Awful health anxiety on holiday and I'm at breaking point.

[Littletinytarzanswingingfromanosehair]

Currently on holiday (in UK not abroad).
Since we got here on Saturday I've been constantly worried about my health.
The last 4days:
*Slightest stomach ache (it's cancer)
*Itchy hands (it's liver failure)
*I've just rubbed my eyes after playing with the dog, now I'm going to go blind.

It's making be just want to curl up and sleep.
I can't even go on holiday and relax.
If anyone has HA, do you take anything for it? I cannot go on like this!

I'd ask myself what's really going on xx

I assume you’ve had/are having therapy about it.
What techniques have you learnt?
what’s the route of the anxiety?
how can you not feed the anxious thoughts?

No help/therapy yet, I'm too embarrassed as I know I'm going overboard with my thinking and worries.
I dont know if it's because I'm not busy at work being distracted with everyday life but even then I still worry.
It's like you can't escape illnesses and diseases always being on the TV in some form.
I don't even read the news anymore as that's a trigger.

This level of HA is way more common that you might think OP. Also when you relax on holiday and your mind clears of the every day concerns about work, family, emptying the dishwasher and putting the bins out then that is peak time to catastrophize.

Never be embarrassed to seek help from a therapist either privately or through your GP. I would definitely recommend this as a way forward for you.

One thing I would say to you is to focus on the facts and not your thoughts. Don't confuse the two. You have itchy hands, perfectly normal - you haven't been diagnosed with liver cancer. The fact is itchy hands - your thoughts are saying cancer. Listen to the facts. And when you get home make some calls and get some help with this.

*Slightest stomach ache (it's cancer)
*Itchy hands (it's liver failure)
I've just rubbed my eyes after playing with the dog, now I'm going to go blind.

I bet that when you wrote those down when you were composing your post, you thought WTF, that's ridiculous, didn't you?

Writing down your irrational thoughts, especially on paper rather than a screen, can go a really long way to proving you yourself that there's absolutely nothing to worry about.

Are you on any meds for anxiety OP? It sounds like they might really help you. That sounds like a really miserable way to live.

I take duloxetine for mine. Life changing. I also keep a diary of symptoms and my fears so I can see they were all unfounded. I also ask my partner to listen to me for fifteen minutes a day.

Not on any medication for the HA, I do have Beta blockers to take for when I feel a panic attack coming on.
Its absolutely miserable way to live.
I spend hours of my spare time googling it's absolutely ridiculous.

I'm tempted to look at sertraline as apparently that's good for anxiety.

Ive talked to DP today about my HA while we were lunching at the first thing he said was "you haven't hit the gym in 3months and that's your feel good place". Which is true. But I have been very poorly with Pneumonia - an official diagnosis btw so I don't know if this has also resurfaced the HA.

OP there is nothing to be embarrassed about. If the thoughts are the obsession and they compel you to google, you need to cut the googling dead and see that nothing bad happens. (Or cut dead any other ritual you are carrying out to make yourself ‘safe’.) That's the only way you’re going to break the cycle.
Remember:
-Thoughts are not facts
-Thoughts cannot hurt you
-Once you cut whatever safety ritual you have been doing, whether that’s googling, reassurance-seeking or checking yourself physically, you will see that you are fine and this will be the key to your recovery.

Honestly I recommend this book on here so much that this chapter honestly owes me a commission! The leader in this field is Professor David Veale and his book ‘Overcoming OCD’ is really really good. My friend had shocking contamination anxiety and was treated by him in hospital.

Seek out some CBT with ERP treatment-wise.

You’re going to have to be quite brutal because let’s face it, googling is not helping you, it’s fuelling your Health Anxiety. So if it’s a behaviour that’s not helpful, don’t do it. I know that sounds impossible but it’s worth it.

xx

That's a really good answer

What sorts of things does he recommend @FionaSkates ? Am dealing with this now and it's richoceted a bit with Christmas and I'm just fed up of it 😒

Try reading how to stop worrying and start living by Carnegie…and never google other than nhs and only if needed.

Try the Thrive Programme (google it).

Pretend it's someone else who is asking and work out what you'd say to them?

When your brain starts spiralling you can write down whatever the answer is 'you are not going to die of liver failure because your hands itch. It's just dry skin and nothing to worry about" or whatever.

You can use breathing techniques to calm yourself such as minute mindfulness. I used to think it was utter nonsense. Until I tired it. One minute out of your morning isn't much to lose if it resets your brain. There is a face tapping technique that the army uses too for ptsd which is good. You'd have to google it.

Someone told me to treat myself like a little child, be loving and nurturing, forgive mistakes, be kind to yourself. Eat well.

Like all things, this stress will pass and you will be fine.