Please help - is this health anxiety or something else?

[SoLongSuzanne]

I have always worried about my kids health, from googling lung cancer for a cough, calling the out of hours doc with a fever to thinking of leukaemia when my youngest looks pale. In all cases they have been fine, and when they are well, I realise that they are healthy kids.

Recently though, I’m obsessing to the point that it is impacting my work and relationship - I have lost any reference of what is normal so would really appreciate some perspective.

For example, two days ago DD woke up with a sore throat and fever. I took her to the doc within hours (not UK!) as was worried about strep throat. Doc felt it was viral but said to call back if DD got sicker. Since then the fever has gone and her energy has improved. She still has a sore throat but now has a cough and snuffly nose. All which would indicate a normal cold.

However I keep worrying that it’s strep. I slept beside her on the floor for the last two nights, I keep thinking that she’ll wake up really ill and we’ll have to take her to A&E, that there will be a terrible outcome as I didn’t take her back to the doc today.
DH is barely speaking to me as he is incredibly relaxed (in my view) and says that he is tired of talking about it.

So…

YABU - this is well outside the bounds of usual parental worry, maybe you should talk with someone or

YANBU - some degree of worrying is normal, you might be a little over concerned but we all do it to some degree

Thanks in advance

YABU - this is not normal.

I would say that you are suffering from health related anxiety, perhaps around a sense of heightened responsibility over your children's safety. It's difficult but Googling only fuels the cycle of worry. If worry is negatively impacting you and your wellbeing, it's probably more likely to be an anxiety related problem.
You love your children and want them to be healthy. That's a good thing! But the level of concern you describe is affecting your wellbeing.

It sounds like OCD or health anxiety. Can you make an appointment for yourself to talk about these thoughts and feelings with the GP?

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I think that I know deep down that it's not ok. My head is just so tired from it all (while I'm still thinking about bringing her to out of ours now 😞)

My DD has almost the exact same symptoms. She missed her rugby session on Sunday but life's carried on pretty much as normal.

I have given her extra cuddles but went away with work for the night last night (DH was home!)

So no, your reaction is not normal.

I have similar heath related anxiety with regards to my DC. It exhausting so you have my sympathy OP. I also keep thinking I should go and talk to my GP but I'm not sure what they would, or could, do about it. I think I know the underlying root cause of my anxiety though, do you know where yours may stem from?