Health Anxiety

[SpiritualT]

I am a 34 year old female who suffers with severe Health Anxiety and it completely impacts my life. I have attended the accident and emergency room around 60 times and I am constantly at my doctors convinced I have a life threatening illness.

In the last 2 and 1/2 years these are the investigations i have had:-

CT head scan

MRI scan

MRI Spine

Abdominal ultrasound x3

X 2 endoscopy and colonoscopy

24 hour heart monitor x2

Echocardiogram (heart scan)

Another CT head and MRI head scan

Lumar puncture

Nerve tests

Fit test bowel sample for bleeding

CT scan for kidneys and bladder

Multiple ECG's and multiple blood tests.

I know I suffer with anxiety and I know anxiety produces physical sensations but I attribute them to something medical every single time.

Ive had lots of therapy, medications and have read Dr Claire Weekes, At Last a Life by Paul David and DARE by Barry McDonagh.

Sometimes i can sit with the physical symptoms of anxiety andother times i cannot and think I am dying.

[Meyer_Gdmnx]

Hello I suffer with the exact same challenges trust me I do mine is so bad I am too anxious to take medication. and the only thing I can think to say is you have to try and fully accept that you aren’t always going to succeed with it you aren’t always going to able to sit with the sensations and that’s ok as it’s part of recovery to overcome these challenges accepting perceived failure as an inevitability is so great a taking the power away from anxiety

[Agora1]

SpiritualT, I think you have covered all bases and deserve a little time to live now.

Health anxiety is a powerful part of anxiety but once everything is addressed, we have

to move on with our lives. Having a good report from the doctors means nothing if

you can't enjoy the good life you've been given. xx

[SpiritualT in reply to Agora1]

Its so debilitating i was speaking with my Mum about it and all those tests ive had in the last 2 years she has never had in her entire life.

[Agora1 in reply to SpiritualT]

SpiritualT, I was you many years ago. Literally tied to the hospital, tests and scans

and multiple doctors from every specialty. I wanted to make sure nothing was missed.

The question "Are you sure?" was repeated by me to the doctors multiple times. These

doctors who had years of professional medical knowledge, I dared questioned them.

After wasting years of my life running in circles, it took one of the specialists who turned my life around by telling me, "the only thing left to do to convince me was to do

an exploratory" . That meant to cut me open from stem to stern in checking all the organs. I couldn't get out of there fast enough and from that day on, I worked in going

forward with my life. What good would have been my life by have a gnarly scar that reminded me everyday of my problem being psychological and not physical.

There comes a time Spiritual when we have to draw the line and say "enough is enough". We will be here to take that step forward with you. We will hold your hand,

assure you and support you whenever there is doubt. There is a life out there waiting for you to live. I know you have what it takes to start enjoying it. Don't allow HealthAnxiety to rob you of each precious day for yourself and your family. xx

[SpiritualT in reply to Agora1]

Thanks for that reply. Can you please tell me how you recovered from health anxiety

[hypercat54]

Hi I have to agree with the other 2 replies. Be grateful you have a clean bill of health as some of us aren't so lucky. Now is the time to start taking control of your anxiety and realise it won't kill you - it just feels like it. Don't waste any more of your life living like this please as it's not worth it. x

[SpiritualT in reply to hypercat54]

Honestly i get that i know people are dealing with serious illness right now and i am wasting my life like i have wasted the last 7 years.

[Hidden]

Your not alone SpiritualT

[SpiritualT in reply to Hidden]

I feel like im the im the only one who suffers like this.

[Hidden in reply to SpiritualT]

Believe me your not! 💕

[SpiritualT in reply to Hidden]

Ive never know someone attend all the doctors appointments and hospital like me.

[Icanbeathis2016 in reply to SpiritualT]

Trust if I had the money or the insurance to afford it, i would. And I bet it's the same with many of us. We cant afford to. So we suffer even more not being able to. But we all would probably get those same exact things did. So believe me you are not alone.

[Want2BHappy3]

Are you going to counseling? sounds like you may be a hypochondriac? I've heard of many people with anxiety going to the ER. I've learned from this, that's costly, my co-payment would be $400. If I really feel the need to see a doctor, I go to urgent Care.

[SpiritualT in reply to Want2BHappy3]

No i go to counselling, a hypochondriac is different than hewlth anxiety, a hypochondriac is when you domt have physical sensations but you think you might aqquire then and be seriously ill. I have physical sensations from anxiety and attribute them to something medical.

[Want2BHappy3 in reply to SpiritualT]

Ok, I had a friend who believed she had a disease symptoms, so had some of the same test you had. None where positive, as that seems to the same with you right? You don't mention anything coming from all those test. Some would call that being a hypochondriac? Did the doctor say Your Not?

[SpiritualT in reply to Want2BHappy3]

I have acutal physical symptoms, anxiety produces physical sensations, i fear them and automatically think it's something wromg with me other than a sensitised body which is sensitised due to fear.

No nothing has come from my tests apart from a few white spots on my brain which are a non specific finding.

A hypochondriac is different, and some people might find that term offensive!

[Want2BHappy3 in reply to SpiritualT]

Ok, I hope you get to the bottom of it?

[Contra21 in reply to SpiritualT]

Yes dizzy heart thumps or fast flutters? I am just like ubtoo

[SpiritualT]

Which poster keeps putting it in the lung site?

[hypercat54 in reply to SpiritualT]

Hi sorry I put my response on the wrong post. Just call it a brain fart...

I wasn't thinking of you but a regular poster. I will delete my reply. Sorry x

[hypercat54]

Just found this on google. I think they are basically the same thing but hypochondria is the old term used. Health anxiety is the one used now. x

google.com/search?q=hypocho...

[Icanbeathis2016 in reply to hypercat54]

Very true...and sounds exactly like myself. Pretty much all 12 signs were me

[Icanbeathis2016]

I'm exactly the same. I'm a 37 year old woman. If I had the insurance or the money to, I know I would have requested to have every single one of those tests that you had. And I bet that still wouldn't stop my health anxiety.

We are sisters of the struggle

[SpiritualT in reply to Icanbeathis2016]

I suppose we are lucky here in the UK that we have the NHS.

[Khuneycu]

You're definitely winning the hypochondriac competition, but considering my battles with health anxiety just started about three months ago I think I might catch up to you. I have had two skin biopsies of moles, three urgent care visits, a GI doctor consult, a colonoscopy, an abdominal MRI, an abdominal ultrasound, a thyroid ultrasound and I have an appointment today to follow up on some thyroid nodules that were found on that ultrasound. I'm beyond terrified despite the sonographer telling me they appeared benign and they're common and that I shouldn't worry. This is a vicious cycle that never ends. As soon as I get the all clear on one condition I immediately move on to the next. I'm ruining my life.

[SpiritualT in reply to Khuneycu]

Yes I am and this has been my life for the past 7 years, so yourself a favour and learn as much as you can about acceptance as you can and practice it. Three months isn’t too long do it now before you get entrenched in this cycle. Because this has changed and ruined my life living like this

[Khuneycu in reply to SpiritualT]

How do I break out of this before it becomes a way of life for me? I can't fathom dealing with this for 7 years and my heart goes out to you. I want this to end before it gets completely out of my control but I already feel as if it's taken over my life. What do I do?

[SpiritualT in reply to Khuneycu]

Read hope and help for your nerves by Dr Claire Weekes and have a look around this website for people who have practiced and recovered from using acceptance.

[Contra21]

Omg this is me. Omg. Im not alone. Do you experience heart thuds flutters etc when resting snd not anxious?

[Minnie87 in reply to Contra21]

I do!everyday!

[Contra21 in reply to Minnie87]

How and why. Will they ever go away is it all anxiety? How when no anxiety is present

[Minnie87 in reply to Contra21]

I feel constantly anxious all day everyday.my anxiety always manifests physically and the sensations are overwhelming.

A very dear friend on this site called agora1 told me about breathing exercises and meditation and it’s helped me very much.i caught myself holding my breath so many times. Have you been to the doctor and told them how you are feeling?they can be very understanding.

[Contra21 in reply to Minnie87]

I have in 7 years into this. I just want thr heart.flutters to stop. I just want to be symptom free

[Minnie87 in reply to Contra21]

Same!

[Hidden]

I was once told that stress can affect every organ in your body. I was given a few tablets of Valium if I felt I was feeling anxious. I never took them. Her words which helped were people who affect you emotionally, so you have somatic symptoms as well as mental symptoms should be avoided. It did help to avoid these people who were trying to cause havoc in our lives. Are you living on your own ? Do you find your symptoms occur after eating some foods , which could affect your nerves, stomach, heart, and colon? Migraine like symptoms which affect the body might be triggered by coffee, caffeine, chocolate and cheese, which can stimulate a histamine response so you rush to the loo or you have a pain in your gut. Something like yoga might help relax you improving the circulation along the spine. Relaxation therapy may help control tightness of muscles. More knowledge is being discovered about the ventral nerve in relation to tension and anxiety.

Information on foods can give show how some foods can give you the feel good factor.

If you have relationship problems and if you are sensitive to news report and medical information it is better to stay away from news on tv with video footage which could upset you. I always avoid medical programmes in drama series as they can precipitate anxiety attacks. It is the sound effects and the sound of the ambulance and the crash team on the job which I find a switch off! Do you have any food sensitivities ? Do you have a hormonal flare when your neck turns bright red when you are anxious? Have you had your hormone levels tested to see if you are going through an early menopause? Having had all these sensations I know the hormone system is complex involving not only the thyroid but other endocrine symptoms. What blood tests have you had? Did these include vitamin and vitamin deficiencies, Have you had your iron and ferritin levels tested. Have you had bereavements or distress through a broken relationship which may be affecting you? All that stress and memory association of pain from the present and the past can make you feel awful. It helps to spill some of the beans.

[Contra21]

I just want them to stop I can live freely with them

[dbeck128]

Currently suffering from this. Especially when I'm at work. It makes me want to leave work and go to the er. Have tried to tell myself its not that serious but for example a scab broke and bled for 10 mins.there I was bleeding out. I was so worked up. Everytime I get tired I freak out and think I'm dying. It's a vicious cycle.

[Contra21 in reply to dbeck128]

How many thumps so you feel a day

[dbeck128 in reply to Contra21]

Thumps?

My anxiety is with a lymphnode in my neck. Have had 4 complete blood counts done. An ultrasound, and a CT scan done. They can find nothing. Am convinced its cancer and I will be laying on my death bed soon.

It really is a vicious cycle. I'm trying to retrain my thoughts. It's the hardest thing I've ever tried to do

[thyroidmom84]

This sounds a lot like me! I am even the same age. I haven’t had quite as many tests as you have (and a lumbar puncture-wow) but over the past year after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s, my health anxiety has gone through the roof. I have gone to urgent care centers more times than I can count just to get a CBC with same-day results, a CT scan, an MRI, a pelvic ultrasound, a transvaginal ultrasound, multiple neck sonograms, a blood smear, hmmmm I think that’s everything. I see your post is from 4 months ago- how have you been? Any improvement?