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Original poster

Health Anxiety/Hypochondria - has anyone found effective way to cope?

45 replies

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 26/01/2009 10:54

Health Anxiety is ruining my life. It comes and goes but every time DH feels a little unwell, I go into a complete panic and am terrified he has a disease which will kill him.

I am sure it is only a matter of time before he is diagnosed with cancer or some other long-term debilitating disease.

I look up stuff on the Internet, trying to work out the cause of his symptoms. He has to see the GP today as he has pains in his chest and I have literally been sick with worry, I am shaking and cried for ages this morning.

He is very anxious about his health as well, but so far has never been diagnosed with anything serious. He does not take much time off work and does a physical job, but is always complaining about symptoms.

Please - has anyone else suffered this and found an effective way of handling these fears?

Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
LightShinesInTheDarkness · 01/02/2009 13:35

LEM - thanks for posting, I have seen you around elsewhere on the board and was hoping you would drop in and help me out!

Things are slightly better today, we seem to have calmed down a bit and DH's symptoms seem to be improving.

Everything you say is true, of course. I have been taking Cit. for many years and was recently offered counselling. I really wanted to do it, but she could only do a certain slot each week and it was impossible for me to get that regular time off work at the moment (although work are supportive, I am very lucky)

I'm going to try the online CBT - like you, I am able to stay completely rational when its the kids, its just when its DH (and to a lesser extent myself) that I panic.

But when you are IN the panic, nothing seems to make sense. Its a great help to know others suffer as badly as I do, as there are times when I really feel as if I am seriously bonkers.

OP posts:
JollyPirate · 01/02/2009 16:38

The online CBT course seems FANTASTIC Lightshines - I have just started it and just the first module was a revelation.

Concepta · 04/02/2009 13:17

LightShinesinthedarkness was wondering how you and your husband were now. Hope things are looking better.

Original poster
LightShinesInTheDarkness · 04/02/2009 20:20

Concepta - thanks for asking. Calmer, thanks, I have come out the other side of the acute phase of anxiety I was in last week.

DH still has symptoms and we are deciding whether he should return to GP for investigations.

OP posts:
Original poster
LightShinesInTheDarkness · 14/02/2009 17:42

Its racking up again, after over a week or so. DH is still checking his symptoms all the time, and telling me about new ones.

He saw a leaflet in the chemist telling about lung cancer (we have recently lost a friend to the disease) and he is worried he has it. He has a slight cough, muscle pain in his chest and occasional bouts of breathlessness. Today he is complaining his neck is swollen, but I can't see anyhing. He is not eating properly and is laying on the sofa because he is tired.

But because he is so worried, he won't actually go to the GP.

I'm so terrified of there being something seriously wrong with him, I can't think of anything else. I'm getting so desperate - I don't know if he is seriously ill or not. But we need to find out if he is, so he can get some treatment.

OP posts:
Original poster
LightShinesInTheDarkness · 23/02/2009 12:19

Can someone offer me any comfort, just for a few minutes?

I have posted here before about Health Anxiety but now I am in complete turmoil. DH has been ill since Friday D&V, plus all the symptoms he had before of cough, pain in chest, feeling sick.

Logically he may have a Norovirus-type bug, and that is what I thought at first, but now its in its 3rd day and I am petrified with fear. He is going to the GP.

What if he has cancer and is going to die? It could be in his liver or pancreas or stomach or something.

Please say something sensible to me, as this fear is very, very real to me and I am beyond rational at the moment. Just shaking with fear now.

OP posts:
Millie26 · 26/02/2009 15:18

Hey! I've just come across your post as I get really anxious about health - no one responded to this on Monday, how is your DH now?

candyfluff · 01/03/2009 16:11

lightshines
is everything ok ?

fakeblondie · 06/03/2009 11:53

jollypirate-i`ve filled out the registration for online cbt 3 times now and each time the page just blanks-any tips

Iworryalot · 30/04/2009 14:14

Having a bad day today , health anx bad anyone els suffer with this ?

Iworryalot · 30/04/2009 18:08

bump

blissa · 30/04/2009 18:57

Hi Iworryalot, sorry to hear you're feeling bad. I have suffered from health anxiety for the past few years, but it really got bad after I was hopsitalised back in December. I'm here if you want somebody to chat to

Iworryalot · 30/04/2009 20:09

hi blissa , thankyou for reply , am feeling a little better now i suffer mostly with health anx ,which at times takes over ..

its a horrid feeling , how are you now ?
did something trigger it off for you ?

did me i had bad stomach bug triggered anx .

blissa · 30/04/2009 20:21

I don't really know what triggered it before, I just know I have always worried about my health and thought little things are so much more serious than they are. And I've always been scared about something happening to me and leaving my kids.

The major trigger in December was a Pulmonary Embolism which, at 27, scared the hell out of me. It's left me with panic attacks and the anxiety got much worse. 4 months on and I am learning to live with it and have more good days than bad, but if I let myself I can focus on a little pain and convince myself it's a clot.

I am waiting for an appointment for councelling, have you had any?

Iworryalot · 30/04/2009 20:34

I am the same ... honest, i am sorry to here thet , you must have been very scared .... how is your health now ?

i have tried councelling but it didnt work to well as i just wasnt in the right frame of mind to do it ... undergoing tests which all fine in the end but at the time i couldnt focus on anything until i had results through .

at he moment i am trying hypnosis which i think is working i also have tried reflexology and breathing , which is very good my therapist has taught me this so when im very stressed and worried i can use it and it does help , along with my ipod filed with relaxing music .

yoga is good also (when i get time )
again relaxing , making time to relax does def help stress and anx i think .

blissa · 30/04/2009 20:45

It's still ongoing, tbh. I am on a blood thinner until June and then after 6 weeks I've been off the medication I will have lots of blood tests to see if I have a condition that caused it. In a way I hope I do, otherwise I have no explanation for it, and I will be back on the blood thinners for life to prevent it happening again. On the other hand I don't want to have an illness and be on pills for the rest of my life, but then I will be scared it could happen again out of the blue. Makes sense?

The hypnosis sounds interesting, I think learning coping strategies are the best way of dealing with anxiety tbh. I don't think it ever really goes away, but we can learn to control it rather than it controlling us.

My friend has lent me a yoga dvd which I am supposed to be doing. I haven't yet, but I need to as my posture is terrible and I think I had a lot of muscle wastage after being ill. I also get a lot of aches in my shoulders, back and chest muscles due to tension

Iworryalot · 30/04/2009 21:05

no wonder you get anx im sure just about anyone would having been through what you have ... sounds as though your getting all the right treatment though ...i hope things do improve for you

the yoga would be a good thing def helps you relax , i think its finding the right things to help relax and change mind thinking which are the key to helping when anx strikes ... well for me it helps a , also being out of the house and exercise, not that i do a great deal ... being in doesnt help i get to much mind talk going on if you know what i mean ... then i google and that is NOT a good thing to do ..

I hope the councelling helps you , you can only try ... and take one day at a time ...

blissa · 30/04/2009 21:15

Oh god yes I've learnt my lesson about googling! You're right, sunshine helps a lot. Last week was lovely and I made sure I got out for a walk, took kids to the park, etc everyday and I felt tired but so much better. This week I've not done quite so much and can feel myself getting dragged down again.

I hope you have a better day tomorrow

Iworryalot · 30/04/2009 21:23

Thanks for listening and hope you do to [smile ]x

blissa · 30/04/2009 21:34

Anytime. Must go to bed or won't be able to get up for the school run! x

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