HEALTH ANXIETY EXPOSED - Living With Risk

[Dahila]

I thought I posted here........ fantastic story Hannah)

[petrified]

Haha thanks everyone I'm hoping I can keep this attitude up :-)

[Fen667]

This might well be the greatest thing on the internet right now. Some wonderful stories and advice here. Huge respect to 14.
I can relate to, pretty much, everything on here....I just don't have a husband.
Been struggling myself lately.....headaches, eye twitch, heavy sinuses, numb fingers, tight chest, etc, etc.
Done all the doctor stuff......bloods and ecg all fine. Opticion....all fine...apart from my lazy eye...had that since childhoood so no worries.....until i start worrying about the pain behind it.
It's incredible what anxiety can do to us. Convincing ourselves that the worse is about to, or will, happen. I've battled depression since childhood but the anxiety and panic attacks didn't start until around 2 years ago.
I've probably let my head take over too much lately and concerned myself with other peoples problems too much. Once those problems settle my brain decides to say 'Boo!' again!! Today I'm probably going to have.... a stroke, heart attack, brain hemorrhage, etc.......I kinda know I won't but that doesn't stop the worry sometimes. This damn pollen count doesn't help either!! Time to regroup and build some calm......
Been on these forums a few weeks and they're a great source of inspiration and full of fine folk. Sharing advice and issues is such a wonderful thing and to know that there's people feeling the same things is a great help.
Anyway, I'ver rambled on enough now....I really should get back to work.
Thanks for this thread.
Stay safe out there

[Fourteen14]

The following Anxiety app (SAM), Self help workbooks and CBT Audio apps, are ALL FREE, created by, for or recommended by a variety of NHS trusts. I am really hoping (as they are UK web apps that everyone outside of the UK are able to access them also).

I will briefly explain each one followed by the link, (again they are all free of charge, with no advertisements (not from the UK anyway). I really hope some of you benefit from them.


S.A.M. (Self-help for Anxiety Management)

(iPhone/iPad) and google play apps.

This app was developed by the University of West England for the NHS.

It has several very useful features including an "Anxiety Tracker", if you tap on the "how's my anxiety right now" button you can use a sliding scale to detail on a scale of low to high how your thoughts, fears etc are. If updated regularly it will give you a basic analysis and patterns of your anxiety levels throughout the day/week. This will allow you to gain a better idea of tackling peak periods before they happen.

Other features include a photo gallery where you can slowly make pictures clear by slowing rubbing the screen (to distract and calm). There are also areas where you can write down thoughts and fears. (I haven't tried the social features) but certainly there is plenty already on the app many may find useful (including a toolkit feature).

The link to download the app is here

http://apps.nhs.uk/app/sam-self-help...ty-management/


Self Help Guides/workbooks. (Downloadable as either iPhone/iPad app) or PDF/Audio book.

Here you have the choice of 24 NHS approved workbooks covering a range of topics including;

* HEALTH ANXIETY
* GENERALISED ANXIETY
* SOCIAL ANXIETY, SHYNESS AND PHOBIA
* DEPRESSION
* ADDICTION
* SELF HARM

Plus many more, all are FREE

The link is here (just double click/tap on the PDF you want or download the app.

http://www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic/selfhelp/


NHS - DON'T PANIC - CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) Audio iTunes App

This app (iTunes only) has 6 free short CBT audios covering the following topics.

* DEALING WITH WORRY
* DEALING WITH PANIC
* DEALING WITH STRESS
* SOCIAL ANXIETY
* NEGATIVE THINKING (this is a key one for health anxiety)
* DEALING WITH ANGER

The direct link is here.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dont...844034297?mt=8



There is a lot of information to get through, all of them working together (CBT Audio, workbook and tracking and analysing Anxiety). Perhaps take it a bit at a time and keep coming back to pieces of information you feel are relevant to you.

I truly hope you find it of some use.


Please feel free to use the thread to get things off your chest if you wish.

Best Wishes

Fourteen14

Re posting the self help post, for anyone new to the forum.

[Dahila]

Good Idea 14.....

[petrified]

Hi fourteen I have the SAM app on my phone and I find it very helpful. Thanks for telling me about it :-)
I try to remember to track my anxiety on there and the little forum on there is quite good.

I agree with dahlia it's a fab idea to repost :-)

[Fourteen14]

I am really pleased you are finding the app useful.

If you build up a good months worth of data, you can begin to stay a step ahead of the anxiety (almost putting you a little more in the driving seat).

If you know roughly what time of day your worst triggers are, you can opt to push yourself to do something totally distracting.

[JohnC]

Dam, i got to get one of those fancy phones. I still have a flip phone............................................O H STOP LAUGHING, true though.

[needtogetwell]

John,

Don't feel bad about the flip phone. My husband is in his early 50's and you can't pry the flip phone out of his hand. I've tried to get him an iphone but he wants nothing to do with it.

I think the flip phone reminds him of his hero (Captain Kirk ) from the original Star Trek, he thinks every time he opens the phone he's flipping open a communicator. He even made me install the sounds to match. Don't know what I'm going to do when he breaks this one from flipping it open so much. Lol finding new flip phones is getting tough.

Cheers!
Pam

[JohnC]

LOL, Made me smile in the morning ( very rare occurrence for me ).