Always worried about something!! CBT actually work??

[Mumma2Ro]

Hiya.
I suffer with health anxiety. Never had any treatment for it.
I am ALWAYS worried about something. It actually feels weird when I’m not worrying about something. I think oh I feel really happy today, oh yes because I’m not obsessively worrying about something today!
im really considering CBT. Although I know there will be a long waiting list on the NHS. Does it actually work? I’m reluctant to go on medication .

Looking at the evidence base for CBT for health anxiety, it is considered to be effective overall. It's definitely a good option if you are considering treatment.

Is it just health anxiety or other more general anxiety you suffer from?

I also have experienced health anxiety, but also a more persistent anxiety that seems to come from no where, and have found CBT helpful, but also have tried other therapies to support my other anxieties that are rooted in childhood/trauma factors.

Medication tends to help in the immediate, but not address the core issues, so completely understand your reluctance.

Accessing psychological therapies can be hard, as it is assessed on severity, but you can self refer, and there are online courses which are also effective.

How much is it disrupting your life? Depending on this will determine how quickly you can access treatment. It is always worth getting the ball rolling.

But it's a massive step to make the decision to get help, or even consider it, so that's a real achievement!

Ah thanks so much.
I don’t think I suffer from anxiety in general. I mean I am a worrier so to speak….. like if my husband doesn’t answer his phone and doesn’t call me back I start worrying what if he has had a car crash? And things like that.
if my kids are unwell I get so worried I sleep on their bedroom floors. But a lot of mums do that don’t they ?
I don’t know you could self refer for CBT, I will look into this thank you.
you’ve asked how if effects my day to day life……
I work full time as a midwife. I’m a mum to 2 young children, I’m a wife.
I get on with it all. When I’m having an ‘episode’ I’m down, I’m sad, I’m emotional, I’m miserable, I’m emotional, I obsessively research and google. But even then it doesn’t affect my day to day activities. So maybe it’s not as bad as I think it is?

You sound very much like me. CBT helped me a little but the only thing that has made a considerable difference to me is medication. I was very opposed to taking it in the beginning but it has really helped.

When you say it’s helped…..would you say you now don’t suffer with anxiety at all??
do you have any side affects from the medication?

I have very little anxiety now, any even when I am anxious it isn't that huge black hole of catastrophic thoughts that I descend into, just very mild unease. No side effects after the first month, during the first month I struggled to get to sleep, had an on and off upset stomach and a sore jaw from tooth grinding.