Struggling with my health anxiety

[GYDA]

**Just a pre-warning for any health anxiety suffers who do well to stay off google, you probably shouldn't read this, i don't want to bring my google findings to you on here**

I feel like I'm running in circles, it's just never ending. Some of you may seen my last thread about my father in law, which has sent my health anxiety shooting up.

Had all these chest pains, went for all these tests on my heart and told myself i'd be happiest guy in the world if they come back normal. They all came back normal, but now i'm worried I have acid reflux (GERD), which sounds stupid right? Well good old me decided to google acid reflux, and it doesn't take you long to come across how it puts you at an increase risk of oesophageal cancer.

So now i'm worried i need to get back to the doctors and get it diagnosed & treated. My chest pains aren't typically burning sensation, its more stabbing pains but my most annoying symptoms is a constant mucus kind of liquid at the back of my throat, it doesn't leave an horrible taste in my mouth or anything & its a lot worse when i'm going for a run on a cold day. I've had the metalic taste in my mouth once, i thought it was blood but obviously now i know it was acid reflux coming into my mouth, but don't know if that defiantly means i've got acid reflux, people can have heartburn time to time. My chest pains don't get worse when i lay down and they dont follow any pattern of having them after meals but i know theres a good chance i could GERD because its so linked to anxiety.

Pulling my hair out all over this, i've gone from worrying i've got cancers and heart disease to now worry i've got GERD.. blaaa.

[h_rock]

Pulling my hair out all over this, i've gone from worrying i've got cancers and heart disease to now worry i've got GERD.. blaaa.

And I expect after your doctor tells you you don't have GERD you'll then think you have something else. That is exactly what health anxiety is.

You already know anxiety is what is causing it. Your symptoms are produced by your anxiety and the more you worry the worse you feel. It's a vicious cycle.

Reading online about different medical issues and matching your symptoms to them is very easily done. But you have to stop doing it.

I did it for a year or so, until I just decided to stop. I thought, if I have something, so be it, not much I can do about it. And would you believe when I stopped caring I started to feel better and since then it's not been an issue.

It's not easy to do, but you have to bring your logical thoughts to the front of your mind and push the illogical ones to the back.

Hugo

[raggamuffin]

I got no comfort from my first results from hospital after going in with chest pains and nearly collapsing from a panic attack in the A&E entrance. But all the tests came back fine and still I asked why I was still in pain. Wasn't happy with the 2nd or 3rd or even 4th ECG they did and other tests. It takes time to stop chasing physical causes for aches and pains. until you fully understand how the fight or flight response can and will cause virtually any pain in the body when it's firing off daily from anxiety you'll continue to find a physiological cause for pains that are actually caused by a mental condition. But every morning you wake up it's proof that it's just anxiety and can't kill you.

It took me over 4 years of constant pains and sensations to finally get to grips with anxiety and really reduce the pains and symptoms I experienced. Calm Clinic torrent is recommended to help you in my opinion. Also a book by Dr H Schubiner called unlearn your pain.

Ed