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  1. #21
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    Fantastic , thank you
    ''“If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.”
    ''
    ― Rabindranath Tagore

  2. #22
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    The Brain - Part 2 Deathly Obsessions

    Deathly Obsessions


    For several years now I have successfully managed my (genetically predisposed and early years learned) anxiety. I specifically used the word "managed" as opposed to "controlled" for the simple fact that "control" or more so, a lack of it, can often be the catalyst in developing health anxiety.

    Lack of control, in the context of health anxiety is not a case of being "out of control" in the sense of bodily function, psychiatric disorder or ability to maintain a stable mood. But the sense throughout a particular point/points in life where we actually attempt to control what simply cannot be controlled, for example we cannot control when or where we will eventually die, in the vast majority of cases this will not be until old age, and will likely result from circumstances we never thought of in our earlier and healthy years (currently being wasted trying to control a future that is yet to exist).

    Like any attempt to take the reins on your life we apply a high volume of unnecessary responsibility and pressure, whether this is finding the "perfect" job, raising the "perfect" child, or finding the "perfect" partner.

    As there is no such thing as perfection, in that everything in life whether work, relationships or our health are in some way flawed. We are therefore already preparing the foundations of disappointment, frustration and ultimately the highly toxic negative thought processes that will eventually replace each happy thought we begin clinging on to.

    Like an ongoing emotional game of ping pong between the brains memory filing cabinet (Hippocampus) and the alarm system (Amygdala), with each in turn fuelling the other leading to negative habits more addictive than alcohol and harder to break than heroin.

    This last week has been an emotional roller coaster for me on a personal level, stress, work wise, stress at home, and stress in personal relationships. Like anyone feeling mentally drained, physically frustrated and emotionally vulnerable, my immune system has lowered and my susceptibility to infection raised.

    The sinuses

    Blocked, swollen, pain and numbness in my right cheekbone, pain in the right upper teeth, pain and pressure above the bridge of my nose and my right eye.

    Inner ear

    Blocked due to the above sinus pressure, causing vertigo (room spinning, feeling of sudden dropping and nausea.

    Sounds reasonable? Even to the point where I used a saline rinse and menthol vapour, which eased all of the symptoms each time I did it.

    So even more confirmation that the symptoms relate to sinusitis as a result of being run down?

    Instead, after several years of well managed anxiety, I collectively diagnosed (facial numbness, eye pressure and dizziness) as either a brain hemorrhage or tumour. To the point where I have been lifting both arms up to ensure I have full motor function on both sides of my body, and obsessively check my pupils (to ensure they are the same size) and so the heart palpitations, uncontrollable shaking, breathlessness......and so on.

    All this from sinusitis, and a blocked ear! The rest was then a stress related ping pong match inside my limbic system.


    Once obsessive thoughts take hold, rationality doesn't just simply appear out of nowhere and magically make you feel better, it has to be worked on regularly, the same way that if you are overweight, achieving defined abs doesn't simply happen from sitting on the couch. Despite giving advise on mental wellbeing on a daily basis in my real life, I often forget this must apply to myself also? I am merely a vulnerable human with imperfect health and an imperfect life, with imperfect relationships and an imperfect career.

    I cannot predict the future and I definitely cannot control it.

    So I decided to breathe, take an evening off from worrying and throw myself back into the lottery that is life.


    If you recognise any part of my personal story, I have attached a link to a (free) PDF Health Anxiety workbook (from the NHS in the UK).

    I hope someone finds it of good use

    http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypocho...%20%202010.pdf
    "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - C.G. Jung

  3. #23
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    Exclamation How to become unstuck from negative thinking.

    This short 10 minute talk highlights and condenses many of the points made within this thread so far.

    If we interpret the negative (loss) thinking within the 3 studies explained in the video, into the context of health anxiety, we basically have an insight into how having a constantly perceived negative view about our health makes it much harder to "flip" the thinking from negative (loss) to a positive (gain).

    And more importantly it takes effort and a lot of work.

    Daily gratitude in regards to health anxiety could potentially look something like this;

    Instead of "I fear I will become unwell" - we replace it with "I am grateful to be well today"

    Instead of "I fear I am going to die" - we replace it with "I am grateful to be alive today"

    Think back to the "Big C" post earlier in the thread where we looked at "flipping data"

    Each time we read a headline "1 in 4 will experience Cancer". This is replaced by "3 in 4 will NOT" (3 times more people will never experience Cancer than those who will).

    I hope you enjoy the video

    "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - C.G. Jung

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fourteen14 View Post
    Deathly Obsessions


    For several years now I have successfully managed my (genetically predisposed and early years learned) anxiety. I specifically used the word "managed" as opposed to "controlled" for the simple fact that "control" or more so, a lack of it, can often be the catalyst in developing health anxiety.

    Lack of control, in the context of health anxiety is not a case of being "out of control" in the sense of bodily function, psychiatric disorder or ability to maintain a stable mood. But the sense throughout a particular point/points in life where we actually attempt to control what simply cannot be controlled, for example we cannot control when or where we will eventually die, in the vast majority of cases this will not be until old age, and will likely result from circumstances we never thought of in our earlier and healthy years (currently being wasted trying to control a future that is yet to exist).

    Like any attempt to take the reins on your life we apply a high volume of unnecessary responsibility and pressure, whether this is finding the "perfect" job, raising the "perfect" child, or finding the "perfect" partner.

    As there is no such thing as perfection, in that everything in life whether work, relationships or our health are in some way flawed. We are therefore already preparing the foundations of disappointment, frustration and ultimately the highly toxic negative thought processes that will eventually replace each happy thought we begin clinging on to.

    Like an ongoing emotional game of ping pong between the brains memory filing cabinet (Hippocampus) and the alarm system (Amygdala), with each in turn fuelling the other leading to negative habits more addictive than alcohol and harder to break than heroin.

    This last week has been an emotional roller coaster for me on a personal level, stress, work wise, stress at home, and stress in personal relationships. Like anyone feeling mentally drained, physically frustrated and emotionally vulnerable, my immune system has lowered and my susceptibility to infection raised.

    The sinuses

    Blocked, swollen, pain and numbness in my right cheekbone, pain in the right upper teeth, pain and pressure above the bridge of my nose and my right eye.

    Inner ear

    Blocked due to the above sinus pressure, causing vertigo (room spinning, feeling of sudden dropping and nausea.

    Sounds reasonable? Even to the point where I used a saline rinse and menthol vapour, which eased all of the symptoms each time I did it.

    So even more confirmation that the symptoms relate to sinusitis as a result of being run down?

    Instead, after several years of well managed anxiety, I collectively diagnosed (facial numbness, eye pressure and dizziness) as either a brain hemorrhage or tumour. To the point where I have been lifting both arms up to ensure I have full motor function on both sides of my body, and obsessively check my pupils (to ensure they are the same size) and so the heart palpitations, uncontrollable shaking, breathlessness......and so on.

    All this from sinusitis, and a blocked ear! The rest was then a stress related ping pong match inside my limbic system.


    Once obsessive thoughts take hold, rationality doesn't just simply appear out of nowhere and magically make you feel better, it has to be worked on regularly, the same way that if you are overweight, achieving defined abs doesn't simply happen from sitting on the couch. Despite giving advise on mental wellbeing on a daily basis in my real life, I often forget this must apply to myself also? I am merely a vulnerable human with imperfect health and an imperfect life, with imperfect relationships and an imperfect career.

    I cannot predict the future and I definitely cannot control it.

    So I decided to breathe, take an evening off from worrying and throw myself back into the lottery that is life.


    If you recognise any part of my personal story, I have attached a link to a (free) PDF Health Anxiety workbook (from the NHS in the UK).

    I hope someone finds it of good use
    Dude, I am going through the exact same thing - I have in the past few days suffered from vertigo, spinning, dizzyness. I assume it's my inner ear but I can't help worrying all the same. It's so frustrating, can't go to work like this...I've been to the doctors recently for a chest infection, though, I don't want to go again.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by snowberry View Post
    Dude, I am going through the exact same thing - I have in the past few days suffered from vertigo, spinning, dizzyness. I assume it's my inner ear but I can't help worrying all the same. It's so frustrating, can't go to work like this...I've been to the doctors recently for a chest infection, though, I don't want to go again.
    hey dude, seems like youre in a lot of worry today. were those your new symptoms? how long have you been with anxiety. if i were you i would stop thinking or adding fear to my symptoms. many people is having the same sensation like that but they do not react the same as you do, the same that i used to do, or maybe sometimes haha. if you keep on worrying, your body will just stay in an alert status for a while and then, whoala! new symptoms, new fear. its been a year since my first panic attack. but, i dont know, i seemed to experience a lot already for a year! name it.. but i endured it, i dont know, maybe because i gave up since it was so strong. im just happy im still breathing. relax dude.. we cant control our lives, if we will die, we will.. like everybody.. everyone will at some point. i believe the bottom line of anxiety is that we humans were naturally afraid of dying. maybe, if we will remove that thinking, anxiety will be no more, uhm most types of anxiety. we're afraid and kept thinking of it, let it go, thinking that way would not lengthen our lives, it would not even touch it in fact we are falling deeper.

    its ok to be dizzy, very dizzy, for hours, the whole day... who cares. im alive.. i will live it. if i'll die, how will i know... im dead..

  6. #26
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    MAKING MOUNTAINS OUT OF MOLARS!

    A quick update on my previous post.

    Following a stressful couple of weeks, I experienced a mini flare up of health anxiety, sinus pain, tooth ache, vertigo and sore gums and a metallic taste in my mouth.

    I managed to narrow this down to three OBVIOUS potential outcomes.

    1. Maxi facial tumour
    2. Brain hemorrhage
    3. At the very least, multiple abscesses requiring the removal of all my upper teeth.

    Following the dental appointment this morning and 2 full sets of x-rays (I insisted on).

    I have lost 2 fillings! .......and well .....everything else is pretty healthy!


    What top tips could YOU give someone to prevent a wasted week worrying over this type of catastrophic thinking?

    Please feel free to post
    "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - C.G. Jung

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by forwells View Post
    I have to ask and i hope you don't mind . But why do you think like this ? Might help me understand . I must admit i am a little like this but it would be fleeting . Like with all my problems i have looked at different things . Lets take MS but then i see that it happens in flare ups , i don't get that so i move on to something else . Is it a habit , something you have always done ? Is there something else behind it like a feeling of needing to feel safe ?
    It's been a combination of a lot of things building up Exams, Papers, Clinical post/training applications, trying to sell my house, work, my best friend hit the skids, and (my own theory) is it's back to trying to take control of the uncontrollable , the odd occasion I am spinning more plates than I can handle, I manifest the hypochondria (it's not really bad, as in it doesn't affect work etc).

    I'm hoping people can add to the thread (there are over 700 views in 2 weeks, and only 30+ posts! I'm hoping the people reading and not posting will get something from the discussion.

    Me included
    Last edited by Fourteen14; 03-25-2014 at 02:35 PM.
    "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - C.G. Jung

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by forwells View Post
    So what your saying is stress is increasing what is already there . Would you say on a level that it is your mind looking for why it feels bad but is missing that there is stress there ?? Its a interesting thread
    Actually that's kind of true.

    I have always had underlying anxiety, just "managed" a consistent "keeping in check".

    Do you think perhaps stress kicked the door open on it?
    "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - C.G. Jung

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by forwells View Post
    100% My symptoms increase ten fold when i am stressed . You should have seen me after that doctors last night when i got thinking about it . When i was at my worse and the kids would get on my goat it would start them . I personally think that there is two problems . The anxiety which needs addressing but then the stress underlying it . There is no doubt stress increases the chemicals . I often think it is the cortisol as mine is worse in the morning and this is when this is the highest in everyone .
    Absolutely!

    I've always had what I call a "black half hour" first thing on a morning where every thought or "to do" list rushes through my mind. I learned to switch off from it and know I would feel ok by the time I had a drink and got out of the shower.

    You make me chuckle with the bio chemical answers, you remind me a lot of me, it's what originally interested me enough to switch career paths (and then they corrupted my biology focused mind with philosophy and theories)
    "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - C.G. Jung

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by forwells View Post
    Yes they did it for me for so long . But if we take every thing back to basic all will really are is a pile of chemicals . Here is another one to get you thinking . In the human body every cell is rebuild every 7 years then were do memories from years ago come from? I really do think too much
    That I cannot answer other than the possibility of transferring the memory from existing cells to new cells (like cell replication)

    There was a study done on fiat worms, they were "trained" (if you can) to follow a route in a small maze to find food. They then cut the worm in half, after one half grew back the top half , and the other the bottom half, both followed the same trail.

    They were trying to prove that memory exists in cells other than the brain .

    In some way trying to add the nerve memory theory, I.e people feeling limbs after amputations (itchy legs that aren't there).

    I clearly don't get out enough do I?
    Last edited by Fourteen14; 03-25-2014 at 04:10 PM.
    "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” - C.G. Jung

 

 

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