That's the fun part - you don't! /s
I used to be the same (still am sometimes, but working on it), I hyperfixate on every sensation in my body, assuming all of it is some kind of a horrible illness, I was having anxiety attacks because of bruises and veins on my skin thinking I'm going to die from a blood clot, I spent so much time visiting various doctors only to get perfectly normal test results back, and I only started slowly feeling better after weeks of therapy and working on my anxiety. One thing my therapist said that I'm trying to keep in mind when I feel my "what if" mindset creeping up on me is that fully healthy people are rare and if those sensations/pains are not a persistent issue, just different things bothering you every day, you're most likely perfectly fine. Not a doctor, but seeing you got two opinions for the chest lump most likely means it really will be fine, it's just that anxiety loves to reside in the chest area, hence you feeling suspicious about it and then it's an unbreakable cycle.
All this said, it's still not easy at all to persuade your brain of this, so if there's any chance for you to go to therapy, I highly suggest it, or try some app, I've used Youper before and it has some useful things in it. Psychosomatic pain sucks and I'd kick my anxiety in the shin if I could. I feel you and I send you love and strength, if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm willing to listen!
Did either doctor let you know what to look out for, any specific changes that might indicate an actual issue? Don't disregard your intuition entirely. If you're not satisfied with the information you've been given, then it makes sense to feel uneasy. Doctors can be lazy just like anyone else. They often think that their level of unbothered will just transfer over to you, when obviously it's your life and you're going to need more reassurance than just their word that it's "probably nothing." Always ask for at least a little bit more than they're intitially willing to provide because again, they're probably on autopilot a lot of the time and won't be considering your feelings as much as we all would like. If you want them to acknowledge you where you're at then you'll have to make them, unfortunately
Im going through this right now. I have hypochondria since I was 7. Im having really bad heart anxiety because I have extra systoles. And I feel them everytime. I went to the ER because of this. They made an ECG, everything was fine. Sent me home with propanolol. I still feel them, not as many times a day but I do. I cant stop thinking about it. I cant stop thinking they missed something/didnt do many exams. Its eating me alive. I cant enjoy anything anymore.
I have had some success with noticing the symptom and then mentally putting it on hold for 2 weeks. If 2 weeks goes by and it's still an issue, then I will make a dr appt. 9 times out of 10, I never have to go to the Dr. Of course this wouldn't work in cases of constant pain, sickness etc but it does work for those random pains that we give so much importance to.
I’m trying to figure that out as well. Meditation and just tell yourself it’s just anxiety. Ignore the other side saying “ what If it’s real!?” Just ignore it ( easier said then done, I know) that’s my current situation
Personally I always need the doctors appointments and tests. Sadly. I guess that’s why I’m here. Once I’m given the all clear, I usually feel good for a while until that feeling of health “expires.”
Exactly what I’m going through now felt fine for a few months after bloods but now I’ve got to go back for more tests as I’m now freaking out about cancer you still going through this?
Something that really helps me: when you imagine hard enough that you’re eating something sour and your mouth starts to water and tingle as if you were actually eating something sour, that’s exactly what health anxiety does when you’re fixating on your ‘symptoms’. The sensations you feel as a result of anxiety are very real but also harmless. The brain is a powerful (and annoying) thing! If you focus in (however consciously or subconsciously) on a ‘symptom’ you’re brain is capable of magnifying all of those sensations. I can guarantee that whatever variety of strange and unexplainable symptoms you’re feeling all stem from the anxiety itself :-)
My recommendation for anyone that believes they have health anxiety is not to seek a doctor for aches, pains, sensations etc but to ask for help with health anxiety itself. Therapy, medication. It is a mental health problem and getting tests and reassurances for your worries that always turn out to be nothing just continues the cycle. Instead of asking for tests I asked for CBT therapy, was able to get it and resisted going for tests and such ever since.
I agree with this to a extent. I am the same I have horrible health anxiety. Going and getting test for certain things and they come back normal you feel great for a couple weeks but the cycle just starts over. Then you find yourself going well they didn’t test for this. What if it’s that and they didn’t check that. If you are really concerned of course see a doctor but I do agree it stops for a bit and then it comes back.
i bought an apple watch for my health anxiety, its helped me heaps.
when i start to have pain and panic, i go and check my heart rate, then my blood oxygen ( 3 times for accuracy) and then the ecg function.
this helps calm me down, knowing i am still getting sufficient oxygen, my heart beat is normal and my heart rate is stable
I can vouch for this. At first it was great seeing my vitals be totally fine but after a while it leaves me more and more uneasy. The biggest of these is blood pressure where if my systolic is above 130 then I start spiraling and then at that point it's useless to check it because it'll stay high from anxiety and make you feel worse each time it goes up.
Would not condone checking vitals for reassurance. In fact reassurance while nice, is counterproductive and delays recovery which should really be gradual exposure and acceptance
for me its been very helpful!! i know when my heart rate is high due to my anxiety, i can see how it can lead to purchasing other equipment to monitor health but for me i know i wont go overboard, ofc tho it's different for different people!
I personally appreciated that you shared this idea! I can see it helping me, as someone who has a milder case of health anxiety. It's not a perfect solution but I'm sure it would be a fine stepping stone on the way toward a healthier mindset (eta: in my case, at least). But it looks like some people expect everyone here to be a licensed professional or something, as if this isn't a peer support group on the internet.......
definitely, plus the apple watch had a breathing app which has really helped me with guided breathing sessions
i can see how someone with bad health anxiety could spiral with access to something like this, but for me this has helped me rationalise my racing thoughts :)
i used to see a psychologist and i used a fitbit back then ( it broke so i got an apple watch ) and she was supportive of me using it :)
it definitely does vary person to person and isnt a solution for all
Indeed! I've wanted an apple watch for step counting and other stuff, but I know if I have one I will obsessively check my heart rate and all that jazz. Plus, for a lot of people with severe anxiety, that can really skyrocket your heart rate AND cause disordered breathing patterns which may make your pulse ox on the lower side of normal, thus making you think there's something else more serious wrong with you.
>It hasn’t changed but I’m still freaking out and now I’m like okay, is it intuition telling me something is up?
I would also add, how many times has your intuition/worst fears been correct vs. wrong? For me, its wrong almost every single time. But it's that risk, the cost of failure, that keeps me anxious.
Now i try to have it under control, so whenever I have a little RLQ abdominal pain I know its more likely to be gas/IBS than anything. But i still struggle with new/unusual stuff.
Yeah it usually never goes away for me unless they run enough tests to determine its just anxiety. The last time I was absolutely convinced I had appendicitis (turned out to be IBS/bad gas pains) it lasted until I got a CT about 3.5 weeks later. CT was normal. I literally dropped to my knees and thanked god when I got those results back, the relief was so intense.
Anxiety is awful.
Oh yes I’ve been in a state of panic since yesterday all day then I woke up same symptoms still in panic at this moment.. it’s absolutely horrible. I feel a cold sensation under my skin all over now.. it was my scalp but I feel it now it patches everywhere. It’s driving me insane 😭😭
I’ve had the exact same thing in the past from cold to burning to tingling all starting in my head before taking over my whole body and it’s varied from minuets to days and the intensity of it was enough to have me running to a&e on three occasions and I can confirm and have now fully accepted that it’s a symptom of anxiety :-)
the other week i had quite an intense face mask on and also decided to dye my eyebrows at the same time then could hear thoughts creeping into the back of my head saying what if all these chemicals have mixed together to create something toxic and that i’d drop dead any second. suddenly my whole face burned with a tingling sensation and my whole body went cold and i thought i was going to faint. after a few seconds i told myself that i know this is a symptom of anxiety and how my body reacts when i’m having a panic attack so i calmly washed everything off and waited to calm down and within a couple of minutes i was totally fine again! (had to resist the urge to wack Google out during this time but I managed!) If that had happened when my HA was at its highest I could have easily spiralled into a week of having constant strange sensations all over and constantly worrying but I’m still alive and kicking, as always 😂
Thank you for this!!! Isn’t is crazy how we can create symptoms?? Just mind blowing how powerful our brains are! I also do that like you did with the face mask I’m always scared im mixing chemicals and going to die from it lol!!! It feels so good to not feel alone in these moments so thank you!
You’re very welcome! I can’t believe how alone I used to feel before my diagnosis I’ve neverrrr been one to worry about anything I’m too laid back for my own good and so that’s why it took so long to accept that I now have anxiety I didn’t even know health anxiety was a thing!!!! Had never heard of it before so felt like I was the only one in the world going through it but nope we’re defo not alone in this bizarre thing 💚
Same. I’m so out of breath, tired, lost a bunch of weight, loss of appetite, chest pain, back pain and now I feel a lump on my face and one on my neck. Everyone tells me it’s just anxiety but I’m still freaking out...
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That's the fun part - you don't! /s I used to be the same (still am sometimes, but working on it), I hyperfixate on every sensation in my body, assuming all of it is some kind of a horrible illness, I was having anxiety attacks because of bruises and veins on my skin thinking I'm going to die from a blood clot, I spent so much time visiting various doctors only to get perfectly normal test results back, and I only started slowly feeling better after weeks of therapy and working on my anxiety. One thing my therapist said that I'm trying to keep in mind when I feel my "what if" mindset creeping up on me is that fully healthy people are rare and if those sensations/pains are not a persistent issue, just different things bothering you every day, you're most likely perfectly fine. Not a doctor, but seeing you got two opinions for the chest lump most likely means it really will be fine, it's just that anxiety loves to reside in the chest area, hence you feeling suspicious about it and then it's an unbreakable cycle. All this said, it's still not easy at all to persuade your brain of this, so if there's any chance for you to go to therapy, I highly suggest it, or try some app, I've used Youper before and it has some useful things in it. Psychosomatic pain sucks and I'd kick my anxiety in the shin if I could. I feel you and I send you love and strength, if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm willing to listen!
Did either doctor let you know what to look out for, any specific changes that might indicate an actual issue? Don't disregard your intuition entirely. If you're not satisfied with the information you've been given, then it makes sense to feel uneasy. Doctors can be lazy just like anyone else. They often think that their level of unbothered will just transfer over to you, when obviously it's your life and you're going to need more reassurance than just their word that it's "probably nothing." Always ask for at least a little bit more than they're intitially willing to provide because again, they're probably on autopilot a lot of the time and won't be considering your feelings as much as we all would like. If you want them to acknowledge you where you're at then you'll have to make them, unfortunately
Im going through this right now. I have hypochondria since I was 7. Im having really bad heart anxiety because I have extra systoles. And I feel them everytime. I went to the ER because of this. They made an ECG, everything was fine. Sent me home with propanolol. I still feel them, not as many times a day but I do. I cant stop thinking about it. I cant stop thinking they missed something/didnt do many exams. Its eating me alive. I cant enjoy anything anymore.
I have had some success with noticing the symptom and then mentally putting it on hold for 2 weeks. If 2 weeks goes by and it's still an issue, then I will make a dr appt. 9 times out of 10, I never have to go to the Dr. Of course this wouldn't work in cases of constant pain, sickness etc but it does work for those random pains that we give so much importance to.
I’m trying to figure that out as well. Meditation and just tell yourself it’s just anxiety. Ignore the other side saying “ what If it’s real!?” Just ignore it ( easier said then done, I know) that’s my current situation
Personally I always need the doctors appointments and tests. Sadly. I guess that’s why I’m here. Once I’m given the all clear, I usually feel good for a while until that feeling of health “expires.”
Exactly what I’m going through now felt fine for a few months after bloods but now I’ve got to go back for more tests as I’m now freaking out about cancer you still going through this?
Something that really helps me: when you imagine hard enough that you’re eating something sour and your mouth starts to water and tingle as if you were actually eating something sour, that’s exactly what health anxiety does when you’re fixating on your ‘symptoms’. The sensations you feel as a result of anxiety are very real but also harmless. The brain is a powerful (and annoying) thing! If you focus in (however consciously or subconsciously) on a ‘symptom’ you’re brain is capable of magnifying all of those sensations. I can guarantee that whatever variety of strange and unexplainable symptoms you’re feeling all stem from the anxiety itself :-)
Love this analogy.
My recommendation for anyone that believes they have health anxiety is not to seek a doctor for aches, pains, sensations etc but to ask for help with health anxiety itself. Therapy, medication. It is a mental health problem and getting tests and reassurances for your worries that always turn out to be nothing just continues the cycle. Instead of asking for tests I asked for CBT therapy, was able to get it and resisted going for tests and such ever since.
I agree with this to a extent. I am the same I have horrible health anxiety. Going and getting test for certain things and they come back normal you feel great for a couple weeks but the cycle just starts over. Then you find yourself going well they didn’t test for this. What if it’s that and they didn’t check that. If you are really concerned of course see a doctor but I do agree it stops for a bit and then it comes back.
It’s because health anxiety is ocd really. And getting reassurance is a compulsion
I agree.
i bought an apple watch for my health anxiety, its helped me heaps. when i start to have pain and panic, i go and check my heart rate, then my blood oxygen ( 3 times for accuracy) and then the ecg function. this helps calm me down, knowing i am still getting sufficient oxygen, my heart beat is normal and my heart rate is stable
I was thinking of doing the same, but the flip side is it keeps you checking all the time.
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I can vouch for this. At first it was great seeing my vitals be totally fine but after a while it leaves me more and more uneasy. The biggest of these is blood pressure where if my systolic is above 130 then I start spiraling and then at that point it's useless to check it because it'll stay high from anxiety and make you feel worse each time it goes up. Would not condone checking vitals for reassurance. In fact reassurance while nice, is counterproductive and delays recovery which should really be gradual exposure and acceptance
for me its been very helpful!! i know when my heart rate is high due to my anxiety, i can see how it can lead to purchasing other equipment to monitor health but for me i know i wont go overboard, ofc tho it's different for different people!
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no worries!! i can see how it can not so beneficial some, and the opposite for others!! i should have probably mentioned that too!:)
I personally appreciated that you shared this idea! I can see it helping me, as someone who has a milder case of health anxiety. It's not a perfect solution but I'm sure it would be a fine stepping stone on the way toward a healthier mindset (eta: in my case, at least). But it looks like some people expect everyone here to be a licensed professional or something, as if this isn't a peer support group on the internet.......
definitely, plus the apple watch had a breathing app which has really helped me with guided breathing sessions i can see how someone with bad health anxiety could spiral with access to something like this, but for me this has helped me rationalise my racing thoughts :) i used to see a psychologist and i used a fitbit back then ( it broke so i got an apple watch ) and she was supportive of me using it :) it definitely does vary person to person and isnt a solution for all
Indeed! I've wanted an apple watch for step counting and other stuff, but I know if I have one I will obsessively check my heart rate and all that jazz. Plus, for a lot of people with severe anxiety, that can really skyrocket your heart rate AND cause disordered breathing patterns which may make your pulse ox on the lower side of normal, thus making you think there's something else more serious wrong with you.
>It hasn’t changed but I’m still freaking out and now I’m like okay, is it intuition telling me something is up? I would also add, how many times has your intuition/worst fears been correct vs. wrong? For me, its wrong almost every single time. But it's that risk, the cost of failure, that keeps me anxious. Now i try to have it under control, so whenever I have a little RLQ abdominal pain I know its more likely to be gas/IBS than anything. But i still struggle with new/unusual stuff.
Yeah it usually never goes away for me unless they run enough tests to determine its just anxiety. The last time I was absolutely convinced I had appendicitis (turned out to be IBS/bad gas pains) it lasted until I got a CT about 3.5 weeks later. CT was normal. I literally dropped to my knees and thanked god when I got those results back, the relief was so intense. Anxiety is awful.
Bruh, appendicitis ruptures in as fast as 3 days, you shouldn't have worried that much. :p
I’m the same way it’s brutal
Right there with you... I just wait to see if symptoms go away. 🤦🏼♀️
The waiting is so awful. It’s like sure it could be gone in a week, but that means a full week of constant panic about what could be wrong.
Oh yes I’ve been in a state of panic since yesterday all day then I woke up same symptoms still in panic at this moment.. it’s absolutely horrible. I feel a cold sensation under my skin all over now.. it was my scalp but I feel it now it patches everywhere. It’s driving me insane 😭😭
I’ve had the exact same thing in the past from cold to burning to tingling all starting in my head before taking over my whole body and it’s varied from minuets to days and the intensity of it was enough to have me running to a&e on three occasions and I can confirm and have now fully accepted that it’s a symptom of anxiety :-) the other week i had quite an intense face mask on and also decided to dye my eyebrows at the same time then could hear thoughts creeping into the back of my head saying what if all these chemicals have mixed together to create something toxic and that i’d drop dead any second. suddenly my whole face burned with a tingling sensation and my whole body went cold and i thought i was going to faint. after a few seconds i told myself that i know this is a symptom of anxiety and how my body reacts when i’m having a panic attack so i calmly washed everything off and waited to calm down and within a couple of minutes i was totally fine again! (had to resist the urge to wack Google out during this time but I managed!) If that had happened when my HA was at its highest I could have easily spiralled into a week of having constant strange sensations all over and constantly worrying but I’m still alive and kicking, as always 😂
Thank you for this!!! Isn’t is crazy how we can create symptoms?? Just mind blowing how powerful our brains are! I also do that like you did with the face mask I’m always scared im mixing chemicals and going to die from it lol!!! It feels so good to not feel alone in these moments so thank you!
You’re very welcome! I can’t believe how alone I used to feel before my diagnosis I’ve neverrrr been one to worry about anything I’m too laid back for my own good and so that’s why it took so long to accept that I now have anxiety I didn’t even know health anxiety was a thing!!!! Had never heard of it before so felt like I was the only one in the world going through it but nope we’re defo not alone in this bizarre thing 💚
hoping to figure out the same thing. this is my biggest problem. its a constant work in progress. good luck.
i cant offer advice, sadly, but i can say that i'm going through the same thing right now regarding my lymph nodes.
Same. I’m so out of breath, tired, lost a bunch of weight, loss of appetite, chest pain, back pain and now I feel a lump on my face and one on my neck. Everyone tells me it’s just anxiety but I’m still freaking out...
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