Health Anxiety and tiredness

[MazB8]

Hoping to receive some advice and tips from this post.

Can anyone suggest any good methods / tips on how to break the link between health anxiety and tiredness, and by this I mean that almost every time I am tired or drained my health anxiety rears it’s ugly head. I could literally have 8 hours of solid sleep and if I am rushed, drained or feeling tired my anxiety kicks in and the thoughts start that I am dying and that there is something wrong with me.

I have a good diet, sleep well, drink alcohol a small amount only once a week and still this doesn’t seem to be enough.

I really want to be normal again without the intrusive thoughts 🥲

Always look to the cause. There was a time when you DIDN'T associate tiredness with ill-health/dying. When and why did this change?

I’ve had health anxiety since I had a random panic attack a couple of years ago, leading up to the attack I was googling symptoms and wasn’t looking after myself probably so that’s how the health anxiety started.

I also have this, always worse with tiredness (and holidays! And post holidays and Christmas, and when my DCs are unwell.. you name it) its peaks and troughs for me, up and then down, till the next time :( ..I've not tried medication as I tell myself I can go long periods of feeling well, but if I'm honest its always there, lurking slightly in the background. This probably sounds silly but the only success I've managed to have is to compartmentalise my thoughts into 'I've had this feeling before and I didnt die' and 'this feels new', gives me slight relief. I don't have answers I'm sorry to say but wanted to offer some solidarity. X

OK, that makes sense. The first panic attack often happens when we're feeling ill, or tired or dehydrated, worried about something, etc and then the body does something that scares us – maybe something we'd ordinarily ignore, but aligned with the heightened feeling of fragility that can tip us into a self fulfilling panic.

The good news is that no one ever died from a panic attack – ever.

Are you looking after yourself properly now?

Thank you, this is how I am. I have some periods where I am “normal” and then I have off days and get down as I just want to be how I used to be. It’s so frustrating x

Yes looking after myself much better, it’s just the lingering anxiety that wears me down. Everything else is fine. I feel like I need to break the link between health anxiety and tiredness and I’m pretty much recovered. I’m better with sudden pains and twinges and not thinking they are a heart attack anymore.

Sometimes 'proving' yourself wrong is a useful tool. For example if you are scared that you can't breath (with no underlying issues) you run up and down stairs a couple of times to prove to your mind that it's got it wrong.

So maybe do something that you know logically is safe but your subconscious is scared of when you are tired. Go for a run, do some star-jumps, dance until you're knackered, or watch something you know that will make you laugh until it hurts. Replace 'be safe' thoughts with 'fuck it, it's great to be alive' hormones 😊