Health Anxiety and scared to see a doctor

[JoJo1981]

Hi

This is my first post here. I think i may be suffering from health anxiety. I just have never been diagnosed. Im 34 and all started when i was 24 working in a nursing home and had to deal with death. Being around the elderly and seeing a lot of sickness. I will get headaches and think i have a brain tumor or other aches and pains and i just put it down to cancer or some horrible incurable disease.

Its got to a point now that i wont even go to a doctor. Im so scared he will tell me something is terribly wrong. Most days are a struggle. Ill feel fine when i get up in the morning and as the day goes on i have these thoughts that im dying. Any slight ache or pain will trigger it. I get so tense during these episodes my muscles are sore for days afterwards.

I had a baby boy in 2008, 7 years ago and have not been to a doctor since. Besides the few times i have gone in to panic mode and gone to the ER because of chest pain and been told everything is ok and put down to panic attacks. 

I had a medical check for my job today and they had to do a urine test and they found blood in my urine and they said it could be just a bladder infection and advised to see my Dr for antibiotics. So of course im in panic mode now. I know i need to go see my doctor. Just worried he will send me for blood tests and find something really bad. 

I just want to live and enjoy my life with my little boy. Instead of worrying everyday of my life. Im so exhausted.

Has anyone else experienced this and can offer any advice?  Thanks

[Neil_1]

Hi Jo Jo;

Welcome to Beyond Blue and thank you for providing your post.

May I ask whether you have a husband/partner?   Or any close sister, perhaps?   One last one, a close friend??

I ask about these, as if you do have someone of that nature, would you feel ‘ok’ or even slightly ‘ok’ to ask whether they could help you out with a few things?  One of them being, whether they could help by taking you along to see your dr?    Even if they just help by driving you there and being there in the waiting room for you?

I think that if you’re able to get along and get yourself fully checked out, this could be a huge help for you – now I say this, as being the optimist, I’m expecting that the doc will find that you are a-ok, and just perhaps need some anti-biotics to fix up your blood problem in your water works.

I have been taken from work before in an ambulance with heart problems – only to find out after a large string of tests, that I was absolutely fine and that it was to do with the stress and strain of my workplace.

May I ask when you were taken to hospital that time and you ended up finding out that it was nothing to do with your heart, I hope that provided you with a big sense of relief??

Would love to hear back from you.

Neil

[Chris_B]

Hi JoJo1981, welcome to the forums. You might find it helpful to read through some of our other health anxiety threads:

Health anxiety and panic disorder

Health anxiety, a long lonely road

Severe health anxiety

Health anxiety - please help

Health anxiety

Health anxiety is taking over

Health anxiety disorder

Health anxiety by KatieNZ

[Daisee]

Yes!  This is what I believe I struggle with too!  ...nice to know that there is another out there that has to deal with "health anxiety" issues...  well it isn't nice for you and hopefully now that you've been diagnosed you can start to use some coping strategies.  My coping strategies are positive thinking "I might have "xyz", but then adding "and chances are you don't, all you need is antibiotics, so smile and go hug your dog", which isn't always easy to do - that's where I sometimes need help from a close friend or family member to remind me that whatever issue I have, is most probably nothing - which it ALWAYS end up to be.  I too have "patience" issues.  I want a diagnosis and whatever is up fixed, NOW!  lol  Hope my message has helped you.  You are not alone! 🙂  I'm only new here too.  I'm visiting a Beyondblue New Access person next week - I'd like a bit of positive help and they are there for us, so let's see what happens next...  

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi JoJo1981,

Thanks for reaching out to us.

It sounds like you've been dealing with this anxiety for a really long time - 10 years is a while to be thinking that you have cancer or another incurable disease.  It must be incredibly exhausting.

I know from experience that stress can cause an immense amount of health issues and symptoms that are very real.  Anxiety causes so many physiological reactions in the body that can cause lots of things including headaches, pains, nausea, fatigue, muscle aches and yes, even infections.

I know that blood in the urine can be very scary but try to remember that there are lots of different things that can cause this.

Of course I'm not trying to deny that you do have a condition - but I think it would help if you went to the GP.  If you did have a health condition, then the best possible thing for you to do would be to get it diagnosed and look at what treatment or management options are out there and available.  

There is so much support out there - and there is no reason that you need to suffer and struggle everyday.  Things can get better.  I know that you mentioned you have a little boy - it might even help to use him as the motivation to go and sort things out.  

Hope this helps, take care,