Life after health anxiety

KL92xxxx · 2022-01-28T17:12:12+00:00

Has anyone suffered from health anxiety and mostly or even slightly recovered? I’m slap bang in the middle of a really bad time with it as I have a lot on in general and have some very strange (suspected) long Covid symptoms that are very triggering. My health anxiety only started in the last year and I just can’t fathom how such a short time ago I was a normal person not plagued by these feelings. I am still able to get on with day to day life right now I work full time and have a toddler and I exercise and we have lots of fun in our free time but right now I feel like I’m fighting every second of the day to keep the floodgates shut as I feel I could tip into an anxiety induced breakdown any time. To attempt to tackle my health anxiety I take care with what I eat and run 2-3 times a week. I get out in the fresh air every day. I’m starting CBT in the next few weeks. If anyone has been through a similar experience please let me know how you got through it and if you genuinely feel recovered.

LoveMae · 28/01/2022 17:26

CBT and decent therapy is really making a difference for me. I also have OCD so there are crossovers, and emetophobia.

It's so difficult being plagued by your thoughts. Keeping busy and active is the best thing you can do. Something that helps me is imagining the intrusive thought ("I can feel a pain in my side, what if its....") being like a train rolling through my head, passing through and will soon be gone.

So sorry you're finding it tough. It does, and can, get better.

Southtrainer · 28/01/2022 17:32

Hi Op. sorry you’re going through this. Health anxiety has ruined many days and special events for me for over two decades. CBT had been helpful to some degree but after my LO was born I found my anxiety went through the roof so finally agreed to take medication. It worked amazingly well and I wish I had taken it years ago- I feel back to myself for the first time in a very long time. So yes, I is something that can be reduced and managed. I guess there will be a period of time where you try different avenues to find out what works for you. Good luck x

Thegoodthebadandthesnuggly · 28/01/2022 20:04

I feel I have fully recovered from an at times debilitating health anxiety/ intrusive thoughts. I tried cbt and had therapy but the biggest difference was by coming off hormonal contraception, eating clean and starting working out with a PT doing weights mainly and strength training. Been over 2 years free from it. I hope you feel better soon!

Original poster

KL92xxxx · 28/01/2022 20:28

@LoveMae

CBT and decent therapy is really making a difference for me. I also have OCD so there are crossovers, and emetophobia.

It's so difficult being plagued by your thoughts. Keeping busy and active is the best thing you can do. Something that helps me is imagining the intrusive thought ("I can feel a pain in my side, what if its....") being like a train rolling through my head, passing through and will soon be gone.

So sorry you're finding it tough. It does, and can, get better.

Thank you yes I have also suffered from ‘pure’ ocd in the past and this seems strongly related so I’m not quite sure if it’s health ocd or health anxiety.

Most of the things I did to get ‘over’ my anxiety last time like sleep well, exercise lots, look after myself seem impossible now I’m a parent with so much more responsibility. Thank you for your reply x

OP posts:

Original poster

KL92xxxx · 28/01/2022 20:29

@Southtrainer

Hi Op. sorry you’re going through this. Health anxiety has ruined many days and special events for me for over two decades. CBT had been helpful to some degree but after my LO was born I found my anxiety went through the roof so finally agreed to take medication. It worked amazingly well and I wish I had taken it years ago- I feel back to myself for the first time in a very long time. So yes, I is something that can be reduced and managed. I guess there will be a period of time where you try different avenues to find out what works for you. Good luck x

Thank you this is really interesting I’ve never even seriously thought that medication could help me but if it did I would have no hesitations. My cbt has been booked privately but maybe I’ll give my GP a call to see what they suggest.

OP posts:

Original poster

KL92xxxx · 28/01/2022 20:30

@Thegoodthebadandthesnuggly

I feel I have fully recovered from an at times debilitating health anxiety/ intrusive thoughts. I tried cbt and had therapy but the biggest difference was by coming off hormonal contraception, eating clean and starting working out with a PT doing weights mainly and strength training. Been over 2 years free from it. I hope you feel better soon!

Thank you, this is how I have helped myself last time but it seems so much harder now I have a toddler. Proper sleep is still a rarity which I don’t think is helping my mental state. Could I ask what you do for clean eating? I’m a vegetarian almost vegan and I try to eat as healthy as possible but do have the odd treat most days.

OP posts:

itssixohthree · 28/01/2022 20:53

Following with interest because I have been plagued by this since a traumatic miscarriage a few years ago. I’m completely with you OP, it is AWFUL. The replies so far are really helpful.

I’d pay do anything to get rid of it!

iamthedanger · 28/01/2022 21:01

I rarely post on here but wanted to share my experience. I suffered with quite debilitating health anxiety that I kept hidden for a long time. I'm now on low dose venlafexine and had cbt (2 lots, I do think the therapist makes all the difference and I responded well to it being online in the first lockdown). I try and look after myself, sleep is a big factor for me!
I am now in a good place. I have the odd day or incident that spikes my anxiety but by and large I recognise it for that. I'm not sure I'd say its cured and will never rear it's ugly head but for now it's pretty well managed and does not impact my daily life

Thegoodthebadandthesnuggly · 28/01/2022 22:10

So it basically means I eat as close to the natural state the food is in without major processing and cut out all refined sugars.

There are some fantastic podcasts about nutritional psychiatry on the “Feel better live more” podcast that transformed my way of seeing food as medicine.

Southtrainer · 28/01/2022 22:23

I think it’s worth considering and discussing with your GP. I was reluctant for years and quite anti the idea, but as I said awake it I wish I had done it ages ago. X

Fruitellaa · 28/01/2022 22:24

Psychotherapy helped me the most - private, worth every penny. Sheryl Paul’s book The Wisdom of Anxiety has a psychotherapy approach and is very good.

I nagged my GP for MRIs and a consultant referral which helped as part of my anxiety was fuelled by an injury, but I know test results don’t help some people where it’s perhaps a more abstract worry.

Look up the Curable app and Nicole Sachs on the mind/body connection, ‘TMS’ and long covid.

Books ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ and ‘The Body Remembers’ might be relevant.

Sorry you’re going through it, it’s truly horrible. I recovered though and you will too

Southtrainer · 28/01/2022 22:24

Medication I mean!

Toofuckingearly · 28/01/2022 23:14

Sertraline 50mg for depression almost completely got rid of my health anxiety