New here, need reassurance and what now?

[Anxiouslu]

Hi guys I'm new here,

I am part of another forum but am seeking advice/reassurance..

I am twenty years old and suffer quite bad health anxiety for the past 6/7 months..

I have had cancer,stroke,heart attack, brain tumor, HIV, ms, ALS, the list does go on.

The question is what do I do now?

I have seen numerous doctors, numerous a&e visits. Hospital appointments.

I've had ECG, bloods tests and most recently an MRI scan which all came back no abnormalities. I am set to see a neuro in january regarding my migraines.

Still these constant anxious symptoms leave me questioning.. Considering more and more illness.. At the moment I have twitches mostly in my legs but also ther parts of the body which often gets better and worse through the day, graty joints (not sure if caused by continuous anxious state and random pins and needles feeling in toes that last for about a minute or two..

This has me so worried I am at my wits end. Can anybody help me??

[Hidden]

Hi. Anxiouslu. Now sit down and take a deep breath. Loosen up and listen to the replies you get from this site. First of all, your fears are not at all uncommon. This is classic Health Anxiety and a lot of us have been there and are still here! I have often talked about my Father who had every disease known to man yet never had a day in hospital and went through two world wars. He was 95 when he died, so you have a long way to go, but NOT in this state. At your age it is certain that you WILL get over this. Your mind is tired and the more you thrash it with doubt and fear the more it will 'play up'. I know, we all know about being at our 'wits end'.

If I had pounds for every time I had been there I would be very rich. And do not blame yourself for how you feel It is nothing to be ashamed of either. What do you do now? Firstly try and calm down. (Not easy). Stand back and take a look at your situation. At twenty years old the chances of having a stroke, heart attack, MS or any other serious disorder is so remote that, having been told you are OK, you must get on with your life. BELIEVE the medics. They cannot afford to make mistakes and, contrary to some news, rarely do. Millions are given help every day by doctors but this does not make news. Sit down and think about being run over by a bus. Does that mean it is going to happen. Of course not. Try and stay calm (difficult) and listen to the help you will get. Very best wishes. jonathan.

[Anxiouslu in reply to Hidden]

Thabk you Jonathan!

I will try my hardest to do what you suggest. The bus idea is a very good one.. We can thing plenty of things doesbt mean it will happen. I should look at my 'illness' this way just because I know these things exist doesn't ment it will or is happening to me.

Kind words thank you again.

[Anxiouslu in reply to Anxiouslu]

Sorry about te spelling I'm on my phone

[Hidden in reply to Anxiouslu]

Hi. What you say is true but you should do it. Please do not try too hard.That can only tire you. Go along with it there but do not give you thoughts too much attention. Good luck. jonathan.

[donaf]

Hi, I still get thoughts like if I've an head ache its sumthing worser. It's the anxiety thou, making me think all these negative thoughts. I went had ecgs three nites in a row. As I had all these thoughts and Wud get myself really worked up. It's ur mind being ova tired. I recently red a book called at last a life which is worth a read xxx

[hairyfairy]

I used to imagine that I had every illness under the sun, but now I think that Iv`e run out of diseases to worry about. My worst habit was reading medical dictionaries, & avidly watching films about people with horrible diseases like cancer. I used to think that I was doomed to die young of heart disease because my mother did, & doctors didn`t help by contantly reminding me of the genetic aspect of illness. So far all my fears have come to nothing, as I`m sure yours will.

[Hidden in reply to hairyfairy]

Hi. hairyfairy. So you ran out of illnesses, so did I. I remember sitting in my van in a layby about forty years ago and reading of some poor guy who had died in his car while parked in a layby. Don't laugh, because I had to start up and go quickly. I am laughing now and wondering why I could have been such an idiot, but not then! Honestly!! My advice to anyone with health anxiety is to keep well away from medical books and websites. When I was young half the modern so called diseases did not exist, or if they did we had not heard of them. Love. jonathan.

[Hidden]

Have you been offered any meds? Some people with OCD (for whom anxious thoughts cause major distress) are given meds to help control their unwanted thoughts, so maybe your doctor would prescribe something to lessen the effect the anxious thoughts have on you?

I'm not saying you have OCD, but it could be following a similar pattern, in that you have become obsessed with illness and the "rituals" you need to carry out (what OCD sufferers call their behaviours) are to get medical tests done to make yourself feel better. Trouble is, that no matter how many tests are done and produce negative results, the anxiety persists.

Also, have you been offered CBT? It challenges thinking patterns, gets you to ask yourself "where's the evidence for my conclusions?" "Could there be a more innocent explanation for my symptoms?" etc.

They will help you to realise that thoughts only scare us if we attach certain meanings to them. So, in my case, I have a severe phobia of being sick. When I feel nauseous I panic. But the CBT method would be for me to say to myself "Does feeling nauseous automatically mean I am definitely going to be sick?", "How many times in my life have I felt nauseous but not actually vomited, and the nausea has gone away on it's own?" etc.

So they can get you to challenge your thoughts and attach more helpful meanings to them, rather than resorting to fear at every anxious thought. It may well be of help, so do ask what therapy is on offer in your area.

[hairyfairy]

It`s a terrible shame, but I seem to be addicted to medical websites, & then there`s the Daily Mail online, there`s at least one new health scare everyday in that newspaper. Nowadays I think " yeah whatever" when I read the lasest scare, because If all of them were true, none of us would be alive to read them!

[Hidden in reply to hairyfairy]

Hi. hairy. I know what you mean. Isn't it odd that we are very masochistic. We seem to take a delight in flogging ourselves! It is, I know, all a part of this state, but, as Mr. Spock would say,' it just isn't logical'. Love. jonathan.

[Anxiouslu]

No the doctor didn't want me to be on any medication for it.. He said anxiety mess will not do me any favours in the long term?

As for cbt I haven't had any I had phone councilling he used to mention cbt alot and stress management classes but with moving house, Uni and work I found it hard to keep up..

I love these sites where we can discuss and support each other though.. Google was once my addiction I am proud I steer clear now.. Have taken magnesium 300mg the last three four days and it's made a huge difference.. I'm suprised x