Health anxiety

[Dbrea]

My health anxiety is ruining my life. I'm not living im just existing thinking at every turn I have some terrible disease. I have lost 8 stone in weight (on purpose) and my worry now is my breasts.. I have gone down a few cup sizes. I've always had big boobs but now I've lost weight I'm just noticing little divots and dents and every angle in my breast tissue no lumps or anything like that just gaps.. I cannot book in cuz I'm terrified of the doctors.. no real point to this post I just need to let it out!.

Well done on your weight loss – that's amazing! Thing is, every part of your body will be different now, from your face to your feet but you are focussing on your breasts because they are, well, the first thing you see.

Why are you scared of doctors? Have you, or someone close to you, had a bad experience? When did you become aware that you are anxious about your health? The likelihood is that there is nothing wrong but the only person who can tell you definitively is a medical professional.

Thank you so much for your reply. I have gotten worse the last 5 years. Long story so if you make it to the end thank you 😂.. so about 5 years ago I had a massive lump come up on my neck.. it was during COVID so all over zoom appointments.. booked in right away and he sent me for blood tests straightaway.. this was at 9am.. I had a text message to say we have the results were back and can you ring and make an appointment for tomorrow to discuss this was only 3 hours after my blood test.. so was already anxious because the test results came back so fast.. anyway rang up and booked in and I asked receptionist to read my results she said I can literally read it but I don't understand it.. anyway there was a high protein of sorts in my blood and what did I do.. googled it. Everything flashed up from heart disease to cancer... So I spend the next 24 hours crying my eyes out my husband had to come come cuz I couldn't look after my children I could eat or sleep honestly thought I was dying.. the next morning I got the phonecall from the doctor who proceeded to tell me I was about to very I'll cuz I had glandular fever 🤦🏼‍♀️.. all that worrying for nothing.. well not nothing I was very poorly and in bed for 3 weeks but that 24 hours on thinking the worse completely destroyed me and ever since then I've health anxiety. I know I sound absolutely nuts. And thank you if you got this far ✨✨

That wasn't that long 😉

I can imagine that time was incredibly stressful for you but if you can look at it objectively (rather than emotionally) you had a problem five years ago which was investigated and an answer provided within 24 hours. By any measure that's impressive.

Why do you think it had such a dramatic effect on you then and is still affecting you today? How was illness treated by your parents/grandparents when you were growing up?

No such thing as Illness 😂.. my parents are hard working people and Ive never known them to have a day off sick for themselves or really me or my siblings. We had to go school regardless unless it was really really obvious like sickness or whatever. I don't know why I've closed down much on my health. I just cannot get myself to go to the doctors... I also know if it's to do with breasts they usually stick you on a two week pathway and It scares me to think how I was 5 years ago for 24 hours waiting for my results how the hell will I be for two weeks for a scan or whatever 🤦🏼‍♀️.. I'm just a broken mess that can't be fixed I think 😂

I'm just a broken mess that can't be fixed I think

No you're not and yes you can 😊 Look at what you've achieved with an 8st weight loss; if that's your idea of broken then fixed you is going to be fucking awesome!

Assuming you are 35 (educated guess) your statistical chance of dying at this age is 0.001209 and your estimated life span is a further 47.34 years. That is a tiny, tiny number and a very long time to spend worrying about it.

Would you consider talking to your doctor about CBT to tackle the health anxiety? (And throwing in a casual "while I'm here can you have a look at my tits please?"!)

Wow that was a good guess I'm 34 😂 yes it was time to sort my life out little with the weight I want to be healthy for my kids and I thought losing the weight would help my anxiety around health as I don't drink or smoke it was literally just the weight but it's not really helped at all.. if anything it's made it alot worse 🤦🏼‍♀️..I would love some sort of therapy for it but didn't know this is something you could get on the NHS. I will have to have a little look. I have to do something I can't go on like this. 1st step getting through the doors at doctors. I was thinking about going back onto my anti depressants to see if that helped.. again I stopped these thinking the weightloss would solve that.. wrong 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

Emotions, such as anxiety, are not rational so just because you are healthier it doesn't follow that you are going to stop being worried about your health. There's a lot of information about the conscious/subconscious mind on my AMA about remedial hypnosis.

BTW, a small tip – if you take ownership of something in the way you talk or think about it (MY health anxiety/MY anti depressants) you are less likely to want to lose them. Try using 'the' instead of 'my' to put some distance between who you are and this temporary issue.

I cannot thank you enough for replying today I really appreciate the time you have taken. I felt very lost this morning and now not so much and thats down to you ❤️.. you are right I do need to look at something. I can't go on like this like I said before I don't feel like I'm living at all. So I will look into some therapy. I did look a while back for private and it was very eye watering but maybe it will be worth it

I had a similar issue. Sertraline changed my life.

I used to take sertraline and thought I knew better and came off it. But I'm thinking now it's time go back on! Did you suffer with health anxiety?

i was coming to respond to the OP and saw your response.
My health anxiety fluctuates and is more or less helped by HRT - it s not grrat at the moment, and i ve been considering the unopened box of sertraline in my medicine cabinet...

did it work fast for you without side effects @BoredZelda ?

Hi OP. I could have written your post. My health anxiety started after 2 years of glandular fever aged 16. I put up with intrusive thoughts until my 40s and then went on sertraline. Therapy helps to a point but the sertraline was hands down the best treatment. Get back on it would be my advice. Ive come off as well and managed 6 months but then I have to go to the drs, as we do in life, and the anxiety is just too high. Better than it was but I do.still need that support.

I decided to start again this afternoon.. and got a prescription in for some more... That is interesting that you had glandular fever too.. do you think there could be a connection? I feel like I'm going mad sometimes I really do. But I'm hoping as I get the sertraline back into my system I can work up the courage to get into the GP with things that are concerning me ATM. Thank you much for your reply.

It's hard to say @Dbrea because i was so young and it was a bit of a traumatic time with my dad leaving, GCSEs and caring for an agoraphobic mother. But yeah, I think i lost faith in my body, my ability to be well and it made me super vigilant. I remember in my 20s I'd take ages in the shower checking my breasts over and over. I'd be late for work sometimes. I was especially frightened of BC as my BFs mum died of that at the time I fell ill and it just stuck with me.

I think we have to remember that we literally catastrophise and look at everything like its under a microscope. What's an indent to everyone else, and what is actually an indent, is a red flag to you. Im the same now with my mole checking. It's exhausting and I feel for you. Definitely get things checked but understand we have our own version of body dysmorphia when it comes to health.