How's your health anxiety today?

[Jo4040]

How are you doing today?

I describe my health anxiety as a radio on in the back of my mind. It's always on. Every second. Sometimes the volumes on LOUD. Other times its turned down. Today I'd say its about medium volume.

I can't sit still because I'm thinking about food in my body turning into cancer and my heart not being pumped and then I'll become unfit.

I'm also avoiding my arms touching my boobs in case I find a lump (I check all the time but sometimes I avoid checking like tonight)

Does anyone else experience what I call the 'Radio' in the back of their mind repeating 'WHAT IT WHAT IF WHAT IF'

P.S I did really well today...I called into my GPS and ordered my DS repeat prescription. I normally avoid this and get my mum or OH to do this as I don't like any association with the surgery unless necessary.

I'd love to go to bed and lie watching telly without thinking about my fitness levels, instead I'm ironing like a maniac trying to keep moving...

It's an awful thing isn't it that can totally consume you and I feel that it has spoilt so much of my life. Would dearly love to have consistent peace of mind, but as you say that radio is always bloody on. I developed it after a health scare a few years back and at the same time there were a huge amount of other things going on in my life which sort of created the perfect storm of health anxiety. I had treatment for the health problem but as there is apparently a 2% chance of further problems ( low I know) I can't seem to be able to put it all behind me and say well that is a very low risk and move forward and enjoy life to the full, which is what I really want to do. Health anxiety has also led me to catastrophising every health problem I develop from breast pain to funny tonsils to a lump in my leg! I can also understand the arms touching the boobs thing. I really hope you have a good day today Jo and that the radio is turned down as low as possible. I am currently trying to decide whether to go back on meds, do you take anything? I also suffer from OCD which is a definite factor in th HA with me. Take care.

Volumes on lowish upto now, I also have aspects of OCD, Cleaning, hand washing. Noway can I shake someones hand.

I'm sorry you are suffering as well. I was on meds for about three weeks but they did nothing and I can't understand how they would help to change my thoughts?

Been referred for some counciling linked to anxiety, this is in about five to six weeks. Iv had this for about seven years. People around me would not know how I feel as I am very good at hiding it. It's close relatives that see the real me.

It's weird because when you said you have a 2% chance the rational side if me cones out and thinks..'we'll what are you worrying about?!' However if I was you...I'd worry exactly the bloody same

Oh Jo it's a funny old thing but I have also been suffering from it for 7 years. It does seem to be an anxiety disorder that really takes hold. I'm currently undergoing CBT not long started to really hoping this will help. Hope you can enjoy the sunshine today we are going off to see family for the day. It's good to talk to someone who understands how I feel although I am truly sorry you are also suffering from this awful anxiety.it would be great if we could somehow drag each other out of this wretched hole back into normal life. Thankyou for the if you were here I would offer you and

Enjoy your day out, I'm sorting out our garage with my OH. It's hurredous, but I enjoy this kind of task because its movement. I'd you ever need to talk then PM me. There isn't anything I won't understand. I self diagnose, avoid things, check symptoms again and again, seek others for reassurance and have panic attacks.

So like I said...I understand anything anyone is going through.

Hi, I have health anxiety too. I'm currently awaiting cbt, but am struggling to feel hopeful as I think I've had this in some form for about 15 years. It's so in me? But this was the first time I sought help as my dh is the only person who knew. I didn't go to the doctor either as that is one of my avoidance techniques. I am a nurse so have a crazy amount of ways to catastrophise any symptoms. I just feel I want to be free of this, it's so tiring.
I just wanted to come on here as it was a comfort to me to find this thread.

At the moment I'm really scared about my teeth, I'm one of those people who gets cavities easily even though I do everything right. I woke up with a headache today and I was convinced one of my teeth was so rotten it had started rotting into my head. So stupid I know I am just dehydrated and need to drink more water.
Coming to terms with it has helped I'm doing some reading, and a few intersting points are
*Stop 'checking' yourself all the time, you are not helping, you are making your anxiety worse
*Worrying about health is a way of trying to deal with the guilt of maybe dying one day. You can't help that stop thinking it's your fault if you get sick because you didn't 'check' yourself enough and detect some random bodily sensation as cancer or a gum disease.

I also had a health scare that triggered all of this, its wierd because I had a fear of flying that went away and I think it tranfered over to this.
So bloody annoying!