Health anxiety and cancer fear all the time !

[Jade313]

I’ve had health anxiety for a long time now which I would say started in my mid teens ( I am 33 now)
since losing my sister to pancreatic cancer 5 years ago ( she was just 23) and my mum, nan and auntie all having breast cancer in the past 10 years I am now in constant fear of getting cancer !
I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t think about cancer or check my body and then of course google it . I panic if I get an itch , a pile ( started since having 3 kids in 5 years) an ache etc I can’t even begin to count the amount of private appointments I’ve had over the past few years because I’m so worried! I had CBT last year which initially helped for a while but my mind spiralled out of control again. I’m so fed up of living in fear of getting cancer !
has anyone else experienced this and what helped you?

With this degree of cancer in your immediate family, has anyone been tested for BRCA?

Health anxiety is, yes, something to get on top of, but I think it would certainly make almost anyone anxious to have this much genetic history, especially at fairly young ages.

Being tested can be scary, but ultimately puts you in a much stronger position to decrease your risk.

Go back to cbt.
or just give yourself permission to do a cancer check of yourself every Saturday or something. When you catch yourself thinking about cancer at any other time just say “no it’ll wait til my Saturday check” and give yourself permission to deal with it then.

Hey OP! My family history of cancer is similar to yours, and I am under the genetics clinic. As a result, I get screening for breast cancer from age 40 (this year for me!). Ask your GP for a referral to genetics.

I have health anxiety. What's worse is that anxiety gives me stomach pain, makes me bloated, tired etc, and I then spiral because I think there's something wrong with me. Not sure how to advise but I understand what you're going through. No family history of cancer but lost my best friend to cancer when she was just 25.

To be fair, I think anyone would be anxious. As others have suggested, there could be a genetic link and you need to ask your GP about testing. You’ve witnessed a lot, and sorry about your sister. Try to get some perspective yes but also see if there’s anything you could do to eliminate your own risk.

I found a low dose antidepressant really helped with this. I no longer spiral - it's been a real life changer.

@Didimum Yes both my mum and auntie had genetic testing , my mums came back fine but my auntie has the gene !
iv recently had breast scans myself , I did have a benign rare breast lump but nothing to worry about , although at the time I was extremely terrified

@gellielli So sorry to hear about your friend
it’s horrible to live with and just wish there was some way of just switching off from it, I also get the bloating etc but was diagnosed with having IBS after having a small bowel MRI etc