Reacting badly to stress

[cittcatt]

I'm new to the MH board, so hello

I've always been bit of a worrier, it's certainly in my nature. I was not a particularly adventurous child (but not a recluse by any means either).

As an adult, I've come to realise that I react very badly to stressful situations.

Overall, I plod through life doing quite alright. I have a wonderful, loving and supportive DH and 3 lovely most of the time DC

However, when certain situations arise, I react in a very extreme case. Here are some examples:

If DH has a prolonged headache, on and off for days or maybe a week, I slowly get convinced he has a brain tumor.

He recently had ongoing pain in his groin area. After several trips to the GP, I ended up getting convinced he had pancreatic cancer.

I noticed one of my lymph nodes was swollen by my ear. After 2 days, I was convinced I had lymph node cancer. (Turned out to be a cold).

I'm the same with the DC.

It's not an immediate reaction though. If I have a headache, I accept it's just a headache. If I have abdominal pain, I accept it's period pain and so forth.

It usually festers into an extreme worst case senareo after a week or two.

I'm in the middle of a very bad episode at the moment and I'm really struggling with it.

I always manage to function OK and sort of pull myself through it. I go to work, see to the DC. It does not flaw me, but it's so hard at times.

After a certain amount of time, and often with minimal symptoms, I end up thinking really in depth about the worst possible outcome. E.g. with DH's groin pain, I ended up reading about cancer treatment, the success rates, different options, I have visions of being a widow, at times going as far as 'seeing' DH's funeral in my head. It can get very distressing.

These episodes are usually short lived and with DH's support, I get through it.

When things are positive, I'm fine. Happy and I enjoy life very much. When there's a blip in the road, I seem to mentally turn into a bloody mountain.

Does anyone else do this or is like this?

Hi, I was just browsing and didn't want to read and not reply.i don't do this but hoping you will get a better reply by me bumping it back into the boards.

It sounds very stressful for you. Have you tried that tapping therapy at all? Maybe if you tried that when the thoughts start (Paul McKenna I've seen promote this) it's worth a try. Sorry, I don't know the name of it.

I had a few panic attacks thinking I couldn't breathe (diagnosed with reflux and that all but stopped the attacks knowing it was physical and to take meds for it.) and I found distraction techniques helped. Just focusing on repetitive and monotonous task, going for a walk etc.

Sounds like health anxiety. I have it, its usually worse when I am already stressed about something else already. Maybe speak to your GP, you can get CBT for it I think.

Same here. I am a natural worrier - DH used to tease me about it 'you've never happy unless you've got something to worry about'!. I have worked hard at leanring to chill and let things go - it has worked to a certain extent. I've been on ADs on and off for 15 years. The first manifestation that my 'low mood' is something more is a terrible, incessant anxiety. I've been back on cit for about 3 months now as my SAD got really bad. I was doing OK. But my elderly father has been taken ill again (he has had a run of poor health) and I can't sleep through worry, thumping heart, can't get a proper breath, waiting for the phone to ring. Once something triggers this horrible anxiety I seem to be on a hair trigger for anything and everything else including things that really not a worry.

Irian, that sounds awful for you. I'm sorry your dad isn't well. I hope that you get some sleep soon.

I do this, I've been secretly convinced for about 10 years that I have a brain tumour. I know it's silly, and logically I know I probably don't, but I really do feel like they're is something wrong with my brain (which Tbf there probably is...). Also I sometimes imagine what if something were to happen to DH or the kids, my imagination brings me to tears sometimes! It's not very healthy is it.