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Health Anxiety again!

Tugboat
Community Member

Hi it’s me again!

I have been suffering health anxiety on and off for over 30 years. Currently going through a rough patch again and waiting to have an ultrasound. My anxiety is very high at the moment and my mind will not slow down thinking all negative thoughts. My mornings are the worst time and as the day goes on it eases only a little. I am extremely teary and cannot eat as I feel sick. I am struggling going to work and just doing normal every day things.

10 Replies 10

Sophia16
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi Tugboat,

I am really sorry about what you are going through. It looks like you are feeling exhausted.

It is best to see a psychologist as they are trained to help you cope and give you advice.

However, I have a few tips that can help ease your anxiety in the meantime:

- Deep breathing exercises

- Focusing on things that you love

- Working out

- Take a cold shower

Please stay safe, i am here to chat if you need 🙂

Tugboat
Community Member

Hi Sophia 16

Thank you for reaching out to me. I will try the tips you advised, I do find breathing exercises do help, it’s just that on bad days anything and everything is hard. I have tried a physiologist but it didn’t seem to work 😬

Petal22
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi Tugboat,

Im sorry you are feeling this way.

I understand health anxiety I suffered with this, it was horrible my anxiety was severe… it was always worse in the mornings…. It came to a point in my life were I was always in a high anxious state I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. I have now recovered thanks to the help of health professionals.

If you are dr googling symptoms please stop it only makes things worse….

Try meditation do one that is guided. Meditation is great I believe it’s one of the things that got me over the line….. remember we are not our thoughts but the watcher of our thoughts.

Practice mindfullness

My recovery started from seeing a gp we did a mental health plan together I was also put on a antidepressant to help me to manage my anxiety… I saw a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist who diagnosed me and I did a 8 week group therapy…..

Have you seen a gp in regards to your health anxiety?

Hang in there I understand it’s hard..

Im here to chat to you

Tugboat
Community Member

Hi Petal22,

Thank you for reaching out it really means a lot to me. Over the years I have seen several drs and physiologist etc etc but I just cannot resolve the issue of my health anxiety. I have a great GP but he is not big on offering anti depressants.... I do however need to push my self more when it comes to meditation and other forms of relaxation. I have never googled symptoms as I know it would freak me out! I suppose atm getting in to see anyone in lockdown will be hard ☹️ Thank you again fir responding

Moonchild 11:11
Community Member
Hi tugboat I’m sorry to read that you are feeling this way. I too am currently suffering health anxiety and it’s debilitating to say the least. I experienced health anxiety several years ago but I thought it was just a period of my life I didn’t realise I would be facing it again… let alone as bad as it is this time around. I can’t offer a lot of advice unfortunately as all of these symptoms and feelings are very new to me… but I can absolutely offer my empathy to you and support even if it’s just to have a vent. You aren’t alone no matter how much it feels like it, there are a great bunch of people on these forums willing to share their experiences and offer support, I hope you feel better soon, here if you want to chat x

therising
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi Tugboat

This is seriously outside the square but have you ever been led to research 'How to listen to your body'?

Listening to your body does take a bit of work and imagination. I know this sounds a little simplistic but it becomes pretty interesting the more you practice/exercise this ability. This does come with a bit of a warning: The more you practice, the more sensations you may pick up on. Kind of like you're 'tuning in', to see what you can feel. I imagine you'd prefer to go the opposite way, to feel less, so you could feel less stressed but bear with me.

Imagine your body had a voice, what would it be saying

  • In the case of calling an ambulance, it may be screaming (through pain) 'THIS IS SERIOUS! YOU NEED HELP RIGHT NOW! CALL AN AMBULANCE!' Nothing quite like self doubt or not wanting to put people out to get in the way of you calling an ambulance. Done this before and ended up in hospital eventually anyway
  • In a non emergency situation, you may feel your body saying 'This is nothing too serious but you still need to see a doctor'
  • In the case of nothing concerning at all, what may come to mind is 'Nothing to worry about, it's just a bit of a glitch'

Glitches can feel like a twitch or brief spasm, the odd experience of 'pins and needles' we all get, bit of a heart palpitation that might come with a little too much caffeine consumption and so on. Glitches are the opposite of regular experiences. If the heart palpitations or pins and needles are regular or escalating, definitely a problem.

I know it sounds weird but feeling a bit of a buzz in the feet and hands is actually regarded as normal in certain circles, especially when we're feeling energetic. It's when the volume levels on that buzz are seriously 'turned up' that's it points toward too much activity (hyperactivity), for some reason.

Its said that the body has it's own intelligence and it's own language. Learning the 'language' can be challenging but well worth the effort. Learning to 'hear' when it's crying out for water (before dehydration hits), learning to 'hear' when it can't tolerate anymore food or caffeine or learning to 'hear' when it seriously needs to vent (through breath work, sighing, tears, screaming etc) requires a degree of sensitivity that I can easily imagine you already have.

Next level weird, if you ask your body at times what it wants and suddenly find yourself stretching, apparently it wants to stretch. Disciplined stretching, yoga, may even be the way to go.

Hi Therising,

Well that actually makes some sense, but I think it would take some time to relax enough and listen to your body, I will certainly give it ago. Thank you for reaching out xx

Hi Moonchild,

Thank you for reaching out to me, it really means a lot. Sometimes you do feel all alone and no one understands, that’s where this forum is great to communicate with other people similar. I am feeling a little better today ( actually had a shower). I have a ultrasound booked in for Friday so I cannot wait to get that over and done with! Sorry to hear you are also suffering health anxiety. It’s terrible how it can take hold of you ( well me anyway) I find it difficult to concentrate on anything other than my health issue! I am normally a happy go lucky girl but with this health anxiety I prefer to keep to my self and not see or chat to anyone other than the people close to me that understand. Hope you are feeling good day and thanks for listening xx

therising
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi Tugboat

I'm praying the ultrasound offers you nothing more than a great sense of relief. I can imagine how horrible the waiting is. Waiting can feel so torturous at times.

It's strange how we can be in 2 minds at times. One can be saying 'There's nothing to fear' whereas the other can have us run through a host of worst case scenarios. Can recall some years back when I felt a lump in my neck just above my collar bone. It was quite a shock at the time. As I waited for the ultrasound to take place, part of me was saying 'Nothing will change between what you feel in your neck now and you getting the results. The lump will not change its status. It's the results that will determine your direction. Analise what to do next, based on the results. Don't overthink or imagine things between now and then'. Another part of me was saying 'How could you be so casual about all this?!' Being in 2 minds definitely feels like there's a battle gong on. Turned out to be nothing more than a 3cm thyroid nodule.

If I had to define the 2 minds aspect, I would say it's like connecting with 'the stresser' and 'the analyst'. The stresser feels stress and will look for things to stress about whereas the analyst is all rather practical about things and will process things logically, without emotion getting in the way. I believe we all have a stresser and an analyst in us. Sometimes one can be louder than the other and that's the one we hear more clearly. The stresser can be so anxiety inducing.

I was raised by a stresser (my mum) and an analyst (my dad). While my mum's an absolute legend of a woman with so many wonderful and beautiful traits, she did lead me to exercise my sense of stress really well and not productively I might add. There are also times where I hear from people 'You are so much like your father', based on his non emotional/analytical take on life 🙂 My own kids would describe me as relatively well balanced woman, as I gradually learn to master balance. A seriously hard thing to master at times. Some things will definitely test us way more than others 🙂

When the stress is overwhelming, you can feel yourself out of balance. Channeling the analytical aspect of self or the sage in us is a massive challenge at times, yet it remains undeniable that practice makes perfect. By the way, that's the analyst in me saying that 🙂

Again, all the best with the ultrasound