Health anxiety killing me

[Pensieve]

I have gone one health anxiety to other and the nature of health scare just keeps getting worse with time. I haven't been diagnosed with anything major so far, but at times i feel there is no end to these thoughts . The only way to get over it is wasting days of my life in worry, going to a doctor to get over the worry and finding a new worry.

As of now I am going through a really bad phase which seems very scary.

For people who have made progress in overcoming health anxiety, does it ever get better? And for people who are still struggling, I constantly keep feeling that I am wasting my life but also that there is no way out. Sorry for the long rant.

[Agora1]

Hi Pensieve and Welcome!Once upon a time I had severe health anxiety myself.

I had a team of specialists for every part of my body.

The 3 that I frequented most was the Cardiologist, Neurologist

and GI Doc.

You see that's how Anxiety keeps us in it's grip. Figure one thing out

and it goes to another. MRIs, CatScans, any and all procedures to find

what was wrong with me. After a while, doctors don't believe anything

you say. They keep saying "It's Anxiety" and I keep thinking they must be

missing something.

Once when the GI specialist had enough of testing me, he suggested a

"Exploratory Surgery" He said that it would prove to me once and for all

that I am a healthy woman. An exploratory would involved cutting me from

stem to stern so as to check each and every organ in my body.

That was the changing point for me...No way was I going to have a gnarly scar

to prove a point that I was right and the professionals were missing something.

It was then I started looking into Meditation, SelfHypnosis, Relaxation, Biofeedback,

Mindfulness, Affirmation Meditations along with working on my breathing technique.

The Affirmational Meditations found on YouTube would reassure me while I slept that

I was healthy, strong both in mind and body. Day after day, year after year for the subconscious mind to hear these positive words worked.

I am healthy and I must embrace the fact that I am. If the day should come where I do

get sick or have a scary diagnosis, I will be able to accept it because my immunity is

strong and not being knocked down by constant fear. Been there, done that, you

are never alone on this site. xx

[Pensieve in reply to Agora1]

Thank you Agora1 for replying to my post and sharing your experience. It is so heartening to hear that you were able to get out of it and are doing so much better now. I aspire to get there some day. I think my health anxiety makes me avoid doctors and hence with every new worry i suffer alone for a long time before gathering courage to go see a doctor. Till then, a lot of mental harm and subconscious information gathering on debilitating illnesses is already done which lays the foundation of my next worry.

[Agora1 in reply to Pensieve]

You're absolutely correct in how our cycle of fear grows. Fear begets Fear and beforelong you are just existing and not living.

Acceptance of Anxiety not being harmful has been proven to be the key to success.

I started with the book by Dr. Claire Weekes "Hope & Help for Your Nerves" There

is now videos of her teachings on YouTube. It might be a good idea to take a look.

I think you will be surprised in how you think she is talking directly to you xx

[Carlos8711 in reply to Agora1]

Hope your well Did u try medication

Does anyone suffer from depersonalisation and depression to .

Thanks

[Agora1 in reply to Carlos8711]

Hi Carlos I started out on benzos which helped take the edge offmy anxiety but not enough that I went into 5 years of Agoraphobia

where I never left my house.

During that time, I turned my thoughts into other methods and tools that

could help. I was weaned off benzos put on an SSRI and learned to Meditate.

Meditation and Breathing seem to be the key for me in getting back control

of my life.

Along with therapy and medication, these tools have provided me with what

I needed to overcome my fears. And yes, during that time I did experience depersonalization

along with my anxiety but never depression. It was a long hard struggle

that I'm happy to say I beat. Never give up. xx

[Pensieve]

Thank you Agora1 . Very grateful for the support 🙂

I will surely check out the book and her videos.

[Sophia__Colley]

Oh God,health anxiety... It's been killing me for almost 2 years now. I started to have it when I felt my right ear burn and swell. Turns out it was just my nerves. So since then I have health anxiety and it can give you so many physical symptoms. If your brain keeps thinking that there's something wrong with you then you'll experience so many weird physical symptoms. Hope you feel better soon)

[Pensieve]

Thank you Sophia__Colley , its a daily struggle.

Hoping to see the end of the tunnel at some point. Hope you feel better too.

[Ratvic]

Anxiety presents itself in so many forms. It is a master manipulator of every disease/symptom out there. Sometimes it can present itself with weird symptoms. I have gone through the gamut of weird symptoms like feeling weird, spaced out,foggy, head tension, ear ringing, foggy and hazy vision, breathlessness, scary depersonalizatios/derealizations. I kept on resisting it, saying to myself it cannot be anxiety no WAY. That is the biggest trick that you keep buying into. I did too for a long time. Tested for every single disease, every supplement, extensive therapy. Finally some peace came with acceptance and commitment therapy. I could never believe that "I would be ok" never mind what every one around told me. So the thought that "I will never get better" is also a BIG lie.

You will get vastly better with small consistent improvements. Vastly better would not mean absence of symptoms but to the point where you stop resisting and kicking. This was achieved by me through acceptance and commitment therapy.

Chinese finger trap analogy:

You will get better.

P.S another big lie is thinking "why can't I just have a moment of peace. Everyone around me looks so happy and seem to be enjoying themselves.

[Hidden in reply to Ratvic]

Great story, glad you're healed

[Pensieve in reply to Ratvic]

Thank you for sharing your journey and so heartening to hear your story of recovery.

[Hidden]

I feel ya, I have physical symptoms I'm trying to conquer

[DoggieLoverbon]

unsure if it’s too late for a response to this, but I’ve had health anxiety since I was 9, which sounds ridiculous. But it was much more mild then because my lack of knowledge and lack of google. So I got over it, I stopped having it for a good 10 years honeslty. With the occasional freak out, but I always avoided death shows, medical shows (always wanted to watch greys anatomy but my health anxiety won’t let me, I’ll self diagnose too much), when I turned 19 some kids in my town wrecked and died. And for some reason, that spiraled my HA to a brim, I had multiple panic attacks daily, I was making myself throw up to feel somewhat normal daily, it was unhealthy, but then it got better, for about 2 years, I got pregnant, had a baby boy, he just turned one. And then boom, back all again. I feel like it can come in waves.

[Mxtmxxn]

Hey Pensieve, I struggle with health anxiety as well, and really the only thing to stop the ruminations and searches is to not give the compulsions energy. It's harder than it sounds, I know. Message me if you ever fall under a loop of health anxiety. Always here to talk!