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Carcinophobia... Please help

Posted , 6 users are following.

jeremy.leonard
jeremy.leonard

Hello, ever since I sat and watched my father go through stem cell transplant (very successfully), I have had this HUGE FEAR of getting cancer. I poke and prod myself and do the worst thing you can do on the Internet, WebMD. I convince myself that I have all the symptoms. I just recently had my first child (5 days ago), and I don't want to feel this way. Anyone have any suggestions as to try and cope?

P.S. I have gone to the Dr many times and have had a CT scan which found absolutely nothing.

Thank you all.

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

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  • Dsaenz641
    Dsaenz641 jeremy.leonard

    Posted

    Its called health anxiety , i just got a supraclivicular node excersion and biobsy because of dr google. Searching health advise on the internet is the worst thing you can do when you have health anxiety. Dr google said it was almost curtain that when u have nodes in that erea it is cancer, which had turned my life upside down. Everything was normal thank god. Please stop googling symptoms it will make you worst and remember if you poke pull or prode urself of course you will be sore and make tissues swell. Enjiy your baby stop thinking about your health your fine
    • jeremy.leonard
      jeremy.leonard Dsaenz641

      Posted

      Thank you so much for the reply. I just get myself worked up and then all of a sudden I have ALL the symptoms. I'll try and calm myself down when I can.
    • jp1993
      jp1993 jeremy.leonard

      Posted

      Seems like it could be health anxiety.

      If your doctors say that you're okay, it might be best just to listen to them. They have years of medical training and went to school for years.

      Do you have a therapist or a counsellor or someone who is trained to help?

    • jeremy.leonard
      jeremy.leonard jp1993

      Posted

      Thank you for responding. I have gone to a therapist and my GP helps a lot. The anxiety isn't as bad everyday, but when I get triggered by something, it gets worse.
    • jp1993
      jp1993 jeremy.leonard

      Posted

      yeah im the same way.

      I saw that you're Catholic, so am I. This prayer helps me, maybe it can help you.

      God, give me grace to accept with serenity

      the things that cannot be changed,

      Courage to change the things

      which should be changed,

      and the Wisdom to distinguish

      the one from the other.

      Living one day at a time,

      Enjoying one moment at a time,

      Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

      Taking, as Jesus did,

      This sinful world as it is,

      Not as I would have it,

      Trusting that You will make all things right,

      If I surrender to Your will,

      So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

      And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

      Amen.

    • jp1993
      jp1993 jeremy.leonard

      Posted

      No problem at all, I'm here to help.

      If you need anything at all, post on here or feel free to send me a PM.

      you are not alone and you can beat this.

      Good luck and all the best! 

      smile

  • Dsaenz641
    Dsaenz641 jeremy.leonard

    Posted

    I understand anxiety will make you feel all kinds of symptoms. Trust me i have been there i know it feals horrible but remember its just our head and a dramtic event that you are terrified to repeat there fore causing you to get anxious then when you google symptoms it always leads to cancer then causes more anxiety. You already had ct scans which is one of the most reliable way to dx someone and it came out clear. I promise this feeling will go away just stop googling symptoms.

    How often do you think about being sick and googling your symptoms

    • jeremy.leonard
      jeremy.leonard Dsaenz641

      Posted

      Honestly, I think about them at least once a day but some days are worse than others. There are days when I talk myself down but then there are days, such as today, that I get triggered by something and start feeling the anxiety.
  • richard89308
    richard89308 jeremy.leonard

    Posted

    try and change your perception of constantly worrying whether you have cancer. If you don't you don''t.  Stay healthy.  Cancer comes later in life when normal cells change and turn cancerous due to aging. That is all cancer is an aging metastisised cell.

    rich

    • jeremy.leonard
      jeremy.leonard richard89308

      Posted

      Thanks for replying. Yeah I know. I just have to stop thinking about it and just letting it go that I DO NOT have anything. I just psych myself out. Actually talking on here helps a lot
  • Dsaenz641
    Dsaenz641 jeremy.leonard

    Posted

    Great prayer

    In god all things are possible even inner peace. Only people in our situation know how something other people dot even realise and appreciate 'inner peace'would make us live much happier lives. Dont give up and next time you feel that way remember its our own heads dont let it beat you

  • DanJames1
    DanJames1 jeremy.leonard

    Posted

    I used to have fear of it,  i couldn't look at or Say the word 'cancer'.

    A number of things got me over it.

    Watching one of my best friends have a double masectomy last year and go through endless radiotherapy.  

    Seeing my uncle get worse and worse on a daily basis because of the three tumors on his body that have spread into every bone in his body.

    My best friend Anna Surviving having cervical cancer,  who i respect So So much.

      Shows like Family Guy/South park for BLUNTLY joking about it and using the word 'cancer' like it is the word 'the'.

     You need to accept the possibility of it,  think yourself lucky that you don't have it, laugh at it, battle it...   It's cancer.   An ugly revolting thing. A fact.  Don't let your own mortality scare you, be a fighter.  

     I hope this helps in some way 

      

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