Generalized Anxiety, Worries about Health

[Jreader]

Hi, All

I am new to this but I needed an outlet. I went to therapy a few times some years back, stopped going because of price but she diagnosed me with GAD. For years, (and now still) I got horrible pains in my chest. I am 31 now and have been to every doc known to man, Cardio the works. Nothing wrong with my heart, yet at least once a day I felt like i was going to just keel over. I realize this is from GAD but it is so hard to deal with sometimes. I am a dad, with a 1 year old and 2 year old. My job is also pretty stressful and this year in Feb, we went through a lot of layoffs and that was something I didn't deal with very well. I made it out luckily, but the stress of what went down was a lot to deal with. Anyway, for the past year, I've been having a lot of IBS type symptoms, mainly with D. Tried a lot of pro biotics, imodium etc. They work sometimes but I did the stupid thing and googled symptoms. Everything I read says cancer, cancer, cancer. Change in bowel habits? Cancer. Of course, I obsess about this to the point it makes me want to cry because I am terrified something bad is wrong with me and that my kids won't have their daddy anymore. It is probably irrational but I try to google things to make myself feel better and all I see is CANCER CANCER CANCER. I can't sleep, my stomach is a wreck, I made an appointment with a GI doc, which I have been avoiding because I'm scared to do the testing. My wife lost her dad a few years ago to cancer and I lost my dad at 17 to heart issues. I have just been so worried about my health and something being wrong on top of having GAD, I feel like I"m going nuts. Does anyone have any advice on this?

[gypsylee]

Hi and welcome :)

I don't really get health anxiety (I smoke a pack a day so I can't be that worried) but if I Google symptoms even I think I've got cancer. So my first rule is never use Dr Google.

My brother died at 33yo (2014) from a heroin overdose. He had a 3yo and one on the way. He wasn't a "junkie" and was actually way more health conscious than I am and used to say things like "I don't know how you can smoke". But one mistake and that was it for him. I guess my point is that when it's your time to go, it's time to go. Look at people like Iggy Pop and Keith Richards.. They've done more drugs than all of us combined and will probably outlive all of us lol. I don't want to depress you with my story - it's sad but it's also changed my perspective on things. I was actually convinced I was going to die after that as well but then I had a blood test and it was all good. I'm still here 2.5 years later and as far as I can tell I'm ok (I'm 43).

Hopefully you can learn ways to deal with your anxiety so you can enjoy the time you have with your kids :) I have a 15yo daughter so things are a bit different LOL but who knows.. I might have grandkids one day!

All the best,
Gypsy x

[Teafrenzy]

Yes, my advice is to adopt an acceptance approach. Your heart pounds, say "so what I've been through this..no big deal". or "so what, if I drop dead on the floor, I don't have to worry about anything anymore". So what. So what. so what. Ride it out and accept. When you feel ok, go a step further and playfully tap on your chest and "demand" a heart attack. Finally, go do something you enjoy and take your mind off of it.

It's counter intuitive but if you want to beat anxiety, you can't fight with it. It only makes it worse.

[Jreader]

Hi guys, thank you for the replies. It is nice to feel like I'm not alone. I know it is probably irrational and it most likely stems from losing people but it can be scary and then come the horrible obsessive unwanted thoughts. What if I am sick, what if it's this or that etc

[Xtalenr]

Jreader, you just fear of death. You search occasion for your anxiety. I don't think that you're in danger.

[Kirk]

I am now 60 and have had health anxiety since I was around 25 and maybe even earlier. The root of HA is the inability to
accept uncertainty. In the end we all need to tough it out the best that we can. I have actually had a few real health issues;
basal cell carcinoma, an esophageal ulcer, and a compression fracture of the T-11 vertebrae. Worrying is no fun, as it really
does not help anyway.

[Jreader]

Thanks for the words everyone. I went to see a GI doc today, took some blood and he's testing me for Celiac and H. Pylori. Also told me he's dealt with people like me quite a lot and that colon cancer at my age would be exceedingly rare. His kindness and knowledge really put my mind at ease and I'm really trying to move forward and stop worrying so much.

[JoeFox]

I'm not sure if this is something you can relate to. I struggled with severe HA and obsessive thoughts that were so obtrusive and persistent that it evoked a powerful primal fear that I'm grateful I haven't felt in a long time. I had done a lot of work with meditation and all kinds of present moment exercises and mindfulness which helped me manage the condition. The breakthrough for me came when I learned about Coherence Therapy and when I listened to recordings that gave me a deeper understanding of how thoughts originate etc. This changed my perception and value I assigned to certain thoughts and they disappeared within 4-6 weeks. Hope this helps.