Struggling with health anxiety

[Rf13]

Hi,
I have suffered with health anxiety for 15 years since my mum passed away from cancer.
I've had cbt and take sertraline.
I had a breast scare this week and thankfully the test results all came back fine but instead of feeling better if fallen into the rabbit hole of "what if?"
I'm constantly body scanning and I'm currently obsessing over a small red patch I've found in my skin.
I feel guilty that I'm not giving my 10 year old son the attention and fun he deserves during the summer holidays.
Does anyone have any advice please?
Thank you in advance

“What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny.”

— Robin S. Sharma

Imagine you're looking at an insect through a magnifying glass; it's huge, it's scary and it may well kill you. But put down the glass and it becomes what it really is; small, insignificant and harmless. So it is with your body and that small red patch that's troubling you. Your subconscious mind is on high alert because of what happened to your mum so is placing undue attention on everything health related but, if you think about it, nothing untoward has afflicted you in the past 15 years - is it time to now let it go?

If you find you can't you might consider remedial hypnosis to let your subconscious know that it's doing you no favours (because at the moment it believes it's doing the right thing).

I can't find it now but there was a recent post on HA in which a poster said they'd be a crap doctor because none of the illnesses they'd self diagnosed over the past years had actually been correct!!

Thank you so much for your response. I think hypnosis may be an idea to consider. My subconscious really does say that it's irresponsible, especially as a mum not to worry about these things. That's the biggest thing I struggle with I think

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. I don't suffer to the same extent but my dad passed away from bowel cancer 6 years ago and ever since I've been a bit obsessed with trying to learn the symptoms of ALL possible cancers to try to avoid getting it myself/catching it early if I do get it. I see it as a bit of a double edged sword in that respect. I hope you find a way through this because I'm sure your mum wouldn't want you to live with this anxiety xx

I'm sorry about your dad. It's so hard isn't it? I'm so afraid of cancer. Xx

The best thing I ever did was email a phd doctor about something I was as worried about. Just googled a specialist in the field at a university ( not a medical dr or GP) who frankly don't have time or inclination to reply. Told them I was a hypochondriac about it and that these were my symptoms. He put my mind at rest after about 25 yrs of worry. I worked in a lab studying CJD and was worried I'd accidentally infected myself, I did body scanning for symptoms and I certainly did have symptoms but I was attributing the symptoms to the wrong thing, I now think I have nocturnal seizures. I'm ok with this because, although not nice, it's not CJD and I was catatrophising real symptoms to the worst case scenario.

A scientist put my my at rest

@Rf13 yes it's really hard I agree, I think the thing that scares me especially about cancer is it feels like you have this small window in which to catch it early enough to treat otherwise it's very hard to treat. That's why I think cancer in particular frightens me and why I got so obsessed with learning symptoms. I've just had to tell myself if it happens I will deal with it and do my best to live happily in the meantime but I completely understand the shadow that it casts OP.

@Magssss yes, totally! I think I also fear leaving my kids behind which of course is everyone's fear

Oh gosh yes that too. I have 4 kids though which is probably why I don't have much time to dwell on it 😅

Definitely!! 🤣🤣

Same. Feel like I suck the joy out
of my own life tbh

@Tunnocks34 That is the perfect description and it's so exhausting