What's your biggest health anxiety? Mine's MS. Let's talk about these fears and try to get to the bottom of it!

[Mrworrymaster]

Curious as to what others health anxiety revolves around. Mine is MS, I've had an MRI and am almost positive that I don't have it. I'm young, results were clean, my symptoms aren't severe and don't really fit in with the symptoms. Plus, they come and go and are all over my body. I've done enough research to know that MS wouldn't present itself everywhere at once-but, I was surprised to see a large number of health anxiety sufferes worry about MS. Must be because most of the symptoms are so similar.

Anyway, my therapist believes I'm stuck on MS because it would mean a loss of control, and having to watch my family suffer while I become disabled slowly. He also believes my constant worrying about the future, and the lack of being able to control it, is a big part of my anxiety.

What's your health anxiety revolve around? How likely is it? Is it logical? Let's talk about it!

[mandyroxie]

Hi. First off sorry you're feeling like that. As for me, my fear is having a brain tumor since I have constant headaches and dizziness. I've had a CT scan done in March and it came back normal but I still can't shake the feeling of having brain cancer. Every headache I get makes my anxiety rise and I start worrying. I've been feeling weak these past two days and it's driving me crazy since I have 3 little ones I have to attend to. I've been doing good at controlling my anxiety attacks but now it's all coming back because I'm stressing my head pains again. 

[mdburg in reply to mandyroxie]

This, too, is my number one fear. I get dizzy too and feel like I am going crazy since I also suffer from depersonalization. Often I feel like my physical self and my spiritual self are separate. It's a really odd, uncomfortable feeling. I am 41 but I fear that I am losing my mind. So a brain tumor would be my number one fear since most of my symptoms have to do with the brain. How do you deal with your dizziness? Do you avoid going places or is there a medication you take for it? If I could get rid of the dizziness, so much of the anxiety would go away. However it's probably the opposite, all this anxiety is probably causing my dizziness! 

 

[Mrworrymaster in reply to mdburg]

I've battled with the depersonalize issues before as well. For me it helped to get out of my head and quit worrying about my anxiety. I was also constantly checking my pulse, heart rate, BP etc. etc. This deep level of introspection and self-analyzing had a huge result on separating my body and mind. The two didn't feel in sync. I found that once I forced myself to quit over-analyzing every issue and actually enjoy the present I was able to feel more connected.

I know it's hard, and I hope you find some peace. 

[Mrworrymaster in reply to mandyroxie]

Thank you for the kind words! With the CT Scan done and coming up clean, is it more likely that you're ok and it's just your anxiety causing the majority of your issues? For instance: constant dread and worrying and stressing your systems causing mental exhaustion and therefore dizziness?

Have you devoted any time to your mental well-being? Have you allowed yourself to relax and not fight off this constant battle with anxiety?

[amandapinner in reply to mandyroxie]

I am exactly the same!

[tdawgg123]

I fear passing out, blacking out, going blind, dying .. All sorts of crazy random intrusive thoughts. I'm also terrified of getting cancer 

[Mrworrymaster in reply to tdawgg123]

Cancer is a scary one for me too. But, with medicine the way it is today it's nowhere near as morbid as it once was. I personally know at least 5 Cancer survivors. In think the fear of death is a big one for a lot of us. Fear of the unknown May be?

[tdawgg123 in reply to Mrworrymaster]

Absolutely it is fear of the unknown. Even people who aren't generally anxious must worry from time to time. I always think stupid thoughts like " what if I die today like right here in the mall in front of all these people" I highly doubt I would just drop dead at 27 being in shape and healthy but some days my anxiety just had me feeling so ill im positive I'm dying 

[Mrworrymaster]

I've read somewhere that anxiety is brought on by people who are unable to live in the present. Living too far in the past creates depression, while too far in the future creates anxiety. Insecurity also breeds anxiety I think. I'm a professional, accomplished, college graduate. But, I'm still pretty insecure about who I am as a person at times because of my anxiety. Almost like I am weaker at times when compared to others. But, then I think that I have no idea what others are going through and they may be putting up the same front that I am. For instance, If I were to pass you in the mall I might think "there goes an in-shape, healthy, 27 year old woman, I bet she doesn't deal with the same anxiety crap I do. But, you might see me dressed in a suit out on a lunch appt with some co-workers and think "There goes a successful, happy and healthy 32 year old man, I bet he doesn't deal with constant thoughts of death and anxiety" I think the real thing to keep in mind here is to focus on being in the present and stop giving power to these ridiculous anxious fears.

[Josh123]

I am worried that someone will find out about my depression. I have to hide under my blanket and cry at night, and i only have a dimmed light on so no one can see how red my eyes are. I've had a long history of worrying about illnesses but i seem to have gotten over it somehow.

I understand that i realy need help and to get it i need to overcome my anxiety, but its just not that simple, i waited 2 hours to post this just because i didnt want to have these words related to me.

[Mrworrymaster in reply to Josh123]

No need to be embarrassed about your depression. You're not to blame for it as much as someone with acid reflux is to blame for their indigestion. It's likely due to a chemical imbalance. Get the help you need and don't view it as a a weakness.

[IrishEyesRach]

I have been dealing with the fear of Ms for almost a year now. My sister had lesions on her brain and they thought she might have Ms, but it turned out she has chronic Lyme's. Ever since we thought she had Ms I had started doing some research to try and help her out, I have been dealing with constant physical and emotional symptoms. I have a pretty constant steady stream of anxiety. I have had burning stinging skin in different places, also some numbness and tingling. I have had the weird feeling like someone flicks water on me in random spots, and more recently pains ranging from sharp to dull and achey. It varies from day to day and almost non of it consistent, with the acception of some of the pains I have been having. It can happen anywhere on my body at any time. I have gone online of course and I get any number of horrible answers, so of course Google has been my worst enemy. One site that helps and actually lists every symptom I have experienced is anxietycenter.com. I am also a single mom with three kids and I'm trying to get into nursing school, so I have plenty of stress on top of my fears and worries over the future and my health. I'm so sick of living like this, it's overwhelming and it's stealing the joy and peace I should be having in my life. I have a constant worry about chronic disease, mainly because I'm the only solid and steady parent my kids have. I have recently gone in to see my dr,. Because I can not take it anymore. He ran a bunch of blood tests, and if those come back clear, we might do an MRI. Frankly I'm terrified of finding something horrible out, but I can't really handle living in this constant state of fear anymore either. I do not have chronic fatigue and no vision problems, I have also been pretty healthy and with the acception of primary stabbing headaches and GERD, I have had very few real health issues. I can stand all this anxiety anymore!

[Hidden in reply to IrishEyesRach]

Hi IrishEyesRach, I know it’s been some time since you posted, but I was wondering if you ever got an answer? I have the exact same feelings of someone flicking water on me and it happens all over my body at any given time. Like literally anywhere, could even be between my fingers. When it first started my doctor said I was probably just hyper-aware of every little sensation in my body because of my extreme health anxiety. I was curious if you ever got an answer? It is so weird, and I am sure it’s nothing, but I’d love to hear what other people’s medical providers say!

Thanks

[taylor_2211 in reply to IrishEyesRach]

hey i am dealing with the same thing right now and i am just curious as to if you ever got the results!?

[rachel290808 in reply to IrishEyesRach]

I've had the same flick of water feeling and bad pains in my feet for 4 weeks

[Dontworrybehappynow]

Hi,

I also suffer from health anxiety of having MS or ALS. It constantly floods my brain because I have such bad anxiety. I have overall general muscle weakness (I think) it just feels like I do haha. Also my legs burn for a second after I walk up a small flight of stairs. I’m not sure if this happens to other people too or what. I just wish someone could tell me that I don’t have either condition.

[Mrworrymaster]

The odds are highly in your favor that you don’t.

[kborge]

Just saw this post and wanted to let you know you aren't alone. MS was my biggest fear for some of the same reasons you described. I was essentially "abandoned" as a kid and the moment my daughter was born, I had a complete mental breakdown due to a bunch of unresolved issues stemming from my childhood. To sum up rather quickly, I had a horrible fear that I would end up like my bio mom and dad, essentially "abandoning" my daughter. Now, in no way, shape or form was that remotely true in any logical way...but nonetheless, it consumed me to almost insanity. Fast forward a few years and I want under a crazy amount of stress with actual health problems, business issues and a ton of financial issues. It was a horrible fucking time for 5-6 months, completely horrible. During this time I convinced myself I had MS or Parkison's. Looking back as to why I was lead to that...well because, it kinda fulfilled me "abandoning" my daughter. I'm not religious in any way, so I'm only using this has a metaphor...but fear is the fucking devil. Don't let fear control you...because you will loose that battle...hope you are doing better my friend!