What helped your Health Anxiety?

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I have had debilitating health anxiety since I was 16…I’m now 28 and it is RUINING my life. I’m so desperate for help, I’ve been on the waiting list for CBT for about a year with no sign of a date any time soon. Anyone with this god awful condition knows how truly horrendous the vicious worry cycle is. I’m currently in deep at the moment,consumed by fear. I know all of things such as fresh air,exercise,eating well ect. is supposed to make be feel better but because I’m so convinced I’m dying every single day I find even starting any of those things completely overwhelming. Anyone that has/had health anxiety can I ask what has genuinely helped you overcome it? What steps did you take? Any and all suggestions/ tips welcome. I’m so done feeling like this.

OK, so that's a big shock to a child - the concept that someone you love can die - but, as you say, you weren't able to take in the enormity until you were older. At the that point (possibly) the shock of the childlike mind collided with the understanding of the adolescent mind and that started your fear of death. Would that make sense to you?

That absolutely does make sense,I just don’t get how I can ever really get over that? It was so horrible and it’s been like 16 years and I still think about it. God it’s so horrifically awful

I struggle with health anxiety too. The advice I've been given is to stop doing anything to further the anxiety. No googling symptoms. No going on health forums, or reading patient stories, or anything related to illness. No repeatedly going to the doctors. No checking your body/symptoms. No asking for reassurance. You have to starve the anxiety.

Obviously much easier said than done, and I'm finding it difficult but apparently, that's what you have to do. You have to stop giving it space in your brain.

I’m sorry you’re on this awful rollercoaster of emotions too. It’s honestly like a ride you just can’t get off. This is such helpful advice and I will definitely be trying it. Wishing you all the luck in the world with your recovery xx

My child has this and I find it so hard to support her or know what to do. Hyphochondria is really hard to treat, even for doctors, and it’s so debilitating. You have my sympathy op.

You have two parts to your mind. Your conscious, rational mind which, given the chance, would recognise that you will probably die peacefully in old age (as the vast majority of people do).

Then there's the subconscious part of your mind that's still stuck at 16 with the horror of losing someone you love. It's not trying to hurt you - much as it might feel this way - it's stuck trying to work out what the hell happened to your grandparent and how it can avoid it happening to you; which is why it's so scared and keeps rerunning the 'programme' to try and keep you safe.

Just realising this is what's going on might help. Try to use your adult mind to accept that your grandparent died due to a disease that now, in many cases, is not a death sentence. Do you have other grandparents or relatives that are alive and well at a similar age? Think logically about all the people you know who haven't died rather than that one who did...change your focus.

If you are still struggling then consider remedial hypnosis. It's not 'woo' or airy-fairy; it's a way of communicating directly with the part of your mind that's panicking and simply asking it to stop because it's causing you to be unhappy. Your subconscious what's you to be happy and safe but, in this case, it's got stuck. It can be unstuck.

Delete your news app. Stop googling. Stop reading up on symptoms and stories of people who’ve been ill. My therapist told me that reading that sort of stuff is like having your windows open when it’s raining - you’re letting the water in and wondering why you’re getting wet. Close your windows. Stop the negative information coming in. That will be a huge help.

Then you need to work on controlling your emotions. Because you’re thinking emotionally not logically. Realistically, what’s the worst case scenario? What’s the most likely scenario? Tell yourself that your illness is causing you to think about the worst case instead of the most likely.

Do some breathing exercises and mindfulness. I did a Samatha Buddhism course online and it helped a lot with controlling my mind and emotions. You don’t need to be religious, it’s for anyone who wants to learn to meditate and be mindful. You learn to see your emotions as waves on the sea that come and go, they’re not the sea itself. And you learn to just watch them instead of being drowned by them.

I totally agree with the comments about avoiding "Dr Google". I was an absolute bugger for this. What changed that was my cancer diagnosis and my consultant saying "please don't google, so much information is out of date, largely wrong and absolutely none of it will apply to your individual diagnosis". Aside from an ingrowing toenail issue, I've taken that advice and quite honestly it's been liberating.

Thank you. I totally agree, it's awful. I've actually had some real health issues this past year. I had a cancer scare which turned out to be a benign issue, but the whole experience has only made the health anxiety worse. I'm having surgery in a couple of weeks which I'm terrified about and honestly my anxiety is at its peak right now. But I'm determined to get better. Good luck to you too x

That honestly makes so much sense,thank you for taking the time to share that with me. It’s so helpful. Remedial hypnosis sounds like it could be incredibly helpful. Would that be something to talk to the GP about or would it have to be down the private avenue? x

I have health anxiety and at times in my life it has completely ruled me. Awful awful awful. Also linked to a family members very late diagnosis. I have been a lot better for last two years and I think it's because I finally realised I've experienced the same symptoms/body sensations for years and it hasn't killed me yet.

Remedial hypnosis is a private therapy - have a google of the Control System for practitioners (including yours truly!).

I have health anxiety too op and it can be absolutely brutal and consuming.

Fluoxetine has helped.

I'm currently waiting for a referral for the breast clinic after finding a lump in my nipple and I'm surprisingly calm.

Psychotherapy helped me. The Jungian idea that anxiety is a message from the unconscious and that often unresolved grief lies at its core.

There’s a book The Wisdom of Anxiety by Sheryl Paul that explains this too, that anxiety will manifest as various different ways (health, relationship etc) but it’s the message underneath that matters. She has a website and Instagram and often talks about health anxiety.

Health anxiety can be trying to divert your attention away from feelings that seem too scary to feel. (To feel health anxiety maybe feels more doable - the mind thinks the big, responsible doctor will help you and fix it all!) but really you will survive feeling the scary feelings and you’ll be able to find a way to parent yourself through it.

Owen O’Kane is really good too, he has so many practical tips on his Instagram and published a book on anxiety recently.

Basically it was abandonment issues and unresolved grief at the heart of it for me. As I’ve grieved my dad never being in my life (working through the anger, fear, loneliness etc) the anxiety has gradually lifted. It helps having a psychotherapist to point all this out to you and sit with you while you feel it all.

CBT and thinking tricks only take you so far with health anxiety I think - in my experience anyway it was a really physical experience (tight throat, panic attacks, feeling like I was going to faint) rather than thought processes. Which was a pain because I’d already spent several years in psychotherapy mastering my thoughts by the time health anxiety gripped me!

Also some pills helped a bit with panic attacks, (pericyazine) I was supposed to take one when I felt a panic attack coming on. But couldn’t always predict them well, and I would feel totally wiped out after the pills, so not ideal.

Wow thank you so much,your response was filled with so much helpful advice. That’s really interesting about the unresolved grief,that would never have crossed my mind but I will look more into that. I will definitely be looking into the book you suggested and I have an appointment with the GP on Friday to discuss my mental health issues so hopefully they can help me and get me on the right track. Thank you so much for sharing.

I’m so sorry to hear about your current health issue,fingers crossed for you everything comes back clear. That’s amazing that you’re able to deal with it in such a calm manner,what a huge step.