Think about this carefully: no matter how hard you try, you can't cure yourself of an illness you don't have. And you are in good health, dozens of doctors and tests have no doubt confirmed it.
If you're still not convinced and you believe in the old cliché "they must have missed something" then I remind you that all those doctors and specialists who have seen you went to medical school for 5 years. Following that they spend 5 days a week dealing with sick people so they've added experience to learning. Now I ask YOU: how many years have you been to medical school?
Health anxiety is a symptom of anxiety disorder. To free yourself from the health anxiety you have to resolve the anxiety disorder. When eventually you crack the anxiety disorder the health anxiety (and all other symptoms) will resolve.
For reasons known only to you, too much stress has caused your nervous system to become over sensitised. This may be due to over work, worry, toxic relationships, grief, guilt, disappointment, you name it. Happy people don't get anxiety disorder.
When your nerves become over sensitised your mind starts to exaggerate everything by a factor of ten. The worst cast scenario becomes the default option. A headache must be a tumour. A tummy upset must be cancer. Muscular tension in the chest must be a heart attack on the way.
Small concerns we all have, like not wanting to die prematurely, become exaggerated into a fear of impending doom. A new boss means we're bound to lose our job. A journey by air means the plane is bound to crash. You see what I mean by always the worst case scenario.
If you want to recover you need to do two things. You have to resolve the stress that has made your nerves throw a wobbly. This may involve a major change in your life. You may have to be ruthless in removing the cause of your nervous sensitivity but do it you must.
Second, you must redirect your attention away from the symptoms and towards the cause: anxiety disorder. As explained once you overcome that you overcome all. To do that you have to desensitise your nervous system.
Anxiety disorder thrives on fear. The hormones of fear such as adrenalin and cortisol are the culprits. Something happens to cause you a flash of first fear. You must stop following it with second fear.
You've been fighting your problem on a daily basis. But fighting will not bring you success: fighting brings stress and tension which are the last thing that sensitised nervous systems need.
Fear causes symptoms which cause more fear causing more symptoms causing more fear. You're locked in a vicious and never ending circle.
The way to deal with your health anxiety is to simply accept all the symptoms your jangled nerves throw at you. Accept them completely and without reservation for the time being. You know in your heart they are false so what's the worry?
If you can frame your mind to accept and co-exist with your symptoms for the time being you stop flooding your nerves with fear hormones. Do that long enough and your nervous system loses its over sensitivity and returns to normal. No more worries about fictional health issues.
That's the story. That's what you have to do to recover your quiet mind. I wish you an early recovery from your health anxiety.
Written by
Jeff1943
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Hi Jeff,thanks for that rendition of Anxiety/stress ,I know as well as yourself that anxiety will always remain ,as long as you have conditioned your mind to it,sometimes its like breaking the worrying wheel,only its like a game that formulates in the mind and you can never really stave it off until we Accept all the crazy feelings associated with extreme anxiety ....what Im puzzled about is the blasted thing (feelings)only appear when Im comparatively,free from worry anxiety------In my case ,I feel its like my inners begin to tremble inside,and theres no stopping it--Im ignoring it as best I can and I know our friend Claire Weeks would say ---Accept----and IM justrying to get on with things though the feelings will return tenfold ------or maybe today I will get off Scot free----------just out of curiosity and a measure of complete madness ---wonder how others feel-As I can predict yours Jeff---but its indeed more than a nuisance --there is a whole lot of backlog of feelings that I doubt a therapist could help-😇😍😀
Health anxiety is indeed a nuisance but we must agree to co-exist with it for the time being. The symptoms remain even though you're feeling fine because your nervous system is still over sensitived. But don't ignore it, ignoring is not the same as accepting.
Its settled down thank goodness,my heath is fine for my age bracket,however IM always minful of changes in my body ect...hope you are well !still cant find the biography or T he person that wrote How to crack the anxiety code-someone Hoare ,think thats right.
Goldie, the book "The woman who cracked the anxiety code - the extraordinary life of Doctor Claire Weekes" was written by Judith Hoare, published 2019 by Scribe, should be easy to find on Amazon or even second hand on ebay.
Most people who buy on ebay pay through Paypal, it's almost compulsory on ebay, so you'd need a Paypal account. They are a third party money handler so you're not dealing with unknown traders financially.Amazon you need a credit card registered with them to pay for purchases.
If you don't fancy joining either of those and you're in the u.k. the online booksellers Waterstones will probably sell one off books using a credit card.
I already checked out Waterstones--and the card business is too risky my laptop is jumpy ,must be the wi-fi thankyou all the same-bookshops should honour this remarkable woman-Judith Hoare ,havent heard of her--thats my dream to own all DrClaire Books----
If you can find a high street book shop they should order you a copy and you can pay them direct cash or card.
That is a very interesting post. You have to deal with the root cause of the anxiety disorder. I do think though some doctors/psychiatrists/medical professionals get thing wrong though. I was put on an antidepressant by a psychiatrist that I found quite horrible in her manner. I took it, but I think it changed my personality. Everyone that I was close to noticed a big change in the way I was as soon as I started taking them. I went to my doctors all the time to say they were not right for me, they kept insisting it was my anxiety. One doctor last year believed me, changed my medication and after a couple of weeks it was like I was back to being me again. Everyone noticed the difference. That psychiatrist got sacked because she was misdiagnosing other patients and giving out slimming tablets to patients with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating. So it’s always good to get a few medical professionals opinions I think. Thank you for posting this 😀🧡
Yes you have to know why the anxiety is there i personally used to live in a country where I saw lots people die or misdiagnosed so most times I worried if I missed a sympton took me years to stop the anxiety then I had a heart attack even though I went to several dr who dismiss symptons as muscular pain took me three years to stop stressing then my husband of 36 yrs never went to hosp or got ill so on Monday I saw for three days he wasn't getting better from a fever and his nails turn blue after insist he went hosp he was abroad ididnt get to here from him again he died on Xmas day from covid wh I'm trying to say is I'm so hurt broken hearted some of us worry to go or not and if miss a sympton I keep going over over in my head wh if my husband went early could he have been saved I shall never know but do know I'm hurt. Its very difficult for some to accept a gp to say nothing is wrong if we feel ill
Doctors do get things wrong sometimes, they're human, but if you have misgivings always go for a second opinion. But if that diagnosis is the same accept it or we just go on looking for one doctor after another.
Do not engage in endless "ifs" as it cannot help you. That part of him that cannot be destroyed has passed on, all that is left behind should be treated with respect but it is no longer a part of him. I would say do not risk the covid more if you are thinking of travelling.
You are right if two dr come with diagnosis it's best to carry on living your live happily don't worry about anything till u have it enjoy even the smallest things in life and due to covid risk I am unsure if the vaccine was available to me if to have because I have always been afraid to tk meds but if needs be to help me travel I would as the covid is a deadly killer silent and many ways
Butticups, medication can be a big help if you're desperate but it comes at a price. Like side effects and gradual loss of effectiveness.
The acceptance method brings respite and recovery through understanding and an end to bewilderment. But the cure doesn't come overnight and you have to practice it with persistence.
Interesting post. Seems easier said than done. I’ve suffered with health anxiety for over 30 years and have never been able to shake it. Have taken antidepressants and anti anxiety drugs over the years than may have tempered it for a bit but it’s still with me. I’m now 5 weeks off of all prescription meds for depression and anxiety and have been suffering the after effects ever since. This is causing me more health anxiety as I have on going nausea and more anxiety! How on earth do I just accept it? How have you been able to do it?
You are right, the Acceptance method is easier said than done. Claire Weekes never claimed her method was easy. She did claim that her method could cure anybody no matter how long or how deeply a person has suffered.
How do you just accept the symptoms, you ask? The question should read: "How do you accept the symptoms for the moment?" Nobody is asking you to just accept the symptoms, that would be pointless. You accept the symptoms by ceasing to fight them. You've probably been fighting your symptoms for years. Has fighting done you any good?
Of course not: fighting only causes more tension and stress. Your over sensitised nervous system needs less tension and stress to recover - not a constant supply of it!
So you accept it by doing nothing. Stop fighting. Agree to co-exist with it for the time being. It takes practice and persistence - but the prize is great: according to Doctor David Barlow, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Psychiatry at Boston University, Claire Weekes' teachings have helped tens of millions to overcome their health anxiety.
Weekes should be allowed to speak for herself, to explain her method for herself. So I commend her first book to you. In the u.k. it is titled "Self help for your nerves" whilst in the u.s. the same book has the title "Hope and help for your nerves". First published in 1962 it is still in print and can be bought on Amazon or Ebay new or used for a few pounds/dollars.
Claire Weekes' method can be summed up in six words: Face. Accept. Float. Let time pass.
The enduring success of her method over nearly 60 years may well be because she too suffered from anxiety disorder. She developed a means of recovery to help herself and then spent the rest of her life advocating it to others.
Jeff, was it this method that “cured” you of your anxiety? I’m willing to give it a try. I’ll check out her book on Amazon. I have so many books on anxiety and have never heard of this one. Strange!
Tweenie, yes indeed that is the book that I first read in 1974 and has made such a difference to my life. Weekes understood that many peoples' anxiety is inheritance so will return from time to time. But she believed that if you successfully deal with it once using her method then you know how to deal with it should it return, this she also considered a cure.
Check out the reader reviews for this book on Amazon. I once added up all the reviews for all of Claire Weekes' books on both the u.s. and u.k. versions of Amazon. There had been 1,600 reader reviews and 90% rated her books either very good or excellent.
I ordered from Amazon so the book with arrive in a couple of days. I’m really, really hoping that I’ll have success with it. Thank you for all of the info you provided. 🙏
The only answer can be is to ask an expert. Someone who went to medical school for 5 years and has numerous years of experience dealing with ill people. If you're not satisfied ask for a second opinion, maybe a third opinion if you really must. And remember you're asking the question on a forum for people with anxiety, so you've maybe answered the question yourself.
Thank you sir now if only I could rid myself of my forever bp fear I’m on meds but Just putting that darn cuff on at home jumps bp very high not allowing me a real number but I’m trying not to add second fear.
Yes, white coat syndrome can be felt when making bp recordings at home, I've noticed that too. To get an accurate reading sit down for 5 minutes and take one reading and write it down. Relax your arm with the cuff still on, wait 2 minutes and then take another reading. Wait another 2 minutes and take another reading. Then add up all the systolic numbers and all the diastolic numbers and divide them by three so you have the averages. That's as accurate a number as you will ever get. Some bp machines allow you to take three consecutive readings and then does the maths for you (like the Omron 10).
Remember, high blood pressure doesn't mean you are definitely going to have a heart attack. It only means you're more likely. So if high bp means you're 3 times more likely to have a heart attack it means your odds are 1 in 33 not 1 in 100. So the odds are still heavily in your favour! "3 times more likely" is not a death sentence.
Jeff, I love your posts. I feel like I was on my way to making real improvements in my HA, but.. my daughter was recently diagnosed with Epilepsy. I have gone down the rabbit hole of "she will never have a normal life, and it is my fault" so much fear. My symptoms have reared their ugly head. The symptoMs I have had before are not as scary. I am trying to accept them. However, I have new symptoms like stomach and back pain, and sweating. Of course "I have cancer" , which was not one of my previous go tos. So, trying to decide if I see the doctor, or chalk up to anxiety and try to get through it. Also, your post mentioned cutting out the stress. In this case, I cannot, as the stress is my daughter's condition. Any thoughts would be great.
So sorry to hear about your daughter. No, not your fault since you did nothing to cause it. You aren't responsible for your genes. Those symptoms are most likely anxiety but do talk them through with your doctor.
It's a different kind of 'acceptance' but you have to accept your daughter's condition, not keep trying to wish it away. I understand many people with epilepsy manage to lead a near normal life with or without medication. Be glad your daughter is living in the 21st century when she has the support of modern medical science.
Gradually you will come to accept this, there is no alternative. As the old sayi g says: "We all have our cross to bear, who is without one?"
Great post. I totally agree. Its our ego mind that runs us. It needs to identify things and situations, put labels on everything and it likes drama. Its very judgmental. It steers us in wrong directions. It give us false beliefs. It trick us.
For me meditation helps calm and settles my mind down so I can step aside from my ego and observe it, what i'm thinking, feeling and I always question myself why am I feeling these symptoms. Never put judgements on it or identify it. I let go as it is what it is and move on. I don't put fear, hate, frustration to it because that's what the ego wants. Replace it with calmness, Love, happiness, peace. Sounds weird but works with contant practice. I say we are our own cure. We have to look within us to know our true self. Only then we can live in truth. Again thank you for your post.
Marc787, thank you so much for your view of anxiety which I was greatly moved by. I shall reread it a number of times so I can reflect fully on what you say and add it to my own understanding of anxiety.
Claire Weeks is great. I love her books and video tremendous help and understanding. Right now I'm reading g about Eckhart Tolle and his books and videos.
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Struggling with health anxiety
Struggling with Health Anxiety
