cancer diagnosis at any stage is scary. 90% of my thoughts are about colon cancer everyday. My family thinks I’m being ridiculous and that it’s embarrassing bc I look miserable/uptight and everyone notices. Again if I didn’t have blood I wouldn’t just forget about this but more than one bowel movement with it signals a problem

Drink more water.
Eat more fiber.
Get a stool softener.

Take two aspirins and call us in the morning

Make an appointment with a doctor so you can find out if there is anything wrong physically (and, if there is, you can get it treated). There is no reason you need to agonize over this, when you can see a doctor and get the answers you are seeking. Once the doctor tells you there is nothing physically wrong with you, then you can address the anxiety. Good luck.

I’ve been eating lots of fiber and my anxiety is getting a bit better. I had a small bowel movement yesterday (hard) and there was no blood. Ugh. Is it possible that hemmorhoids can cause blood on a few bowel movements in a row and then stop? I also eat tons of raspberries and strawberries but I doubt that’s what it was.