Health anxiety

[Annelena]

Hi , first time I been on mumsnet I have a 17 yr old girl and a 2 yr old girl I’ve suffered with anxiety for almost 4 year and currently having a massive panic attack which began yesterday tea time when I started choking on my tea , I got the food up myself but then was convinced some was still in my throat that sent me into a massive meltdown , I had all the usual symptoms heart racing sweating. Tingling , it lasted all night I eventually went to sleep and when I woke up this morning it started all over again! I’ve not eaten all day because I’m paranoid I’m going to choke ! I’m on amitryptoline tablets and I’ve had cbt therapy my health anxiety started off by convincing myself I had a brain tumour ! The I moved on to the choking issue and at the same time I’ve convinced myself I have mnd ! I feel so alone , my husband tries to understand but I know he finds it difficult it would be nice to speak to someone who is going through the same , thanks xx

Hi I have health anxiety too, and have just started seeing a therapist through work so it's free . But I would really suggest as a first step, make an apt with your GP , there might be a pathway they can refer you into . How have you been getting in since the weekend ?

Hi thanks for your reply I've been to my gp today, I've had it for 4 years and had cbt once but think it's needed again which I've referred myself to , it's the worse feeling in the world , how are you feeling with it ? What is your worry? I started off convinced I had a brain tumour now I've moved on to been frightened of choking so I will only eat soup and other liquids ! Hope your ok I know how lonely it can feel having this and it's nice to talk to somebody who understands fully what it's like x

Hi I totally understand what you are feeling. Health anxiety is exhausting and so hard to live with. Feel free to message me anytime if you want to chat. You are not alone. I'm having a absolutely horrendous time just now barely eating and feeling awful

I feel the same , what is your worry at the moment ? Mine is choking so I'm only eating soup and yoghurt can feel an attack coming on now because I think I have some mushroom from the soup stuck in my throat ! I am trying to calm myself down and think rationally nobody has ever choked on soup!
And telling myself my mind is playing tricks on me ! It's so difficult been in constant battle with your own mind xx

I have got this. It’s a pain in the nether regions. I constantly worry about dropping dead with a heart attack - usually at night. I live alone which makes it worse.

Stress seems to make mine worse, and I have a lot of stress at the moment because of real health issues. Both my knees and one hip are riddled with Osteo Arthritis, and I am waiting for my first knee replacement. The other hip has a loosening artificial hip.

I have also got rheumatoid and Fibromyalgia, which both make me feel like excrement, and generate a lot of odd aches and pains, which of course my mind thinks are symptoms of heart failure.

I am at the point where I am so fed up about it I am going to ask the GP if there is any medication which might help.

It’s bad enough suffering with real health problems, much less imaginary ones....!!!

There is medication that can help but it doesn't take it away completely it just takes the edge off , cbt is helpful too but again doesn't last , it's almost like an addiction and you need all the will power in the world to keep it away , I hope your feeling better soon but definitely speak to your gp and let us know how you got on please we can all try and help eachother xx

I’m with you too!! My health anxiety has reared its head again and honestly it’s awful. I can barely function and the thoughts that go through my head... :( I’m so scared Of something happening to me and my DS being an only child, who would he have later in life, would he even remember me? I just love him so much. It breaks my heart to be feeling like this but I really don’t know how to get myself out

Have you had any therapy or seen your gp ?

I had some CBT, which did help, but I have had a lot of stress last year on top of the joint problems. I will get referred back - they said to contact them again if I needed it.

I am used to physical problems. I have had them since birth, but mental health issues are new to me, and I am not impressed with them.

I’ve seen my gp but the waiting lists are so long to get any sort of help

They really are the worse , I have referred myself back for cbt , I know the waiting lists are long but please do it anyway that time will pass and you will be glad you've had it it really is worth it xx

You’re right if I had done it when things were peaking a year ago I would have been seen by now.

Please do it it's so worth it , you can refer yourself online it's just a form and a few questions and they will ring or email you, that's how I've referred myself xx

Will do it today hun thanks Hun xx

Let me know how you get on xx

Hello

I have had health anxiety and have now fully recovered. It doesn’t mean I don’t have anxious thinking but I recognise that it is just me getting caught up in my thoughts and it will pass.

After years of trying to fix myself I came to an understanding about how it’s our thoughts creating our reality. By understanding this, all the anxious thinking has fallen away over time.

Happy to talk more about this but have a listen to this if you like and see if something lands for you.

alittlepeaceofmind.co.uk/podcast/episode-5-health-anxiety-with-john-el-mokadem/

I vowed if I ever recovered I would try and help other people.

Rachel

Wow that's amazing that you've fully recovered , I thought it would just be something I would have to learn to live with , I will have a listen but I'm at work at the moment , I'm about to have my lunch I've only eaten soup for a week due to the choking episode and today I'm trying beans! I can feel myself getting anxious just thinking about it but I know I need to eat I need to get better I'm desperate for a kebab !!! Lol xxx

Yes I was told I would live with it for ever and would have to manage it. I am not saying I don’t freak out from time to time if I have new symptom, I do if I am in a low state but I can assure you it doesn’t bother me that I do and that helps it pass. It is the anxious thinking that I have the health anxiety that caused the most suffering.
X

Ps the choking worry is really common anxiety symptom! All perfectly normal (and can go away).

Hi Rachel, it’s so reassuring to hear that, sometimes I’m convinced this is my life now. Living in fear, fear of making plans, fear of everything. Trapped. I will have a look at the link you sent. Did you have anxiety about one issue in particular or did it change. Mine changes as soon as one is confirmed ok. It’s so exhausting. X

I'm exactly the same one new thing starts after another! I've eaten the beans today I managed I did panic but I'm ok , it's baby steps I Know I'll be ok eventually xx

Glad you managed to eat hun xx my concern thing right now is vulva pain and keep thinking it’s something very bad :( scares the life out of me. HVe a gynae appt next week xx

I hear you and I have been there. Yes the symptom shifting is very common and happened to me too. There is so much I can say about this but I am afraid I must go to bed for now. For now though please believe me when I say EVERY symptom (all the physical symptoms and the mental ones such as insomnia, intrusive thoughts, agoraphobia, social anxiety etc etc) are one and the same. They are the result of chronic mental stress. Believing that what we think is real. The symptoms are our alarm bells telling us our thinking is speeded up and we need to slow it down.

I did a lot of reading and listening about this and it truly is the missing link.

Everyone has innate mental health but for the layers of thinking.

You will be fine. If I can recover, anyone can x

Ps ‘my anxieties’ were sleep and health (me and my family) in the main. If you scroll through the podcast list, just about everything is talked about. I have even recorded one...

Ps on the website you will see that Nicola runs programmes and things. I am absolutely not trying to sell anything. There are literally hundreds of free resources out there about this understanding.