Severe Health Anxiety

[Joey7]

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. 

[Misshy]

Gotta say as a chronic googler, googling health anxiety support and finding this forum is possibly the best experience with google I’ve had.

like many previous posters I’m both happy and sad that there are so many people like me out there.

Ive had anxiety for a long time but it became health anxiety after having kids. Suddenly my mortality seems so important. I’ve worried over the past 3-4 years about all kinds of things- MND was a big one followed by brain tumours but mostly it’s cancer. Anywhere and everywhere. Currently experiencing lots of upper digestive pain and issues swallowing and despite having abdo CTs done 8 months ago I’m still panicking about pancreas/thyroid/Esophagus or stomach cancer. And wondering if it can true now 8 months post scan. It’s consuming! I can go for months or weeks feeling ok but then I fall off the edge of the cliff and spiral quickly into believing I’m dying.

Sometimes the worry and fear of something going wrong (health or freak accidents) can get overwhelming. I hear a siren and my blood runs cold wondering if everyone is ok so it’s not just limited to my health. This can be debilitating and means I struggle to be the best version of me 😞

Anyway thank you to all the posters for offering your own insight into how how health anxiety feels. I’m going to try my hardest to realise I’m not alone and to change my thoughts... to stop catastrophising everything and to expect the best outcome always. It’s great to know I’m not alone even though I wouldn’t wish this on anyone!

[Fenerbahce]

I can definitely relate.

Mine start as real symptoms reflux etc.

then I start to worry about it so much , I start looking for the pain everyday and guess what I have it every day.

I don’t know what to do anymore. I always have to have 1000s of tests each time and then when I believe it, it’s gone. I am currently seeing docs again about this upper abdo pain. Only gets relieved when I lay down or so I think it does.

[charlottesometimes14]

Hello everyone! I'm grateful to have discovered this forum finally and with so many people who are struggling like I am. I have so much life ahead of me- I'm a long way away from my twenties yet but I'm struggling with major health anxiety. Lately, following an infected ear lobe, I've been stressed about septicemia. The infection is all treated now but I'm still anxious. I have also started on an SRI following a couple of major negative events. So serotonin syndrome has been freaking me out as well. I've been feeling the side effects of the infection and from the SRI. I've been feeling awful with physical symptoms like difficulty swallowing, difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations, panic attacks, negative thoughts, loss in appetite, mental fatigue, sore stomach, and tightness around the chest especially. I've been down in the blues worrying. I have a good psychologist, psychiatrist, and GP but whatever reassurance or whatever they try isn't working. I've been like this for months. I can't stop googling and getting myself worked up over nothing. I'm mainly posting to find support from other younger people who are up against the same sort of anxiety. Talk soon hopefully- Charlotte.

[Erstress]

Hi, I’m doing a reply but i don’t know how to post because I’m new but. I am quite a young age and i suffer from a very Severe health anxiety everyday i feel like i have something wrong or like diabetes due to symptoms. I usually look up symptoms on google i cant help stop it even makes me feel a whole lot worse i feel like I’m gonna die soon. People say to go to the doctors and confirm that I don’t have any bad thing wrong with me but I’m way to scared every time people say i will take you to the doctor i start to cry and have an anxiety attack I want to get better and I need to. I try and stay healthy i really do but what can i do to get better without seeing a doctor and having fear of dying or getting sick please i really need a solution to this problem.

[Offblue]

You're most certainly not alone. I feel the same way completely. I've had a dry cough for 10 weeks, finally went to the doctors as I have suffered acid reflux for years (and in the back of mind now believe I have esophagus cancer) and once I read the symptoms and the doctors asked if i could swallow correctly, I now cannot swallow correctly, food gets stuck, I have pain in my upper abdo and upper back and my cough persists - although it is getting slightly better with antibiotics... The point is - once I Dr googled the symptoms, I went white, my heard started to race and I am struggling to even get through the day... It is so damn hard.

My thoughts are with you because if you do not suffer this type of anxiety you cannot understand the struggle it is to get through the days.

I've also done CBT but once again I'm stuck in this rut.

Take care of yourself too

[Dave___]

It is so hard. It is like a black sludge that starts at my toes and overwhelms me. I also go to the doctor and yes google is not my best friend. I have a lot of people around me who are dealing with sick partners, parents and work colleagues. I hear what is wrong with them and focus on every feeling and sensation. I sometimes feel strong but I get overwhelmed. I wish I could just take each day as it comes as it is exhausting. I am currently dealing with stomach and bowel issues and am feeling very scared about what tests my doctor thinks I should have. Take care everyone

[Gingy_75]

Hi Lizzie,

I’m new here & was just scrolling through the forums and came across your post. I know it is over a year ago, but I’m just wondering how you are doing? I to suffer with health anxiety and am experiencing some of the symptoms you have mentioned relating to auto immune diseases. Have you over come these fears or are your symptoms still persisting? Have you had any tests done to rule out these diseases? I’m feeling your pain right now & it’s horrible feeling this way... hope you are doing better?

Gingy#75🧚‍♂️

[Elley111]

Hi everyone my name is elley, I just turned 30 this year and I’ve been suffering with Health Anxiety for the last 2 years, but recently it’s been so severe and I’m so scared all the time that I have an STD That can’t be cured but I’ve sleeped with one man this year and that was about 4 and a half to 5 months ago and I went to the doctor and got every blood test know to man, twice, one at the 3 month mark and then at the 5 month mark and both times the tests came back normal with absolutely no STDs and all my red blood count is normal and all my white blood count is normal except my neutrophils and platelets are a bit high but the doctor said they will go down by themselves and they have nothing to do with an STD because my STD tests all came back negative but even with this reassuring the gremlin in my head is telling me Not to believe the doctor because he might be lying or withholding important stuff from me which is stupid I know but yeah I still feel so scared and I’m always on dr google looking up symptoms that would be normal aches and pain for normal people but for they mean something more so I try to diagnose myself and my head is just falling deeper and deeper down that rabbit hole and then I keep going over every sexual encounter I’ve had from years ago which just does more damage to my mind.

sorry for the rambling I just wanted to give you guys a bit of background on my situation anyway I just want to know if anyone feels like me and how to believe the doctor when he says I’m healthy and if there are any natural remedies to help get rid of that voice in my head when he’s telling me Ive got some horrible disease so any advice would be gladly appreciated.

[liz30]

Hello! In recently went through a crazy heath scare. had my first panic attack (reasons still unknown) ended up in ER multiple times with everything coming back clear. Spend an enormous amount of money getting my heart/brain/lungs checked - all to come back clear as well. I think its nice to rule out serious medical conditions but what seemed to calm me down is buteyko breathing. I have been working closely with with my naturopath to find an exercise regime thats right for me. When my breathing is good, my anxiety is at extremely low levels. I can also recommend lavender oil capsules. For me they work well and they are all natural and non addictive

[Ash81]

Hi... anyone ever had anal/rectum pain?? It’s freaking me out even though three drs have checked and say theirs nothing there!! I hate HEALTH ANXIETY.. I’m always so scared thinking of anal/bowel cancer even though I had a blood test last month that was normal and a stool test to look for microscopic blood 5 months ago that was normal thank god!!