Health anxiety about my toddler

[C84884]

I feel that my health anxiety around my toddler (2 years) gets the better of me and makes it hard for me to enjoy my time with him. Recently I noticed:

• I google or ask ChatGPT probably every day, sometimes more than once per day, about symptoms and what could be wrong with him. A hoarse voice, more crying than usual, a spot on his skin,…
• Whenever I notice something concerning, my mind jumps to ‘Will this be the day where I first realised something is wrong’, or ‘Will this have been the last day we lived happily before having to deal with a horrible illness’.
• at night I find it hard to sleep because I know any second I could hear him cry because he became unwell.

Do I need help? Where should I go for help?

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/health-anxiety/

Some information here.

It is vital to seek help. If not, it is likely that you will transfer your anxiety to your child or end up subjecting him to unnecessary traumatic tests/investigations to assuage your anxiety - which won't even help for more than a moment.

Being worried is a pretty normal thing for parents, but daily checking is not. Try and find ways to manage the anxiety so that you can enjoy your time together instead of constantly watching for symptoms.