Health Anxiety

[AYU_227]

These days I’ve been going through a tough time. I just moved to Australia in February for my master’s. I felt so happy to be here. But since June I was feeling very anxious regarding my health. I suffer from health anxiety & I often get anxious thoughts. Recently I fell & dislocated my knee, it happened during my uni trip. Even since I started feeling so anxious & scared that I start assuming something definitely is wrong with me & I’ll suffer. It got worse when I discovered a small lump in my body. I started assuming the worst possible things & it flared up more when I searched on google. I can’t stop thinking about it 24/7, I can’t eat or sleep. I feel broken, I don’t like going to doctors, it makes me more anxious. The paragraph is getting too long…..

[Bob_22]

Hi AYU_227,

Thanks for coming here. You have done great in identifying what you're experiencing as anxiety and specifically health anxiety. It's something very common and something I have struggled with. To the point that I would get shoulder and chest pain constantly simply as a result of my anxiety which would then make my anxiety worse. That being said, there is still a time and place to visit your doctor for specific issues. But if you find you're going back again and again for the same thing then that is a sign of health anxiety. Here is some good info and advice surrounding health anxiety: 

https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Health-Anxiety

Bob