Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

Original poster

health anxiety

999 replies

hopeliss · 14/10/2013 11:18

has anybody ever found a cure for health anxiety. it has plagued my life for 7 years and don't see an end to it. awful day today.
ps never been on mumsnet before. sorry if this is the wrong place to raise this.

OP posts:
40slady · 10/04/2015 11:02

i went to docs this morning about my back sensation , she said could just be nerve endings and wasnt concerned at all ..and went through my blood test results and did say she was 99% i wouldnt have L . and looked at all my past white count and indeed back in 2012 it was 1.7 then went back up ..
i also had another scare this morning in the bottom department Blush , so told her that and she examined me and said she thinkis just my internal piles playing up ... drink more water to help
gosh ...why do i put myself through this .... Sad hate my head at times ...

how is everyone els doing ?

crabapple34 · 10/04/2015 14:17

Hi, I'm not having a great day. Heart has been pounding on and off and I've had a bit of chest pain. It's annoying as I've been feeling good the past few days.

Did you feel reassured at all after seeing the doctor?

40slady · 10/04/2015 17:16

sorry your struggling today to crab , i in the past have had chest pain and pulputations this is very common with HA i think , hope you get back on track soon Flowers

i do i thinkfeel a bit better Hmm def helps getting out of the house i didnt notice my back to much when out ...now home i can ...

Flowersandshowers · 11/04/2015 12:33

Can I join your thread? It's very comforting to know I'm not the only one who has these issues.

I am determined to overcome it... I had a bad bought of it about 10 years ago and managed to get rid of it. Then about 4 years ago something happened and it reared it's ugly head again. It's been up and down the last four years, sometimes with nothing other times with terrible HA, but at the moment seems worse.

It's usually focused on my own health but can also be my anxiety about the dc when they're ill.

crabapple34 · 11/04/2015 16:12

Thanks 40slady

Hi flowersandshowers. How are you doing at the moment?

I went out for a few drinks last night which helped me relax and I'm feeling pretty good today.

Flowersandshowers · 11/04/2015 16:56

My period is due any day and my HA seems to go off the scale beforehand. Today has been a very stressful day involving lots of checking and panicking and thinking I have something. Would just like to think normal thoughts!

buildmeabuttercup · 11/04/2015 22:25

crab I made the appointment. The nearest non emergency one is for 3 weeks so I've taken that, I do hope this relapse will be slowly going away by then though. This is just a setback and I WILL get through it!

40slady I was completely convinced i had leukemia. It was really really horrible, I had a breakdown. I never had it, I was fine. And you will be too. Please don't google, this is the worst thing you can do.

flowers I went through a stage of constantly counting my pulse and taking my temperature every ten minutes. Id go round town getting my blood pressure tested in different chemists. It will pass Flowers

ballofworry how have you been?

40slady · 12/04/2015 08:28

hows everyone doing ?

welcome flowers x

Flowersandshowers · 12/04/2015 08:43

I have been reading a HA self help guide and something they suggest is checking/googling less.

I think I might try it today and tell myself I can't check or google anything until a certain time. Or check this morning and then not again till the evening. The example was someone checking 35 times own day and by the end of the week only checking twice.

40slady · 12/04/2015 08:52

checking and DR G is one of my downfalls , already today iv visited loads and feel no better for it Hmm

give it a go be interested to hear your results Smile

40slady · 12/04/2015 08:54

iv heard this before where you have a worry slot , say half an hour per day you set aside to worry about what ever your worried about , then get on with your day and that is supposed to help to ..

Flowersandshowers · 12/04/2015 09:03

I've done my checking and googling this morning and have reassured myself. Now if only I could tick that box as 'okay' and move onto spmething else.

I think talking about it here helps. Family are not very supportive. Yesterday I was told 'you've labelled yourself with HA and are now living up to the label'. If only that were the case... I can't explain to him the thoughts in my head... I have tried but he doesn't get it. For someone without HA it's very difficult to explain to him how it's like being on a constant hamster wheel of "I am worried about X. I need to check it../ what if it's cancer... I need to check it...could die from it... Google it... Reassure self.... Worry it's cancer... Check it...Google it" round and round.

Anyone else like that or just me?

40slady · 12/04/2015 09:11

im exactly the same ...i dont discuss with DH to much , just keep searching for reassuring answers ...and for me C is my biggest fear to .

is a comfort to know im not the only one i must say and everyone on here is so nice

Flowersandshowers · 12/04/2015 22:04

I tried it today and it worked pretty well. The worry that's been consuming most of my thoughts recently was okay today. I googled this morning and a brief one this evening (5mins) but apart form that I haven't worried about it which is a massive improvement for me. Even yesterday the worry consumed some of my thoughts every hourly of the day.

Only downside was while not worrying about my main worry I seem to have transferred my anxiety onto something else this evening But it's not as 'bad' so hoping it won't last long!

40slady · 16/04/2015 19:24

how is everyone ?

crabapple34 · 16/04/2015 22:36

Hi, I've not been too bad. I've had some unpleasant chest pains tonight but it turned out to be trapped wind and I've been burping like a trooper!
I've been drinking loads of chamomile tea, I really do find it works. If I'm feeling panicky it takes the edge off, I'd recommend it.

Flowersandshowers · 16/04/2015 22:59

I have just gone back to work after a few weeks off with the dc and my job is currently very stressful so I haven't had much time for thoughts of HA. It helps me to be busy... When I am at home I seem to have a lot more free time for my mind to wander and then google things. (No internet at work)

buildmeabuttercup · 17/04/2015 19:54

I feel a lot calmer at work. Its when there is peace and quiet that my thoughts start to wander. I dont feel too bad at the moment. Thoughts of a brain aneurysm are playing on my mind a bit. I dont think they will ever truly go away, to the point I am tempted to save up for a private scan if I could get one!

buildmeabuttercup · 19/04/2015 15:30

I've completely had enough now. I'm never going to be free no matter how hard I try. Any pain in the leg is a dvt, pain in the head is an aenurysm. It can't get past it. I just want to be normal, why can't I be normal. The tears just keep flowing today Sad.

crabapple34 · 19/04/2015 16:19

Oh no build, I'm sorry you're feeling like this. Just remember though, you got better before so you know you can do it again,and you've got that appointment booked at the doctors. Do you have any strategies to help you cope when you're having a bad day?

buildmeabuttercup · 19/04/2015 16:39

Thanks crab. Smile

I have a word search/ crossword and sudoko books as my plan for a bad day. The distraction usually works. Today just nothing is working. I am SO convinced I have a blood clot in my thigh and absolutely nothing is taking the fear away.

I cant stop crying, I cant stop the thoughts of leaving my daughter. I hate living this life, I just want to be normal. But I never will be. Not that i feel I have long left anyway. Just wish there was a quick fix and this will all go away.

crabapple34 · 19/04/2015 17:36

I know, it's awful isn't it. Sometimes you just have a really bad day and nothing will help.
I posted a link up thread to some worksheets which helped me when I was having a bad day. I believe it was a pulmonary embolism day (yep, that's how I categorise my days haha). I think it's all cbt based, you might not find it helpful but it could be worth a look.

40slady · 19/04/2015 17:54

having an awful day myself today thinking the same , hate this HA ...
good devil saying dont be silly ...bad devil laughing his head off playing games with my thoughs ,, . Sad

buildmeabuttercup · 19/04/2015 20:08

I organise my days like that too! Usually it's a blood clot day, or an aneurysm day but sometimes appendicitis sneaks in there too, along with sepsis. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

I feel a little better because the pains gone atom. I know when it comes back I'm gonna freak but at the moment I feel calm, so I'm going to look up them worksheets.

40slady i feel like that too. Your rational side is saying you're being silly but the anxiety side is screaming at you too. Really horrible. I also find its something that it's not really understood as much as it should be. I know if I had depression I would get a lot more understanding than I do with health anxiety.

crabapple34 · 19/04/2015 21:44

Yep, I feel like people would think I'm being a neurotic hypochondriac, but it's honestly like a switch was flicked in my brain and now I'm like this. I have no idea why.