Health Anxiety - Part 5

[AJ297]

Sorry if someone else was going to do this, I just didn't want to lose you all 😂

@MrsWhites
@argueifnecessary
@tmh88
@Skyliner001
@TheSilentStars
@hildagardecrowe
@BigGreen
@goolies
@iamsodonewith2020
@KAP232
@polkadotpixie

Sorry if I missed anyone!

Hi all hope you don't mind me joining

@HildegardeCrowe I'm glad to be back now, today is the first day I feel kind of normal though and I'm into my second week back now. It's a long slog with HA so I really feel for you x

@EXA1912 how have you been today?x

Hey sorry I’ve been dreadful today, been into the doctor twice today (2 different ones) see the gynaecologist tomorrow tho so hoping she can help me more. I feel like my life is spiralling out of control. Feel like there’s something wrong with my spine now with the bowel problems. Then started to panic the GPs will call social services on me saying I need to be sectioned and kids took off me cz I’m so anxious and calling them all the time 😢 xx

Have they given you anything to take @EXA1912
I would really try eating some more as you could end making your anxiety much worse, I don’t want to scare you but you can get things like delirium from not eating, I know your not having meals but could you try to snack through the day? What has your GP said today? I highly, highly doubt they will take your children from you, please try not to worry about that but I do really think you may need some help as soon as with the anxiety! Anxiety really is a horrible thing! Xx

@tmh88, glad that your consult with the GP was helpful. @AJ297 it must be so encouraging to feel you’re getting back to normal. I’ve done a lot of thinking today (too much time on my hands) and am realising that I’m becoming almost obsessively aware of my own mortality. I joined MN when I was pregnant with DD well over 20 years ago and was ancient then, so much older than the rest of you! I just can’t bear the thought of dying, much less the thought of dying of some drawn out illness and and I suppose every little symptom makes me focus on that. It is indeed a long slog.

And welcome @claret3189. Do you mind me asking what brings you here? We will understand!

Has anyone ever had a poke around there inner thigh groin sort of to the sides of you down below bits. I stupidly decided to poke around this evening and they sort of feel lumpy. Am sure am being stupid and it's just how it has always felt and I have just never felt it before but am really freaking myself out now and can stop poking it. Why do we do these things to our selfs x

@HildegardeCrowe yes it was helpful. Feeling proud of myself now ha! How are you doing? x

@Dollsandfoo yes my groin is lumpy, couple of lymph nodes down there also x

@tmh88 thank you.
@HildegardeCrowe your not old xx

@Dollsandfoo just came into my head but you can also feel a lot of dp lymph nodes in his groin.. I checked when I last had a wobble about them 😂 so think it’s quite common!x

Yes @Dollsandfoo, I’ve noticed lumpiness in that area before - totally normal! What are we like?

Oh yes I am @Dollsandfoo 😀

Thank you both. Xx

Hi everyone hi @HildegardeCrowe

I have struggled with health anxiety a while especially this last year. It can feel extremely isolating and i feel a lot people don't really understand it x

Yes the last year had been very bad for me too @claret3189, the lockdown effect. Well we all understand here x

@HildegardeCrowe yes I completely get how you feel, I'm exactly the same. I think for me it's the control aspect, I like to be in control and when I die I don't want to see it coming because it's something I can't control.

@Dollsandfoo yes, I have the same behind my knees, inner elbow, over collar bone/chest too. Google what fat looks like under the skin, that should reassure you. It's like little lumps and bumps. In areas where it's not as dense it feels more lumpy x

Good morning everyone, just checking in. Hope you are all doing well!

Morning @MrsWhites I've been quite good recently. I still have the odd wobble but finding it much easier to deal with. It's sunny here today too which is helping ☀️

@Dollsandfoo I agree re social media. I came off FB a few years ago and I don't miss it. I have instagram but only for close friends and family, and I set up a separate insta for my hobby which lets me mindlessly scroll with no news, no sad stories and no triggers. I had mild HA when I was younger but it's only really negatively affected my life since having DC.

I agre with you @tmh88 about reading. I find that it's harder for your mind to drift when reading compared to tv or scrolling. I recommend The Midnight Library! Also great news on the supportive GP ❤️

@EXA1912 the pregnancy hormone causes muscle relaxation (to stop your uterus contracting) so everything gets loose and slows down, including your guts. Constipation and wind is totally normal. If you're not pooping regularly, get some lactulose. Take it from me you do not want to wait till you're properly constipated 😂🙈 Re your worries about your uterus and cervix, I hope you get some reassurance at your scan. Just to say aswell, there are specially trained perinatal mental health midwives/HV's to help women during pregnancy and afterwards so contacting your midwife about your anxiety might help xx

@HildegardeCrowe In the nicest possible way I bet nobody is giving much thought to you being off! They'll all have their own things going on, whatever they may be. I've found that people are generally more understanding than I expected, especially after this year. HA is sooo common! Two of my friends have told me they suffer too :(

@DustyHoneydew

So, here's what has massively helped me with anxiety in general but especially the HA. It's a coaching process focused on the present called presence in action.

You work with a coach to identify the emotions you're feeling (can be harder than it sounds but we have tools to help) and then identify the 'fictions' that are driving those emotions. For example, and to simplify it massively, I'm feeling anxious because I'm believing I have cancer and will die. The next stage is identifying the underlying beliefs and patterns that drive those thoughts and feelings. It's different to CBT because it's about being present to what is currently going on, not telling yourself you won't die of cancer or it's unlikely (we all know that doesn't help HA). You might die of cancer, but right now you're not. It's also really good because mostly, the thing you think is the big problem, isn't actually what's driving it.

The process has also had an unbelievable impact on my life outside of the HA. Once I started it I realised most of what I thought and believed were things I had assumed, so really, fictions I told myself. Like, if my boss is short with me I automatically stress she thinks I'm shite at my job so I'm actually creating the stress for myself by making up a reason in my head about why she was short. How I respond to literally everything and everyone in my life has changed since doing this, so much so that I started training a few years ago with the coaches who developed the process and I now coach people one-to-one. I am in continual training to keep my own personal development as well as do group coaching in future too. I still have bad times, but I now have a fabulous coaching community to lean on that helps me get through, plus all of you! ❤️

My own fiction is that I come across as a bit evangelical when I talk about this! It has genuinely changed my life though. If anybody is interested in having a session please DM me for details. You could do it with me or I can put you in touch with a different practitioner, they are based around the UK and can be done via zoom or in person (covid rules permitting).

@MrsWhites It's me, the St00ri one, with a name change! 🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm a bit para about online stuff so nc regularly - it's always melon related 😂

@MrsWhites morning, how are you? I’m actually doing really well, I’d say it’s at least day 3 with literally no health anxiety which is so strange for me! It’s moved on to other things though but it feels such a relief!

@DustyHoneydew I’ve read that book! I loved it! I want to read all the Matt haig books because of that one!

@EXA1912 thinking of you today! ❤️

@DustyHoneydew ill give the book a read thanks. I do find reading does help.
@EXA1912 good luck today x

It’s was awful she just thought I was being an anxious mess. Honestly she didn’t listen to anything I said 😢

Oh know so sorry it didn't go well . X

Do you feel no further forward @EXA1912? How about the eating? I’ve had no appetite today because my anxiety’s through the roof. I feel as if I’m just sitting here waiting to die. WTF is wrong with me? Glad that there are some positive vibes here though, it gives me hope 😀

@HildegardeCrowe sorry I might have missed it some were so sorry of you have already said. Have you tried any meds? I know there not for everyone but last time I was really bad sertraline helped and am hoping it will do again this time. I started it again last wee after being off it for 2 years. It definitely helped me so much last time xx