Anyone else have health anxiety?

[Dananxiety]

During my recent hospital stay, I had 2 CT scans of the head and a nuclear stress test with thallium. Now I am concerned about radiation exposure and cancer. In the last couple years I have also had 2 pelvic CTs and a back CT. Add in numerous chest x-rays and dental x-rays.

Doctors these days are way too eager to order radiation emitting tests. Now I am really concerned about cancer, knowing I am going to get it. This isn't unusual for me. Last week I was anxious about sepsis. I had just read an article about a guy who lost both arms and legs that started as a shoulder infection.

Does anyone else get health anxiety this bad, and what do you do for it? I am waiting for my doctor's office to prescribe me anxiety medication based on a genetic test I took last Friday.

[morenews]

Hi, Dananxiety

I do have health anxiety, so far i can deal with that. If it is something very general and can not be reduced by my visit to a doctor, I am trying to talk to myself and calm myself down and distract myself from those thoughts. If it is something very specific, like "i feel lump in my so-and-so" , i would go to the doctor to find out what it is ...and mostly it was not any cancer ...and it would clear my anxiety. If i have to wait for some test result, this is very difficult and i am dealing with anxiety on daily basis till i get a test result. But i still talk to myself and tell myself: not today yet, test result is not ready yet, so today you can relax.

I also try not to read too much of internet about medical issues.

But there was time many years ago, when my anxiety was very bad because of not medical reason, but because of my general anxiety i was finding every day something wrong with me medically...and got panicky and could not handle it at all. At that time i got medication and therapy, i could not manage those symptoms myself. So it seems a good idea may be for now to get an anxiety medication as you said yourself.

Health anxiety is an issue but the good news: you can work with this, you can make it better, you can learn how not to drive yourself to panic attack with those thoughts. Because by doing that ...we also effect our physical health, the stress is too much and our body gets sick. I was having all kind of symptoms (real ones not imaginable) when i had health anxiety very high. I know, my friend, how tough it is, please hand in there, my support and love to you!

[Hidden]

Hi I'm 43and had many scans over the years its never done me any harm as of yet.

[Tjgg]

Hi, you are not alone. I'm dealing with ot right now. I know how you feel and fears. I am always aware of what's "new" in my body. And just like you I always think the worst. I am going to a psychologist who specializes in anxiety and OCD, she gave me some" homework" and everytime I feel that way I just say to myself IM FINE I DONT HAVE ANYTHING AND I WILL BE OK. I try to do something that I like and stop thinking about my fear or syntoms. Its uncomfortable but I'm trying. Right now my hip is hurting and that is driving me crazy because I think I might have something goin on. I'm staying away from google because it contains a bunch of lies and that's not good for anxiety. Think you got all this test done, and they came out good. Now days there is no much radiation on x Ray's, so you are safe.

Hope this helps

[TangledUpIn]

Did you take the Genesight dna test?