Can't stop googling symptoms!

[jules24]

Hi everyone i can't seem to stop googling my symptoms. Every time I do i get more scared and think there's something seriously wrong with me to the point where I freak out and give myself a panic attack, at this moment I keep thinking I have meningitis the other day I thought I had a brain tumor it's really bad and these symptoms of dizziness and an unbalanced feeling are making it worse...any suggestions?

[Hidden]

You gotta stop looking them up. I used to spend EIGHT hours a day researching. What helped was when I inserted: "can anxiety cause (something)?" And once you find an article that says, yes, DO NOT CONTINUE. that is your validity right there. Then you notice that you won't do it as much. I haven't googled a symptom in awhile and if I do, it's for reassurance. And then I'm okay.

But stop googling for every health thing.

[jules24 in reply to Hidden]

Thank u so much for your help. It's gotten worse over these months I've learned about so many diseases and illnesses and symptoms it's ridiculous. I'm gonna try my best to stop

[Hidden in reply to jules24]

I know, you turn into a walking encyclopedia. I've helped some friends because I know so much about it.

The first day to stop is the hardest. Decide that you will spend only fifteen minutes and then NO MORE. and then the next day, look up nothing. You will FEEL better.

[stargazey]

I thought I had written that! I was doing this a month ago and constantly taking bp and worrying about the news, etc. I am a walking medical dictionary as well. So I put the charger for my Tablet and laptop in a bag, together with bp machine and took it to my sister who lives ten miles away. First couple of days was hard then began to feel a sense of freedom. No Facebook or health groups, told people who might have worried that I was offline. Got it back yesterday for the weekend but it's going again on Tuesday cos I'm not cured but in recovery. I know it's drastic but believe me it helps. No use just putting it away, that's like knowing there's a bar of chocolate In the cupboard! You need to remove temptation. I also can't read newspapers online but assume someone will let me know if WW3 breaks out.

It may sound as if I am making light of this but I promise I am not, I spent hours looking at irregular heartbeat, high BP, bowel cancer, pancreatic cancer, hiatus hernia, dementia, etc, even getting up in the night to look. I have got health problems, real ones, and Google has been useful. Do you think you could give this a try? I am logged on now and going to read the paper then try to put this away until tomorrow as I woke up this morning with a tight feeling in my chest, which had subsided considerably. BTW do you live alone? I do and it doesn't help...

I only wish the Internet was not so important in day to day living. It was easier when it took five minutes to connect and every site took ages to load because it was too much hassle.

[jules24 in reply to stargazey]

Hi maybe if i don't pay my internet bill it would help me lol..I'm gonna try my hardest to stop googling maybe limit myself untill i can fully stop. I live with my husband and son but all I do is google on my phone i get distracted for a bit but the minute I have time there i am googling symptoms. My son yells at me when he sees me on my phone he tells me "mom you better not be reading stuff" it's such a bad habit i have

[Bramwell]

I'm the same as you Jules. I've spent hours, probably cumulatively days, Googling and Googling until I'm scared out of my mind.

The internet is a wonderful thing but it can also be your worst enemy, especially the good Dr Google who would appear to know more than a GP who has spent ten years training!

I try not to Google my latest symptom but with severe health anxiety I'm like a moth to a flame with my computer and the internet.

I can't offer any advice except don't Google - I just wish I'd follow my own advice!

[jules24 in reply to Bramwell]

Hi yes that's all I do from the minute I wake up and i feel something i go Google it. Then I get scared out of my mind and i cry thinking I'm really sick and gonna drop dead it's a really bad habit. Like today my vision seems kinda weird foggy not so clear tired dry burning eyes so I Google up these symptoms and now I'm scared thinking I have some kind of eye problem

[stargazey]

The only way to stop googling is to stop going online and the only way to do that is to make it impossible.

[ilsonbunny]

Hi . My therapist explained what each symptom of a panic attack is.The feeling of being unable to focus is the the bodies way of looking at the horizon for signs of danger or predators and takes a few seconds for the eyes to adjust. For anyone seeing us having an attack must feel pretty scary as well. I remember my daughter having to sit on my knee to control my shaking . I have been doubled over and unable to walk straight when I have been outside. Looking back I have wasted over 35yr allowing the Demon we call panic to ruin my life

[Hidden]

I HAVE THE EXACT SAME TOO I KEEP THINKING I HAVE A HEART DISEASE

[Varto11]

WOW im just like that spend the last 3-4 moputh looking symptoms and putting some dissease on me.It was cancer then tape worm then hearth problems then blood infection and it goes on...I completly understand how you feel.

[waqarjamaldini]

Please any one can tell me how to believe my doctor he said i am normal but googling causes me more anxious

my life became worse people also tell me whats wrong with you i am worried of my health i think too much when i am not on google when i come to google i can't search any thing ele but symptoms related with my disorders.now i have anxiety disorder and my head is full of acne pimples my back neck burns and i have a mole on my neck all i read in google are the dangrouse symptoms but doctor said nothing to worry but i am worrying to much now i also feel wavey signals of coldness in my skin i dont know what to do

[Nanda1234]

Hello , I'm 16 and do the same thing especially now that I am pregnant I have a headache anything and I google it and look up symptoms and think I am going to have seizures strokes heart attacks and blood clots . I've told my mom that I feel like I'm going nuts and everyday I hate myself for it because it makes everything worse and ruins my daily activities and it also makes me want to go to the doctor daily but my mom says it's all in my head because I read to much on google..

[Hidden]

I totally understand! I spend half my day looking up my symptoms. I first thought I may have had colon cancer, I had a colonoscopy and nothing found. I thought I had a brain tumor because of headaches. Now i'm scared about ovarian cancer because of some lower back pain and lower right pelvic pain. I have an appointment to see my gyn on Tuesday. I have got to stop but it is hard. Thanks for listening!

[JJ3324]

I had a steroid injection about 6 weeks ago, and since then have had horrible health anxiety. I'm so tired of googling symptoms from sun up to sun down, I just woke up with a panic attack at 3 AM and I'm sure it's because I googled a ton of things right before I went to sleep. I literally spend hours a day, even at work, googling!! In the past 3 weeks I've thought I had a whole list of things!!