Health Anxiety and Google

[Queen_Diamond]

Hi all;

I have been suffering from anxiety for approx 14 years now after the sudden death of my cousin. Since that event I started having panic attacks and developed a phobia of death and illness/llife threatening conditions. 

I have recently returned to counseling and learnt of the term or diagnosis "health anxiety" and realized this is exactly what I suffer from. I have been having alot of trouble managing my anxiety lately due to an seemingly uncontrollable urge to Google symptoms. Every slight pain or ache or bodily sensation I experience causes anxiety and symptom researching which in turn causes more anxiety when I inevitably find alarming information! 

Does anyone else suffer from symptom checking or Googling? How can I stop myself from doing this? 

[Tugboat]

Hi,

I suffer from health anxiety as well and it takes over my life at times.   I never ever Google my health issue as it only increases the anxiety levels......  The best advise I can give you is steer clear of Google for any issue and co suit your Dr

[pipsy]

Dear Queen Diamond.  For anyone suffering any form of anxiety/depression, the worse thing you can do is 'self diagnose'.  Getting onto 'google' you'll get all kinds of info that probably won't give you anything but more grief.  If you're not sure, see your health professional.  Your 'aches and pains' are probably because every time you read something that you seem to 'identify' with it makes it worse.  When you get a 'headache' for instance, you get on 'google' and read about migraines, you automatically believe you must have a migraine.  I'm not saying that's what YOU do, but google is not your Dr.  Google is a generalized concept of whatever you may or may not have.  Your Dr is your best adviser, they have all your medical records and they can advise you better.  When you get the urge to 'google', look up about movies or check youtube.  Better still don't get on the computer, do something that is more beneficial.  You must have other interests.  Maybe check out other posts on BB forums and see if you can offer help to someone else.

Tugboat said it all.  Stay away from google.

[Queen_Diamond]

Thank you both for your replies. Joining BB and contributing and reading the forums is definitely one of my strategies to try and avoid Google; however within saying that it is still very difficult at times to not succumb to the temptation!  Initially googling relieves the anxiety as it gives me a sense of control and reaffirms my belief that having knowledge of medical conditions/symptoms could save my life or if I don't Google symptoms I may miss something and actually be suffering symptoms of something life threatening. Eg: it is important to know the signs of stroke or heart attack. Also I (perhaps unfortunately) have a wonderful Dr who is more than happy to investigate all my fears and will send me for ultrasounds or bloods at my request! (He also acknowledges that I'm a 'hypochondriac'-his word not mine! But also says he would rather send a patient for a test that may be unnecessary than lose a patient/life). So while I love my Dr (!) his outlook also reinforces my belief or need to always have things investigated/be over vigilant. I have been trying quite hard to take a 'wait and see' approach to things that are clearly not life threatening or an immediate medical emergency;  and 9 times out of 10 the symptoms dissappear or improve within a few days. 🙂

[pipsy]

Hello Queen Diamond.  I would like to give you a little taste of what 'googling' didn't do for me.  I may be blocked, but if I'm not this is how google nearly 'killed' me.  About 9 years ago I had a mild heart attack.  My husband got onto google and started asking me questions like, was I in any pain, was my heart racing etc.  There were a few more questions he asked before finally after what seemed hours (but probably wasn't), he rang the ambos.  As it turned out, if he hadn't wasted time with google, I would've been in hospital half an hour earlier, therefore saving myself the agony of having to have surgery.  At the hospital, I was actually asked why I hadn't rung the ambos earlier.  I now have a 'stent' which I probably wouldn't have needed.

As I said earlier google is fine for general info, but your Dr is your best bet.