Hypochondriac in Las Vegas

Hi there,

I am Katie. I just recently moved to Las Vegas NV. I am so glad I came across this forum. I suffer from illness anxiety/hypochondria. Specifically, I am afraid of cancer. I lost both my mom and dad to the disease at 52 years old and 62 years old, respectively. I developed hypochondria after I had a mild pancreatitis attack. I have had over 20 types of cancer since July 2015. Currently, I am convinced I have paranasal or sinus cancer. My husband doesn't understand my anxiety, so having people to communicate with that do will be helpful I'm sure. Also, I have a 4 year old son. I am a nutritionist/health coach by trade, and I'm feeling like if I can't keep myself together, how am I going to be able to keep encouraging and inspiring others? Anyway, thanks for listening : )

Hey Katie,

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.

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Around 59% of people have an insufficiency in, or are deficient in vitamin D.

I suggest that you check out http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Overview...+and+vitamin+D

"Scores of studies show that Vitamin D prevents many cancers and treats a few cancers
Prevention results from 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D
Prevention really depends on the level of vitamin D in the blood, and some vitamin D deficient groups need much more
Treatment needs > 8,000 IU of vitamin D
But must be careful, as vitamin D makes some Chemotherapy more potent"

View the graphics and many articles.

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Note that most doctors would regard lower levels of vitamin D as being acceptable than those recommended by Dr. John Cannell of the vitamin D council, or Professor Michael Holick, a former member, and an expert in vitamin D.

Read: "Why are doctors reluctant to accept vitamin D", at:
http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Why+are+...cept+vitamin+D and in particular:
"Would you be opposed to my getting more vitamin D", at:
http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page_id=3162

View my previous answer about vitamin D and natural health at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showth...006#post220006

An excellent one page summary about vitamin D may be found at http://www.drfranklipman.com/vitamin-d-faq/ but it lacks info on its cofactors, zinc, boron, vitamin K2, and magnesium. If supplementing, (the non preferred method, according to www.vitaminDcouncil.org ) use only vitamin D3.
My target range is now 60 ng/ml (150 nmol/lit) to 70 ng/ml (175 nmol/lit) as recommended by Drs. Gominak and Mercola. To ensure sufficient cofactors (magnesium, boron, vitamin K2, and zinc; most people get enough calcium) I also take a multivitamin, mineral, amino acids, ubiquinol, etc. supplement called Total Balance, Men's version, from xtend-life.com, although a high quality one like Suisse, would suffice, from pharmacies, or supermarkets.

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Also check out https://www.google.com.au/search?cli...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 such as:

Cancer Prevention: Top 10 Tips - Mercola
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/.../cancer-prevention.aspx
Apr 22, 2013 - Here are 10 easy ways to prevent cancer and improve your overall health.

Cancer - Causes, Prevention and Treatment | Mercola.com
cancer.mercola.com/
Read about cancer facts - common types, cancer symptoms, common causes, and how to prevent it.

Top Tips to Decrease Your Breast Cancer Risk - Mercola
articles.mercola.com/sites/.../breast-cancer-prevention-strategies.aspx
Jun 2, 2014 - According to research, you can reduce your risk of breast cancer by avoiding certain chemicals found in common products -- discover the top ...


Also check out https://www.google.com.au/search?cli...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Curcumin Benefits: How It Helps in Cancer ... - Mercola
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/.../curcumin-benefits.aspx
Mar 2, 2014 - Curcumin, a derivative of turmeric, appears to be useful in the treatment of every type of cancer.

The Spice That Can Potentially Help Your Health ... - Mercola
articles.mercola.com/sites/.../curcumin-vs-drugs-for-parkinsons.aspx
Jul 8, 2013 - Turmeric, the yellow-pigmented "curry spice" often used in Indian cuisine, contains curcumin, the polyphenol identified as its primary active ...

Discover the Many Powerful Benefits of Turmeric - YouTube
Video for turmeric; mercola▶ 9:56
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l392Zxyoto

Consider signing up for the regular free Ezine from www.mercola.com, because they are the most visited natural health website in the world. I have learned a lot, and my health and immune system have been greatly helped, but I'd disregard their advice on homeopathic remedies, as it is unscientific, and in my opinion any benefits are likely to have come from the "placebo effect".

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Note that when you perform internet searches about cancer, you are implanting in your subconscious mind that you may well be suffering from it, and it often responds by activating the limbic system, resulting in anxiety or panic attacks.

My previous post about Generalised Anxiety Disorder may be viewed at http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showth...989#post223989


Just in today is: "Raising Your Vitamin D Level to 40 ng/ml May Slash Your Cancer Risk by 67 Percent", from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...rid=1446443114

Extracts appear below, as they would exceed the allowed character limit, here.

Hi Katie:

I have been convinced that vitamin B17 is an anti cancer agent, and a remedy for cancer patients.
I read a book called World Without Cancer written by G. Edward Griffin. This book extensively discusses
vitamin B17 in general, and its anti cancer mechanism in one's body. There are other books with very similar names.
Please make sure to read this one, if you are interested in vitamin B17.

All the best,
Ali

Higher Vitamin D = Lower Cancer Risk

Previous research found that a vitamin D level of 50 ng/ml was associated with a 50 percent lower risk of breast cancer.5 Breast cancer patients with an average vitamin D level of 30 ng/ml were also twice as likely to survive compared to women with low levels (average 17 ng/ml). 6

Most recently, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that raising your serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) to 40ng/ml can slash your risk of all invasive cancers by 67 percent..7,8,9

According to study co-author Cedric Garland, Dr.P.H.: 10

"We have quantitated the ability of adequate amounts of vitamin D to prevent all types of invasive cancer combined, which had been terra incognita until publication of this paper...

These findings support an inverse association between 25(OH)D and risk of cancer, and highlight the importance for cancer prevention of achieving a vitamin D blood serum concentration above 20 ng/ml, the concentration recommended by the IOM for bone health.”

Improving Vitamin D Status is a Key Cancer Prevention Tool

By pooling data from two previous studies—one randomized trial and one cohort study; the former of which showed a 77 percent lower cancer risk for women with a vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml compared to a baseline of 28 ng/ml11—they were able to get a much larger sample size with a broader range of vitamin D levels.

This allowed them to more accurately determine the ideal vitamin D level for cancer prevention. The study included ALL invasive cancers, with the exception of skin cancer, and had a follow-up period of nearly four years.

As reported by Science Daily:12

“In the Lappe trial cohort, the median blood serum level of 25(OH)D was 30 nanograms per milliliter. In the GrassrootsHealth prospective cohort, it was higher: 48 ng/ml.

The researchers found that the age-adjusted cancer incidence was 1,020 cases per 100,000 person-years in the Lappe cohort and 722 per 100,000 person-years in the GrassrootsHealth cohort.

Cancer incidence declined with increased 25(OH)D. Women with 25(OH)D concentrations of 40 ng/ml or greater had a 67 percent lower risk of cancer than women with levels of 20 ng/ml or less...

Primary prevention of cancer, rather than expanding early detection or improving treatment, will be essential to reversing the current upward trend of cancer incidence worldwide," the researchers wrote. "This analysis suggests that improving vitamin D status is a key prevention tool."


Current Advice to Avoid Sun Exposure Seriously Endangers Your Health

Indeed, dermatologists have severely compromised the public health by fighting an irrational and dangerous war against UV exposure, be it from the sun or UV light devices. Disease statistics reveal the sun-scare campaign has really been taken too far. At present, the U.S. Surgeon General,17,18 the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and many other cancer organizations recommend complete and total sun avoidance in order to prevent skin cancer.

The AAD will not even acknowledge different recommendations based on skin type, even though it’s widely recognized that darker skinned individuals need far more UV exposure in order to produce vitamin D in their skin. Adding insult to injury, the U.S. Preventative Task Force suggests vitamin D testing is unnecessary, and both the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the American Medical Association (AMA) recommend vitamin D serum levels and vitamin D intake levels that are far below ideal based on the evidence in the medical literature.

The IOM recommends taking just 600 IUs of vitamin D a day up to age 70. But as pointed out in a 2014 paper,19 the IOM underestimates the need by a factor of 10 due to a mathematical error. This error has never been addressed. Moreover, research20 suggests it would require 9,600 IU’s of vitamin D per day to get a majority (97.5 percent) of the population to reach 40ng/ ml. Meanwhile, the AMA uses of 20ng/ml as sufficient, but as shown in the featured study, this level significantly increases your risk for cancer; 40 ng/ml is really the cutoff point for sufficiency in order to prevent a wide range of diseases.

Sun Avoidance Equals Smoking in Terms of Mortality Risk

Sun avoidance actually increases your risk of death very similar to that of smoking. That was the conclusion of a recent “competing risk” analysis by Swedish researchers, who found that while women with active sun exposure habits had a higher risk of melanoma compared to sun avoiders, they also had a lower risk of mortality from far more deadly diseases than melanoma, including cardiovascular disease.

According to the authors:21 ”Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. Compared to the highest sun exposure group, life expectancy of avoiders of sun exposure was reduced by 0.6–2.1 years.” When you look at the overall picture, it’s clear to see that we are building the perfect storm for serious negative health outcomes due to vitamin D deficiency.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...rid=1446443114


I suggest that you view the graph and read the webpage in full.

Hi Katie,
I also joined because of my hypochondria.
I have struggled off and on my whole life. This resent bout started innocently enough. I was talking with a friend about some leg pain, she said you should see a doctor something might be wrong with you jokingly. since then, I am convenced I have ALS. I have locked myself away in my room obsessing again. I look at love ones and almost cry thinking of leaving them, I am scared to walk across the floor because I am afraid I will find another symptom , I feel terrible and feel like nobody understands.

Hi Bryan:

You certainly have vitamin D3 deficiency, and probably many other mineral, and vitamin deficiencies, also.
This kind of thinking, which is probably combined with panic, points to one of the aforesaid deficiencies, specifically
vitamin D3. NOWUCCAS has provided a wealth of information on vitamin D3 at his above comments.
You, also may read my thread/story, which is about vitamin D3, at the below link.

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showth...Panic-Disorder

Best wishes,
Ali

I'm so sorry you're going through it again. And I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I am struggling right now with some shoulder pain. I woke up with severe shoulder pain a about a week ago. Now I am convinced I have Osteosarcoma. Though this time around it hasn't put me in the fetal position and crying but it is ridiculous to think that over shoulder pain. I am glad I can connect with people who struggle with this. It makes me feel like I'm not crazy. Are you still experiencing symptoms? And don't worry, I understand!!!!