I just need to share with someone about my current experience. I've struggled with health anxiety since I had a first panic attack at 17 years old. Since then, a variety of sensations and symptoms have caused me to believe I'm having heart attacks, various forms of cancer, diseases like ALS and MS, losing ability to breathe, etc.
Only in the last week have I come to terms with the reality that it's all part of health anxiety. It's been a difficult reality to accept because the symptoms are just too real. I'm starting to take comfort in that I'm learning that I'm not alone, and you are not alone either.
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StringSlide
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Thank you for responding. I recently quit my job because I couldn't tolerate the anxiety anymore. Then almost immediately after my health insurance coverage lapsed, I woke up with a severe neck strain that over the course of a week spread to my shoulder and left arm. I also started experiencing carpal tunnel in my left hand. Then a strained muscle in my left leg. All within the course of a couple weeks, and with no insurance to get it checked out. This then of course leads me to believe that I have ALS and that my body will quickly deteriorate into a fatal condition. Now, I just can't believe my luck would be so bad, so it must be that my anxiety did not tolerate that with the work anxiety gone I could just focus on being stress free. My body needed to find something to stress about, so it developed these symptoms. I still have them, but I accept them as normal strains that will soon go away. I still get intrusive thoughts, but I'm hoping that communities like these will help me stay strong.
Hi String, I see Dolphin is here welcoming you already 😀. Welcome. Did you get to this realization and acceptance through therapy? I find it amazing the body's response to these emotions of anxiety, worry, and terror that we feel. I have had so much nausea and bowel dysfunction...
No formal therapy. You know how people with health anxiety will google symptoms and believe they have whatever worst disease appears as possible causes? Well, that happened, but with health anxiety. I watched YouTube videos and read about health anxiety and it matched exactly what my life experience has been. And it makes the most sense because it's the only one that seems true in hindsight. It's never been a heart attack or a rare fatal disease, so it must have always been health anxiety.
I am glad that you came to this conclusion... maybe the rabbit hole helped in this situation. I guess with health insurance lapsing getting into a therapist might be difficult. I think when you are able it would be great to see one and it shouldn't be too hard to find one that has experience with health anxiety. In the meantime I love the "Feeling Great" book by David Burns.
Hi there first time ive came across yourself ! Health anxiety is a very real problem either real or false it is real to you but with getting help with your symtoms should help you get better ! I get health anxiety, i recently had a accident recently which gave me a brain haeomorrage so im still in early days of recovery ! Just take each day and look after your self good luck !
I haven't had true panic attacks, but I'm with you on everything else. I can't even number the horrible diseases I convinced myself I had. Meds seem to help, but it seems I'm always worried about something.
You are absolutely not alone!! Biggest hug. Health anxiety is a demon. Acceptance is the key and it is not simple. A lot of practice to utilize tools to keep you calm and collected especially through the physical anxiety storms. Not sure if you meditate but if not try and check it out. You can follow guided ones on YouTube. Let me know if you want any links. Also check out the late Dr Weekes books Hope and help for your nerves. You can read it or listen on audible or even in YouTube you can listen to it. Really helps you with the acceptance and how to put it into practice. Lifting you in prayer. 🙏🏻
I share your concerns. I am a retired health professional with over 40 yrs experience in acute care settings. I have always suffered from health anxiety since young. When I retired it got worse. Thought I had MS, Cancer, Heart attack etc....Then I ended up with a condition called Atrial Fibrilation ( a rhythm disorder ). AF does not like stress, and to be honest I just have to live with it ( I am on medication etc )..I have learned there are ways to cope, and the best thing I ever had was a few sessions of CBT ( Cognitive Behavioural Therapy )...See your Dr for a referal if you can. it worked well for me....Best wishes
You are definitely not alone. I used to have very bad health anxiety and imagined every small sensation in my body was some kind of health problem. I'm not sure how I got over it, other than telling myself over and over again that I didn't want to live the rest of my life this way. Therapy helped, and so did medication (for a time). I still experience some health anxiety about Covid. I hope you can work your way through this.
Hi Twinkly, I think I could definitely use some improvements in my healthy lifestyle choices as well. I often plan on started regular exercise routines to build as a habit, but I inevitably get some kind of pain or discomfort just before that causes me to postpone it. It may be time to power through that so I can build healthier habits.
There is a huge sense of relief when you realize the cause of something. I'm so glad you figured it out. And as others say, none of us are alone! Are you working with a doctor or therapist to help manage your symptoms?
Not currently. I will have health insurance again at the start of next year so I will definitely start seeing a therapist then.
Welcome to the community. It sounds like you are suffering from hypochondria, which is an anxiety that you have various illnesses, which, in fact, you do not have. Everybody experiences this to some degree, but some people have it more than others.
One thing that is important to remember is that it is not the content , but it is the process. That is, if you constantly find yourself worrying about different medical issues, it’s not the issues themselves that are really the problem, it’s the process of constantly finding things to worry about.
This is one form of an obsessive compulsive disorder or obsessive personality disorder. I agree with. LoveforAll41 that Feeling Great is an excellent book on cognitive behavioral therapy and if you read it and actually do the exercises, it can help you quite a bit to deal with your problem.
I would also add that if you seem to have a serious medical problem, above and beyond the usual concerns, consult with a physician.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
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