Health anxiety

[GentlyGentlyOhDear]

Anyone else suffering at the minute?
Mine flares up regularly and I go through a cycle of what I'm worried about.
Having a bad week :(
Seems to get worse from mid cycle onwards.

Yes, I can go ages feeling quite ok then its like a snowball as I pick up and discard more worries and self diagnosis. It's shit also think it's linked to hormones and I find it's better if I'm keeping busy out of the house.

Sorry to hear you're struggling too. It's miserable isn't it😫
Going to try to switch off to go to sleep without hyperfocusing on parts of my body and prodding and poking 😬

Oh don't! Its just awful isn't it. I don't know anyone else with it or who understands it.

Yep. Had it on and off for years but the last year has been relentless. Have had CBT which helped a bit but clearly not enough I had a few weeks late summer when I thought I was almost cured and threw myself into making loads of plans which I'm now regretting a bit. Like you, I go through cycles of worrying about different ailments. I've just realised that I'm worrying about the very same thing I was worrying about this time last year, so I've come full circle! I'm still here so it can't be anything bad (which my GP confirmed at the time!), but what if??? Doesn't help that I have a hospital appointment this week under the 2 week rule that my dentist sent me for due to a lump on my gum. She doesn't think it's anything bad (deep down I think she's right) but wanted to be sure. I went out drinking last night and temporarily forgot my worries but then woke up at 3am worrying again and couldn't go back to sleep. Feel so tired and anxious now. I can't/won't take meds due to Sertraline putting me in a&e with weird bruising 6 months ago. The experience has left me traumatised and scared of hospitals so am dreading this appointment even more than I would normally.

You have my sympathy and empathy - health anxiety totally sucks!

Sorry to hear about the gum issue and 2week referral. It's so overwhelming isn't it.
I've always been an anxious person, but I gave birth in March 2020 and it triggered health anxiety massively. Then I had to have surgery to have half of my thyroid removed that summer when my youngest was 6 months old due to suspicion of thyroid cancer and I spiralled massively after that.

Currently panicking about breast cancer and some lumpy tissue in left breast, but can't get a bloody doctor appointment as surgery constantly has staffing issues.

Have you got any good techniques that work for you?
I find the nomorepanic forum quite useful and keeping busy useful. But it's when I stop and wind down on a night that the worry hits me. It's stopping me enjoying my children as I can't focus on them fully, but I'm so scared I won't be around for them😥

Mine was also initially triggered by an actual health issue, mid cycle bleeding which convinced me I had cancer, it wasn't, it was fibroids but found it all so traumatic.

I was better when I stayed away from Google but I've failed massively at that lately, hence anxiety sky high again.

Regarding your breast concern, have you told them you're worried about breast lumps? Our surgery is also a nightmare to get an appointment with BUT if you say breast lump, they squeeze you in. I know from experience as I've been through the whole breast cancer fear. Surprise surprise I don't have that either.

I spoke to the receptionist this afternoon and she said if I can't get an appointment on the app tomorrow then ring again and they will try to sort it.

I relate to the feeling of being traumatized by the health concerns. I just don't understand how people can function normally day-to-day without worrying 7in the same way I do. It must be so liberating to not be preoccupied by a feeling of foreboding!

I'm sure winter is worse for me. I need to try to get out more when the weather is nicer and get some daylight and try to keep up my running. When all I want to do is curl up in bed googling and feeling sorry for myself...!

Fingers crossed you can get an appointment tomorrow.

I've been trying to stay away from the GP as being sent for tests and waiting for results fuells my anxiety. I've also been very unlucky as I've been victim to a few cock ups and incidental findings as a result of these investigations. For example blood tests that had to be re-done as couldn't be processed, being sent for a CT scan by mistake intended for another patient (huge anxiety as to why I'd received the appointment, they only realised the mistake after I'd had it done). Blood found in urine during a&e trip mentioned above (all fine in the end but very stressful), distorted tissue found on a mammogram - turned out to be overlapping tissue due to the way they'd squished my breast into the machine but had several anxious weeks wait before they confirmed this was the case. Of course, if I didn't have health anxiety I would never had been having the tests in the first place! I'm now gutted I'm having to go to another appointment and terrified something else will go wrong!

Like you I've managed to keep exercising throughout, which I think has saved me from going completely mad!

HA is literally ruining my life. I've had 3 2ww since September, need I say more? I would laugh if it weren't so god awful. Solidarity with you x

I have health anxiety too

I fucking hate it it's exhausting

Oh I have found my people!
I've had dermatology 2ww and gynaecological 2wws this year which have caused me so much stress. Incidental fibroid finding has since had me looking at and googling uterine and endometrial cancer...
In 2020 and 2021 I spent nearly £2000 in total on dermatology consultations and a private breast check... Spent months paying it all off the credit card...

Weirdly my fibroids don't worry me, apart from being a bloody nuisance at times (literally!). I think it's because it's a diagnosed benign condition, it's the not knowing that scares me!

I have never (yet - touches wood) had a 2ww referral

I would absolutely go to pieces

Another night awake googling symptoms...

I'm here anxiety so bad I google symptoms too and its not nice at all what we read 😭 I'm really with ya all

Sorry to hear you had a bad night @giraffesoxks Nights and evenings are the worst time for me too.
I go down a rabbit hole on Google too @anxiety1000 so I'm trying to stop.
I've got a telephone appointment on Friday morning for my breast and am going to be in a panicked state until then :(

Health anxiety and searching on Google are the worst cuz we read stuff and Then it's in our heads and we think we have got it I'm going threw the same now anxiety I can't shake it crying all the time

I have HA too. I've always been anxious about absolutely everything to the point I feel sick and can't eat, sometimes I think I know I'm being silly but other times the fear is too much. I have a GP appt this week for a mole I have that isn't normal to me. I've had it for a while but not sure why I didn't do anything think it's cos I have hundreds of them but lately I'm obsessed with it and I'm convinced it's melanoma and I've left it too long. I'll probably get referred to dermatology. I'm already thinking I'm dying and I've got a newborn baby. I've been too focussed on my pregnancy and anxiety through pregnancy to think about anything else. Now I feel like I can't enjoy my new baby and be excited because I think I'm going to lose him and I won't be here for him or my partner. I'm terrified. I can't eat, I sleep but as soon as I wake up I think about it. I'm also getting headaches and pains in my eye so I now think it's spread every where. I just want to feel normal and I'm constantly feeling sick and heart is racing. This has been such a good year for me having my baby that we thought we never would have, so I just have this horrible thought that it's all going to get taken away from me.

@hopefulsunshine11 this is me too hun I've been diagnosed with vertigo and I'm obsessed with my dizziness I'm searching for it soon as I wake up and it doesn't leave me alone I'm scared just like you hun hand hold

Just jumping on to say I also suffer with health anxiety. It’s absolutely awful. Last year was horrendous for me until I started taking sertraline. However I have noticed it creeping back up

How are you all getting on? My HA is through the roof I am obsessively googling and I can’t seem to stop diagnosing myself with god awful things 😔 I hope you’re all doing well xxxx

Sorry to hear you're not doing well 😞

Health anxiety sucks. I've just started counselling for mine but I am paying privately as mh provision awful at the mo

I am waiting on a hysteroscopy as I have some thickened womb lining. It's a non urgent referral based on my ultrasound results and age (drs are confident it's almost certainly peri menopause related) but of course i am panicking like mad.

I've got loads of good things in my life and a lot to look forward to at the moment as well, a holiday, Christmas, a big family wedding . but waiting for this appointment is casting a shadow over it all 😞 . I just wish I could enjoy life and every day living .

Also @Gemz847 I know it's easier said than done but STEP AWAY FROM GOOGLE

😅

I absolutely hear you guys - HA is honestly the worse. I have suffered most of my life with it and trying to do my upmost not to pass it on to my DC. I haven't found anything to fix it and it can flare up anytime. The thing with HA it doesn't seem irrational during a flare up it's 100% real!! Not sure why/what I'm posting just to say you are not alone - I hear you