Health anxiety

[Mummytron]

I've suffered with this for 20 years, done the cbt and anti depressants so have a good understanding of how and why it happens. But it's something that is just a part of me and occasionally it's over wehelms me.
Just wondered what others do when in my position? Any tips on getting through a blip?

[Olivesandwine]

I don’t know Mummytron. I think anxiety in general is just a part of me.

Currently going through a HA blip here myself. Have suffered from this on and off for 30 years. I too sometimes get overwhelmed by something and it takes over my life. I have managed to keep it at bay for many years but tbh that’s probably because I have been worrying about other non health related stuff.
If I get something into my head, I find it really hard to not become obsessed with it. I want to talk about it all the time, think about it non stop and I seek reassurance but at the same time I cannot admit to anyone just how grim I am feeling. I therefore trawl the internet for information to try and make myself feel better. Reassurance seeking is apparently a big no no, but it does help me.
You will have people telling you to try and relax, excercise, distract yourself etc etc but I just can’t do it when I’m in such a state of mind. You will know all that anyway.

I’ve done cbt, telephone guided, and it didn’t help. I’ve had anti depressants in the past as well. Probably need some other sort of counselling.

Forums have been my go to place and have helped me through many episodes, especially as they are anonymous so nobody needs to know how messed up I really am.

Sorry. Not much help but you are not alone.

[Mummytron]

Hi Olives
I agree with everything you've written there and support like this on here helps. The reassurance thing is massive for me too.

[Olivesandwine]

Its true. I don't know what I'd have done without the support of people on MN over the years. It helps so much to know that you are not alone.

[ssd]

can I join? I agree with you both entirely.

am having a blip here too, coupled with a few family things I'm dealing with

feel so utterly and incredibly anxious, have started taking propanolol, 10mg one in morning and one at night, think its helping, was advised to take one or two tree times a day, am scared to take that much but the anxiety is really bad just now, not sure what to do

just feel stupid and miserable and feel I have to keep it all to myself whilst frantically looking on the internet to find anything to make me feel a bit better and less alone

[FolkestoneHypno]

Maybe you could check local and qualified hypnotherapists in your area. From experience, I've had good results with clients who had no results with CBT.
Make sure to check their credentials on the General Hypnotherapy Register or the CNHC.
Regards,
Christophe

[Olivesandwine]

Hi ssd. Its good you have got propranalol to help with your symptoms. I've heard you can just take them as and when you need them.
I can really identity with feeling stupid and miserable and keeping it to myself just how bad i am. That's me exactly. I've spent every spare minute on the internet looking for reassurance these past few weeks so you are not alone.

[ssd]

thanks Olivesandwine

its just exhausting, isn't it

I just started taking the propanolol this last few weeks and I plan on taking them up till the end of Sept when hopefully I wont need them any more, but if I do I'l keep taking them..I'm not taking the full does yet as a sort of insurance against if the s**t hits the fan I'll need all the help I can get and I'll take the full amount then.

Do you take anything that helps? I found CBT a but useless.

[ssd]

sorry dose not does

[Olivesandwine]

No I’m not taking anything. My comes and goes so I get over something, I’m ok for a while, then get stressed about something else. So I think I can handle it, but in reality I can’t.
I like the ideas behind cbt, sounds great, but I can’t engage with it.

Yes it’s bloody exhausting. I’m currently driving myself nuts with a health issue but it could easily be anything.

[Nogodsnomasters]

Hi all, I suffer from HA too, for the last 8 years. Now I have it about my son too. Also going through a bad blip, the extremes I will go to to avoid illness is unreal and so draining to maintain. Every little ache must be a disease or illness, it's shocking.

[extraketchup]

Me too. Had it 4 years since dd2 was born. I don't take anything for it, I've had cbt but every single day there is something "wrong " with me. My usual ailments are headaches (tumour), palpitations and chest pain (heart attack), breathlessness. I seem to feel every ache, twinge, tingle and itch like I'm permanently on hyper alert. Every frigging day.

[Olivesandwine]

Its quite amazing how common this problem is. You just wouldn't know by looking at someone that they might be suffering. And I certainly don't like to talk about this for fear of being ridiculed and being called a hypochondriac. My dad used to say I was a hypochondriac, out of sheer frustration I think. Didn't help!
I'm a cautious/anxious person anyway and sometimes I just hone in on something and get totally carried away with it. It could be a headache that has been ongoing for a few days and then suddenly my brain starts with the "what ifs'. Or I might be feeling a bit lightheaded and then this becomes my focus. Its so draining. Many of these symptoms are made worse and maintained by anxiety.
Anyway, I could ramble on all day about this. I'm a bit of an expert on anxiety and have a great understanding of it. Shame I can't conquer it!!
You are not alone.

[ssd]

thank you

I think the aloneness I feel is because I'm so embarrassed to be so overcome with this feeling of dread and I cant tell anyone, they'd think I was mad

I tried to tell dh but he is very sensible and said why worry about something that might not happen....I know that is the most sensible way of dealing with it but telling me not to worry over something is like telling a fish not to swim, its what I do

I just feel at my age I should be well past this but its getting worse the older I get

[Olivesandwine]

ssd I totally understand. My dh is the same. Logical and says the same thing " why worry about something that might, but probably won't happen.
You are not alone because many people are the same as you. And I'm also embarrassed about the way I deal with things.

[ssd]

thank you Olivesandwine

I hate tho think there's anyone else out there who feels the same as me, but it helps to know I'm not alone and going mad...

do you know when your health anxiety started? I feel mine began after my mum died.

[Olivesandwine]

I don't know. I guess I have been a bit anxious my whole life to some degree but I think it started for real when I had bells palsy 21 years ago and although I fully recovered, it triggered something off in me. I'd also just had my first baby so surging hormones wouldn't have helped.
So I've had a few years of it now but its not been constant and it stopped totally when we had a bad family situation about 6 years ago which I worried about instead.