This Health Anxiety is Drving Me INSANE! :(

[1125]

IT has gotten to bad, that google, webmd, yahoo, dogpile, and other medical sites have been blocked from my computer. I am still convinced that I have endocarditis, and I am having several panic attacks daily over it. I wish there was a workbook out there for hypochondria. Does anyone else have real bad health anxiety? Any tips on how to calm myself down without going to the ER and getting reassurance? I've tried deep breathing and meditation, but when I get so far into the panic I cant stop.

[jeremyfresno]

1125

when you have anxiety you want answers fast and you started thinking that there is so many things wrong with you and you start diagnosing yourself!! Trust me i did that all the time when i first starting getting anxiety in december/january. Im a health major and so my personal doctor told me that because of that i found myself always doing research but it wasnt good because i constantly kept freaking myself out. Trust me just stop reasearching and diagnosing yourself cause youre getting freaked out as well. Just but the computer away and just remember its just anxiety. Anxiety is horrbile but not harmful..just try to relax and not stress because that makes it 10x worse

[momof31977]

Sigh...I do the same thing! I'm convinced I have a brain tumor when I have a sinus infection, and MS when my back/neck/jaw hurt from all the tension in my body. Or whatever else I think of. I hate watching medical shows because I'll think I have something on it. It's bad with my kids too. If they have bruises on their legs they must have leukemia. If they have a cold, I'm so paranoid they'll get pneumonia or really have meningitis or something. It absolutely sucks. :/

[leetbulldog]

This is really hard to overcome! I myself as well always fear I have a brain tumor when I feel that drowsy brain fogg feeling.. when my stomach hurts I swear I have Colon cancer etc.. that does not help I come to learn.. it's my anxiety that always gets in my way.. all this week I have put so much effort into thinking its my anxiety and guess what.. I have been feeling quite well.. just today I been feeling that nasty brain fogg etc.. but I'm fighting it!! u must do the same aswell!! it's your Anxiety!!! u R FINE!!! fight it!!!!!! :)

[1125]

I know most likely it is probably just anxiety, but I always have the thought in the back of my mind of "what if I'm really sick this time, and no one will notice because I have cried wolf for so long". That frightens me. also I think I have a splinter hemorrhage on one nail and a tiny dot on another and before the websites were blocked it showed that they were a sign of endocarditis. I'm trying to fight it, but I guess my anxiety is stubborn. also, my arms and legs are killing me. :(
Strangely enough, I might have an issue with my ovaries(doc found some cysts) and that for some reason doesnt freak me out one bit. It's the random strange diseases that freak me out.

[PanicCured]

How about this, you can think, "Even if you ever had a severe medical problem, why be anxious about it? If I am gong to die, then I will still remain calm." I mean if you only had a few days to live, you would want to at least enjoy them right? Anxiety does nothing to help get you cured.

[anxiousmess]

i was actually going to post a topic up in the forum about the whole 'crying wolf' thing.
i
it doesn't matter what you're feeling ...as soon as people know you have anxiety - it's JUST anxiety.
but...how do we know it is just anxiety???

kev told me, that if i ever find myself questioning a thought - then it is anxiety.
but then i think, what if im questioning because i no longer believe myself because of this anxiety.

i just can't win! i think i'm very much in the same boat as you. so you certainly aren't alone!!

[mykids12]

I know most likely it is probably just anxiety, but I always have the thought in the back of my mind of "what if I'm really sick this time, and no one will notice because I have cried wolf for so long". That frightens me. also I think I have a splinter hemorrhage on one nail and a tiny dot on another and before the websites were blocked it showed that they were a sign of endocarditis. I'm trying to fight it, but I guess my anxiety is stubborn. also, my arms and legs are killing me. :( Strangely enough, I might have an issue with my ovaries(doc found some cysts) and that for some reason doesnt freak me out one bit. It's the random strange diseases that freak me out.

Did you ever find out what the splinter hemorrhage was from?

[gemma1788]

I feel your pain, I have the strange crazy diseases drilled into my head as well. The last few days I have learnt about the Australian bat virus that you can catch from a bat scratch. It is more or less fatal, now for some reason I am convinced that I could have got it from wiping bat droppings off my car!!! I also always believe that my vision changes are an aneurysm, my kids fevers are meningococcal, my numb fingers are a stroke. It's seriously ridiculous. How can we convince ourselves that anxiety can actually cause these symptoms!

[worriedmummy85]

I suffer from health anxiety too its draining and I also worked in the medical environment which tipped me over the edge typing referrals to consultants I was convinced I had every disease

My doctor has signed me off work because they felt I wouldn't have got better only worse So I took 2 week off and started propanolol which made me think what happens if my blood pressure drops too low, what happens if my heart goes to slow but now the tables have turned I walk really fast and I keep thinking what happens if I get my heart rate too fast and it reacts badly with the beta blockers which started me panicking outside

Anyway I have started Sertraline because I was driving myself inane I couldn't watch tv or anything I am only on day 5

I also read a post on here I can't remember who it was but they said to eliminate the possibility of it not being anxiety just say in your mind, it's just anxiety no thank you anxiety this works for me I calm down an everything goes away so try get yourself totally calm and see if its all still there

[StaceyK]

Hi 1125,

I am currently in CBT for health anxiety and outside sessions I have to work through workbook modules. If you go to http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/about/staff.cfm or just search .' Cci psychological interventions ' in google, go to workbooks section and there are 9 or 10 for health anxiety. I've worked through 3 so far and finding them helpful. Goodluck

[StaceyK]

Go to 'cci psychological interventions' on google. Once on the site, go to workbooks. There are 9 modules for Heath anxiety that I working on outwith my cb my sessions. There workbooks are pretty good. Best of luck !