Severe Health Anxiety

Joey7 · ‎15-04-2014

I suffer from severe health anxiety and have for the past 6 years which all started after my son was seriously iill and we came very close to losing him thankfully we didn't. Since that time my anxiety has gotten a lot worse these past 2 years have been so bad with my physical symptoms worsening to the point I'm googling my symptoms all the time constantly thinking I have some disease that relates to the symptoms I have at the time. I guess I just don't believe that even though my anxiety is so severe it can cause these weird sensations and symptoms in my body which with having health anxiety the symptoms just escalate my anxiety and I can't function at all. I'm constantly waking up anxious hoping I won't have a the symptom that day then when I do it makes me so upset and frustrated I think I must have a serious disease for it to still be there. Can anyone else relate to this and has the horrible scary physical symptoms that go along with anxiety what did you do to help I don't want to be like this anymore the Physical symptoms are horrible.

Cauliflower · ‎06-08-2018

Hello. I am wondering if you are any better. ?

Anxious_Andy · ‎09-08-2018

So thankful that I have found this site. Like I have seen all the advertising for Beyond Blue but recently, I have just been hit with this severe case of health anxiety.

In the past I have had bouts of this and it goes away, but this is the worst that I have ever had.

It started about 2 weeks ago after going to the snow, I must have pulled a tendon (mildly) when putting my foot through some snow. Then the tendon was a little sore afterwards, you would think no big deal.

But then my mind spiralled and I recalled an article in the news about MND (ALS) and having pain in your ankles. Well since then, it has TOTALLY blown out. Now that symptom has subsided and I have these "jelly leg"symptoms where I feel unsteady on my feet despite walking normally. I am living in this state of fear that my legs will give out from underneath me and confirm my diagnosis but despite that, im still walking ok and driving ok.

I get periods where the waves of anxiety seem to abate and I get this feeling of relief that just cannot be described but then the fear edges back into my mind.

I initially thought this was a symptom of my blood pressure medication and went to the doc about it (sometimes it slows my heart rate when I dont move down to 59bpm) but after going to the doc, he just said it was anxiety and I need to calm down. He felt the pulse rate in my feet and he said it felt normal.

I am hating feeling like this and have access to a psychologist at work but im hoping that this will eventually going away.

I am stuck in a feedback loop where my mind will be free then I will be like "what was that" oh that must be X, symptoms get worse due to anxiety and etc etc etc.

It was odd last night that after I found this forum and read some people stories, I immediately calmed down. I am hoping writing this will also help calm me down.

SeekingSerenity · ‎24-08-2018

Thank you for your post. I get these symptoms too and it frightens me as I don't know what the causes are. I've also had numerous blood tests and doctors check ups, all who've told me that I'm ok. Your post is helpful that my symptoms could also be anxiety related.

The pains in my lower back and rectal area are also the most concerning. To me they just seemed to have magically started when I overheard a program on TV about a man who was in remission from colon cancer and he mentioned it was diagnosed after having constant lower back pain. I no longer watch TV or go on the internet to use Dr Google. One of the best things for me was to stop googling symptoms. It doesn't help!

I work on telling myself that the pain is all anxiety and muscular related, I started seeing a physio when they first started and they were getting better. Then I did City2Surf without much training and the pain got worse from there. I tell myself that the pain is because of the lack of training and to keep working on the stretches my physio gave me.

I try meditation and positive thinking, it takes work. I am definitely a work in progress. I try and do breathing exercises. One helpful one I learned is to breath in through the nose counting 7 then out through the mouth counting 11. It gives your brain a break from focusing on the worry about the pain. I've also downloaded hypnosis tracks which focus on whole body healing and health anxiety. The next step is finding a Reiki practitioner I've heard that it does really help.

Malevolent · ‎02-09-2018

Hey my names Luke but most people call me KZ I’ve been battling health anxiety for almost two years now and I can safely say I’d give anything for it to be gone. When I was 4 & 5 I had open heart surgery and was always told I would need it again when I was in my 20-30s so I always thought it was an issue for later in life. Then one day I went to have a routine check up and the doctor told me I’d need my surgery this year! I’m currently 18 so this took me by surprise I was obviously upset but sort of thought I was alright and then a few weeks later the first panic attack happened I was on the four hour long train ride from the city and about an hour in full panic mode kicked in because my hands are pale. How can something so small cause such emotional and physical reactions. I was texting my mum begging her to get me and take me to a hospital so sure I was having a heart attack and I needed my surgery but I wasn’t and I didn’t. Then a few days later I’m coming down with all these symptoms pins and needles. I feel lightheaded. So I go to the doctor and everything is fine now I’m left wondering what the hell is going on. Bear in mind I’m was incredibly confident back then and I’d never even heard of health anxiety. I’m a smoker and to this day cigarettes still give me anxiety because I convince myself after everyone it has caused something and I’m dying. Anyway so months go by and I’m paying the doctor more money than my landlord and I’m so scared when I just couldn’t take it anymore I went to a doctor told her what was happening and that if it didn’t stop I couldn’t keep going and she did a mental health test then I saw a psychologist and she diagnosed me and taught me ways to deal with the trauma because that’s why I have this issue because when I was so young I nearly died. So I go on meds and I’m doing really good for about 6 months then my life spirals I’m homeless and have to move back in with my parents due to circumstances out of my control and my anxiety has skyrocketed. Now if I’m not drunk or stoned I’m convinced I’m dying and I can’t stop the drinking or the weed till I get this shit under control because it’s the only thing for a few hours a night that makes me feel normal and not completely terrified. I’m exhausted.

Sapphire87 · ‎08-09-2018

Hi all,

I've read this forum for a while now and it's helped me to know I'm not alone but I'm also sad that others are experiencing what I am.

I went through a stage about 8 years ago with health anxiety and I was able to overcome that myself but about 8 months ago it come back and quite severe this time. It all started with back pain which ended up being a herniated disc in my back, since then I have thought I was having a heart attack numerous times, worried about having a stroke, breast cancer, blood clots in my legs, brain aneurism and the latest is sepsis from a "cold". I think because I'm in a good place in life I worry what will go wrong, I NEED to seek professional advice before this totally consumes me 😢

Thanks for reading x

cakeboss · ‎18-09-2018

Hi we all suffer anxiety in different ways to one another .I myself have had health anxiety to .Ive learnt to understand that it comes on when my anxiety is high.I to think im having a heart attack due to short breath and feeling sick on the stomach .I have been to the gp who then tells me blood pressure is normal and he ran full bloods all came back normal.So he said to me that alot of the symptoms of anxiety can make you feel very sick.He trained me to say to myself This is not me this is my anxiety it will pass .All my bloods are normal blood pressure normal dr would chat and i come home .It has worked for me lately .I had a bad health anxiety about 1 year ago when under stress from finances.I feel for you as i know its terrible when it sets in .I have been well for awhile till now my anxiety panic disorder is back .I see a counciler ,dr regularly .I was told to try and distract myself with midfullness which im trying to look into .Anxiety attacks take alot out of your body .I have started gym which excerise may help .I know that road to well where anxiety sets of health anxiety and a roller coaster starts .I am trying excercise and trying to distract myself by keeping busy and not being hard on myself .I have family and friends but it sucks when your well for ages then all of a sudden anxiety comes on.Keep in regular contact with a counciler to get ideas of relaxation teaching me .

joey1 · ‎28-09-2018

Have been reading through these posts to try and calm myself down, I am so surprised that so many suffer from health anxiety I thought I was alone, mentally unhinged, weak and crazy. A huge thank you to everyone who has posted! My long suffering doctor is a gem and helps me get through as best she can however in dark times I revert to Dr Google and it sends me off the deep end.

My brother in law died aged 54 and my ex husband has cancer that nearly killed him and will definitely shorten his life significantly, his health is now poor. I have two children and my great fear is that I will have a debilitating disease and they will have no father and will need to look after me. My greatest fear is lack of independence.

I am going through early menopause so I have so many symptoms that I have lost count. My latest thinking is hey, I have made it to 50 I should be grateful...ridiculous.

All of my random symptoms like numbness, twitching, bladder issues, chronic nerve pain in my back, difficulty walking, vision problems, excessive weight gain, teary, tired, sensitivity to light, lead me to read about MS, MND, Parkinsons, brain tumours...everything that feeds my fear of losing my independence. I wake up every morning and read news reports of people who have woken up feeling a bit sick and were dead by the afternoon and I obsess that it will happen to me.

I exercise and try to eat healthily, but if I see one more diet opinion on what menopausal women should do I'm going to scream, all the advice is so conflicting! Cut out carbs, don't do cardio, do cardio, eat carbs, more protein, less protein.....AAARRGGHH.

We definitely live in an society where we have information overload and for people wired like me it is actually making me sick. I need constant reminders to self that I have always been healthy, I do as much as I can to make sure that I remain so, good diet, exercise and doctor check ups. I'm going to try some of the app's suggested in other posts to see if they help me. Meditation so far hasn't worked as any quiet time is when my brain goes to the dark side. Thanks again. J1

Ninolilo · ‎05-12-2018

Hi there, I just read what you said, and man I am going through the exact same feelings. I was scared and convinced at first I have pelvic cancer after my friend got diagnosed with it out of blue. I then did full testing for that and it came all clear. I then worried myself that I have brain cancer. It made me have headaches, nausea, lightheadedness. Did MRI, CT - all clear. Now stupid fear of MND. I feel that my left arm and hand are living their own life. I feel numb and weak in my left side. Like it is not my body. Everytime, I fall asleep my hands become restless and pinching to the point of me waking up fully distressed. Every morning my mouth feels restless. And all that comes in my head is: "Right, it must be MS,Parkinsons or MND. These thoughts make feel sick. I used to have death anxiety 3 years ago and it was gone. But now it is back and I feel hopeless, my life is not bright and happy any more. I can not even enjoy things I used to enjoy before.
My psychologist will be seeing me after New Years and I can not wait. It feels like there are 2 different minds in my head. One is stressed head, no sense what is so ever, another one is smart and tells me to stop googling and do some breathing, learn to appreciate life.
I am glad to find you people, it is so sad we are going through this. Sucks to be surrounded by so many people, so many cool things and to be the lonely party pooper, that is tired of being scared.

amirith_ · ‎18-12-2018

Hi all!

A few weeks ago, I started having chest tightness and dull pains on certain areas on my left chest. As the typical 21st century phone addict I am, I went to my phone for answers. Before this, I had never experienced a sensation like this before so I was kind of nervous. When I searched "my chest is tight and painful" on Google, it immediately came up with a list of heart attack and heart disease problems. Now, reading this, I was shocked. Like, really shocked. And it didn't help that a few weeks ago I was diagnosed with acid reflux and went to the hospital, and next to my room there was an old lady suffering from a very severe heart disease. She was very sweet and although I only shared a few words with her while I was waiting for my blood test at the hospital, it made me think, "what if I'm next?"

Now my anxiety worsened with each day. With every day I began "developing" those aforementioned symptoms that Google had given me. Chest pain, slight sore left arm and jaw, etc. This caused me to freak out, and I mean, FREAK out. I would cry myself to sleep for many days, begging and begging my mum and dad to take me to the doctors to find out what was wrong with me. Now, as a developing female teenager, my mum automatically assumed that my body was just developing, and that I didn't need to go to the doctors. However, with many days of just begging and subtle bribing, I managed to go to my local GP, get a chest x-ray and an ECG, to find that I had....you guessed it, anxiety...*DUN DUN DUUUN*

This didn't stop me from going on Google however. I still searched up symptoms, and although I'm not as frightened as before, I still am slightly anxious. However, I have also realised the things that set off my anxiety such as talk about death, war and/or horror movies as well as just talking about it in general.

In contrast to this however, I am still in need of some help. I would like to know any strategies to prevent these thoughts and to prevent my fingers from typing in "heart attack symptoms" every single time I open Safari. What do you guys do? Have you made any progress from following those patterns? Please reply to my response and let me know so I don't go to Google for help 🙂

Thanks,

Amirith ^^

Tt123 · ‎10-01-2019

Hi everyone,

I've had anxiety my whole life but in the last 3 years its become health anxiety. Its sad but also a little calming reading these post because now i know I'm not alone. I feel like I'm crazy and live in my head most days and to afraid to tell anyone how i feel or think because of how rediculous its sounds but its so real to me.

I fear that I've got some sort of nasty desease and I'm slowly dying. Ive had so many test for all kinds of things and there is nothing wrong with me. All the symptoms everyone has said- I've experienced and more! I make myself sick most days with worry and fear and I'm at the point where i feel like i need to check myself into a mental ward!

I've never liked medication but thinking that i do need to see a psychiatrist now because i always feel a little better after talking about it. I feel your pain guys, it's definitely hard and extremely upsetting living with health anxiety! Just hope we all find a way to deal with it and have healthy minds!

Thanks for sharing all your stories and experiences- has definitely helped me feel a little calmer tonight