Swollen Lymph Nodes:(

[BeatingAnxiety]

Its been 3 month i found out that i have 2 lumps under my chin and then 1 month ago under my left jaw i discovered new swollen lymph node and then now i found one again in my right side under my jaw im scarred that it might be getting bigger like the last three but now i barely feel it. Like its getting frustrated because im not feeling sick like "real sick" but the swollen lymph nodes keeps increasing. I've been to the doctor once and she told me that it might be from my cavity tooth but i think its not from my cavity cause its been probably 6 years my cavity still there and its never given me problem. So im stuck questioning what illness im having and actually feeling scared that it might be lymphoma but everytime i google disease after that i experience that disease symptoms. I don't know what to do

[Agora1]

Hi BeatingAnxiety, I looked back over your posts and can see you definitely suffer from Health Anxiety. That's not a criticism but an explanation in why you fear every time a new symptom comes along. I will say that you should get to the dentist and have that cavity taken care of (after 6 years). It can very well be causing an infection which in turn is causing the lumps you are feeling.

It sounds like your doctor wants that addressed first before going back to them.

As for the moles, have your doctor check those out as well or go to a Dermatologist.

It's wearing to worry about a catastrophic illness every day. What happened that started that fear in you? Did you loose someone close to you more recently?

I read that you were given an antibiotic by your doctor but know that it is not going to cure

you unless the problem is taken care of (your teeth) Time to go forward and get this taken care of. xx

[BeatingAnxiety in reply to Agora1]

how it started when i suffered from health anxiety that one time the turning point of my life that made me suffer from health anxiety i have a panic attack at the middle of the night before that like i was living like a normal person like i never get really anxious about disease even tho i was living reckless and there was no trigger at all when i was having a panic attack suddenly like my chest hurt i thought i was having a heart attack that turns out it occurred because my gut problem after that i become so anxious about my heart that i might be having a heart disease but after i did some ecg the result came out fine and now im free about worrying my heart even though the chest pain still occur but now im more like scarred of getting cancer i forgot how it started but now im worry that i might have a anytype of cancer. But not only worried about cancer i worry that i might lung problem or something like auto immune disease or nerve damage because until now i haven't change any bad lifestyle of mine except now I finally quit smoking

[Agora1 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

Good for you in quitting smoking.

A step in the right direction xx

[BeatingAnxiety in reply to Agora1]

But i feel like my health is better when i was smoking like before 2020 my health condition is like might be better than now when i already quit smoking. like in 2019 and back maybe i visit a gp just once in a year but in 2020 i already visit maybe a dozen gp cause i have problem with my health from head to toe like really make me desperate

[Agora1 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

Maybe you think your health was better when you were smoking because

you had an "outlet" for your anxiety and stress. Finding a healthier stress

reliever would be a better idea. You aren't thinking of going back to smoking are you?

[BeatingAnxiety in reply to Agora1]

No because now i have health anxiety now im scared what if i have health problem in the future because of me smoking

[Agora1 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

For every day, week, month you go without smoking, the lungs get better in time.

[Amandasullivan12 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

I feel the same as you constantly worried I have cancer or some serious illness it’s so horrible to live with

[BeatingAnxiety in reply to Agora1]

I used to scarred of prostate cancer becaused of my abdominal pain and then i used to scarred of skin cancer but now i scared about oral cancer and Lymphoma because my swollen lymph node and now like i feel my mouth is tense and feel something weird about my mouth that i can't describe it like my mouth doesn't feel like it used to

[Agora1 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

BeatingAnxiety, with all the time spent on worrying about health issues, do

you ever get in some time to just enjoy your life? When was the last time you

did something you like? (Within reason and being safe)

Just because we are stuck in our homes doesn't mean we need to sit and think

all day about something that may never happen.

Do you have a therapist you can talk to? xx

[BeatingAnxiety in reply to Agora1]

I never get time like feeling relax or enjoying things because of the way i feel about my health never put my mind at ease. Like i recently bought a video games just to distract myself from being anxious but its never really help me out. I don't have therapist in fact i never told anyone about my health anxiety like my family doesn't know about it or my friends doesn't know it and my gp too so like im kinda dealing with it on my own like i never talk to someone about my problem

[Agora1 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

That's kinda what I thought. You are keeping this all to yourself and you are struggling each and everyday and getting nowhere. You sound young. At your age there are many changes going on in your life both physically and mentally. You need

someone you trust who you can talk to. I would say starting with your mom would be important. She knows her son and who better to talk with.

Your friends may not be any support if they don't understand anxiety.

[BeatingAnxiety in reply to Agora1]

I know i wish i can open up to my family its been really hard for me because im the type that never open up about my problem to anyone i always keeping it to myself. So im kinda grateful to found this forum and have someone who really listen to my problem(im typing this while crying) hahaha silly me. But im really grateful to you for responding to me because when i feel so overwhelmed i just cry in my room silently because i dont want people hear it. like i feel like i want to give up cause its been really hard like im never heal its only getting worse everyday like im stuck in never ending loop and dont have somebody who i can talk to. Even though you dont know me and i don't know you im really thankful for you.

[Agora1 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

I appreciate that. My concern is your safety. I totally understand that never ending loop that you describe. I was once in an endless cycle of fear. I was afraid of living and afraid of dying. I finally locked myself in my home (Agoraphobia) and stayed there for 5 years. Five years of my life gone, that I will never get back.

This was unacceptable living/existing. There is no safety in hiding. Worrying about

illness and dying won't buy us one day more or one minute more of our lives. So why

not push aside all our unfounded fears and enjoy the gift that was given us? Life.

There is nothing shameful in what you are feeling and you shouldn't be hiding it from

your family, the people who love you most. I hope you dry your tears, come out of your room and tell your mom you need to talk with her. The release will be immense as well as the "hug" that comes after that will be a step forward for you as well as

the start of breaking this never ending loop. I care xx

[BeatingAnxiety in reply to Agora1]

Its been only a years for me but its feels really hard. I must drop out from college because of my anxiety, i can't keep up with anything. now im being unemployed and become a burden to my family. But now i cant tell my parents because i dont wanna adding more problem to them. Because its been a hard year not only for me but all people around the world like my mom was positive covid 19 but she healthy now like she has been hospitalized for 2 months. But now im grateful she's okay

[Agora1 in reply to BeatingAnxiety]

I'm glad you mother is okay from Covid. It is something to be very grateful for.

I can understand how you don't want to burden her with more stress but with all that's going on in your life right now, you need support.

Have you looked on YouTube for help? The base of my foundation in having

gotten better started with my reading Dr. Claire Weekes' book on "Hope & Help

for Your Nerves" It is also free on YouTube on videos. Take a listen. I think it

might be able to put you back on the right path in not worrying so much about

health issues. xx