Anyone suffer with Health Anxiety?

[KPA22]

Hi everyone

I have been suffering with HA for as long as I can remember. Particularly around cancer and for some reason my thoughts link cancer to death, I can never think that the NHS would be able to help me and that if I get cancer I will die. I have personally been affected by death from cancer but I know more people that have survived from it. I've had CBT which has helped a bit but my auntie who is only 41 has been diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time and it's thrown me back to the beginning. Anyone else have any tips how I can stop spiralling? TIA x

Yep. I have OCD any it tends to cling on to health anxiety things (as well as thinking I might have run someone over and not realised 🫣) Treatment wise, an SSRI is the best thing for it.

It’s difficult because your instincts (illness) tell you you’ll probably have a really bad allergic reaction, or you’ll develop some sort of horrific side effect, but you won’t.

Did your CBT therapist give you links to resources? I suffer with anxiety about everything and understand how crippling it can be.

My therapist recommends practicing the techniques regularly, an 8 hour course (for example) is simply not enough for some people. This is an amazing link he gave me. Hope it helps.

www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself

Why helps me most is getting outside, working with the soil. Could be digging, planting seeds, pruning. Having something physical helps to calm the nervous system and I don’t know why the outdoors does it but it does help. Then I try and accept what life might throw at me, any new symptom I have to wait 2 weeks before making a doctors appointment if I am still worried.

They did at the time but nothing that I could go back to if I needed too so thank you for this. I will have a look. X

Funny you should say that because I get out with the dog when I can and it helps in the short term. I think that's what I need to do accept life's plan. When I had my CBT they said I have a intolerance of uncertainty but obviously there are things in life where you cannot be certain

Me! I've suffered to varying degrees for more than 10 years. It's got so much worse the last 3 years, I think a combination of perimenopause & my age (50s), especially as I'm now approaching the age both my dad & my mil were when they were diagnosed and then died of cancer. It doesn't help that many peers have developed health problems recently, some of them cancer and the c word is constantly all over the media!

I had cbt a couple of years ago which helped a bit but before long I drifted back into my old ways of googling & self checking. Medication seems to help many people but I had a bad experience with sertraline which gave me a rare side effect of scary bruising, landing me in a&e and making my anxiety even worse, so won't try anything else.

The link posted by @mygosh looks excellent so I will take the time to look at it fully, thanks for posting that!

Keep your body and mind active, to stop the spiralling. Cancer is everywhere; on the TV, adverts, posters and in the news. It’s part of many peoples lives.

I have cancer ( 4th time unlucky!) I’m on chemo and it’s horrid.

If you get diagnosed, you will have to deal with it. In the meantime, distract yourself with work, hobbies etc?