Sinking feeling

[user1498269155]

I am male (sorry for posting on here).

I may ramble a little, again sorry - but I just need to canvas opinion as it is really stressing me out. If I raise it at home, I will just get told to stop being daft and if I am being honest, 12 months ago I would probably have thought the same thing if someone said something similar to me.

I have a little girl but ever since she was born I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach at least once a day. Usually really OTT hypochondriac stuff, if I get a stomach ache I wonder if it is bowel cancer, a head ache - brain tumour, if I have an ashtma attack, lung cancer - you get the drift I am sure - nothing to do with my little one, she is amazing.

Prior to our little one being born I never had any thoughts like this, I have always been happy/confident (albeit quiet) and never really worried about anything (long story but my upbringing wasnt the best My mum was always there, my dad was mostly there but my step was there 1 week, gone the next - but it was by no means a bad upbringing), I have always just worked on the assumption that I only rely on myself then if anything goes wrong it is nobodies fault but my own and I have been quite successful in life doing my own thing.

I am struggling with how to describe it. I am not depressed in any way, financially we are ok, we will never be rich but we are not living pay cheque to pay cheque and if things carry on I will be able to semi retire by around 45, I have a little girl that has just made us a complete family and I would literally not change anything about my life at the minute.

But when I do things like blow raspberries at my little girl (which she laughs at), I get that feeling in the pit of my stomach again.

Any thoughts or opinions? Will it subside? I am reluctant to go to the doctor about this (obviously, I am a bloke lol), I do not completely trust doctors, I will probably just end up with anti depressants which I really dont think I need.

I am not sure what I am looking for by posting this but a problem shared and all that.

Thank you.

This sounds a little bit like health anxiety which is a clinical psychiatric disorder in the same family as OCD. You shouldn’t worry about seeing your GP about it as you recognise it as a problem. Afterall, it’s better than repeated visits to your GP with possible illnesses.

It would be quite normal to have the onset on health anxiety during a stressful time in your life and, while your daughter coming along is amazing, you have had a major change in your life.

Everything Liverpool said and also, anti depressants aren't the only option, you might find a course of CBT therapy really helpful and that will probably be one of the first things your GP will suggest.

This sounds like some sort of anxiety to me (disclaimer: I am not a doctor of any sort, but I do have anxiety disorders). It wouldn't be too surprising if you were more anxious since becoming a parent.

Seems fairly conclusive :P

Is it likely to clear on its own or even get worse without treatment?

I’m not medically qualified either but anxiety disorders don’t usually fizzle out by themselves, in fact they can spiral.
You can either do some research on self help techniques or speak to your GP about professional help. As mentioned above, CBT is great for controlling anxiety. X

I don't see how trying a CBT course (or some self help CBT stuff online) could possibly hurt in any case tbh OP, you can pick up some good techniques which come in handy in all sorts of ways so it's win win really. Try some online stuff if you don't fancy broaching it with the GP, also you can self refer for NHS talking therapies in some areas, google IAPT and your town name and see what comes up.

It does sound like something along the lines of health anxiety to me.
Nothing to be ashamed of.
I had something similar, in my case part of the symptoms of my PTSD after a traumatic birth.

No doctor is going to think you are silly if you speak to them about it. Lots more people have mental health conditions of one sort of another than most people realise.

I agree with others - CBT is very helpful. But I would open up to your GP, they can help signpost services / refer you and they are usually very understanding

Thanks, its not that I am ashamed or embarrassed as such, just that I am finding it hard to believe I have a mental health problem as that is just not me. I also think that I will struggle to go in to a meeting where you talk and expect it to fix the problem.

Aside from the fact that I do have people relying on me so this then puts pressure on them.

I have been reading up and although I am not unhealthy anyway I am going to try and go back to the gym and just make a few tweaks to my diet and see if that alters anything. Spring/Summer is round the corner (hard to believe looking at our garden this morning) so maybe that will help.

Nobody can tell you that you have a mental health problem, that is the job of a dr. However to suggest that it’s not in your nature to have a mental health problem is stereotyping mental health issues. Mental health issues are illnesses as much as a common cold or flu - they hit anybody regardless of personality!

CBT does not ‘fix the problem’. CBT helps you recognise your thought processes when they are going down a bad road and how to stop that from happening. It takes work every day, not just in therapy sessions.

At the end of the day though, it’s up to you how you deal with this problem. Good luck.

Im not sure I completely agree with that, like anything there are people more susceptible to certain conditions.

I just wanted to come back to this, I think I have found out the problem. At work I was under immense pressure, far more than I am used to. I have also been taking my inhaler a lot which can cause issues with your eyes (hence me thinking I had a bloody brain tumour with my eyes/head playing silly games) - the 2 combined were giving me more stress and panic attacks.

I have managed to get through the stressful situation at work and it has all paid dividends. I have also been wearing my glasses I have not touched for a year or 2. The 2 things combined and the last 4-5 days I have not had any issues.

I know it sounds completely....mental (excuse the pun), but it seems like 1 or 2 things seemingly unrelated were causing other things.

I will keep an eye on it, wear my glasses and limit how much work I take on in future and keep an eye on things.