Newest Hypochondira Freak Out! :(

[1125]

So my hypochondria has been horrible lately. I am really thinking about somehow blocking all medical related websites.(webmd, drugs.com, etc....) After finally rationalizing that I do not have serotonin syndrome, I have now been worrying about having endocarditis. I went on Webmd and put in the symptoms I was having and it was the first on the list so I have been freaking out about it. Granted the likelihood of me having this rare disease thing is slim, I cannot stop obsessing about it. I'm thinking I need to bring this up doing my group therapy sessions, or I need to be on a different medication. Who knows? :( I am just driving myself and others nuts with my hypochondria and it stinks! Any suggestions from others that have this?(hypochondria)

[Meche]

I understand the need, but agree it is the worst thing you can do. You will take the worst possible scenario and your brain will go into hypochondria overload! I've done it. I'm ashamed to say I did it yesterday (after weeks of staying away from it) and my Parkinsons fear is back. And guess what - my shaking and nerves went into overdrive. So you think you've definitely got it but in reality it's your anxiety working overtime. Like forwells said; I googled, I paid the price! I hate how it makes me feel. xx

[jessed03]

The hypochondria, the anxiety, it won't go hun, while you keep adding fuel to it.

When it has little to live on, it begins to shrink. Then it becomes more manageable and you can start working through it with therapy.

But right now, it's so big it's becoming out of control. Slow it down, don't give it anything to feed off of :)

[momof31977]

Hi, I'm new here...but am also a hypochondriac! Mine started 14 years ago when my dad was diagnosed with, and eventually died from, Leukemia. I started having major panic attacks after his diagnosis. I ended up in the ER many times thinking I was dying. I had heart palpitations, weakness and facial/limb numbness. I couldn't swallow or eat because of the horrible lump in my throat and acid reflux. I was shaking all the time, my neck and back hurt badly. I was convinced I had Leukemia too, or AIDS or MS. I went to therapy, was on medication (Serzone, which theyve stopped giving bc of the effect on your liver-great) for many years and had it under control for the past 8-10. Recently I had my 3rd child and am doing the stay at home mom thing for the first time. I'm also nursing for the first time. I have hours and hours to myself to stew and think about all the ailments I'm certain are plaguing me. Not a good thing! I've also had this never ending sinus infection which I've convinced myself is really a brain tumor, and have the neck and back pain again, as well as the facial numbing, so I'm also convinced I have MS. Again. It's so draining not only to me but I'm sure to my family bc when I get into the thoughts, I'm grumpy and withdrawn. I absolutely refuse to google anything at all bc I know it will make things waaaay worse. Stay away from those sites!!! I have a CT of my sinuses scheduled for the first part of April and am petrified of what they'll find. Oh another thing I do is over exaggerate anything I feel. Like if my arm is a little tired, I obsess over that arm. Or my knee hurts when I step, I notice every little sensation in my knee, convinced I have bone cancer. I hate it. What's real and what's not???

[miss_mac666]

momo, my best friends mother died from it too. and after her mom passed she started getting horrible anxiety and thinking you know she had cancer of some sort. she went to the ER almost everyday.. especislly when the swim flu outbreak came about. she thought she had it for months. she suffered for 2 years after her mom passed and ya know what she has no anxiety what so ever, no hypochondria either. she did this without ANY meds or therapy. she is by far the strongest person i know... i wish i could do that.

[anxiousmess]

So my hypochondria has been horrible lately. I am really thinking about somehow blocking all medical related websites.(webmd, drugs.com, etc....) After finally rationalizing that I do not have serotonin syndrome, I have now been worrying about having endocarditis. I went on Webmd and put in the symptoms I was having and it was the first on the list so I have been freaking out about it. Granted the likelihood of me having this rare disease thing is slim, I cannot stop obsessing about it. I'm thinking I need to bring this up doing my group therapy sessions, or I need to be on a different medication. Who knows? :( I am just driving myself and others nuts with my hypochondria and it stinks! Any suggestions from others that have this?(hypochondria)

the main thing here is that you recognise that this is 'hypochondria' kind of stuff! i definitely think you should block all of those websites! (trust me, i know how hard it will be! i also find that as soon as i stop believing i have one thing, suddenly another thing pops up! i suppose that is just part of it isn't it?
if you have just started these meds, then give them a bit time.
as for your group therapy, use that in whatever way you can! definitely talk about this with them :) it will do you good!
and also, if you are worrying about doing others heads in with all of this. then use this foum, for any little thing that is bothering you. just get it out.

i have cut down on talking about all of this with people around me(still do - just not as much). it's helped me not focus on it so much throughout the day.
i find when my partner engages in conversation with me, and starts bouncing ideas back and forth about it - it tends to make me believe what i am saying even more. if i'm not talking about it - i am not feeding it. therefore, it has no choice but to sod off! :)

[1125]

As stupid as this sounds.... It's like I can't accept the fact that the rash on my hands and feet is Dyshidrotic dermatitis.(that is what the Dr. said) I'm just terrified it might be something else, and then it'll hurt me and I'll die.(very irrational thinking; I know...) I understand that I need to stop googling, but it's definitely easier said than done, but I am trying. I'm not quite sure how to block medical sites from my computer, but I'll figure it out somehow.