I Need Help With Health Anxiety

[Guest_10046]

13.11.2024

9:43pm

I need help with health anxiety. I have been struggling with health anxiety for about 7-8 years since I was 11 I am now 18. I have a fear of being sick or feeling sick more like. I have a fear of throwing up and it is majorly impacting my daily, everyday routine and my whole life at this point! I am reaching out on this platform to try and get some advice or some instructions to how to reach out for help. I am embarrassed, I have major panic attacks, lose lots of weight and I am constantly anxious. I have been to a therapist before she moved to a different department. I went to Headspace, I only had one session, so I didn't even get to unpack much. I haven't told anyone the real reason why I have panic attacks. Because I have found it a really embarrassing reason. I want to know how to get CBT (Cognitive Behavorial Training), I need some advice (any advice is helpful), on how to reach out for help. I have done a lot of research, and the internet tells me to book an appointment with my local GP and they can refer me to a therapist.

Looking forward to hearing from someone soon!

Thank you, stay safe, take care!

Charlimay04

[Croix]

Dear Charlimay04~

Welcome here to the Forum. I hope you can look around and find how others have coped in similar circumstances, it can help.

To have fear of vomiting all the time is terribly limiting on your life, it can really stop you from doing things you might enjoy, or even things that you do need to do.

Losing weight is pretty serious  in itself and anxiety all the time is no way to live. I have an anxiety condition (with panic attacks) and life was pretty unbearable until I sought competent medical assistance. Now I'm tons better and can enjoy my life.

Panic attacks are frightening and can have the same effect too, as you do not want to have one in public or where others can see, at least that is how I felt.

OK, your idea of how to get the therapy and physiological support you need is correct. You can see a GP in an extended consultation, ask to be tested for physical and mental conditions that have resulted in these symptoms and take it from there. You may be referred to a psychologist, and they may use CBT, or another form of therapy.

I'm sorry you started with a therapist who disappeared, and that Headspace was only the once. May I suggest the next time you try (and it is important for your welfare that you do) that you write everything that is happening in point form, including the frightening and embarrassing things (yes, I know, I found it very very difficult) and hand that over to the therapist.

I found is easier than trying to explain face to face, and also as everything was written down it was too late to chicken out:). My clinician was pleased as there was a firm list to work from. Otherwise my account would have been disjointed and hard to follow.

I'd suggest for the weight loss and the nausea that the Butterfly Foundation might be able to assist (phone, email, web-chat).

Although I have changed physiologists a couple of times I did have a few visits first to give them a fair chance before deciding they were not being helpful. I ended up with a good clinical team.

If you would like to let us know how you get on that would be great

Croix

[Guest_10046]

Good morning or afternoon Croix,

Thank you so much for that information!

So much information that you included in your message back I have thought about before: such as;

• Going to a GP
• Get a mental state checked
• Writing down what is effecting me on paper to give to therapist/GP

I have always thought about writing on a piece of paper to give to a health professional, I have no clue why this is happening to me. I want to be able to get over this rational fear, with your help I hope I will be able to get over it soon. Hope to hear from you soon.

[Croix]

Dear Charlimay04~

I found in the end life became so miserable that I was prepared to try seeing a doctor. I was not sure it would do nay good, but tried anyway and now I"m glad I did.

Yes point form on paper works well. I found I was more able to be frank and include everything at home taking a couple of days to write it out. Then in the consultation I simply answered questions about what I wrote.

It was not nearly as bad as I'd anticipated.

As for being unsure why this is all happening to you, at this stage I'm not sure you have to know. It may be something that becomes obvious later on after you have had some therapy. I have learned a lot in mine, although I knew the basic cause I was unaware that a lot of the symptoms were pretty standard, and not faults in me.

If you would like to keep on talking that's fine

Croix