Cancer

[Annab124]

I’m really worried I’ve got some kind of tumour . My neck now cracks all the time when I move it an so does my shoulders . I get back pain and chest pain too

[Hidden]

I think worrying about cancer is common among people with health anxiety. I’m one of them. Media and news contribute to this anxiety a lot so I’m not surprised we are worried about it.

My neck and shoulders are always in pain and I am not convinced it is the tension from anxiety. I also grind my teeth at night which also contributes to neck pain. I get back pain and chest pain which I think is caused by GERD as it is also common among people with anxiety.

For instance, I was feeling restless and anxious for the past two days. Yesterday I had a bad heartburn and I ended up googling about cancer. Right now I had a cigarette which raised my heart rate and I’m worried about a heart attack. And it never stops. Logic leaves us when we are experiencing anxiety.

Have you seen a therapist about your anxiety? We can seek reassurance as much as we want but unless we start addressing anxiety we will never feel better!

Can I ask you though? Why are you worried about cancer? Why does your brain jump straight to such diagnosis? I’m the same and I have never investigated why cancer when there’re so many other scary things that can happen...

[Icanbeathis2016 in reply to Hidden]

I totally say that exact thing. Why do we anxiety sufferers automatically start thinking about the C word. And as you said, there are so many other deadly diseases or illnesses to be afraid of and yet our minds narrow down to that. But I guess to answer you, speaking for myself, I fear the C word the worst right now, I guess because what I have been able to notice so far about the disease is that if you dont catch it in time you will certainly die. And yes people could easily come to the conclusion to just catch it early and there's a huge chance of curing it, but we all know that that's not as easy. Also the fact that now I've discovered that it can happen to you even if you didn't do anything habitual to cause it. I once thought that for sure people could only get the C word from smoking or doing things like that that could cause it, but now I've come to learn that people can totally still get it for many other reasons that we have no control over. And the fact that most of the time it's not symptomatic until it's too late to cure, it's nothing to do but die. And the fact that it spirals so quickly if you're in the last stages of it. And the fact that its literally soooooo many different forms of the C word to get. It's like there's so many opportunities to get it. That's my synopsis. But I'm sure you can concede with me as to why it's the scariest or the one that we anxiety sufferers fear the worst. But yet and still, there are so many other things that are just as bad.

[Hidden]

Thanks a lot for sharing. I find your way of thinking very interesting and informative. I agree with every word you say. I also blame the media for all the craze. It’s amazing how we now use the media to raise awareness and all. However, it’s scary as well. Not a single day passes when I don’t read something about cancer. It creates paranoia. It does.

Meanwhile, as you said yourself some people have no risk factors and lead healthy life and still get it. So, perhaps we should stop fear it and if it’s meant to happen just let it happen? As scary as it sounds...we can’t control it and we should just chill? I’m trying to talk to myself about it in this way a lot and it helps sometimes. But I still jump to the conclusion straight away....this is so tiring