hello!

[popz]

Hi! Thought I should introduce myself. Im Poppy, 28 from northampton, suffered from anxiety for the last 9 years. All started when I worked at my local hospital and after witnessing several deaths I became abit obsessed with my own health and dying. Sounds ridiculous but I constantly think I am dying and have cancer! It has taken over my life now and im at my wits end! I had to leave my job at the nhs because of this as I couldnt take care of the patients as I was too busy obsessing with my own pulse and heart beat :-/ anyway after years of trying to get this out of my head and being perscribed different meds I was finally starting to feel a little like me again (even back to work in healthcare) until recently. Now im back to lying awake at night worring for hours and its driving me mad! Starting to feel like I shall be like this forever :-( sorry to waffel on! Iv never spoken to anyone else suffering with simular experiences so thought id give it a try! Thanks xx

[str8trippin]

Hi Poppy, and welcome! You're not alone in your health anxiety here...a lot of us have it! I can't imagine working in a hospital right now. I had to go in to have some blood work done recently and while I was there, something was going on in the ER which was right next to where I was waiting at registration, and whatever had happened sounded completely awful and terrifying and it took everything I had just to sit there and listen without letting it bother me and have my anxiety take over. A lot of my health anxieties have been alleviated by eliminating physical causes for the symptoms I'm feeling because of my anxiety...getting a clean bill of health was/is absolutely necessary for me in this process. It does feel like a road you are never going to get to the end of...I'm still making my way. And I do the same thing at night...I have a horrible time shutting my brain down at night to go to sleep and that's when the worry hits me full force. Keep working and you'll get there! This forum is an excellent place to find support.

[mid]

Welcome to this wonderful group!

[mindtides]

Hi there welcome!