Always Worried!

Lynda.

I have health anxiety and I imagine that every physical symptom will result in a terminal illness.It is exhausting to feel this way all the time.

My problem is that I do not have faith in the doctors,due to the way my late husband was looked after when he had a serious car accident.His doctor was negligent and it resulted in major problems for the rest of his life.The original notes when my husband was in hospital were not found.Inbelieve they were not written.

Consequently I do not believe my doctors when they tell me it is 'just' anxiety.I always think they have missed something.

I am70 and have felt this way for the last 14 years and yet I am still here,so I guess they can't all be wrong.

My mother was on anti depressants from the 1960's until 1998 when she took an overdose,so I have a strong reluctance against taking medication.They did not work for her,and I do not want to have those type of pills around me as I live completely alone and get too frightened.Doctors hand out too many drugs and are happy to keep trying something else if the first ones do not work,but I do believe that they have too many adverse affects.

CBT  seems to be the way to go.After your test next week,ask for a course of CBT to help deal with the anxietys but it us not a quick fix ,but I think that there are better results from it?Wishing you luck next week.Wendl.

Hi lynda, I can't offer much advice but I am exactly the same way. For the past 10 years, I have been frantically obsessing over my health and self-diagnosing myself with terminal illnesses - in the past week alone, I have convinced myself that I have lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, bowel cancer, bone cancer and brain cancer. I've gotten so worked up that I have cried because I was so convinced that I was going to die, and that I would never see my family or friends ever again.

I was perscribed antidepressants about 5 years ago because I got to the point where I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything, and would stay in bed and cry, but I stopped taking them eventually as I don't think they were having much impact. I was referred to cognitive behavioural therapy recently (that is what cbt stands for) so I will see how that goes - lord knows I need something. I think what I need more than anything is someone to talk to. I usually talk to my mother about these problems (she has always been my first port-of-call whenever something has been bothering me), and I know that she gets tired of hearing about the latest illness that I have apparently got. I also relate to Wendi's fears that doctors might miss something. I went to the doctors a few years ago because I felt something unusual on my testicles. The doctor felt and said it was nothing, but I wasn't convinced, and after reading stories about people being told that they are silly for worrying about having bowel cancer because they are too young, I'm even more distrusting of doctors - I mean, they are only human and can make mistakes, right? Sigh..

Stay strong Lydna. I know how damaging health anxiety can be to your well-being. Remember that you are not alone - there are so many people exactly like yourself who worry about their health all the time, and there are people who can help you. Also remember that most people do not get cancer, and even on the off-chance that you do develop cancer, most have good survival rates and we have come so far over the past 20-30 years (that is a small crumb of comfort for me at least).

 

that is very scary and Im so sorry.Ive had similar experiences where my family and parents had cancer or passed from it. I worry also about getting it because of them! I know exactly how you feel based on what you have told us, because I could write those words also myself.geez.What made me most afraid was that my father died one day of cancer& never knew he had it we found it in his autopsy. It had spread all over his body and hed felt nothing. I then began to fear the same fate- painless, symptomless cancer creeping up on me. I do think he was lucky in that he did not suffer more than a day, but still. I have eased my own fears by consulting with doctors, getting more facts and statistics that go against what I think. So far Im ok and I am 39 now. My father died at 73 however. Friends also have gotten cancer in my life.Younger ones. Cancer is one thing that needs a cure fast. It scares a lot of us! I do not consider basing fears of illness upon real life experiences to be hypocondriac, it is just fear that it will also happen to you. I too had a melanoma in a mole on my upper chest.It was removed and has never gone to anywhere else sinse. I still worry but as long as I see the Derm. off and on, and look over moles etc. my fear is lessened. I have extreme lung disease and have never smoked.Im just unlucky there. I used to give myself panic attacks from worry about not breathing ok in public. This has been improved with proper medications I now carry along with me.I have learned some relaxation techniques recently as well and they do help me, they do not help us all, but could help you when freaked out abt cancer. It makes you really relax and think slower and more rationally and that helps me sort my feelings out. Seeing the correct doctor is important, if you have insurance, they can alleviate some of the worry by giving you absolute facts. Most cancers can now be detected early too. The one that concerns me most is still Cervical cancer because its hard to find. So my doctor is helping me to check, helping me to feel less concerned, and I do now. Every time a new symptom crops up in my body, I used to be SURE that I was dying. This has subsided lately with help. I am younger and therefore I still have monthly periods and do not yet need hormones, however I may someday. I too have breakthrough bleeding and issues similar even though we have differing causes. I immediately think-" oh no cervical cancer!" anytime my period is irregular or heavy or late. I need to calm down. This that you and I feel is a very real issue with very real worries. I needed doctors who treated it as such before I were feeling better abt it all. Luckily Ive found that somewhat. Medical facts really help my irrational fears get lessened.I do hope you will find more ways to worry less also. Worry all the time probably does not help the health its own self and I knew that too, but could not stop. Things are improving and I hope they do for you as well. I feel for your situation. I just recently lost people close to me as well.