Health Anxiety

[1_worried]

I am overwhelmed with anxiety. I tested for HIV back in 1996 and then again in 2003. They both came back negative. I have been with my husband since 2002 and no one else. I have suffered from anxiety over the years on and off and it recently came back again. I have been drinking heavily and recently stopped 10 days ago. I have been smoking heavily now. I went to the doctor last week and was told that I have anxiety. I have a very dry mouth all of the time and food just doesn't taste like it used to. I had the doctor check my mouth thinking I had thrush and he said my mouth looked normal. I am in constant fear that something is wrong with me and can't stop obsessing that the tests that I took didn't pick up the antibodies and that it will take years for it to show up. I am not hungry most of the time and when I do eat, it just doesn't taste good. I am trying to work on not worrying but I just can't shake it. Could my symptoms be caused by anxiety?

[1_worried]

Can anyone please provide some insight on this?

[Charmbracelet81]

It's all the thoughts of anxiety. If you got cleared by the Dr. then it's just those pesky thoughts that anxiety likes to give us. :roll:
My heart has been my main focus this whole time and I even went to the Cardiologist several times andhad state of the art tests and all were negative, but my mind was telling me, "nope, something was missed" and "ok, its negative now, but something could be developing as we speak and it's too early for them to see it!" Even the cardiologist told me I appeared to be anxious and should see a counselor. I have now been in CBT for over a year and it has helped me so much. While the thoughts sometimes get the best of me, I know they are just thoughts and I have real proof from medical professionals that nothing is wrong with me.

[ThePhoenix]

It can be really hard when we are anxious because we doubt everything! We were only talking about this the other day on here.

No sooner do we get the all clear or move on from a fear we move onto something else or convince ourselves that they missed something! If the doctors say its all good you have to take their word for it.

As a side note though, smoking and drinking wont do a thing for your anxiety accept ramp it up!

The symptoms you mention are all ones of anxiety, focus on that being the enemy!

Good luck!

[joesph]

I have felt the same way you did, when i was 17, me and my girlfriend started to having sex, she was the only person I was with and the same for her, however I insisted on getting tested it came back negative and I ahad all the same thoughts you did maybe it was wrong maybe it was too early to show in the test, so I made her get tested, it also came back negative, even then I still had a hard time believeing the test. nut like the others on this post have mentioned it was all my anxiety. it eventually passed and I moved on to some new worry