Do you find your anxiety is causing you to 'invent' medical issues all the time?

DN129 · ‎24-09-2016

I think I've dealt with this most of my life and only recently acknowledged it. I never really confronted my anxiety until I started to get panic attacks, but the more I look back the more its always been there to some degree.

I think for me one of the hardest hit symptoms I've always faced is 'health anxiety' or 'inventing' medical issues. To me, in my mind they're real. I can even feel the symptoms. But to doctors, they seem inexplainable, vague or simply excessive relative to the 'injury' or my general health.

Now this isn't to say that doctors are always right or what you're feeling isn't necessarily true. But I've always found I suffered from the type of illnesses that have symptoms overlapping with anxiety. For instance I've had stomach and IBS issues my whole life. This started when I got punched in the gut and started obsessing about it. It seems very possible to create mental situations.

BballJ · ‎25-09-2016

Hi DN129,

I couldnt agree more with what you wrote, i have, like you, only recently come to terms with my anxiety and am finally getting help for it.

I have done exactly what you described regarding health anxiety, i have literally worried myself into symptoms.. a few example, i was so nervous after i got a bout of heart burn, i thought it was a heart attack so for ages i was getting constant chest pain, i went to the doctors and i was all clear, i was also 23-24 years old... second one was i was getting a series of headaches over a stretch of a few days, i thought it had something wrong with my brain, i got so worried about getting a headache, I again worried myself into headaches.. thats just to name a few, but what i learnt is that overlapped as you said, my anxiety, my anxiety raised the symptoms to a worry level, I knew it was anxiety after i worked out whenever i would stress, i would get dizzy, which was one of my major anxiety symptoms... its quite interesting how our brains and mind work but it shows how powerful they are. I am now working through all of this with my counsellor.

Have you seeked helped from a doctor and a psychologist to start the process to understanding and dealing with your anxiety?

My best for you.

Jay

Zeal · ‎25-09-2016

Hi DN,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm glad you're aware that you have health anxiety, and are wishing to seek help for it. As Jay said, seeing your doctor (GP) is important. You may get referred to another professional by your doctor, so you can get more specific psychological treatment.
I'd like to direct you to a few websites and previous forum threads for you to browse or bookmark for future reading:

http://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=53

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety-and-constantly-need-reassurance-#qkz71nHzvGGEbv8AAOnT_A

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety-D393A37FB89B#qk4b3nHzvGGEbv8AAOnT_A

It would be great to hear back from you, when you're ready 🙂

Best wishes,

Zeal

DN129 · ‎25-09-2016

BballJ said:
Hi DN129,

I couldnt agree more with what you wrote, i have, like you, only recently come to terms with my anxiety and am finally getting help for it.

I have done exactly what you described regarding health anxiety, i have literally worried myself into symptoms.. a few example, i was so nervous after i got a bout of heart burn, i thought it was a heart attack so for ages i was getting constant chest pain, i went to the doctors and i was all clear, i was also 23-24 years old... second one was i was getting a series of headaches over a stretch of a few days, i thought it had something wrong with my brain, i got so worried about getting a headache, I again worried myself into headaches.. thats just to name a few, but what i learnt is that overlapped as you said, my anxiety, my anxiety raised the symptoms to a worry level, I knew it was anxiety after i worked out whenever i would stress, i would get dizzy, which was one of my major anxiety symptoms... its quite interesting how our brains and mind work but it shows how powerful they are. I am now working through all of this with my counsellor.

Have you seeked helped from a doctor and a psychologist to start the process to understanding and dealing with your anxiety?

My best for you.

Jay

Thanks for your input mate.

That mirrors my findings too. Anxiety has such a broad reach of symptoms it really can mimic or expand the symptoms of pre existing illness.

For me, the headaches are often quite bad after anxiety. I know not everyone gets headaches from it, but they're a real 'genuine' symptom for me that can be quite debilitating.

I saw a psychologist for a few times to deal with it, it did help. It didn't cure me, but I learnt a few coping strategies from it.

DN129 · ‎25-09-2016

Zeal said:
Hi DN,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm glad you're aware that you have health anxiety, and are wishing to seek help for it. As Jay said, seeing your doctor (GP) is important. You may get referred to another professional by your doctor, so you can get more specific psychological treatment.
I'd like to direct you to a few websites and previous forum threads for you to browse or bookmark for future reading:

http://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=53

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety-and-constantly-need-reassurance-#qkz71nHzvGGEbv8AAOnT_A

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety-D393A37FB89B#qk4b3nHzvGGEbv8AAOnT_A

It would be great to hear back from you, when you're ready 🙂

Best wishes,

Zeal

Thanks for the input mate. I actually caught wind of a few of those threads before making this one. It does seem like health anxiety can be more 'mild' and not all consuming, yet still cause you a lot of issues.

Guest_9456 · ‎26-09-2016

I basically will myself sick to try avoid situations that scare me.

No-one has a dram of sympathy if I say I'm too scare to do something or face someone; but if i put my finger down my throat and vomit; suddenly everyone is concerned and i don't have to do it and someone brings a chair.

I feel like anxiety/fear is socially unacceptable; it brands me a "coward". But 'pulling a sickie', or being sick, is socially acceptable.

JessF · ‎26-09-2016

Hello John, you've hit the nail on the head. And how many people pull sickies for mental health reasons? Over the years I've heard people call it "taking a mental health day". I've lost count of how many of those I 've taken.

Mummybee · ‎07-10-2016

Hello all,

This post really struck a nerve with my own personal situation, so I thought I would share my experiences with you all. One thing that helps me, when im in a bad place is reading similar experiences from others. So if any of you are like me in that way, this might help.

Ive recently celebrated (!!) my 12 month milestone of having health anxiety. Previously I had GAD, but since developing into health anxiety, I dont have general anxiety anymore, its always based on my health.

So, 12 months ago I was feeling Dizzy a lot, so i went off to my GP. He examined me and said "Lets do an MRI just to rule out the nasty stuff, then we can go from there. The MRI was about 3 days after my appointment so i had enough time to get into a state about it... (Googled all the things he might be looking for). In that three days, i developed a lot of the symptoms that I read about that were associated with the bad things he might find on the MRI.

-Full body wide muscle twitches as well as jerking and a feeling of weakness in my muscles

-Spots/ vision problems

-Crippling headaches.

i was completely convinced I had MS or a brain tumor that would kill me and leave my two small children motherless.

Of course the MRI was normal, but i have never been normal since.

I have had symtoms of the following life threatening diseases, and totally convinced myself that i have them

Breast cancer- lumps, tenderness, stabbing pains (Doctors says no)

MS - Twitching, balance issues, vision issues (doc says... NO way)

MND - Twitching and muscle weakness (nope)

Brain tumor- on going headaches, ear feeling full and unable to unblock it (MRI says NO)

Spinal tumor - Pain in back (nope)

Tumor in tendon of my foot- small lump, lots of pain. (nope, plantar faciitis and a tiny normal cyst)

Kidney failure - bladder pain, back pain (nope)

cervical cancer - bleeding between periods, pelvic pain (nope, pap smear clear)

Lupus- red face flushes all the time, small rashes on skin. random joint pain

and my current fear is some kind of Endo problem as i have pelvic pain and other yucky symptoms...

Im at the point now where i cant face more doctors and tests because i feel insane. But the symptoms are real, i wake up with the pain...

Whats real and whats in my head has become a blur. Im trying to ride out this current fear hoping the symptoms will go away on their own.

Good luck everyone.

mummybee

Jester · ‎14-10-2016

Wow! Sounds like me. I had a skin cancer cut out in Feb. it took two weeks for the biopsy results to some back and l did a heap of googling in the meantime. L was dead and buried by the time l got the results and haven't felt normal since. I'm also worried about MS and MND because of random tingling in my arms and sometimes my checks.

I know it's all unreasonable thoughts but l get myself so worked up and worried. I too have had a heap of doctor visits.

Its refreshing to to read that most people that obsess about their health all think they have MND and MS

Bookgirl · ‎18-10-2016

This is me in a nutshell. I get anxious, go to GP who says it is probably anxiety but have this test. Have test then worry like crazy for a week worried i have something terminal. Then its ok. Then it starts again with something else. This time i have been having what i call cold flushed where i feel "funny" in my brain and then have tingling all over. I know i am anxious as i had a panic attack on a recent holiday (first one ever) and doc says i need to up my antidepressants. Still immediately i think i have a brain tumor. Just going to wait this out and see what happens before i go back to GP again. Can't handle any more tests at the moment as i will be getting more and more stressed. Trying to do everything to calm down which has helped today after a horrible day yesterday. We just have to soldier on. Now i always tell myself its probably anxiety when i get something new. This too shall pass.....