My stomach

LDOH
Community Member
Hi all, I’m 29 years old and I’ve been suffering with health anxiety for most of my life.. I have been struggling with cancer as my core trigger.. I have had such a stressful year so far with my business a wedding to organise, as a result my partner and I had to move back into my in-laws to save money.. I consistently feel trapped, unhappy and like my whole life has been turned upside down.. I can relax and now my hypochondria is playing up I’ve had 3 different types of cancers in the last 4 weeks brain cancer, mouth cancer and now back to my old favourite, stomach/bowel cancer. Anyone who can talk to me would be great.. I do see a psychologist and I am on medication I just have a lot built up
1 Reply 1

PamelaR
Blue Voices Member

Hi LDOH and welcome to our forums

Health anxiety is the pits isn't it? I'm pleased you've found your way to our community and that you are seeing a psychologist. I'm not a health professional, just someone who has PTSD, anxiety and depression.

Sorry it's taken so long for someone to respond to you. Please know it's nothing about your post, just how things happen. Posts sometimes get missed.

It sounds like you know the things that set you off, eg - stress (planning the wedding, your business, moving in with the in-laws). Quite a bit going on there. Has your psych given you tools to help reduce your stress and subsequently your anxiety?

As we are all different, what works for one, may not work for another. One of my biggest things is telling myself stories in my head (a bit like you I expect with your cancers). What I've found that works for me - is challenging the stories, usually by talking to someone about what I'm thinking. They help me to put some reality around my thoughts. Do you have anyone you can talk with, e.g. close family member or trusted friend?

And there are the other things that often help me - getting regular exercise and eating properly. When I don't do these things, I tend to go into a spiral. With everything going on in your life at the moment, these might be a little difficult to achieve.

If you're up to it and if you want to (no pressure), there is a good workbook on health anxiety put out by the Centre of Clinical Intervention at the University of Western Australia. The workbook goes through ways of helping yourself. It can be found by doing a google search for it.

Feel free to browse our discussions and to join if and when you feel like it.

Hope some of this helps LDOH.

Kind regards

PamelaR