Health Anxiety - How Do You Manage?

[HisOwn]

Hello I am 59 years of age - I have had awful health anxiety for 22 years after a series of past medical traumas. Initially I was always going to doctor looking for reassurance whenever I had any symptom but found this just added to my anxiety so now I am a total avoider of doctors or medical tests now - will only go in case of emergency now, if at all because I just find the medical environment so triggering and traumatic. My last visit I had to take a valium just to get through the appointment.

So just wondering if anybody else has similar anxiety and wondering what strategies you use to cope or manage?

[HisOwn]

Wow Croix that is very encouraging to hear! 🤗

[HisOwn]

Yes I think I need pyschotherapy..I do see a pyschologist once a month and it does help a little bit..mainly with having strategies..

Gosh I tried exposure therapy too and it just ended up making my anxiety way worse and has taken me months to calm down just from that..trauma is so complex unfortunately..

Yes breathing exercises are triggering for me too but sometimes I just shut my eyes and do it because it does eventually calm the physical reactions of anxiety. 

Sometimes I wake up in the mornings just wishing sickness and disease in this world did not even exist but I know that is not reality so I have to find a way to cope or function around that..

[HisOwn]

Oh that is so wonderful to hear 🤗

[HisOwn]

Woops I had already replied to you Croix..sorry..I am still getting used to how these forums work 🤔

[Emma77]

Hi there, I haven't been on these forums for awhile, I always find an excuse not to. But this morning with five minutes to kill I finally got around to logging in again and I'm so glad I did. I'm sorry I can't help, but you are definitely not alone. In the last two days I've been absolutely convinced that I have both appendicitis and am having a heart attack. But I'm also absolutely avoiding anything medical (did a few laps of the hospital car park last night) so also feeling really stupid and just out of whack and what the hell is wrong with me? Thank you so much for sharing. I really needed to hear this from other people today.

[Carmysaurus84]

Great info I would love to just be present and not get caught up in racing thoughts and ruminating 

[HisOwn]

Oh Emma I so relate. It is one of the hardest forms of anxiety sometimes especially if we have no real trust in medical professionals either. At one point I went into doctors surgery to get some routine blood tests done but because they were so busy at the time I was standing at the reception desk for at least 5 minutes and that was enough time for me to then go into a major panic attack about it and leave suddenly with getting the tests done. I actually left in tears because I also felt so embarrassed about me, a grown woman of nearly 60, being so frightened. 

So doing laps around the hospital car park is some I would definitely do too! 

[HisOwn]

Carmysauras..yes I would absolutely love to be able to do that too but it is one of the hardest things to do when anxiety levels are so high - it feels so scary to let go of worry and anxiety sometimes because then we are not in control 😱..but Im slowly learning that worrying and being anxious NEVER changes nor helps what we are fearing.

[Richju]

Dear HisOwn,

I tend to worry about health appointments too so I can understand how you feel. I've had cancer, so I have to go for yearly check-ups, which make me nervous.

I was interested about the puzzles because I play a lot of online Scrabble, which helps me to relax.

When waiting for my appointment, it's not unusual for me to play ten games of Scrabble on my mobile. I'm improving my game and my ability to relax. The app is called Classic Words, if you'd like to check it out.

I'll tell you something amusing too. I went for a scan and one radiologist said to the other,'ninety-six'. The other nodded and I became really anxious because ninety-six is such a high number. I went home in a panic but I was never called back by my GP and I still don't know why ninety-six was said. So now I tell myself not to try and interpret what medical professionals say as I have very limited medical knowledge.

I'm not intending to make light of your issue, HisOwn but I find a little humour helps sometimes.

Warm regards 

Richju xx

[Richju]

Hi HisOwn,

Contrarymary has her puzzles and I play online scrabble. Sometimes I play ten or so games one after another, especially if I'm nervously waiting to see a doctor. It helps me to focus and the only equipment I need is my mobile.

I also tell myself that tests, scans and xrays are common now and are generally given to make sure that nothing is wrong rather than to find something.

I have also given my anxiety a name - Zelda and I regularly tell her to shut up and let me concentrate on my scrabble.

Zelda always tags along wherever I go. She is a pest but i've got used to her.

These forums have also helped me so I hope you keep posting.

Take care,

Richju xxxxx