Health Anxiety

[Siskin6]

Anyone else? I really struggle every day I find the slightest thing and constantly stress over it. Like for example today I just shaved my armpits and thought I felt a lump so now I'm thinking lymphatic issues but it's so tiny I know I'm being irrational.
I am diagnosed with Hashimotos but I hate going to the docs and I'm terrified of hospitals which isn't great. I had an emergency admittance for appendicitis 18 months ago but almost died as it burst and dread to think what may have happened had my Dd not called the 111 service.
I'm due lots of tests soon, smear, eye test hearing, routine bloods then there's the mammogram I put off. I know I'm being daft but I'm just so scared each time, get worked up in case anything comes back. I'm just a mess.

Sorry to hear you feel like this, are you speaking to your go or getting any support? I've previously used a book called overcoming anxiety that the go prescribed to me with talking therapies but the biggest help has been a low dose of setraline.

I have crippling anxiety. How old are you?

Hi, I'm touching 60!
Been like this for years, afraid of medical procedures, mind you I went to the dentist last week!

I think many people have this and can relate. It does not make it any easier of course. I am 39 and have had bad health anxiety the last 2-3 years. Part of it is from losing a close friend to cancer at age 34 and then becoming sensitive to anything health related. Also, having kids set my anxiety off as well, as I worry for their health.

I hate going to the doctors, dentist etc. I get anxious just thinking about it.

It's just awful, I drive myself mad. This weekend we go on the holiday of a lifetime. Last week I had chest pains for a few minutes, now I'm convinced I'm going to die on the flight of a heart attack!

Have you tried counselling to look into this? It can be really helpful to explore why you feel this way and rethinking how you look at things

I think it's to do with supporting family members and visiting hospital lots for them.

A lot of how I feel relates to things in my family's past with health and it's been really clarifying speaking to someone about it to make more sense of it and in turn that has helped me manage it better