I’m new! Not new to anxiety; need some support (maybe more for females)

[Avo]

Hi all, I’m new to this forum but not new to anxiety. I guess I suffer GAD and health anxiety.

to cut a long story short, it all started for me after becoming sick on holidays. I was sick with a bug for say 10 days but after returning home had convinced myself that I had some incurable parasite! I was still sick with nausea and diarrhoea of course but at the time I didn’t know it was due to anxiety. After much research and learning (and doctors clean bill of health) 4 months later I accepted it was due to anxiety and slowly very slowly recover began. That was about 9 years ago! I have very very vivid memories of this. Anyway there have been many ups and downs along the way but generally had been doing pretty well.

6 months ago I had a baby, with 2 other kids already life is busy. Hubby works long hours and no help from grandparents etc. stress has been building, sleep deprived to the max.

to now... about 3 weeks ago I got a UTI (urinary tract infection) my rational mind, no big deal right, went to doc, positive urine test, got the antibiotics and began to feel better. This seems to have triggered something in me. I had absolutely convinced myself that I would have the UTI forever and I was completely doomed. So I knew the UTI had cleared up but my mind and anxiety I suppose had already taken over causing sensations and thoughts. Sensations like tingling ‘down there’ questioning whether I need to go to the toilet, what colour is the urine, googling, did that sting, a little but OMG OMG I’m doomed.

I must say that after 3 kids I am one that goes to the toilet often so this is not unusual!

i went back to the doc for reassurance had another urine test, and test for any other nasties common in females and it’s all clear (as I knew it would be)

so now I’m stuck. I am so hypersensitive I am noticing everything ‘down there’ and questioning, googling etc. I have diagnosed myself with many things trust me. Prior to the UTI I never gave going to the bathroom a second thought. I’m sure we all have random sensations all the time but when we are not in a over sensitised state we don’t give the sensation a second thought.

so I some help with how to manage this. Those of you familiar with recovery techniques, would know about acceptance. This is extremely difficult when it all feels so real. You just want to keep questioning things.

I have gotten through this before and know it will pass but I’m just feeling a bit stuck and hopeless at the moment.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Avo,

Thank you for your post and sharing what's happening with you. You are not alone in experiencing health anxiety, and I hope that you can see that by browsing some of the other threads here.

While I'm sure everyone will have different responses/ideas, I found it interesting that your mind grabbed onto the idea of having a UTI forever and I thought I'd share my own experience. For a while, I had UTI's that would go on and on for a few years. While I don't usually share this with people, (and I was told my case was very very rare), I'm sharing this with you because even if you were 'doomed' with UTI's, you would still be okay.

Health anxiety can be very crippling and it makes sense to be scared of different types of things, but the ironic reality is that the diagnosis we are often most afraid of is often not as scary or as daunting as we may think.

What do you think were the things that helped you with your anxiety back when it first started?

Here is a resource that might be helpful for you - https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Health-Anxiety

I hope this helps - if you haven't already feel free to browse and have a look at some of the other threads for some more support, advice or suggestions 🙂

[Avo]

Hey there,

Thank you for replying, much appreciated.

Can I ask were your UTI’s always confirmed positive with a urine culture ? I have been to the doc before with UTI like symptoms but the urine test comes back negative. So at the moment sometimes I feel there are UTI symptoms still there but I know if I go to the doc and do a test it will be negative. So I am not sure whether these symptoms or sensations or whatever they are, are actually there or my mind has created them or it’s the anxiety cos I’m over sensitised and focusing on them. Perhaps they are always there but when I’m not anxious I don’t notice, does that make sense?

I guess the fear is if there is no bacteria being identified and the symptoms are real how can anyone help me. It’s Friday today and I’m really noticing sensations but that’s all I can think about. Wednesday I had a really good day and really didn’t notice anything.

i don’t know whether I just carry on and wait for it to calm down and go away and put it down to a stress response now

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Avo,

Yes I can understand that, and to answer your question - yes. Do you feel like what you are experiencing are exactly like a UTI or just resembles it in some way?

Generally with anxiety the symptoms tend to fade or not be so intense when you are less anxious, where as with a general UTI the symptoms and intensity are generally consistent. So if you had a good day Wednesday that makes me think perhaps it's not a UTI since if it was a UTI, the symptoms would have bothered you then anyway.

With that said though, I still believe you when you say you are experiencing this, regardless of what the cause is. The flight or fight response in anxiety can often cause UTI like symptoms anyway, so if it wasn't a UTI and it was only anxiety then working with anxiety can help to manage what's going on.

Hopefully this makes sense

[Avo]

Hey,

Firstly I’m glad you are rid of your 2 year UTI. I have read they can often be reoccurring (I’ve googled everything!)

Dont think it is like typical UTI symptoms no. I don’t need to go anymore than I usually would. It really is like the more I focus on it the worse it becomes. The last few days I have really tried just accepting the sensations as they are and accepting that they are here and it does seem to help. This morning I took a benzodiazepine and had brekky with a friend and felt quite good and hopeful.

My mind is def looking for sensations. I know that stress and anxiety comes out differently for everyone.

i do note that I recall going to the doctors in the past with what I thought were UTI symptoms and getting a negative result then it either going away or me not giving it a second thought!

thanks for the link too, I’ll check it out 😀