Health Anxiety taking over

[Frankie94]

Hi all, I'm a little apprehensive to post this. I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember on many levels(in my 50's now). I have never really dealt with it, but it is my health anxiety that has always been the worst and lately it has spiralled out of control and I feel on the verge of losing it!

Over the years I have imagined I have every medical condition possible, and lately I've visited lots of doctors to rule things out and of course everything always comes back negative. I get relief for a short period but then a new symptom presents itself and then it starts all over again. I am a very fit person with great nutrition but this anxiety is killing me. At my last doctors visit I was prescribed some anti anxiety medication but I just can't take it. The thought of taking it and the possible side effects has nearly sent me into a panic attack!! I know I need help as this is becoming all consuming for me. From anyone's experience can I get through this without medication..is it possible with just counselling??

[Justin95]

Have you tried meditation? It’s resourceful for people with anxiety.

kind thoughts

[Sophie_M]

Hi Frankie94,

Welcome to the forums, and thank you for sharing so openly, that’s a really brave and proactive thing to do. It sounds like you’ve been going through a really difficult time, and it’s so important to be kind to yourself while you work through it.

Many of our lovely community members will be able to relate to a lot of what you’ve been going through, and may be able to share some of the wisdoms that have helped them. We’re sure they’ll spot your thread and share their perspectives here soon. In the meantime, there are some relaxation tips that can be helpful when suffering from anxiety on the Beyond Blue website, here. We’d also recommend checking out this lovely thread with even more anxiety  techniques while you wait for other community members to spot this post and share their suggestions.

We hope you know that the Beyond Blue line is here for you if you'd like to talk this through, on 1300 22 4636 (or on webchat here 11am-midnight AEST). 

Thanks again for sharing. We’re here to listen and offer support, and you never know how your story might help someone else.

Kind regards,

Sophie M

[missep123]

Hi Frankie94,

I am really sorry to hear that you have been going through this. I have definitely gone through health anxiety myself. I would spiral worrying about myself or my family and I would spend hours researching.

I can understand your apprehension about taking medication, you are not alone in feeling this way. However, it seems to be causing quite a lot of distress as you mentioned feeling panicked about this. To answer your question I do think counselling is a great idea. I have used some techniques from CBT for myself to address the root causes of my thoughts related to health anxiety which has helped me to change my habits.

I can completely understand that it can be truly exhausting worrying and thinking about our health all the time.

Please keep us updated! We are definitely here for you!