Health anxiety will be the death of me!

[Foreverboymumma]

I have the worst health anxiety ever! I make myself physically sick from worry. I can’t be happy, I just want to lay in bed 24/7! Especially today!

i went to the GP about a lump behind my ear which has been a bit sore, she said it was a cyst and looked inflamed and infected, she gave me antibiotics and told me if it doesn’t go away to go back.
i think that’s been the problem, I asked her if it doesn’t go away what happens? And she told me ‘we won’t talk about that, I’m almost certain it’ll go away’
but the ‘we won’t talk about that’ has not left my head and I’m thinking all sorts! I’ve cried since 10am!

this is the image of the ‘cyst’ I’m so worried about!

Hi,
I've been in your shoes, twice. I also have health anxiety, I also get cysts/boils whatever they may be behind my ears. I also panic like fuck about them. Neither time anything bad has happened. Magnesium sulphate paste from the chemist is your friend here, paste a generous amount on to the area and then cover it with a sticking plaster before bed, it draws out infection and pus and shrinks them, they heal much quicker if you do this for 2/3 nights as well as the antibiotics.

If it doesn't go away it will be drained - painless usually. You can Google and find the treatments offered.

Have you sought treatment for your anxiety as this reaction is a touch overdramatic (and incomprehensible to me)?

Really helpful comments there on the mental health side of things..... If you don't experience or understand health anxiety then there is no need to comment. it's a highly common and medically recognised mental health condition and does NOT need to be remarked upon as "overdramatic" especially not on the mental health board!

It does get better. I used to have panic attacks and awful health anxiety

Funnily the thing that actually cured me was developing a back condition that needed immediate surgery. They came to tell me I needed surgery within 48hrs to stop paralysis and then said I was the calmest patient ever
Had the surgery, did the recovery, and now I have very very little health anxiety (I'm still phobic about being/feeling sick but always have been)

Hi. Thankyou for your comment. I really wish I wasn’t this ‘over dramatic’ but unfortunately I have a mental health condition and I suffer terribly.
apart from councilling, no. Because I’m actually scared of medication and side effects. (Another downside to health anxiety. I wish you well.

Thankyou for your kind comments, I really appreciate them. It’s hard to believe it’s ’just A cyst’ Google tells me they should have heads on to be drained/popped and mine doesn’t seem to have it just looks angry and red.
ever since I got back from the gp this morning I’ve done nothing but try and seek extra advice, even a private doctor/ anything to tell me it’s definitely a cyst😢 living with any type of mental health is awful and I don’t wish it on anybody.

@Nogodsnomasters thankyou for this suggestion, I will try and get some❤️

Op, I've had one without a head too before and had the same stream of thoughts that you're having, the magnesium sulphate paste actually brought the head out on that one which is why it's so good, it's draws everything to the surface.

Aw op i totally get where you’re coming from, having had health anxiety for decades. Your boil/cyst looks very normal and is also very common. It may need draining if the antibiotics don’t do the job, but that’s all.
I worry daily about my health, so far I’ve had every type of cancer, MS, heart disease, crohns, stroke , amongst other diseases.
I went abroad last week where I was totally relaxed and far less stressed - coincidentally I didn’t have one physical symptom ! I’m now back home and already have pains and thoughts about being terminally ill. Health anxiety is a truly horrible thing.

I too suffer from health anxiety. What sometimes helps me is to remind myself of all the times I thought I have something serious which in the end turned out to be nothing. And that a doctor has looked at it. As the doctor and others here who’ve had the same cyst said, it is a cyst and it will either go away or it will be drained. You’re alright, you got this!

Stress and anxiety can make you pretty unwell.

I recommend the Dr Rangan Chattergee course on BBC Maestro about establishing good habits. I believe he does a podcast as well. Also recommend Headspace and a good yoga class.

Here is the podcast

https://drchatterjee.com/blog/category/podcast/

I had CBT for my health anxiety.
It was amazing, genuinely changed my life.

I take duloxetine for health anxiety. Switched off my anxiety tap.

Yes, sometimes medication is required and can be immensely helpful.

Thankyou for all of your replies, I really appreciate them.
im panicking a lot today, i feel like the lump should be going now and its not 😭

This is it today😭😭😭

The lump will certainly not go in one or two days unfortunately. It does take around 5 days for it even noticeable shrink. I think one of mine lasted 10 days. Maybe you could voice what you're worried about, worst case scenario?