It said to introduce yourself so I guess I will

[DenB89]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 24 year old man who has been battling Generalized Anixety Disorder for close to a year now since being diagonsed. My anixtey is centered primarly around fears that my health is degrading. It began last year when I became convinced I had contracted gential herpes. this worry mutated into the fear that I might also have all sorts of sexually transmitted dieases, including hiv, despite only being sexually active with my girlfriend who herself had only been sexually active with her previous boyfriend, both virgins. these fears obivously seriously hampered by ability to have a healthy relationship and caused our slipting up. I have been tested for a whole slew of stds, surprise I'm totally clean. but my anixety is still eating at my perception of my health. I am currently under the fear I have oral/thorat/ bowel cancer, despite having been to the doctors numerous times to evaluate my symptoms. I constantly worry these doctors are wrong, that they have missed diagonsed me or I have left out a critical system. I am on anti-depressant now, and I'm going to see a psychiarst asap but until then I figured I would join and see what advice and expierence others can offer

[Kuma]

Hey den. Welcome. Lots here have health related anxieties, so you will find people who understand where you are coming from. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be quite helpful, and it tends to be relatively short term. You might want to ask your doctor about that. It does take some effort, and a sincere willingness to change the way you think. Also, it is best with someone who has been trained specifically in CBT, as its a different thing from traditional psychotherapy. Of course, CBT is not the only option, but it often works well. Best wishes.