Health anxiety

[Kimbad1990]

Hi,

I have severe health anxiety and it’s taking over so much recently.

I no longer just worry about catastrophic things like cancer.

I can’t deal with minor ailments or Illness: headache, tooth ache, feeling sick, a cold….

Everything takes over and it’s all I can think about and I worry constantly about needing to go to a&e. I’m not sure where this fear has come from but I can go from feeling a pulling/ shooting, 3 second pain, in my stomach to picturing myself in an ambulance or sitting in a&e doubled over in pain.

I constantly worry at night that im going to be too ill for work the next day and I’ve already had a lot of time off.

I have read the DARE book and I listen to the app daily, I have been through almost 18 months of ACT therapy, I meditate and go to a meditation group, I walk in nature, I get sunlight, I journal, I swim. What am I doing wrong? What could I be doing? I can’t live with this constant fear?

it would be lovely to connect with someone who’s been where I am now and out the other side or just someone who “gets it”.

[designguy]

It could be that you have OCD which is common with people who have health anxiety and the OCD can exacerbate the ruminating and catastrophic thinking. You might check out the youtube and website of Paige Pradko, she is a therapist that had health anxiety/OCD and healed herself and now helps others. Another is Mathew Codde of Restored Minds who also had OCD/health anxiety and is also a therapist that healed himself and now helps others. They both offer really good, clear advice and have helped me. You might also find medication helpful if you aren't currently on anything. One of the things that has helped me is learning to never believe my anxious thoughts no matter how scary or weird they are and when I find myself having them anymore I just laugh and make fun of them. I practice simple mindfulness which for me is just observing my thoughts and letting them flow in and out and then bringing myself back to my breath and reinforcing my being present. Health anxiety can be a form of trying to be in control and becoming hyper-vigilant about it but the reality is that we have no real control over anything but our next breath, learning to accept and surrender to that is freeing. Along with that is facing our own mortality, we're all going to die at some time so learning to face it and get as comfortable with it as we can. I purposely started forcing myself to read obituaries and articles about people dying inorder to take some of the fear out of it.

[Weatherwoman in reply to designguy]

Reading your advice & going to look on sites you mentioned. I had & have Health Anx. since I was a child. Got Diag. with OCD fifty years later. Have had some therapy re. the Health Anx., but though it's not as bad as it used to be, it's still there! Actually, have some health issues, & don't seem to worry as much about them as I do the "fantom" health worries --Interesting! I do believe that A lot of people worry about their health, tho. not to the Extent that we that have Health Anxiety do! I do know where my health anx. started as my Grandmother had the same, and I grew up in a house where my Mom & Grandmother constantly talked about health & I picked it all up like a "sponge," so began my health anx. As a child, it was Extreme & I would get Stuck on various illnesses going around, on Horrible thots. re. health. Didn't tell anyone about my anxiety, and in those days Nobody talked about anything re. "mental illness!" Proper therapy & medication has helped, but worry about side-effects of meds. (not as much as I used to)! Thanks, again, for your post which is helpful!

[designguy in reply to Weatherwoman]

You're welcome, hope they are helpful. I too grew up with my father being obsessed with his health and it impacting me. After years of therapy and even meds I realized that I had to be the rational adult to myself that I didn't have growing up and reframe my anxious thoughts into more realistic ones that were grounded in the present moment and it's safety.

[Weatherwoman in reply to designguy]

Oh, yes --Like your comments. "Be the rational adult to myself," thanks, didn't think of that as I suppose that Scared little child inside me is still that Scared little child that needs the "Rational," adult that I didn't have, at least, when it came to health matters! Just finished the book, The Body Keeps the Score (excellent book), and do realize that our past "traumas," can & does get Stuck. My therapist wants to do some "body work," as in Yoga, breathing, EMDR, etc. & I am going to start that in July. Talk therapy is useful, but somatic therapy needs to be included, as well. "It takes a Village," LOL

[designguy in reply to Weatherwoman]

Good for you in continuing to pursue new ways to grow and heal, I think it is key to recovering and healing. I also found Somatic Therapy to be very helpful as well as EMDR. The Somatic Therapy helped me learn to feel into my body and no longer be afraid of processing my repressed anger and rage which was at the root of my anxiety. My EMDR Therapy also helped with that and in healing the shame I had from growing up in an emotionally abusive and repressive household. I found the same thing that talk therapy was valuable initially but that I needed to address the deep emotional and physical aspects in order to really heal and yes i'm glad I had my "village" - LOL!

[Weatherwoman in reply to designguy]

Thanks for your reply -- it makes me feel more positive re. trying a "different" therapy. So glad that you got to the root of your anxiety, & are healing. There was "Stuff" going on in my family, but I can't see it as "Traumatic!" Mainly, my Mother & Grandmother were Very nervous people & I believe passed this down to me. I, being the first born, was a colicky baby & my Mother was Terrified of me (she told me this years later), and plus I was allergic to Cow's Milk (of course in those days who knew), and I was bottled fed Cow's Milk. So, I would Scream & Cry & my Mom was told by her ignorant doctor Not to pick me up as that would spoil the baby!!! This was a LONG time ago! Nevertheless, this certainly could have set off my nervous system array, plus other things (NO abuse physically, or emotionally) as far as I remember! My Grandmother went through Horrible trauma being persecuted for her religion (Jewish) in Russia, and will, of course, this affected her greatly (terrible details)& passed that down the generations. Anyway, I do think that EMDR, and other somatic Therapies (which seem to be "in" these days) would definitely be helpful.

[designguy in reply to Weatherwoman]

Yes, it sounds like you may be dealing with generational trauma which doing the emdr and somatic therapy can help with in releasing it from your body and mind. My father was obsessive about his health and us kids health and I think he had undiagnosed health anxiety and probably trauma from his mother dying when he was young and also serving in WW2, I know it also had an affect on me.

[Weatherwoman in reply to designguy]

Agree with what you wrote. Your situation sounds similar to mine with one of the parent's (grandparents) being obsessive about their & their families health. Grief trauma, and your Father's WW2 are traumatic events. We do inherit All our ancestors past & then when we come into this world, and parents, etc. are dealing with their Mental Health issues (most likely undiag.), it does have an effect on the off-spring. My Brother was the second child, and he didn't suffer from the health issues that I had as an infant so his system is more regulated. Though, he is a Stressful person, but was never diag. with a mental health issues. He wasn't such a sensitive child as I --I took Everything IN, and bad stuff got stuck in my head. Well, I must say we are doing the best we can, and just keep on keeping on!

[Axolotl1 in reply to Weatherwoman]

Hi Weatherwoman.

Do you (and others) think being Jewish or someone who has gone through ‘war trauma’ can pass it down? (I’m currently “rubber stamping” my heritage by converting due to being on the ‘wrong side’). My Jewish grandfather served in the medical corp during the War which I’m sure is where both my mother and myself have always had a love and knowledge of medicine from. This theory sounds fascinating and believable to some extent; but why some and not others? If it was the case of ‘inheriting trauma’ then surely every descendent of someone who has suffered would then go onto the same? I wonder why some but not others? I am very much into psychology and counselling as most of my uni modules were of this topic; but this is something that wasn’t included.

[Weatherwoman in reply to Axolotl1]

Yes, I do believe that trauma of our ancestors can be passed down to future generations. It makes sense as look at all the other traits (physical, mental, emotional) that are passed down --it's in our genes. Well, you ask (and a good question) why some & not others --why do some people get SO affected, and others not! I am paraphrasing here, but the general gist of your question. In my opinion, and I will speak for myself & probably many others, the people that get So affected are "made of finer clay," meaning that their nervous system, their temperment, their being highly sensitive (through various reasons ) are more prone --plus, with me the generational trauma, plus the fact that I was born lacking an enzyme that could not break down milk sugar & was fed Cows Milk which caused severe colic. Then, being born during the war (WWII --Yeah, I'm That Old), anyway, there was a lack of medical staff --I was left to Cry without being picked up, then my Mother being a highly nervous person, & then my Mom being scared of me & on & on -- A background of religious persecution, a background of WAR, a background of other trauma can & does affect our nervous system. However, there are people who are Very affected, and other's not as you mentioned. It most likely takes a number of events, happenings, nature & nurture to set off a deregulation. Also, I did not benefit from any proper help as I was born & raised & spent years when if one had Anxiety, and or Depression there was such a Pervasive Stigma that one kept All that Pain & suffering to one self. So, many Factors involved.

[Peacely]

Sounds to me like you have not addressed or challenged your un health thinking patterns, respectfully. I can elaborate if you have further questions. I can relate as well.

[Anxiousmomof3]

hey! I'm sorry sorry your going through this. Just know your not alone. When reading your post it was as if I was reading something I wrote. The struggle is real and I have no one. If you are so lucky to have someone, reach out. For me I get told to stop crying about it. But its real and I feel so alone but if you ever need someone Im here.