Debilitating Health Anxiety

[SpookyScooter]

Hi,

I’ve been a long time reader of the forums - it helps me to feel like I’m not alone ☺️

Background
My dad died in hospital in 2017. We were on our way to see him, as we got the call that he was declining. I was the first one to enter his room and found him deceased. The doctors and nurses hadn’t realized he had passed, so I wasn’t warned when I walked into his room.

The following night, after getting home, I went into shock from seeing him deceased the day before. I had my first violent intrusive thought and it terrified me. At 2am, I bundled my child into the car and drove myself to emergency, because I thought I was going to lose my mind. They gave me Valium and sent me home. Luckily I had a wonderful therapist and over the next 2yrs I worked with her on my anxiety and intrusive thoughts. I was on medication for about a year, but weaned off and used the tools my therapist gave me to manage the anxiety and panic attacks.

Current issue
I am now suffering from health anxiety. Tonight, the sensations are overwhelming. I have a fear of suffocating and not being able to breathe. My throat feels tight and my nose feels blocked. These sensations have been building over several weeks and present themselves as my ultimate fear - suffocating.

I am beside myself tonight. I’m on the verge of calling an ambulance, fearing I’m having an allergic reaction (I don’t have any allergies).

Logically, I know it’s my anxiety that’s giving me these sensations. Im just so exhausted from constantly checking my symptoms and reassuring myself. Im emotionally wrecked 😔

I don’t want to go back on medication. I have a medication that I can take occasionally to ease my anxiety symptoms, but alas, my health anxiety is scared of taking any type of meds, even though I’ve used them before.

I feel like I am running a constant marathon, I’m so tired of this fear of something happening to me 🥺

[SpookyScooter]

Hi Petal,

I hope you have been well.

This evening my health anxiety is high - i feel like i have a lump in my throat. Clearly my mind was scanning my body sensations and found something to focus on **eye roll** lol.

I am currently listening to "The Anxiety Guy", but i don't know if this is a form of reassurance seeking or a form of therapy. I am also searching for an anxiety support group near me - it would be wonderful to connect with others in the same situation and undertake guided group therapy.

I am soooo happy for you that you have been able to overcome OCD, because i know at the time it feels like a mountain that you have to conquer.

I also have an upcoming appointment with my GP to have a chat about the possibility of trying medical CBD oil to see if it helps with my anxiety. I've also pulled out some books i bought a couple of years ago on anxiety and never finished reading. So I have started with reading one of them to expand my understanding of the anxious brain and how to heal it.

Hoping you're having a good weekend.

x

[Petal22]

Hi SpookyScooter,

Sorry to hear your anxiety is high tonight….

What we give attention to we give power to…….

With these thoughts that are happening tonight instead of giving them your attention…… just try to let them be there but put your attention on something in the present moment like how do your feet feel, how do you clothes feel on your body? What can you hear? Really put your attention on these things and not on what’s going on inside your head……

Try not to question the thoughts or analyse them any further….. when we are getting caught up in our ocd cycle we start to analyse once you realise you are doing this….. try to disengage and put your attention on something in the present moment……

Thats great you are currently looking for group therapy…… I hope you find something…. If you can see if there is one for OCD……. I think OCD is very different from just having generalised anxiety…..

Thank you it feels great to be on the other side of OCD….. yes it does feel like a mountain to conquer but if I CAN there is hope that you CAN aswell with the correct help…… it takes perseverance but you really can learn to master it!

I really encourage you to try meditation….. it was part of my therapy and I believe it got me over the line!

I’ve never listened to the anxiety guy …. Does he give you strategies?

All the best with your gp….. it’s great you are seeking help, maybe your gp knows of a clinical phycologist that deals with OCD?

Thanks 😊 I hope your having a good weekend too…

[Pumpkinella]

Hi SpookyScooter,

I'm so sorry I missed your post!

I'm in Melbourne so I'm not sure what state you are in. For my flying phobia I saw Flightwise. They do CBT practice but it is much more in depth than other forms I have been in. At the end of the course he actually goes onto a flight with you. It actually "cured" my fear of flying and I was really really bad (lying on the floor with oxygen mask on etc.). I have only been on two flights since (lockdown), but each one I was fine, only minor tension during some turbulence, like a lot of people.

Although their website talks about flying phobia specifically, my psychologist was also helping people with animal phobias. The principles are basically the same I think for health anxiety. Fear of your own body in this case I would say. If you are interested you can always enquire but Im not sure how many medicare sessions you have - its expensive if not rebated.

Apart from doing this, the only other strategies that we effective for me were mindfulness based. Do you practice mindfulness at all? Its good to practice on a regular basis I find (not just when we are freaking out - probably too late by then). 🙂

I know what you mean when its funny looking back. I frequently laugh with my mum over the episodes I have, sometimes its good to have humour about it, takes the weight of it out of it a bit.

How are you fairing at the moment?

Love

Pumps