Health Anxiety - Part two

[MrsWhites]

Hi everyone, it seems we have reached 1000 posts on our original thread which is amazing, just shows how much support we have been able to give each other.

I thought we would benefit from part two!

Hi all, can I join?

Sorry to hear about everyone’s difficulties. It’s really crap. I’ve had anxiety all my adult life but aside from quite bad emetophobia it hasn’t usually focused on health, although I do tend to obsess and worry excessively about random aches, bumps, moles etc.

All that has changed with covid! Even though I’m not in a vulnerable group I’m convinced either I or someone in my family will end up in ITU or dead from covid and it’s constantly on My mind. I hate the uncertainty, the lack of control and the fact it could be months and months before we get vaccines. The current situation is not helping as I keep stressing about the hospitals being full. I’m so scared of leaving my children motherless or losing them or my DH/ parents. I’m trying mindfulness exercises etc but it’s still always there. I’m on sertraline too.

Does anyone else get health anxiety over covid specifically? I cannot wait for this bloody pandemic to end - although no doubt I will then find some other condition or virus to obsess about 😆

@RaeCJ82 that sounds awful and not like any health anxiety I have ever experienced. It must be extremely frightening to think back to what your mum experienced. Have you told your GP that you feel the medication they have prescribed doesn’t help or makes you feel worse. I’m sure there is something else they could prescribe.

@bumblenbean hi, my health anxiety usually revolves around long term illnesses like cancers so I haven’t experienced any additional anxiety because of Covid but I can understand why it would spark health anxiety. It’s been a very worrying time plus so much time isolated from family and spent at home with too much time to think isn’t great for those of us with anxiety. Hopefully the situation will start to get better soon with the new vaccines available 🤞

It is frightening and my difficulty breathing makes me think that there's something wrong with my heart, but it could also be anxiety or even a panic disorder.

@RaeCJ82 Obviously I’m not an expert but I would say those symptoms sound very much like a panic attack.

@RaeCJ82 welcome to the thread and I'm so sorry to hear about what happened with your mum. It sounds to me like you need to go back to the drs and ask about different meds, as Mrs Whites suggest. Sounds scary, poor you, perhaps the right meds could really help with the physical symptoms.
Do you have anyone to support you at home?

@bumblenbean welcome to the thread too. Sorry you have been struggling, it's not surprising in current circumstances. Weirdly I also don't worry too much about Covid - mine is cancer ( all types) but I'm sure someone will come along who has similar fears.

@TheSilentStars I've been to Holland and barratt today to stock up on the tablets! Really good value as the ones you said about were on the penny sale so I've got 200 tablets to add to the collection!

My fears are all cancer too. I plummeted again this afternoon and went down a syndrome checker rabbit hole but then watched a lovely homicide filled Midsomer Murder so feel better now.

I don't really have any support. My partner has basically reached the end of his tether and gets angry saying I'm stressing him out with how I am.

What was the 1st thread called? I would like to read it

@JEE87 Health Anxiety - it’s 40 pages long.

Happy new year ladies xx

Happy here year ladies!!! Wish for some peace of mind for us all going forward into 2021 💕💕

Happy New Year everyone, hope you’re all feeling ok today. Let’s hope we can all get this dreaded health anxiety under control this year xx

Happy New Year!

So today's anxiety has been caused by really strong pulsating between my ribs and my belly button. My rational mind tells me I'm a bit anxious and it's just my aorta, but my catastrophising mind is telling me I have an aneurysm!

Hi, happy new year to everyone. Could I join? I’ve been reading from a distance for a few weeks.....but was still completely in the dark about if or not I was suffering what I suspected. However after a and e last night.....a consultant finally vocalised the fact he believes I’ve been having panic attacks.
On the 11th of December I was admitted to hospital after an episode they call pre collapse because of a virus.....I was convinced it was a stroke. I was driving alone with my son I thought about stroke and from nowhere felt like my head felt funny and I was passing out. Ecg , bp and neurological markers all fine. Viral markers slightly high on bloods but nothing else.
Since then I feel like every day I’ve woke up with a new symptom and convinced myself of a new life threatening illness. Every night I go to sleep convinced I can’t breath properly and may not wake up.
I’ve spoken to my husband suspicious a lot of it could be panic......but I’ve never had any type of stress of anxiety so I really didn’t know if I was just making that up in my head too.
So now here I am....I’m awaiting mri for the dizziness I keep experiencing and a follow up with ent to investigate my throat ( which was closing as well at one point....but it looked fine)
Since that first day I’ve convinced myself I’ve got a brain tumour, I’ve got Covid, I’ve had a brain bleed, I’ve got meningitis, I’ve had an allergic reaction, an asthma attack and last but not least sepsis. And it’s not been helped by the fact every dr I’ve seen has diagnosed me with something different.
I honestly feel like a wreck.....I feel like I’m losing my mind. I just want to feel ok again.
Sorry I realise this is a bit long winded for New Year’s Day xx I just wanted to get it out there and hope someone understands

@RaeCJ82 Hi, I really think that will be anxiety, things like that happen to me and I’m sure if you distract yourself it will go away but I know that can be easier said than done x

@CCD7133 hi and welcome! It sounds like you’ve been through a horrific time so no wonder you’re feeling a wreck. It does sound like you have been having really severe panic attacks, our bodies do weird things when we go into fight or flight mode.
I know how it feels to feel like you’re losing your mind, I had a bad episode end of October which is now a little better so there is light at the end of the tunnel. Have you spoke to your doctor about anxiety? You can also self refer for CBT, I started it just before Christmas and I’m hopeful it’s going to really help me x

Hi,
Thank you for responding:-)
The emergency dr last night recommended I speak to my gp so I’ll do that as soon as they open again and hopefully they’ll be able to help in some way. I read about CBT on one of my many google investigations .....I’ll maybe do that. I just feel if this is what it is I’m definitely not coping on my own xx

Welcome@CCD7133.

That sounds very frightening. I've only been "actively" here for about a month, but it really helps to talk and to see we are all in the same kind of boat allbeit with different triggers.

Hope everyone is having a relaxing NYD.

Hi, thank you and yes I think it does help..... just putting it in writing and putting it out there felt like a relief in its self xx

@CCD7133 welcome to the thread. I'm new here too but have been having dizziness, heart palpitations and a bounding pulse for over 4 months now. I have diagnosed myself several times only to be told no, that's not what you have when tests have been done. No answer to my symptoms as yet, and my anxiety has increased dramatically in the last few months. Helps to know I'm not the only one feeling like this.

It was your messages that actually finally made me post. I read your posts and it just seemed similarly horrid and some of the same symptoms. It’s just so rotten, I feel like a different person than I did before all this and I genuinely feel so ill......but I’m very aware that my symptoms seem to come to a climax sooner and then when that is investigated and proven not to be the case another symptom manifests.......I also seem to settle very quickly in a medical setting....almost as if I feel safer because they can give me the help I need if anything goes terribly wrong .....it’s just so confusing and hard and it’s genuinely draining. I feel like all aspects of my life are now suffering because of it xx it really helps to hear people say they have similar experiences

Morning everyone.

Panic attacks sound absolutely awful, sorry to those of you who are suffering from them.

I’m feeling a bit stressed because of the schools situation, I’m not really comfortable with my youngest going back to school on Monday, waiting to hear what the unions say this morning is making me anxious and then of course I start reverting to type and checking my boobs. I’m due my period in 5/6 days so of course they feel lumpy at the moment.

Hope everyone else is doing well x

Good afternoon All,

I hope everyone is ok.

I’m not too bad today....still a bit foggy and every now and again the familiar fear passes over me but I’m managing.

Had great rest last night.....still exhausted but hopeful xx

Hi everyone! Thanks for the tag sorry I haven’t been active for a while! I wasn’t worried about this at first but I’m getting anxious over every bodily function since my mum passed suddenly, for about a month I have had nasal drip and been coughing up clear/bubbly thick liquid, I know how gross that sounds I think it’s reflux but it’s making me really worried now it’s not normal! I haven’t taken anything for it so I’m going to try gaviscon today, has anyone had this before?

It’s really awful, between sobbing wanting my mum back the only other thing I do is notice every ache/pain/bump I have a bit of chest/breast ache at the minute which when I usually get I think nothing of but now I’m terrified I’m going to have a heart attack too! I’m starting therapy this week so hoping it will help me get some perspective back!

@tmh88 really sorry you’re feeling like that, you’re going through so much though so it’s understandable that your anxiety will manifest with physical symptoms. I get reflux and post nasal drip a lot since being pregnant and it sounds exactly like that so please try not to worry. The chest will be anxiety related too, it’s a classic symptom. I hope therapy helps, I’m really finding that it’s helping me. Take care of yourself xx