Severe health anxiety

[Hayleyp]

Hello

i have been suffering from health anxiety for the past few years.  I now however am unable to keep these thoughts under control.  I am finding it really hard to make plans for the next year or 2 because I believe I will no longer be around.

It seems to have started a few years ago following the loss of 2 pregnancies mid term...one at 19 weeks at one at 24 weeks.  I then went on to have a successful pregnancy although the stress and anxiety throughout the whole pregnancy was extremely high!

my first health related anxiety attack had me convinced I had MS.  A few dr and ed visits and finally an MRI proved finally that I was ok.  Since then I have convinced myself I have breast cancer, skin cancer, HIV, bowel cancer, pancreatic cancer and the most recent ovarian cancer.  

I am 38 years old and a registered nurse so constantly am exposed to people with all of the above conditions.

it is all getting too much but now I cannot face my dr because I am too embarrassed to be turning up with yet another complaint. Has anyone found an effective treatment method for severe health anxiety?

[Chris_B]

Hi Hayleyp,

Has your doctor ever suggested seeing a psychologist? You've successfully identified that your two miscarriages were the start of these feelings. That must have been very traumatic and upsetting for you, and I can imagine you would have been terrified throughout your successful pregnancy that it was going to happen again.  

Being a nurse you are constantly in a position of caring for others, but are often seeing the worst as you mention, and then fearing it in yourself, perhaps because of what you have been through or maybe because of something that has happened earlier in your life.  It would definitely be worth talking to someone about it.

Hope this helps.