How do I stop thinking everything is cancer?

[ssd]

I know i have health anxiety, all centered around cancer. Its like a really strong phobia, even writing the word freaks me out. Im no different to anyone else but i have this horrible gut wrenching reaction to every pain, every spot etc etc, its absolutely ridiculous but i cant stop it.

Has anyone managed to overcome this specific worry?

When did this start? What was your experience with cancer? Finding why it began is the best way to put it back into perspective.

I think the only way to overcome this would be therapy. Have you sought any?

Ive tried lots of therapy but nothing has clicked so far

I cant find when it started, thats part of the problem

That's OK. Although it's helpful to know, it's not crucial. It's not something you were born with so it was learnt somewhere along the road and anything the mind can learn it can unlearn

Yes i agree with that

It feels so irrational. I know that no one wants cancer, but i can't even watch an advert about fundraising or see something in the news, it makes me feel panicky.

Im watching the fear clinic on ch4. I get that the people have phobias about spiders or snakes but with this phobia you can get away from the spider etc. With a fear of cancer you can't escape your body. Thats what i find difficult.

Hi I couldn't read and run as I've been a health anxiety sufferer for too long so I sympathise. I was the same as you but actually mine started during COVID, I actually banned my partner from saying the word I couldn't hear it. Obviously things have since changed and I've thought I've had everything under the sun, cancer included. Its the physical symptoms that make it hard not to believe something is wrong. One of the things that helped me was if I spot something or feel something that I'm worried about, I give myself say 24 hours and get it seen to by a GP, then I stretch it for example "I've had tachycardia for a few days now, I'll get that checked by Friday if not gone" etc. Putting that empathise that yes, I acknowledge this and it'll be dealt with in a timely manner.
The other thing that I worked through with my therapist was in fact my health anxiety was a way of taking care of myself, that must sound weird considering how debilitating it is but the body scanning and the rumination is a way of 'checking in' on yourself, because you may not know how to otherwise implement self care, or was never taught to. Other things are changing routine, writing down your worries as soon as you wake up, interrupting thoughts maybe acknowledge the worry and splash with cold water, take a walk if able all these little things may help. There's fantastic people to access on YouTube which I rave about, Cherelle thinks, The anxiety guy and Trey Jones. It's working through the need to control everything in our world, some things we can't and actually that's okay, try some meditation or body scanning meditation to allow yourself to sit with the discomfort. I hope that helps and I'm sorry you're going through it x

You are not alone, i do the same it's horrible!! I just might get a slight pain somewhere then I'm going through all the worst case scenarios. I try and do the same as mentioned above and give myself a time limit of how long to wait before needing to contact doctor, and find this helpful and then it might go away or i become less worried by it.Try and keep my mind busy with other stuff and tell myself not to google, but then if going through a bad patch with it I can't help it and google obsessively.
I have to turn radio over if I hear it on there and I hate that awful advert that's always on atm about it...just a little pain and that horrible music it just triggers my thoughts.
I feel I know why I'm like it but tbh that doesent help at all with dealing with it!!
Sorry not much help but just sometimes helps to know you are not alone with this.

You're definitely not alone in this. My DH had cancer 2021/2022 and since then he can't bear to even hear the word. At first I assumed he was obviously just heightened to it due to trauma but actually over the last 18 months in particular the media have gone completely overboard - it's constantly on the news, adverts, every drama series there's a storyline in there somewhere about it. It's impossible to switch off from it so I completely understand why you feel so anxious. It's just always "there" now

Hi, just wanted to comment to let you know I’m exactly the same as you. I’ve been to the doctors about 8 times in the past 3 weeks. Been to the walk in this evening and was in a&e over the weekend. It’s never ending. And I’ll be back at the doctors tomorrow morning because I’m still concerned about something and the walk in basically told me they were too busy to deal with me.

I feel like they read my notes and it says “HYPOCHONDRIAC” across the top and so they just tell me I’m fine. I don't feel fine though!

My partner has had enough of it. I know it’s stressing him out but he’s only getting part of it- I don’t discuss everything with him. I feel like the doctors just brush everything off and I’m constantly ill or exhausted

My gp said this is common worry. But i have a friend who had cancer years ago and i worry about it more than her. She says she learnt the hard way theres no point worrying.
I understand the logic but its getting my brain to believe it .....

I have terminal cancer, trust me, I hate those adverts way more than you could imagine. What a waste of your precious time. Please do everything you can to stop wasting time worrying about it. I wish i could have that time.

Therapies that only engage the conscious mind don't help with issues that arise from the subconscious - this is one of them. Have a look at my AMA on remedial hypnosis or talk to a local hypnotherapist who has experience in dealing with phobias.

Seek therapy. You are wasting important time and energy worrying.

I have incurable cancers, you don't.

I started with health anxiety when my mum was diagnosed with serious illness about 14 years ago but when I look back, I'd had various types of OCD before that. My mind seems to need to come up with a 'what if' and then run with it. I'm having lots of therapy but it's very difficult. My GP is fantastic but she doesn't seem to be able to reassure me like she used to, I always seem to find a loophole!