For those in their 50s, how do you stop worrying about your health?

[ssd]

I mean, how do you stop worrying about every little ache and pain being something terrifying?

All i hear is people my age being diagnosed with health issues none of us want.

I try to keep healthy, dont smoke or drink, need to loose weight though.

Nothing worrying in family history or mine really.

But i worry about my health getting worse an awful lot. And i see it happening to friends and colleagues all around me, as well as the endless news stories about celebrities with cancer, strokes or dying.

I want to live my life accepting the inevitable but not worrying about it constantly.

Please dont tell me worrying helps nothing, trust me i know this but it doesn't stop me.

Please tell me your secret if you aren't like me.

Yep! I'm in my fifties and have had Health Anxiety to varying degrees for about 10 years. It was at its worst this last year. I think the pandemic and subsequent backlogs didn't help as its made it so hard to access doctors and I kept hearing stories about people being diagnosed too late. Then of course there are the constant DM tragic stories, social media and relentless cancer awareness campaigns (a good thing but doesn't help if you have health anxiety). I'm now the same age my MIL was when she died of ovarian cancer and only a few years off the age my dad died of bowel cancer. I also keep hearing of people my age (or younger) dying such as Lisa Marie Presley.

I've had CBT which helped a bit and am now coming round to the idea that I can either waste my life worrying or just get on with it enjoying whatever time I have left. I have no more chance of getting something nasty than my peers, most of whom presumably don't have health anxiety. In fact, I probably have less chance than many - I'm not overweight, fit exercise regularly and have done for years, never smoked, drink in moderation and have had many checks this last year due to my anxiety, all of which were normal. Many of my friends are overweight and/or already have health issues whereas I'm rarely ill. Therefore, if the worst happens I know there's fuck all I could've done to prevent it.

In the words of Terry Hall (another one gone too soon) - Enjoy yourself it's later than you think!