Hypochondriac

[bbryan0004]

Hi Everyone,
My name is Brittany by all accounts I live a great life family, friends, fulfilling job etc..
I have struggled with generalized anxiety disorder pretty much my whole life. I was rushed to the hospital several times as a child with chest pains etc...
I also suffer from hypochondria. Several years ago I had self diagnosed my self with everything from rabies, ms, schizophrenia. I over came it and had several years without innodent.
Fast forward to the now, it started innocently enough I was talking with a friend about leg pain, She told me wow see a doctor something might be wrong with you. A statement to her meant nothing, she continued with conversation as if it was nothing. My mind was reeling, what if I had a muscle wasting disease? Next thing you know one Google search later I am convenced I have AlS. Has to be couldn't be anything else! I have spend the last two days locked in my room depressed, analyzing every little symptom. I look at love ones and almost cry thinking of leaving them. I am living as if I am dying watching everyone else living life. Instead I am using Google, sitting on my bed afraid to move afraid I will find another horrible symptom. I am tired, scared and can't decide what physical symptoms are real and which ones my brain has confused. I just need to talk with someone who understands.

[Brian1992]

I understand what your going through.. I had the worst of the worst anxiety and I used to google every symptom.. And it would come out to heart attack / stroke.. My anxiety fed on that fear and the symptoms would manifest and get worse.. Google is one of the worst things you can use if you have anxiety. Me personally... Getting cleared by the doctor and them saying I have GAD helped me to rest my mind knowing it's just anxiety and I won't die of a heart attack.

I hate to reccomend drugs but I believe when your at a level where you can't function.. You need it.. I was at that level.. I found out through research ... That a bad lifestyle is the biggest cause for anxiety / depression ( They mentioned Exercise/Diet/Sleep/Time for yourself)

And at that time when panic attacks came into mylife .. My diet was complete crap (Too much sugars/fast foods/processed foods which is a great way to get anxiety according to research) also I stopped exercising due to work...(research saids lack of exercise can cause anxiety) and my sleep wasn't good... 2-6 hrs a night (Research saids this is a big cause for anxiety ) also I wasn't giving enough time to have fun.. So I wasn't de stressing myself.

So once I found medications that worked for me that took my anxiety away.. I didn't want to stay on them long so I signed up for a gym.. Got on a mostly plant diet .. And quit my night job so I could get enough sleep.. And I made more time to have fun.. And so .. 3-4 months later I got off the medications (Wellbutrin/mertazpine) and I was completely normal. Didn't have any anxiety for 4 years until recently my lifestyle got bad again (due to overworking)just like I mentioned above ^ and I'm suffering from anxiety again not as bad. But this time caffein triggered my anxiety and I know my lifestyle had a big factor in it.

I would reccomend buying Magnesium for overall stress levels but it really helps with chest pain / palpitations.
A good multivitamin
Stress b complex for stress
Get enough sun for vitamin D
And for panic attacks .. Bach rescue remedy helps incredibly.

[Bethany Mobley]

Hey Brittany I'm Bethany! I have the exact same fear. I've been worried about ALS for quite a while now so I understand how scary it can be. Apparently ALS is a very common fear within hypochondriacs and anxiety sufferers. A lot of scary symptoms you may believe you have from ALS are actually anxiety symptoms, and the problem with looking up symptoms of serious diseases is that they can often be so vague that your mind can trick you into believing you have those symptoms. I always have to remind myself that ALS is an extremely rare disease, apparently EXTREMELY EXTREMELY rare disease, and I'm a 19 year old female and this disease mainly affects older men 50+ so it's even more rare for me and you (I assume you're female not sure of your age). The best thing to do is to STOP going onto anything related to ALS even if you are looking for reassurance, your mind will retrain itself and you'll start noticing new symptoms. One thing that helps me whenever I get scared of ALS is remember of all the things I've been afraid of in the past. I remember one time I called an ambulance because I thought I was having a heart attack. I remember being super scared during my episode, but I look back on it as silly and in a way funny. This also applies to my cancer scares and then I realize that I've overreacted. So one day I will look back on my ALS scare and think back on how silly I was and how crazy I must have seen even though I'm terrified today. This is probably just random jumbling but I hope it does help you in some way and I hope you get well soon. :)

[Nowuccas]

Hey Bethany,

When you perform internet searches about your symptoms and possible causes, you are implanting a suggestion in your subconscious mind that you may well be suffering from it, so your limbic system is activated, resulting in anxiety or panic attacks.

A previous post about health anxiety follows:

Ask yourself exactly what evidence there is to support the idea that you may have such a disease, or is it just a baseless fear? What if you did have it. How would you cope? What then? Work it all out on paper. It's important to regularly monitor, and deal with a negative internal monologue (self talk), or mental process, such as disturbing thoughts, images, impulses, or emotions, by the process of (a): recognising it, and (b): challenging it immediately. Technique For Re-Programming Negative Thoughts: When you notice something negative, such as: "I can't do this/ am never going to get over this!" or: "Why am I always so useless/such a loser?" or even an image, emotion, or a memory; recognise that it is being generated from the negative part of your mind. After identifying, and labelling it, visualise a large, red, flashing, "STOP!" sign, and/or possibly a stern faced person wagging an index finger at you in a negative manner, then say to yourself as forcefully as you can, even aloud in a big voice, if alone: "I know this tactic: GO AWAY FOR A WHILE !!!" You may want to use either: "ruse", "ploy", "game", or "trick". In the case of an image, visualise a large "STOP" sign, or your preferred version. Some people go so far as to keep a wide rubber band in their pocket, then put it around their wrist, when they catch themselves backsliding, stretch and release it, as a method of reprogramming their mind sooner, but I don't regard it as being strictly necessary. Remember to remove it, afterwards, if you use this method.

Try replacing a negative thought with a positive affirmation of your choice, such as repeating: "I'll be just fine". Realise that by the act of viewing material about various diseases, you are implanting a suggestion in your subconscious mind that you may have it, It recognises a potential threat, and initiates the (formerly, in times long past) appropriate response; a "fight, or flight" reaction. Stop viewing such material. Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as: (free) http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-… or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody… or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or Yoga Nidra, (no flexibility required) on page L at your-mental-health.weebly.com below, and see page Z for much more about hypochondria (panic attacks, and anxiety; see pages 1, h, & i). Qi Gong, Tai Chi, or regular yoga suits others better.

Give acupressure tapping / EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. It is free via the searchbar at http://www.mercola.com "EFT" & "EFT therapists", or www.tapping.com (13 free videos) or www.emofree.com or YouTube EFT. Professionally instructed is probably best. - There is a version for use in public places at http://eft.mercola.com (you could claim to have a headache, as you employ the acupressure massage/tapping your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind: "Even though I have hypochondria, I deeply and completely accept myself." These will enable you to emotionally centre yourself, when practiced regularly, and can also help you become a calmer, more self controlled person, who is less susceptible to such beliefs.

Read: Treating Health Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach by Steven Taylor Phd and Gordon J. G. Asmundson PhD, & The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death. by Gene Weingarten, & It's Not All in Your Head: How Worrying about Your Health Could Be Making You Sick--and What You Can Do about It by Gordon J. G. Asmundson Ph.D and Steven Taylor Ph.d, from your bookstore, or Amazon.com and there are other media, such as CD's & Kindle material, via their searchbar: "hypochondria".

Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind; view http://myfavoriteinterests.com/hypnosis/ about what it is, and isn't. 85% of people are suggestible to some degree; 15% - 20% highly so, and 15% - 20% aren't much at all, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, hypnosisdownloads.com has: Overcome Hypochondria.

More about hypochondriasis may be found at http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/z.html where the above came from.

My previous post about anxiety and panic attacks; their differences and treatments may be viewed at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34482-What-can-I-do-to-feel-better-after-a-panic-attack&p=226304#post226304

Generalised Anxiety Disorder; See http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?33964-New-to-the-site-and-looking-for-help&p=223989#post223989

[bbryan0004]

Hey Bethany.
Yes I am female. 26 years old. I am in a much better place than I was at your age. You seem to be too. My biggest struggle is getting a hold of my anxiety and letting myself know I am having irrational thoughts. I am feel much better today but thinking of going to the doctor and trying out some Meds. I am ready to live my life without fear. I hope you are too.,It's just nice to talk with people who have some of my same issues. Anxiety can be so lonely.

[mr.navarro1]

Also a severe hypercondriac . And I have done the exact same things. A few suggestions: separate your paranoid thoughts from reality. Remind yourself those thoughts have nothing to do with your health. Do something you enjoy. Your anxiety has probably taken some things from you. Try to get one of them back.

My hypercondria mental illness has convinced I have a heart defect despite all the testing I have been through. I'm still trying everyday to beat it. Defeating my anxiety is pretty much my only focus right now it affects everything in my life and my decisions

[Peaches36]

Hi Brittany, I'm sorry you are going through this but I'm glad to come across this post. I felt like there was no one out there that felt that way but me. I suffer from the same thing. I have 2 small children, a husband who works 3 jobs and no family around. The minute I feel something even a twinge in my head I'm on google. I've convinced myself before I've had a brain tumor when all it was was a sinus infection amongst other self diagnosis. Right now I'm going though pain in my stomach. I've had a few ultrasounds, labs and everything has come back normal. I keep telling myself to stay off Google and the minute I see cancer my whole body gets tingly and I start to cry because thinking of my kids not having a mom scares me. I keep thinking colon cancer but I know that's not it. Until a DR tells me so I won't think otherwise. I don't know how to just think maybe it's nothing serious. I always think the worst. I try to talk to people I know about it but no one seems to understand and just says oh you're fine. I've been getting panic attacks and instead of enjoying my kids I feel so consumed by this and it's interferring with my daily life. I completely understand the whole you are living like you are dying while everyone else is living life. I just wish I could take it in stride instead of thinking the ultimate worst. I cannot get it off my mind no matter what I do. So I do understand how you are feeling and I wish I had some comforting words for you. Just know you are not alone and somehow there has to be a way to get around this. Sending you a hug!

[bbryan0004]

Peaches36,
You are describing exactly how I feel.
I have a doctor's appointment for the end of the month.
It feels so hopeless doesn't it? I can't imagine not having any family around. I would love to discuss this more with you if you can. I think we are very much alike and maybe could offer some much needed support.

[Kirk]

My internal medicine and GI physicians told me to stay off of the internet as it paints the worst possible outcome.

[bbryan0004]

My Doctor did as well. For me though it's a compulsion. I do it to make me feel better, to reassure myself that the symptoms don't match. All this does though is have me obsess on the symptoms that do match. I've been having some stomach trouble, so today I began googling female cancers. I decided that my symptoms matched the worse of the three and have spend my day obsessing, reading patient stories and planning my goodbyes to loved once. I am not in the age bracket and missing some key symptoms but I am still very upset. I have probably spend 10 hours today on Google. My friend threatened to lock my phone so I couldn't use it. I feel so scared and alone.

[Peaches36]

Peaches36,
You are describing exactly how I feel.
I have a doctor's appointment for the end of the month.
It feels so hopeless doesn't it? I can't imagine not having any family around. I would love to discuss this more with you if you can. I think we are very much alike and maybe could offer some much needed support.

bbryan0004, That's great you have a doctor's appointment. I feel like it's so hard to get appointments too. These doctors want you to wait and wait when they don't get how hard it is to wait when you are a person who suffers from this. It does feel hopeless and I don't want to feel like this forever. I had depression and anxiety in 2012. I was put on Zoloft. I gained 35lbs from it though but I felt so much better. The down side to that medicine is the weight gain and I felt numb. I was never happy or sad just there and felt blah. So I went off it in a year and felt okay until this year. I've contemplated going back on it but I finally lost 24lbs. It took me 3 years to get it off! I don't know i want to go though that again. Have you ever tried medication?

[Peaches36]

I was told the same as well. I actually deleted it from my phone and got rid of it as my homepage on the computer. It's very true and I know it will be the worst possible outcome but I think I'm looking for reassurance that it's nothing. Too bad it never ends up that way and it makes matters worse.

[bbryan0004]

I was told the same as well. I actually deleted it from my phone and got rid of it as my homepage on the computer. It's very true and I know it will be the worst possible outcome but I think I'm looking for reassurance that it's nothing. Too bad it never ends up that way and it makes matters worse.

I was prescribed Celexa several years ago, I have all ways had some form of health and anxiety, but this was the first time it was long lasting. I was suffering a lot worse then than I am now. I was young, and couldn't cope. My parents, friends, etc... Took no interest in helping me. I went to the GP she looked at me like I was nuts when I asked about cancer. I left with a prescription for Celexa. I took it a few times but was too anxious to give it time to work.,That was it.
I am going to ask the doctor for medication when I go though. I don't care what the side effects are I need to get back to a normal life. My family, friends, job wants me back as well I can't be myself right now. It's robbing them too. You have children. How do you cope with their day to day care?

[Peaches36]

I was prescribed Celexa several years ago, I have all ways had some form of health and anxiety, but this was the first time it was long lasting. I was suffering a lot worse then than I am now. I was young, and couldn't cope. My parents, friends, etc... Took no interest in helping me. I went to the GP she looked at me like I was nuts when I asked about cancer. I left with a prescription for Celexa. I took it a few times but was too anxious to give it time to work.,That was it.
I am going to ask the doctor for medication when I go though. I don't care what the side effects are I need to get back to a normal life. My family, friends, job wants me back as well I can't be myself right now. It's robbing them too. You have children. How do you cope with their day to day care?

I hope the medication helps you. Wishing you luck! I was on Zoloft and I liked it except for the side effects it had. I didn't get anxiety like this until after i had my second child 4 years ago. I went to a woman who specializes in Women's health and I have talked with her once a month since 2012. I feel that has helped a lot with everyday things. I stopped Zoloft in 2014 and was okay until about last year. I guess for me I just have put my kids first and put myself aside. I'm busy with them so it distracts me. It's at night when I'm alone that it hits me and I'm on google and can't sleep. It's like it's always there in the back of my mind no matter what I do but I try to just shove the feelings aside. I actually thought about getting a book on how to cope with having such health anxiety. I have no idea if that will help but I do not want medication. My therapist also suggested using self talk. Like say to yourself I'm fine. I'm okay. It kind of works for me but I feel silly doing that. She also said if somehting is bothering me and I've taken the appropriate steps with my Dr and all is coming back okay then to just keep reassuring myself I'm doing the right thing and if something was wrong they would know by now. I keep reminding myself with that these days because of this stomach/side pain I've had for 2 months but sometimes it gets the best of me. I have this thing where even if I've had ultrasounds or labs i always say well what if they missed something? Even a DR at times I question. It's hard but i hope I can figure out a way to overcome this or even just how to deal with things more rational. I hope you get the medication you need and it helps! Good luck!

[bbryan0004]

I hope the medication helps you. Wishing you luck! I was on Zoloft and I liked it except for the side effects it had. I didn't get anxiety like this until after i had my second child 4 years ago. I went to a woman who specializes in Women's health and I have talked with her once a month since 2012. I feel that has helped a lot with everyday things. I stopped Zoloft in 2014 and was okay until about last year. I guess for me I just have put my kids first and put myself aside. I'm busy with them so it distracts me. It's at night when I'm alone that it hits me and I'm on google and can't sleep. It's like it's always there in the back of my mind no matter what I do but I try to just shove the feelings aside. I actually thought about getting a book on how to cope with having such health anxiety. I have no idea if that will help but I do not want medication. My therapist also suggested using self talk. Like say to yourself I'm fine. I'm okay. It kind of works for me but I feel silly doing that. She also said if somehting is bothering me and I've taken the appropriate steps with my Dr and all is coming back okay then to just keep reassuring myself I'm doing the right thing and if something was wrong they would know by now. I keep reminding myself with that these days because of this stomach/side pain I've had for 2 months but sometimes it gets the best of me. I have this thing where even if I've had ultrasounds or labs i always say well what if they missed something? Even a DR at times I question. It's hard but i hope I can figure out a way to overcome this or even just how to deal with things more rational. I hope you get the medication you need and it helps! Good luck!
For me, I can't decide which symptoms are real, and which ones my brain is exaggering. We are different in the fact that I diagnose and see more and more symptoms related to the diagnosis. I am not looking for a solution to a pain. I hope you find peace of mind in your docs diagnosis. Medicine is kind of a last resort don't know what else to do.,it's really effecting my life right now.

[Peaches36]

Have you talked to someone like I do? I found it really helps. I've tried so hard to stay off Google but I end up getting right back on it.

[bbryan0004]

Have you talked to someone like I do? I found it really helps. I've tried so hard to stay off Google but I end up getting right back on it.

I am really considering it. My friend's mom is a conselor and said she could get me in with someone.

[Kirk]

I would try to talk to someone you can trust such as a family member, health professional, etc., who can
help you get your life back on track. I hope you feel better soon!

[Peaches36]

I am really considering it. My friend's mom is a conselor and said she could get me in with someone.

Oh that would be great! I hope it works out for you. Remember though it's a relationship you establish with the counselor. If you don't care for them or your personalities clash just try another one. Mine told me that. Luckily I got a good match the first time but I had helped a friend find one and mine told me that. So incase, don't give up. It was honestly the best thing I ever did. I still have anxiety but seeing her every 4 weeks or even every 2 weeks clears my mind and puts me at ease. Good luck! Keep me posted and I'm here if you need to talk :)