What helped cure your health anxiety?

[healthanxietynightmare]

Posting in aibu for traffic because I am struggling really bad with my health anxiety. It is controlling my life, I am happy, have a great life and 2 beautiful kids but I am so consumed with my health anxiety. Every little niggle I get I am convinced it's the worst. It's ruining my life.

My gp is hopeless and will just say "tablets" I don't see how these thoughts will ever go away and I really need help.

Has anyone been successful in getting health anxiety under control?

I am tempted to save hard to pay for a full body scan to at least give me peace of mind in that moment.

Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you

Cbt can be helpful ……can give you tools to manage it…..eg having a specific ‘worry time’ each day…..then putting it to bed til the next day.
a full body scan won’t always give you peace of mind…..it may come back as , lesion seen on liver, likely cyst…..but if you always think the worst, you will convince yourself it’s cancer….so by having the scan you will have extra health anxiety.
see if you can self refer to your local IAPT

Look up Joshua Fletcher….he has quite a few books, podcasts, social media content about anxiety. Don’t know if you have audible, but he has books on there too. Emergency sections if you’re having a particularly hard episode. Taylor Barone is another name to look up. Health anxiety is horrible. But you’ve realised you’re dealing with it, that’s a good step.
I really wouldn’t save up for a full body scan. That’s your anxiety talking ☺️. Avoid Dr Google as well……..
If you can, see about CBT therapy as suggested. It is highly treatable.

Thank you both. What is cbt? And how do I go about it? Is it something through gp?

It's consuming my life and I really need to tackle it, I can't go on like this so anything is worth a try.

Nothing!! It comes & goes but never completely. Lies dormant & resurges!! Tablets are really helpful.
CBT may help.

CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is helpful for some people.
Medication worked for me.

CBT… Cognitive Behaviour Treatment. A form of Counselling with homework.

Sertraline for me. It quietens the thoughts and stops the panic attacks

@healthanxietynightmare You can see a sympathetic GP, ask them if they can recommend anyone, as a first step. Personally, I paid privately, I went once or twice a month…. look up psychotherapists or counselling services where you live.
It is very very common, to have anxiety, and it does happen for the strangest of reasons, or maybe no reason at all. It is part of the human condition. Part of being alive. You’ll soon get yourself a ‘toolkit’ to help you get through. Whether it be music, aromatherapy oils, nature, and realisations. It takes a little time, but it usually does get better. Maybe doesn’t feel like it right now, but it can, and does.

Sertraline for me too.

CBT. I don't think the scan is a good idea as that's not really treating the underlying problem but in many ways pandering to it. If there was a specific event that triggered the health anxiety talking therapy for that would also be useful. I still have occasional relapses but I would say mine is now very much under control.