Am i a hypochondriac!!!

[lisabunny44]

Hi everyone.... Ive been suffering with anxiety for three months now and its been terrible and at times very frightening.Ive imagined having all types of illnesses and diseases,the power of the mind hey!! anyway i was talking to a group of friends today and explaining what ive been going thru recently when someone asked if i was a hypochondriac and although i know she didnt mean any harm but i suddenly felt kind of ashamed and im really confused now!!!! Lisa x

[Pennylayne]

Hi Lisa ...........the word hypochondriac is used a lot, the person who asked that won't really have meant anything by it, it's just a word that is bandied about a lot, sort of an 'in' word at the moment which is used to describe anyone who knows about symptoms etc.

Really don't worry about it or give it a second thought .......it's used all the time and every second person is described as a hypochondriac at some stage.

Take Care PL

[VincentVega]

Hi LB,

agree with PL, i wouldn't give it a second thought, its not nice i know, but what comes with anxiety, especially in the early stages is the fear of other things that could be wrong with you. i managed to get into hospital over night when this poxy illness started i thought i was having a heart attack, but once told it was a panic attack didnt really stop my mind moving on from there to start believing 'they have got it wrong' 'i really am ill' and i went on to believe i had just about every serious illness you can think of. best wishes lb vv x

[ellabella]

I remember vividly feeling like you when in a temper my sister told me I was Paranoid. I was shocked, embarrassed and upset. Afterwards for many years I let this thought bother me. Now I don't even care lol. Somebody has to be....and it's more likely to be her than me xxxxx

[Hidden in reply to ellabella]

Hi. ella. Half the words people use they do not know the meaning of and bandy them about as if they do. Paranoid!!! There is a vast difference between paranoia and nervous illness. For goodness sake! I do wish they wouldn't do it. They have no conception of how it can frighten sufferers and can ruin their day. I much prefer the term 'Heath Anxiety' to Hypochondria. It explains it better. Now why did you feel ashamed, lisa? I can understand your confusion (don't we all) but you have nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of. Do not let the remarks of ignorant people throw you. They may mean well but they do not know what they are talking about! Far better to keep their mouth shut if they speak from ignorance. There is a kind of superior attitude among some non- nervously ill people as if to say they are in some way better and that you are weak. What nonsense! How many would have the courage to go through what you are going through. Yes you are; courageous, although you may not think so. And you are trying to help yourself. Bless you and Love. jonathan.

[Melgil58]

Hiya never feel ashamed of what you are anxiety is not a thing I'd wish on anybody but there's to many people think they are drs these days who don't believe your ill till they are nailing the lid down unless they can see an illness they don't believe us they think we're putting it on its in the mind some drs don't help the pull yourself together treatment doesn't work with us until we see anxiety and everything that goes with it for what it is an agitated state of mind that looks for things to keep throwing at us to get our attention and calm down and go with the flow a bit more instead of constant worry if your worried about your health get yourself checked out and while its not a nice thing to have you can live with it I hope things will settle down for you and I wish you well. Mel

[Hidden]

I wouldnt let it bother you, people often dont understand what anxiety sufferers and people with nervous illness go through. I got labelled 'weird', i heard some woman talking in the street to her friend a few years ago, when i walked past said hello, i actually heard her say, she's a weird one her, which i actually believed it, that i am weird.....oh well, little do they know hey.

[lisabunny44]

Thanks everybody for the kind words and support.. much love Lisa x

[fadedlizard]

Hi Linny,

I hope you've been reassured by everything everyone has said.

The first person who called me a hypochondriac was a doctor. I was about 13 and I thought it meant I was making it all up. I was mortified. Fifteen years later when my psychologist used the term I nearly got into a fight!!! It took her quite a while to get me to realize that hypochondriasis is a proper medical diagnosis for health anxiety which is a real and very scary condition as a lot of people on here can testify to.

Take Care.x

[Bramwell]

I've suffered from hypochondria/health anxiety off and on for twenty years now.

It's horrible.

The worst thing (aside from the terrifying thoughts of being seriously ill) is that no one knows or understands how you feel. Unless you've been there you can have no idea of the debilitating fear which grabs you.