health anxiety is thru the roof!

[sweetdaytx]

In the past week I have diagnosed myself with a brain tumor, Parkinsons, MS and tonight its ALS Thanks to my Facebook feed. I have a 4 month old baby girl and I am terrified of missing out on her life and on a life with my husband. I've been feeling dizzy /off balance for about a week but I have low iron and have started taking my vitamins again. But in the back of my mind its actually something terrible... my eye started twitching yesterday so it must be something in my nervous system. My cramps in my pelvic area must be ovarian cancer. Etc....

My husband is getting frustrated because he doesn't understand and thinks I'm being ridiculous. I know I am. .. But it feels so real that I'm making myself sick with fear.

Anyone dealing with this or these types of symptoms? ? I guess I'm just venting. ..Just so terrified!

[AnxiousPsychGrad]

Every. Single. Symptom.
When my anxiety got really bad last October, I had EVERYTHING you had, and then some. Constantly convinced of brain tumor/aneurysm. I took pictures of my eyes because I was absolutely certain one was drooping. Went to optometrist and neurologist, had an MRI done and other eye tests. Everything was normal. Next up was OBGYN appointment. Pap came back normal. I do suffer with cysts (I have since I was 19--26 now) and that causes a lot of pain. Now that I've ruled all of those out, I'm convinced of a blood clot. I take constant pictures of my legs because I'm SURE one of them is more swollen then the other. I ask my boyfriend and family constantly if they can see the difference. I've had numerous blood tests, numerous EKGs, an ECG, numerous chest X-Rays, and four ultrasounds on my calves in the last 7 months..... Nothing.

It's mind boggling and sometimes incomprehensible that our mind is being this cruel to us. Once we get to the point of understanding, I am sure we will laugh at how silly it all seemed at the time. You are not alone. Know that. I hope you find peace and comfort soon.

P.S. My boyfriend and I have started to read Anxious In Love by Carolyn Daitch & Lissah Lorberbaum. He, like your husband, has a VERY hard time understanding why I just can't "get over it". He's very patient with me, though, and as we read this book he understanding is growing and so is our relationship. :)

[hugo_v]

I feel your pain...

I work as a medical professional, so I'm kinda confronted to illness during most of my weekdays. I could really relate to what you're going trough...

I passed numerous test to rule out : HIV, Brain tumor (I was sooo dizzy and having so much brain fog), tinnitus, MS, etc. (not a fun time in my life).

I think it's therapeutic to rule these things out, so that you know that you're fine (which is 99,9999% the case). What's important is to move on and take action to relieve yourself of anxiety symptoms, so that you could start living your life anxiety free.

[moongirl]

Hi, I understand what you mean. I am terrible for diagnosing my "symptoms." So far I've had a brain tumour, cancer of various types, kidney infection and been having a heart attack on many occasions. Like you, I too have a daughter and I am terrified of not being around to see her grown up. The amount of times I've laid awake at night worrying. It's so horrible and you only end up making your "symptoms" worse by worrying. I try my best to stay away from google but sometimes I can't help myself!

[Im-Suffering]

I want each of you to ask yourself:

"Why am I so afraid that I might be stricken with a disease?"

And answer it here.

Really feel it, feel your self in possession of a disease you have been thinking about. Live with it in your imagination. Live with all of them at once if you are afraid of multiple illnesses. Take them all on at once, and while you are feeling them,when you are in the feeling, ask again:

What are you telling me, what do I need to know, why am I so afraid of you?"

If you receive the answer "because I might die" that is not what your looking for, keep digging.

That's all for now, see what you come up with. Hint: if there is an emotion attached to your answer, and you cry, don't sidetrack keep digging into it, the emotion will let you know your on the right track.

You may start with "because I may die" but the ending answer will be completely different, so much so, you cannot intellectually comprehend it now beforehand.

See you back here.

[JohnC]

Good one, i did not post here but i am going to give that some thought myself and see what i come up with. ( you know how bad my health anxiety is ).

[Joe.]

I'll give this a go. Why not.


Tomorrow I will dive deep, essay style
I want each of you to ask yourself:

"Why am I so afraid that I might be stricken with a disease?"

And answer it here.

Really feel it, feel your self in possession of a disease you have been thinking about. Live with it in your imagination. Live with all of them at once if you are afraid of multiple illnesses. Take them all on at once, and while you are feeling them,when you are in the feeling, ask again:

What are you telling me, what do I need to know, why am I so afraid of you?"

If you receive the answer "because I might die" that is not what your looking for, keep digging.

That's all for now, see what you come up with. Hint: if there is an emotion attached to your answer, and you cry, don't sidetrack keep digging into it, the emotion will let you know your on the right track.

You may start with "because I may die" but the ending answer will be completely different, so much so, you cannot intellectually comprehend it now beforehand.

See you back here.

[Joe.]

I advise copying what you wrote there onto a new thread
I want each of you to ask yourself:

"Why am I so afraid that I might be stricken with a disease?"

And answer it here.

Really feel it, feel your self in possession of a disease you have been thinking about. Live with it in your imagination. Live with all of them at once if you are afraid of multiple illnesses. Take them all on at once, and while you are feeling them,when you are in the feeling, ask again:

What are you telling me, what do I need to know, why am I so afraid of you?"

If you receive the answer "because I might die" that is not what your looking for, keep digging.

That's all for now, see what you come up with. Hint: if there is an emotion attached to your answer, and you cry, don't sidetrack keep digging into it, the emotion will let you know your on the right track.

You may start with "because I may die" but the ending answer will be completely different, so much so, you cannot intellectually comprehend it now beforehand.

See you back here.

[Im-Suffering]

Good one, i did not post here but i am going to give that some thought myself and see what i come up with. ( you know how bad my health anxiety is ).


Feel it john, don't reason it, or talk to yourself about it rationally. Really feel it, and let the emotions flow. Don't let the cry or the feeling sidetrack you if that's what happens. Just allow whatever comes up. The true answer is hidden in protective layers of emotions that you have built around the core problem like a fortress.

Feel, don't think. Back later.

[Im-Suffering]

I advise copying what you wrote there onto a new thread

You can do that Joe, if you like.

[Olive Yew]

It has been months since i've had a full blown panic attack (hence why i hardly ever come on here anymore) but i've been having off and on numbness and tingling in my left hand and foot. I started off CONVINCED that it was MS. I managed to talk myself out of panicking all the time and have generally convinced myself that it's just the hypochondria but i always have that little part of my brain going "yo idiot, it's MS, DO something about it!"

It sucks because I know it's hypochondria. I'm HEALTHY. I'm FINE. But my brain's a moron. FUCK you MoonMoon! (To anyone who still remembers that I named my anxiety MoonMoon)

I'm right there with y'all. My "MS" symptoms include:
Muscle twitching
Numbness
Tingling
Burning sensations
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Heart stutters
Eye floaters
Off and on blurriness in one eye

So i'm trying to convince myself it's not MS just as much as you all.

[Im-Suffering]

It has been months since i've had a full blown panic attack (hence why i hardly ever come on here anymore) but i've been having off and on numbness and tingling in my left hand and foot. I started off CONVINCED that it was MS. I managed to talk myself out of panicking all the time and have generally convinced myself that it's just the hypochondria but i always have that little part of my brain going "yo idiot, it's MS, DO something about it!"

It sucks because I know it's hypochondria. I'm HEALTHY. I'm FINE. But my brain's a moron. FUCK you MoonMoon! (To anyone who still remembers that I named my anxiety MoonMoon)

I'm right there with y'all. My "MS" symptoms include:
Muscle twitching
Numbness
Tingling
Burning sensations
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Heart stutters
Eye floaters
Off and on blurriness in one eye

So i'm trying to convince myself it's not MS just as much as you all.

If it was MS, what then? What scares you about it? It cannot be the symptoms because you already have them.

[Olive Yew]

If it was MS, what then? What scares you about it? It cannot be the symptoms because you already have them.

It ruining my life. Ending up in a wheel chair trapped within my own body. I'm scared of the pitying stares and of lost love. I'm scared of losing my ability to run and hike and be... ME

[Im-Suffering]

It ruining my life. Ending up in a wheel chair trapped within my own body. I'm scared of the pitying stares and of lost love. I'm scared of losing my ability to run and hike and be... ME

Then feel what that would be like. What does that wheelchair feel like, trapped and immobile. What does it feel like to be unlovable, grow old alone never feeling real love of a soulmate. What does it feel like from the chair to know they pity you, that all eyes are on you, hopeless and helpless. What does it feel like to know you can never run free again, to play to frolic and enjoy your body. What would it feel like to lose yourself, depressed and alone.

Really feel it, not with your mind, but with your emotions, your imagination. Feel each one, feel them all, close your eyes and picture your worst fears, let yourself cry as the little girl who feels abandoned tells her story. So alone, she makes up children's games for attention.but she didn't mean for it to go this far. She just wanted a little love.

Go deeper, why did the little girl in you feel so unloved? What happened, keep digging, keep asking, keep feeling until the pain peaks, and at that peak, you will take her hand a leap in faith into the unknown. You will tell her it will be alright. Everything is just as it should be as she replays stories of hurt and pain. Listen to her, she never had a voice. And at the peak of pain you will help her release, popping balloons of discontent until there are no more tears, and the once unbearable feelings now hold no emotions.

Go deeper, an yet deeper into her story. In the end she will no longer need the imagined illnesses, the made up children's games, for you will reunite together tackling whatever life may bring. Neither of you need go it alone, tell her you love her, for she is you.

Now I am not going to end your story, you will discover it for yourself.

I'll be back. Congratulations you are on your way to discovering your fears of ill health have nothing to do with health at all.

[sweetdaytx]

Hi, I understand what you mean. I am terrible for diagnosing my "symptoms." So far I've had a brain tumour, cancer of various types, kidney infection and been having a heart attack on many occasions. Like you, I too have a daughter and I am terrified of not being around to see her grown up. The amount of times I've laid awake at night worrying. It's so horrible and you only end up making your "symptoms" worse by worrying. I try my best to stay away from google but sometimes I can't help myself!

I know..I usually am so good about NOT googling. But what set me off this time was hearing a tragic story of a mother who was diagnosed with something shortly after the birth of her child. She passed away about a year later. That was all it took for my fear to come back full blown panicmode and that was a week ago. Since then I have had the worst time.

I hope you get relief soon!

[sweetdaytx]

It has been months since i've had a full blown panic attack (hence why i hardly ever come on here anymore) but i've been having off and on numbness and tingling in my left hand and foot. I started off CONVINCED that it was MS. I managed to talk myself out of panicking all the time and have generally convinced myself that it's just the hypochondria but i always have that little part of my brain going "yo idiot, it's MS, DO something about it!"

It sucks because I know it's hypochondria. I'm HEALTHY. I'm FINE. But my brain's a moron. FUCK you MoonMoon! (To anyone who still remembers that I named my anxiety MoonMoon)

I'm right there with y'all. My "MS" symptoms include:
Muscle twitching
Numbness
Tingling
Burning sensations
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Heart stutters
Eye floaters
Off and on blurriness in one eye

So i'm trying to convince myself it's not MS just as much as you all.

It had been almost a year for me. I have GAD so I'm always in worry mode...what if this, what if that. But it's usually manageable. But as fall approaches it ALWAYS gets worse..and right now it's taking everything I have to get thru the nights. Night time is always the worst for me.

I'm going to see my dr. Tomorrow and I'm hoping for a [tiny] bit of peace.

[sweetdaytx]

I want each of you to ask yourself:

"Why am I so afraid that I might be stricken with a disease?"

And answer it here.

Really feel it, feel your self in possession of a disease you have been thinking about. Live with it in your imagination. Live with all of them at once if you are afraid of multiple illnesses. Take them all on at once, and while you are feeling them,when you are in the feeling, ask again:

What are you telling me, what do I need to know, why am I so afraid of you?"

If you receive the answer "because I might die" that is not what your looking for, keep digging.

That's all for now, see what you come up with. Hint: if there is an emotion attached to your answer, and you cry, don't sidetrack keep digging into it, the emotion will let you know your on the right track.

You may start with "because I may die" but the ending answer will be completely different, so much so, you cannot intellectually comprehend it now beforehand.

See you back here.

I fear the death part. But I was telling my husband yesterday that I think what I fear most is that I'll never have peace. If I don't have peace in life how will I have it in death?

Just typing that makes me sick to my stomach. I have NO peace.

[JohnC]

I feel that it is fear. Fear of leaving my family, Fear of what's really after death, fear of what will happen to my children if i am not there. Fear of a long sickly painful death. Yes i think that it is FEAR that bothers me.

[Im-Suffering]

It is not enough to discover the fears, but to eliminate them. I gave this exercise a few posts up, you can substitute her concerns for your own, replace "wheelchair" with "long sickly death" or "no peace" whatever it may me. You've got to do the work, it's not hard work. Would you get a new job, and show up, but sit and do nothing? Soon you'd be without a job and back at square one. And it's the same with fears and problems, you'll spin in circles if you do not work them out.

Here's the exercise, continue at it, because you have just broken the surface, the real fears are blanketed and secured, they must be breached by emotions and feelings.(john, sweetdaytx), and whoever is reading this.-


"Then feel what that would be like. What does that wheelchair feel like, trapped and immobile. What does it feel like to be unlovable, grow old alone never feeling real love of a soulmate. What does it feel like from the chair to know they pity you, that all eyes are on you, hopeless and helpless. What does it feel like to know you can never run free again, to play to frolic and enjoy your body. What would it feel like to lose yourself, depressed and alone.

Really feel it, not with your mind, but with your emotions, your imagination. Feel each one, feel them all, close your eyes and picture your worst fears, let yourself cry as the little girl who feels abandoned tells her story. So alone, she makes up children's games for attention.but she didn't mean for it to go this far. She just wanted a little love.

Go deeper, why did the little girl in you feel so unloved? What happened, keep digging, keep asking, keep feeling until the pain peaks, and at that peak, you will take her hand a leap in faith into the unknown. You will tell her it will be alright. Everything is just as it should be as she replays stories of hurt and pain. Listen to her, she never had a voice. And at the peak of pain you will help her release, popping balloons of discontent until there are no more tears, and the once unbearable feelings now hold no emotions.

Go deeper, an yet deeper into her story. In the end she will no longer need the imagined illnesses, the made up children's games, for you will reunite together tackling whatever life may bring. Neither of you need go it alone, tell her you love her, for she is you.

Now I am not going to end your story, you will discover it for yourself.

I'll be back. Congratulations you are on your way to discovering your fears of ill health have little to do with health at all, but a combination of many things mixed together."

Adjust the exercise and include your issues, the goal is to come out of it with the opposite beliefs as those you went in with by discovering the truth about the false beliefs you have been harboring. By changing the beliefs the emotional attachment will sever, leaving neutral feelings where there once was fear. You can ask yourself "how do I feel about this or that now" if it still garners a reaction, then go back in, you didn't reach the core belief.

You should feel good, period. Whatever doesn't make you feel good is not a genuine concern or a fact about life, but simply a false assumption or idea, or a problem the psyche has not looked at for its own reasons.

By analogy, if you go into battle and eradicate the enemy, you will walk out secure and safe and feel differently than if you left some enemies there and they are still chasing you. You would need to go back in and keep fighting, or continue to be pursued and afraid.

[moongirl]

I know..I usually am so good about NOT googling. But what set me off this time was hearing a tragic story of a mother who was diagnosed with something shortly after the birth of her child. She passed away about a year later. That was all it took for my fear to come back full blown panicmode and that was a week ago. Since then I have had the worst time.

I hope you get relief soon!

I'm the same. I kept reading stories about young mums who had cervical cancer and died but they had not been able to be tested as pap tests here are for 25+ but then when I finally got my invite once I turned 25, I put off going because I was so scared that they'd find something bad and I would rather just not know. Then I started having symptoms of cervical cancer and it made me panic so I went for the test convinced that I had it and I was going to die. I imagined my little girl growing up without me, what chemo would be like, all sorts of things. A week later I got a letter saying the tests were all clear. Then suddenly my symptoms just disappeared. It's difficult sometimes because I don't know how to distinguish these phantom symptoms brought on by my anxiety and actual real symptoms!

[kio]

Hi, I've been having the same sort of problems to you.
I've had pelvic pains too, and feared the worst, such as ovarian problems. I've practically 'had' everything over the past year, because every little thing to me is something bad. Google definitely makes it worse - I know someone who said not to trust google, because any symptom you type is either something serious or you're pregnant! I find it hard to do though - I often google things for comfort that its fine, but it usually makes me feel worse. Try not to think about it, though, because your mind is extremely powerful - it can actually cause physical pain. I remember feeling pelvic pain, and a week or so later saying 'how is it down there? is there any pain?' Than boom. I had a really bad pain in my pelvis within a couple minutes, which caused greater anxiety, but I later realized that I had practically caused it to happen. I tested it, once. I sat down and said to myself 'my hand really hurts' and I focused on this, and I actually 'felt' a slight pain in my hand. So, now I've tried to forget I had any pain there, and (touch wood) I haven't felt it since............

Best wishes, and I hope you feel fine.

[Joe.]

I have found that my anxiety stems from the need for clarity in my life. My philosophy is always with such emphasis on clarity, my daily routine is based on clarity; so nothing being confused, everything understood, in control. When I bridge the gap between my mind and the reality my eyes allow me to see, all will be cured. I feared/fear health problems as this is a change for me within me, and something I think I can't control, which could be unclear.
I'm thinking this is the core belief, right?
I want each of you to ask yourself:

"Why am I so afraid that I might be stricken with a disease?"

And answer it here.

Really feel it, feel your self in possession of a disease you have been thinking about. Live with it in your imagination. Live with all of them at once if you are afraid of multiple illnesses. Take them all on at once, and while you are feeling them,when you are in the feeling, ask again:

What are you telling me, what do I need to know, why am I so afraid of you?"

If you receive the answer "because I might die" that is not what your looking for, keep digging.

That's all for now, see what you come up with. Hint: if there is an emotion attached to your answer, and you cry, don't sidetrack keep digging into it, the emotion will let you know your on the right track.

You may start with "because I may die" but the ending answer will be completely different, so much so, you cannot intellectually comprehend it now beforehand.

See you back here.

[Im-Suffering]

I have found that my anxiety stems from the need for clarity in my life. My philosophy is always with such emphasis on clarity, my daily routine is based on clarity; so nothing being confused, everything understood, in control. When I bridge the gap between my mind and the reality my eyes allow me to see, all will be cured. I feared/fear health problems as this is a change for me within me, and something I think I can't control, which could be unclear.
I'm thinking this is the core belief, right?

For you Joe,

You've got to keep digging, going deeper, further, and when you hit the dead end, that will be the core belief. Changing some surface beliefs however will reach the core and have an effect across the board. So you can work on the easily recognizable ones.

By picturing health, and of course believing it's possible, you will be relatively healthy, now things may pop in here and there, but will be recognized from an overall healthy perspective, and a general sense of well being. That does not mean you will never get sick, but your outlook will be positive regardless, and thus less chance for chronic problems.

Sickness or illness is a false belief in itself, and that may be hard to understand. In greater terms there is no illness. A virus itself does not believe itself destructive or 'sick' if you understand. A virus is expressing itself. You have millions of virus latent within you, they are activated by certain "thoughts", simply they remain in you but never reach expression. The body does not see itself as sick, and that should teach you a lesson, the body sees itself always in the optimum light, and even overrun by so called disease then is seen as a natural expression of its host. Psychologically. The body does not relate to death, it does recognize its official earth death, so to speak, but in also greater terms it knows intuitively its atomic structures will be immediately used by another organism. It actually does this continually as your cells replace themselves. Sciences recognize that, at least.

to the body, should you die, it would accept that as your decision, free will, and seen as a creative expression where you might choose another vehicle, releasing the structure of the old body to recreate itself elsewhere. Let me remind you the atoms and molecules of the body have their own agenda, and consciousness, Happy to stay with you as you desire, but also happy to go on to other creative pursuits. Each cell has a brain and is intelligent, and from just one a whole universe can be recreated. You are so used to the brain in your head, you forget your whole body is a brain, alive, and conscious.

What I am saying, is there is no death, no illness, no disease. They are only the different forms life takes through its creative expression, for the entities own and personal purpose. You recognize your official death as the end, and thus any attack on life that may bring about that ending is threatening. Of course that forces you to place value on what you do today, and not worry so much about what you will do in 300 years. You've got to face the challenges before you now, or you can't be expected to face multidimensional problems. That is for another time.

You are as dead now as you'll ever be then, and if you can get over your physical death, you can get on with living life, and ease the body woes that tell you every creek and rattle is terminal. By so doing you can think healthier, and limit your experience of chronic problems. Staying in the 'now' as it's fashionable to say, limits those negative projections into your future. Clarity in your terms then would be recognizing you are healthy now, and allowing the body to react to that, rather than disease predictions of which there is no current stimuli, confusing the body.

Most people live 80 years, remembering only the chronic battle or sick times that took a total of 3 months, for example, but forgetting the 79 health filled years, do you see? Some people on rare exception build a framework around ill health spending much of their life with physical problems, but they are in the minority and in those cases usually a very specific problem to work out that they feel can be best addressed through limitations that a disease would create. Those with deformities or without limbs are also whole and complete and "healthy" also with certain limitations given in one direction in order to place emphasis in another, it helps focus...

The one thing a man has control over is his mind. That's a good start.

This has been a good post, with good information, and how you say, "clarity".

[Joe.]

Thanks for the reply.
How do I know I've 'hit a dead end' , if this is not one now?
Your views on illness are somewhat......radical......however I do not agree with them, I am wise enough to entertain them.......why not believe it, in the moment
For you Joe,

You've got to keep digging, going deeper, further, and when you hit the dead end, that will be the core belief. Changing some surface beliefs however will reach the core and have an effect across the board. So you can work on the easily recognizable ones.

By picturing health, and of course believing it's possible, you will be relatively healthy, now things may pop in here and there, but will be recognized from an overall healthy perspective, and a general sense of well being. That does not mean you will never get sick, but your outlook will be positive regardless, and thus less chance for chronic problems.

Sickness or illness is a false belief in itself, and that may be hard to understand. In greater terms there is no illness. A virus itself does not believe itself destructive or 'sick' if you understand. A virus is expressing itself. You have millions of virus latent within you, they are activated by certain "thoughts", simply they remain in you but never reach expression. The body does not see itself as sick, and that should teach you a lesson, the body sees itself always in the optimum light, and even overrun by so called disease then is seen as a natural expression of its host. Psychologically. The body does not relate to death, it does recognize its official earth death, so to speak, but in also greater terms it knows intuitively its atomic structures will be immediately used by another organism. It actually does this continually as your cells replace themselves. Sciences recognize that, at least.

to the body, should you die, it would accept that as your decision, free will, and seen as a creative expression where you might choose another vehicle, releasing the structure of the old body to recreate itself elsewhere. Let me remind you the atoms and molecules of the body have their own agenda, and consciousness, Happy to stay with you as you desire, but also happy to go on to other creative pursuits. Each cell has a brain and is intelligent, and from just one a whole universe can be recreated. You are so used to the brain in your head, you forget your whole body is a brain, alive, and conscious.

What I am saying, is there is no death, no illness, no disease. They are only the different forms life takes through its creative expression, for the entities own and personal purpose. You recognize your official death as the end, and thus any attack on life that may bring about that ending is threatening. Of course that forces you to place value on what you do today, and not worry so much about what you will do in 300 years. You've got to face the challenges before you now, or you can't be expected to face multidimensional problems. That is for another time.

You are as dead now as you'll ever be then, and if you can get over your physical death, you can get on with living life, and ease the body woes that tell you every creek and rattle is terminal. By so doing you can think healthier, and limit your experience of chronic problems. Staying in the 'now' as it's fashionable to say, limits those negative projections into your future. Clarity in your terms then would be recognizing you are healthy now, and allowing the body to react to that, rather than disease predictions of which there is no current stimuli, confusing the body.

Most people live 80 years, remembering only the chronic battle or sick times that took a total of 3 months, for example, but forgetting the 79 health filled years, do you see? Some people on rare exception build a framework around ill health spending much of their life with physical problems, but they are in the minority and in those cases usually a very specific problem to work out that they feel can be best addressed through limitations that a disease would create. Those with deformities or without limbs are also whole and complete and "healthy" also with certain limitations given in one direction in order to place emphasis in another, it helps focus...

The one thing a man has control over is his mind. That's a good start.

This has been a good post, with good information, and how you say, "clarity".

[happylife]

I don't think that you are being ridiculous but maybe it is time to see an actual doctor. There is so much information online and it can be overwhelming and a bit overload to self-diagnose. Please get checked out by your regular physician, especially with these symptoms. Hope this helps you. :)

[Im-Suffering]

Thanks for the reply.
How do I know I've 'hit a dead end' , if this is not one now?


By your emotions. Since the belief triggers the appropriate emotional response. So the epiphany you had was probably the core.

Did you replace it? "ah, this is why I believed such and such, but now I see clearly my new belief emerge"

A belief cannot be removed without a replacement, so make sure out of the epiphany you receive a new belief. Each time you do it, you should come through excited, and energized, feeling good. If you still feel badly, then that's not the core. So your feelings are your barometer, so to speak.