Health Anxiety

Hello Everyone.

This site and all of the support you given to each other, has been amazingly reassuring to me other the last few weeks. I am suffering from Anxiety and Depression.

I was wondering if there are any other Health Anxiety suffers here (Especially Dental Health) that can offer me any advice on overcoming this problem. I have been taking Citalopram for two and a half weeks and i start CBT next week.

Thank you in advance.

Love and best wishes.

Cuddlybarb.X

[Bramwell]

I've suffered heath anxiety off and on for over 20 years now.

Just this week I was off-on-one concerning my mouth - next week it could be my eyes, stomach or who-knows what!

I had councilling in 1995 and it did seem to work, but sadly the HE came back.

The only advice I can offer (which I don't follow myself) is never Google a symptom as the results it throws up will ultimately terrify you as I know from long long experience.

[Hidden in reply to Bramwell]

Hi. Bramwell. I am going to do a blog on 'Suggestion' which can be a real nightmare to us who suffer. We are very vulnerable that way. My advice is, as you say; keep off the symptom checker and keep off the scales. Love. jonathan.

[ellabella]

I have had that and it's extremely common. The Dentistry thing I mean! I have the most brilliant dentist who specialises in nervous patients. NHS as well. Ask if anyone practices this in your area. You are not alone with that one xxxxxx

[Hidden in reply to ellabella]

Thank you for your advice. I do constantly look on the net for advice and it usually sends me into a worse state of anxiety. I will try and stop myself from doing it in the future. Hopefully my CBT will help.

Lots of love

Cuddlybarb

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi. Cuddlybarb. In the book "Three men in a boat" a man went to his doctor with a variety of complaints. The doctor examined him and gave him a prescription without comment. He took it the pharmacist. The pharmacist said, "I am sorry sir, but I cannot fill this. It says, in Latin. 'Stop worrying yourself about things that you do not understand and get on with your life'". Not easy! Love. jonathan.

[Hidden]

Hi Jonathan.

If only we could all stop worrying!

Take care.

Cuddlybarb

[TeamDB]

It's sure a tough old condition. The symptoms of Anxiety often get mistaken for something more sinister, dizziness and confusion as a serious neurological condition, palpitations that are utterly harmless as your heart stopping and a headache as a stroke are all things people with health anxiety and/or a panic disorder commonly report thinking or feeling at some point.

It's treatable with support from GP and a range of other therapies. The key is to minimise the number of times and length of time you feel this way and to get you back on a level your comfortable with.

I wish you all the best as I too suffer the same issue and it can flash up out of no where, sometimes even the moment I wake in the morning or night and trap me in a loop of extreme anxious thought that spirals into panic attacks. These can leave me feeling confused and wiped out so I empathise totally with how challenging a condition Health Anxiety can be at times.